The History

Before golf bags came around, the golf clubs tied together by a chord and carried around by the players. As the 20th century rolled around people wanted to play golf for longer than 9 holes. This led to the development of the first golf bag which was made of canvas and leather. It was just under 90 cm in height and had an opening for the clubs of 11.5cm. The bag was reinforced with metal at the bottom end of the bag for protection and stability. This design lasted from the late 19th century all the way until before World War Two.

After World War Two people wanted to play golf for longer of periods of time so they could fit 18 holes of golf in. This led to the need for lighter and more comfortable bags that were big enough to fit all the clubs, balls and course books they needed. As result leather and canvas were replaced by lighter materials. These lighter materials became vinyl and cotton up until the mid-1980s where they were replaced by nylon, plastic, and other compounds.

However, due to the invention of the golf buggy and pull cart/trolley bags became heavier and bigger as they were no longer needed to be carried. Consequently, the bags began to be made out of vinyl and cotton in the 1970s. Towards the end of the 1970s and the begins of the 1980s the golf bag began to develop into having two legs (kickstands) to supports its weight. It also began to feature two straps to carry the bag to spread the weight onto both shoulders.

In the 1970s there was a change in bag design back to a carry bag when Rick Reimers took ideas from backpack companies – such as materials and design – to help make a new golf bag. This new golf bag was made out of nylon and was more durable and half the weight of other bags of the time. Later on, with his development of golf bags in 2004 came the invention of a Roller Top Handle. This handle allowed the bag to be mounted and dismounted from the shoulders much easier. As a result, this design would be copied by many other manufacturers and is still in use today. Rick Reimers went even further with his golf bags in 2007 when he released the first ever waterproof golf bag.

Nowadays golf bags are extremely light at around 2KG and have loads of added features, such as: lots of spaces for balls and other accessories, comfortable straps that distribute the weight evenly across your shoulders, a rain hood that stops your clubs from getting wet in the rain and much more.

Different Types of Golf Bags

Type of Bag	Advantages	Disadvantages
Stand Bags These bags are very light weight and come with two legs that can make the bag stand up as well as two straps to help carry the bag on your shoulders.	Smaller Lighter Take up less space (easier to transport) Cart/trolley friendly Cheaper Provides good exercise as you are carrying the bag Harder to carry an umbrella and waterproofs.	Club clang about when walking Tiring to carry for 18 holes Smaller means there is less space Harder to fit everything you want in the bag Have to carry everything you put in the bag
Cart Bags These bags have a flat bottom to them and are designed to be put on a golf trolley and not carried. This means that the pocket layout is different and there are no legs or straps to carry your bag.	Bigger More space Take more with you Clubs don’t rattle around when walking Lots more accessories Space for an umbrella and waterproofs so you and your clubs don’t get wet	More expensive Have to get a trolley to go with it Takes up lots of space in the boot Heavy Less exercise as you are pushing the bag.
Pencil Bag These bags are extremely small and light weight, designed to hold not much more than a set of clubs	Very light Cheap Small – fit in the car easier	No lots of space for added extras Flimsy and often not waterproof
Tour Bag These are the bags you see with the professionals. they have loads of space but are very heavy	Have loads of space for clubs and extra stuff Looks very smart Makes you look very good Has a strap so they can be carried.	Very heavy Expensive Really hard to carry for a round Have to buy a trolley as well Very big so take up a lot of space in the car

Most Popular Golf Bags

TITLEIST PLAYERS 4PLUS STADRY STAND BAG

PING HOOFER STAND BAG

SUN MOUNTAIN H2NO LITE SPEED STAND BAG

DATREK 2022 CARRY LITE STAND BAG

COBRA ULTRALIGHT STAND BAG

BIG MAX DRI LITE FEATHER STAND BAG

CALLAWAY FAIRWAY C HYPER DRY DOUBLE STRAP STAND BAG

PING HOOFER LITE STAND BAG

MOTOCADDY HYDROFLEX STAND BAG

BIG MAX DRI-LITE HYBRID TOUR STAND BAG

POWAKADDY DRI TECH CART BAG

BIG MAX DRI LITE TOUR CART BAG

SUN MOUNTAIN C-130 CART BAG

MOTOCADDY 2022 DRY SERIES CART BAG

PING TRAVERSE CART BAG 2022

BAGBOY CHILLER CART BAG

BIG MAX AQUA SPORT 3 CART BAG

BENNINGTON QUIET ORGANIZER 14

TAYLORMADE STORM DRY CART BAG

DATREK DG LITE II CART BAG

What Bags do they use on Tour?

The professional that we see on TV use a different bag to the rest of us. They use a much bigger bag, it has loads of space for added gear that they might need. This extra space comes at a cost as they weigh 4.5Kg or 10 pounds. However, the professional doesn’t need to worry about weight as they have a caddy to carry the bag for them.

The main differences between a tour bag and any other bag are that the diameter of the tour bag is much wider at 10 inches wide. Some more difference is, that the bag has a single strap to help the caddies carry the bag, they can stand up – much like a cart bag – and also have enough space on the bag for added sponsors like this ?

Over the years the general design and shape hasn’t changed much. With the main differences are the materials used and the size. As the bags have gone from heavy canvas to much lighter nylon and plastic. This has allowed the bags to become much bigger without gaining to much weight. Consequently, the Tour professionals have been able to carry round much more extra equipment to help them. These items include lots of food and drink, waterproofs (if they need them), plenty of golf balls, spare gloves and tees.

Pencil Bags

However, Pencil bags are the complete opposite to Tour Bags. They are extremely light at around 1.5 Kg in weight, and are 6 inches in diameter, substantially smaller than the 10-inch diameter of the Tour bag. This smaller size means that the bag is only really designed to carry a set of clubs and not much else. It does have space for added gear such as golf balls, tees and some bags have room for waterproofs. As a result of this design, pencil golf bags are meant to be carried round with comfort and ease due to them having two straps and being extremely light. The bag usually comes with two legs so it can stand but some pencil bags often don’t to save weight. These pencil bags, due to the design of being light are very small. They are the best option for if you have a small car, or a car with a small boot.

How pencil bags have changed over time, is mainly through the materials. These materials have changed from leather in the early designs, to canvas and cotton to save weight in the 1970s. This reduction in weight allowed for added featured such as legs to help the bag stand and extra pockets for other equipment. A further reduction in weight in the 2000s was caused by the production of bags made out of synthetic materials such as plastic and nylon. As a result, the bags could get a lot bigger without causing a change in weight. Consequently, the bags could have much bigger pockets and storage. Whilst they gain storage some brands often will not add legs to their bags, instead opting for extremely lightweight, and designed to be comfy and easy to carry.