The Walking Golfer’s Issues with Modern Carry Bags

As walking golfers, we spend a great deal of time carrying our golf bags around, unless we are pushing them of course.

I am constantly amazed at the “complexity” of modern carry bags that can be found at most golf retailers and I will comment on this development from the perspective of a minimalist walking golfer in the following essay, while also making some recommendations to consider while evaluating golf bags and discussing ideas to help minimize carrying weight.

So often in modern society we take something perfectly simple and functional and begin adding to it in the pursuit of “better”.

Often these improvements are valuable, such as adding gears to a bicycle in order to make it easier to pedal up a hill, but sometimes they are not, such as adding pockets and other features to a golf bag in order to, well, make it less functional.

What is the purpose of a golf bag?

• To carry your clubs and golf balls
• To carry other items you may need on the course such as a jacket or water bottle
• To hold items that you may want to keep close, such as a wallet and cell phone

What are some other elements of a carry bag that walkers tend to benefit from?

• Lightweight
• Easy to carry
• Minimal stress on your body

So what is the ideal template for a golf bag?

As a minimalist walking golfer I believe that the MacKenzie Walker and Llama are as close to perfect as you can get – they have two pockets, a single strap and little internal structure.

So, is this a shameless product promotion to sell Walkers and Llamas on The Walking Golfer.com?

Nope, our product is already selling itself because walking golf consumers are fed up with the many modern golf bags that provide a lot of pockets, hooks, clasps, rings, sleeves, etc. that add little or no benefit to their experience on the course, while essentially encouraging them to add excess weight to their bag which can increase fatigue and possibly lead to injury.

What is “wrong” with modern golf bags from a minimalist walker’s perspective?

1)  There are too many pockets.

I have seen some supposed carry bags with upwards of ten pockets, each apparently with its own unique purpose. How could anyone possibly need ten pockets and how could you use them all while keeping track of your items?

I firmly believe a golf bag should have no more than four pockets and I think that two is sufficient.

2)  There are too many dividers on most modern carry bags.

Why do you need fourteen dividers, or even six? And why do they have to go from the top to the bottom? Do you even carry fourteen clubs?

I believe a golf bag should have one divider – the top section is for woods and a putter, the bottom section is for irons. Furthermore, I do not think the divider should extend to the bottom of the bag because it limits, instead of maximizing, the usable space inside, it provides unnecessary structure and it increases weight.

3)  While often “light” in absolute weight, most modern, carry bags encourage golfers to pack “heavy”.

Even a one pound bag only weighs one pound when it is empty. As soon as you begin adding clubs, jackets, balls, tees, range finders, GPS devices, brushes, markers, umbrellas, etc., etc., your bag quickly turns into something that belongs at boot camp, not on a golf course.

The key question in the carry bag debate is – What do you absolutely need in your bag for a round of golf?

• Clubs – probably 8 to 12
• Golf Balls – a few to a dozen depending on accuracy
• Towel – a real one, not a handkerchief, just ask any professional caddie
• Jacket – only if necessary
• Wallet, keys and cell phone which can go in a valuables pouch

Beyond these items, everything else can be carried in a pocket or left in the car.

Tees, a divot repair tool, and ball marker can easily live in a pant pocket, and a glove can go in a back pocket.

If you pack light, then you can probably drop at least 5 lbs from your bag, which is a huge difference over eighteen holes.

4)  There are way too many unnecessary clips, loops, rings and slots on most modern golf bags.

While a D-Ring for a bag tag and a sleeve for a water bottle might be useful extras to have, any other clip, slot, loop, opening, etc. is not necessary.

• Scorecard holder? That is what your back pocket is for.
• Velcro patch for your glove? That is what your other back pocket is for.
• Loop for a towel? Lay it across your clubs.
• Pocket for a rangefinder or GPS device? Just clip it on the D-Ring.
• Sleeve for a Sharpie? Mark your golf balls ahead of time or just leave it in your ball pocket.
• Clip for your groove cleaner brush thingy? It’s called a tee.

There are also several aspects of modern golf bags that may make sense for some golfers, but I think a minimalist walking golfer can do without them.

1)  An umbrella adds extra weight to the bag and is rarely used which means a sleeve and loop to hold an umbrella is not required.

How often do you really play in the rain and how much does it actually help?

I live in the Pacific Northwest and play all year round, but if it looks like Noah’s Ark is going to float by then I will not be traipsing around the course. If it is drizzling a bit, then I just walk through it and make sure to have a couple of extra gloves in the pockets of my waterproof jacket. An umbrella is often nothing more than dead-weight.

On a links course when the wind is up, an umbrella is usually turned inside out or blown away. It is useless.

2)  Almost every modern golf bag has “legs” or a “stand” but I am not convinced that they are necessary or beneficial.

Many golfers “love” their stand bag and it is difficult to disagree with the sea of them that you see at retail, but I just do not get it.

There is one primary reason that I do not like a stand -  it prevents me from carrying the bag using the “stick” method.

The carrying method involves picking up your bag by the strap with your left hand, pulling it up to your shoulder so it is hanging across your back, and then looping your right arm over the top part of the bag, just under the opening, and pressing it against your back above the waist.

By using the “stick” method to carry a golf bag there is almost zero stress on your shoulder or back, especially if you keep the contents of the bag to a minimum. You can also walk naturally “upright” which is something that is very difficult to do with a double strap stand bag.

If you are curious about why I coined this term, it is because that is how I have seen many top amateurs and low handicap golfers carry their bags, an interesting phenomenon that is isolated to “sticks” for some reason.

There is certainly some legitimacy to the claim that a stand bag is nice because it keeps your clubs off the ground when it is wet. However, provided your bag is water resistant and you are selective about where it is put down, ie) not in a mud puddle or standing water, then I do not think that the stand is significantly advantageous.

Another potential benefit is not having to bend over as far to pick up the bag after a shot, but if your bag is light then you can lift it to your shoulder in one easy motion without stressing your lower back. A heavy bag is difficult to pick up whether there is a stand or not.

There are several clear disadvantages to the stand bag:

• The lifespan of the legs are usually not more than one or two seasons, especially if you travel
• The mechanism that opens/closes the legs requires a stiff and uncomfortable “barrel” body
• Unloading a stand bag and popping the legs open is more awkward than sliding off a single strap bag

3)  Finally, almost every modern golf bag has a double strap, which is preferred by many but something that I have never liked.

A double strap fairly evenly distributes weight between your shoulders, but the bag tends to hang below your butt so there is no support from that natural shelf.  The weight of the bag on your shoulders also forces you to lean slightly forward which can lead to an awkward and somewhat unnatural walking posture.

A single strap bag carried using the “stick” method pins the bag against your body above the waist which makes carrying extremely easy. Personally, I have found that a double strap causes nothing more than lower back pain because the weight is centered directly over the spine. Ouch.

I realize that my “issues with the modern carry bag” may be somewhat controversial and disputed by some, if not many, golfers.

Before completely discarding my opinions, I would encourage any walking golfer to try carrying a single strap golf bag that does not have a stand for a round while using the “stick” method. I feel strongly that the benefits of properly using this type of bag and carrying method will outweigh any of the disadvantages.

Of course, regardless of the type of golf bag you decide to use, please consider keeping it as light as possible and leaving any unnecessary items in your car or at home.

I fear that the evolution of modern golf bags has helped drive fellow golfers into carts and off their feet because they do not think they can carry the weight of a bag without injury for a full round, and they do not like the idea of a push cart.

I hope this is not the case, and regardless, I think it is time for the golf industry to simplify their carry bag designs and provide the consumer with products that help them minimize total bag weight, not increase it.

Again, what is the benefit of a 1 lb bag if there is 25 lbs worth of clubs, balls, accessories and junk sitting in, or hanging off of, it? There is none.

So walking golfers, please consider developing a minimalist attitude which will allow you to reduce the weight of your bag as much as possible to help prevent fatigue and injury while making your round more enjoyable.

If you are interested in learning more about the single strap two pocket lightweight ballistic nylon and leather golf bags that The Walking Golfer and The MacKenzie Golf Bag Company have partnered on, please click here.

By Rob Rigg (2009)