2014 Ping Hoofer / 4 series available now

[Entropy]

Hi everybody.  I've been looking for reviews on the new 2014 Ping carry bags that are available for purchase now but haven't found any.  Has anybody gamed one of these yet or seen one in the stores?  I am looking for a light weight carry bag to game next season and have always been a fan of Ping bags.  I'm leaning a bit towards the 4 series but the hoofer is only 0.5 lbs more according to the website despite having what looks to be a significantly larger profile.  Any thoughts on the new models?

[Hammer 4]

I've had a couple Hoofers and always had good luck with them. IMHO one of the best bags out there.

[Polynikes]

I bought the Ping 4 series about 6 months ago. Comfortable to carry as the straps are great, good pockets that just about hold all the wet weather kit when needed. I only carry 13 clubs which seems perfect for this bag, the times I've carried 14 it's been a little too tight!! If I'm honest, i'd wish i'd gone for the slighter bigger hoofer!

[Entropy]

Thanks for the input.  I had a hoofer 10 years ago and loved it so I am leaning that way now.  After reading lots of reviews of previous year's models I'm kind of aware of some of the issues with the bag, mainly club tangling.  That's why I was interested to see if the 2014 models address this in anyway.  There is a 14-way divider version of the hoofer which looks promising but it also adds weight (5.5 lbs).  I love that the new hoofer has a dedicated range finder pocket and the new attached raincover is also pretty cool.  I just need to see them in person before I pull the trigger.

[Jim12golf]

I have also looked at the Ping Hoofer II (2014 model) and found it to be very nice.  However I noticed that the dividers only extend down about 3/4 of the way to the bottom of the bag.  This will allow club tangling which is what I'm trying to avoid.  Really disappointing seeing the bag in person after researching it and seeing that Ping labels the bag as having full length dividers.  I was all set to go with the new Hoofer until seeing the lack of dividers too.

[caniac6]

I had the same problems with my Hoofer. The grips seemed to hang up on the bottom of the dividers, and it felt like I was fighting my bag when I was trying to pull a club. I had used Hoofere in the past, and this model was the only one I didn't like. I got rid of it,and replaced it with a Sun Mountain 3.5. I've used Ping irons since 1986, but I won't have another Ping bag until they fix the issue with the dividers.

[tristanhilton85]

It'd be very hard to not go with a PING bag. I remember having a Hoofer in high school and I loved that bag. However, if you are open to other brands, I'd suggest Sun Mountain. If you want a solid, light weight bag, the Three 5 is great. However, the Four 5 doesn't weight much more and you get a 14 way top.

[Entropy]

  tristanhilton85 said:

It'd be very hard to not go with a PING bag. I remember having a Hoofer in high school and I loved that bag. However, if you are open to other brands, I'd suggest Sun Mountain. If you want a solid, light weight bag, the Three 5 is great. However, the Four 5 doesn't weight much more and you get a 14 way top.

I've looked at a few Sun Mountain bags, I sort of like the new Three 5 but not as much as the hoofer or 4 series.  Sun Mountain seems to save weight on their bags by using really lightweight material that feels kind of cheap to me.  I have a 14 way top now in my Nike bag and I'm kind of over it.  I think it adds unnecessary weight.  The other bag I really like is the Titleist StaDry Premiere (2014) since it only weights 3.5 lbs but its $330 which is just ridiculous in my opinion.

[iggyz]

  Entropy said:

I've looked at a few Sun Mountain bags, I sort of like the new Three 5 but not as much as the hoofer or 4 series.  Sun Mountain seems to save weight on their bags by using really lightweight material that feels kind of cheap to me.

Last spring I replaced my bag of the last decade. Having perused the bag section at the store before, I intended to buy the 4 Series. One more look-around and only Sun Mountain caught my eye, but I agree I just didn't feel like I could trust going another 10 years with the same bag after feeling the materials and zippers...

Stuck with my original choice of the 4 Series and as a walker 90% of the time I really dig the insulated bottle pocket. The only negative with the bag as far as I am concerned, and others have mentioned, is that my clubs tend to get tangled way to easily down at the grips. I might have to buy some of those plastic tube dividers and cut the appropriate length off the bottom so they sit under the lip of the bag and don't visually irritate me as much. They sure are expensive for what you get though. Anyone have alternative solutions?

And to answer the OP, I believe you get 1 or 2 more side pockets, 1 more front lower pocket, and no insulated bottle pocket with if you were to go with the Hoofer, compared to the 4 Series. The 4 Series has a slightly smaller over-all profile and I don't carry much in my bag, so if you don't need it, why pay more?