Yet Another Stand Bag Thread

[follyforhire]

I am about to buy a new carry bag and want to get the Sand Trap fellowship's thoughts before I pull the trigger. I've imposed a budget of $100 (or about that, my budgets are um... fluid!), so I'm looking at smaller bags and closeouts.

I've browsed around, read reviews, searched the forum threads and (somewhat) narrowed it down to the following contenders.

I'm leaning toward the Ogio Sticks bag. Smallish, but I can cram 14 clubs, some tees, a few balls, and a water bottle in it. I found a new one from an evidently reputable dealer on eBay for $45 plus shipping, so that's great. But I cannot find many (helpful) reviews of it anywhere, and no one I know has ever used one.

Still considering:

Ping Craz-e-Lite : probably the most balanced package in terms of size, space, functionality, and weight. Discontinued, but still available new for reasonable prices.

Sun Mountain Mini : I like the looks of this one the best, really, but it's at the high end of my price range and doesn't seem to be readily available on sale or on eBay. And even though I've seen one with 14 clubs in it, I wonder whether I'll have enough patience with the rather ridiculous X divider it has. There's apparently a newer model out with a single divider, but I've never seen one, and they're not available at any major online retailers.

I could also probably be convinced to consider:

Ogio Vaporlite
Sun Mountain SL 3.5

Thanks for reading and for any comments, suggestions, or warnings you might offer.

[klaymon]

I have a Sun Mountain 3.5 and I really like it. It has plenty of pockets and is really light. The only thing I wish it had is full-length dividers on every slot. It only has 6 club compartments, which is fine, but it only has full-length dividers between the 3 rows. So, clubs in adjacent compartments can get the grips tangled.

[Hmbre97]

I picked up a Callaway XTT Xtra-lite on clearance at Target for $69. It's about the same size and weight of the Ogio Vaporlite.

http://www.tgw.com/customer/category...TEGORY_ID=8332

[denver_nuggs_15]

i would say go with ping. i myself am a caddie and have only had good experiences with them...(i have never used the one that you are considering to buy)...if you could get that callaway xtt for under 100 thats amazing. it really is a good bag. still think way to go is ping for bags.

[SammamishWA]

I was in the same situation last year. I had a Titleist bag that I wore out. After a lot of research, I ended up getting a screaming deal on a Callaway carry/cart bag. It was a great bag, but it was more of a cart bag (and I wanted a good carry bag), despite having the dual straps to carry. I think it was really a Ogio bag branded with Callaway. Anyway, I ended up selling on eBay and bought another Titleist bag (because my old Titleist was so comfortable). The shoulder straps are very wide fits great. I got it on sale at Austads.com for around $100 bucks I think. Good luck!

[The Rambler]

Spend the extra $ for a Ping bag. They last forever. If money is that big of an issue, check out the BST section of thesandtrap's partner site www.golfwrx.com You can find a lot of cheap stuff there Cheers

[powertrip240]

One thing to consider when buying a bag is do you plan to carry the bag on the course, or do you use a pull cart?

I've always had a stand bag in the past, and just this past season I started walking the course alot more often, using a pull cart. I found that a stand bag is more difficult to strap into a pull cart because of the stand. I recently bought a used cart bag, and it is much easier to strap into my pull cart, and an electric cart when I occasionaly drive rather than walk. I really have no need for a stand bag.

Just my opinion.....

[follyforhire]

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has offered their comments and suggestions so far.

I really am looking for a sort of bare bones carry bag. I currently have two bags with which I am quite pleased, but neither of them are very useful for walking, especially on the hilly tracks in North Arkansas. (A vintage leather Titleist - made by Miller maybe - cart bag and a Callaway stand/cart bag - made by Ogio - with dual straps that sounds similar to the one Sammamish described above. I believe it was called a Hybrid 45. Great bag, but at 7 pounds it weighs nearly as much as the leather Titleist.) I've made a commitment to walk more this year, and even though I'm 29 and in reasonable shape, walking 18 in the humidity of the Ozark foothills is quite taxing. I need all the help I can get.

The Callaway XTT looks and sounds great, and I've found a good price on one. Also, if you're interested, check out this additional contender, a Titleist x81 Sunday Carry bag . It's a Sun Mountain Mini with a Titleist logo, a much better single divider top, and a great dual strap.

Thanks, again, to everyone who's read and posted. I really appreciate your input.