Holding Your Own

The best golf bags for 2008

In Golf managing the perfect game is considered a Herculean effort and rightly so. It is an exercise of discipline, patience and endless verbal obscenities. The proud few who commit their lives to the endless refining necessary to achieve any degree of success, find comfort in knowing that the tools they utilize to shape their experience have undergone similar hard fought transformations. Since its inception into the game of golf, the bag has been altered in form and function to meet the needs of modern players. When considering the perfect companion for a round, the most important features have always been the dimensions, the weight and the aesthetics. It seems each successive generation wants their bags easier to carry and more pleasurable to look at while still having enough carriage space to hold a variety of clubs and equipment. Golfers represent a breed which demands the impossible until achieving the impossible becomes routine. The industry’s responses to the player’s demands have allowed The Green Magazine to proudly showcase some of the best bags in the business. Greentested, Milt Jackson approved.

Sun Mountain Lighting S

Price: $209.99

When it comes to Sun Mountain you can count on their tradition of innovation. The Lighting S model was released in 2007 but has been carried over into their 2008 collection. Perhaps they could dole out some of their business advice to some of those who have forgotten the age old lesson,“if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.”The Lighting’s roller top, natural grip and strap attachment make for a balanced carrying experience. Its pockets were arranged to be accessible whether the bag is shouldered standing or strapped to a golf cart. The bag is equipped with an insulated cooler pocket, a velour lined valuables pouch and three interior mesh pockets. The dual diameter leg system provides strength without adding undue weight, keeping the Lighting S less than 5 pounds.With such a strong catalogue, one can’t help but dream of what the next creation will be on the horizon of Sun Mountain.

Burton Hybrid CXS Golf Stand Bag

Price: $159.00

To carry is divine, but only if the bag possesses the weightless features of a stand bag combined with the multi-functional features present in bags adapted for cart going. In today’s market a hybrid style bag won’t draw much attention from its name alone. Something else is needed to give the bag the combination of features worthy of a Kirk Gibson fist pump. Burton’s CXS was more then happy to step up to the plate. If the 11 pockets,organizer top with 14 full-length dividers and the external putter clip aren’t revolutionary enough, one need only look to the monoshock stand system. Sure, off the course having the ability to lock legs into place during transport and cart use may sound too exciting, but in the world of hybrids a stowaway dual strap system is as bling as Bollywood.

Ogio Grom Golf Stand Bag

Price: $139.95

Only one word is necessary to describe Ogio Grom’s design: loaded. This bag is packed full of so many patents that it might not be able to handle the shower of adjectives it deserves. Modified lightly, the mind bending Grom has stood as Ogio’s top selling golf bag for three years running. Perhaps it is the triple shoulder strap system that attracts the bag brothers? Or maybe it is the trademark lift grip integrated trunk handle? Regardless of which curve, pocket or strap gets the majority of your attention, the Grom in its entirety is the ideal course companion, the Swiss army knife of golf essentials.