Maybe you want well-designed straps that hug your shoulders, or a top that prevents clubs from clanging as you walk down the fairway. Even if you're looking for something different, our Hot List judges selected the following 21 bags because they embody excellence that everyone can appreciate. Our standards: lightweight, well-pocketed carry bags and full-featured, club-protecting cart bags. We put the bags through various tests, including making sure a carry bag's legs won't whip your legs when the stand retracts, and finding out how well a cart bag minimizes club-jangling over speed bumps. Here are our favorites broken into gold and silver categories:
Brag About Your Bag
The best ones find ways to lighten the load
July 2009
Gold Category
bag boy
Revolver Pro
$200 | bagboycompany.com
Like last year's model, this bag has top and center tubes that rotate 360 degrees for easy access to your woods and irons. Club clips integrated into the top mold are designed to lock your sticks in place to prevent twisting and damage. Features for this year include a well for your putter and another for your go-to club and a removable cooler pocket that can be used as a shag bag.
CALLAWAY
Chev18
$110 | callawaygolf.com
The "flex-foot" base is designed to prevent the bottom of the bag from bunching when the legs extend. We like that three pockets are easily accessible when the bag is over your shoulder. Other features include a water-resistant valuables pocket, tripod rubber feet that grip the ground and two handles for easy lifting. Oh, and this 4.7-pound bag won't crush your wallet.
nike
Xtreme Element
$150 | nikegolf.com
The two straps on this 4.8-pound bag cross at a swivel so they slip on and off easily. Or you can convert them to a single strap. The straps are filled with air to help distribute weight evenly across the shoulders. To save weight, Nike engineers used fiberglass to build the legs and worked with bicycle manufacturers to create the light aluminum external frame.
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