By Shane Downey

GolfWRX Contributor

Every year the major OEMs usually come out with new staff bags and a couple even make special release bags just for the majors.  I have to be honest, the bags that coincide with the Masters are, in my opinion, the best.  It could be due to the fact that I have lived in Augusta and walked the pristine fairways in April, there is truly something special about living there leading up to the Masters. Another reason could be due to the fact my son was born in Augusta. The first time he was at Augusta National, he was still in the womb.  I have such fond memories of the place I once called home. With these memories in mind, either way, the Master release staff bags are a personal favorite.

While the majority of the GolfWRX community, including myself, are admitted club and shaft aficionados, it would be extremely difficult to tote these weapons of madness around without the benefit of our bags. I must admit that I have a bag addiction. At least I have taken the first step in admitting it (only eleven more to go)!

The golf bag has been around as long as the game itself.  During this time they mainly consisted of a leather or canvas bag with a leather strap and quite possibly a pocket or two.  They have evolved with time and technology into three main categories; cart bags, stand bags and staff bags.  All three come in a variety of sizes, colors and configurations.

The cart bag is just that, a bag that is designed to either fit on a golf (or pull) cart and yet possesses all the advantages of the larger staff bags. Pockets are plentiful for a variety of necessities you may need while enjoying your round. Sun Mountain and Ogio are two brands that quickly come to mind when mentioning cart bags. Although they have usually one strap, they come in a myriad of colors, styles, and construction materials. So if you are one that consistently uses a cart of some sort, then definitely look into getting a cart bag.

A bit before my time when caddies were the norm, they carried the bag dutifully following the player no matter wherever he may have hit his ball. Caddies soon lost out to electric carts, which is a shame. Quite a few golfers still enjoyed walking and carrying their own bags, which created a niche for bags that eventually evolved into the stand bag. The stand bag is usually a very lightweight bag that when set down and pushed forward, two legs are propelled out to create a tripod of sorts.  Most also have dual shoulder straps such that the weight can be distributed evenly on both shoulders, much like a backpack.  Most major OEM’s make dual strap stands bags, which are adjustable to your height with regard to the shoulder straps.  These also come in many sizes, types and colors. If you abhor the idea of any type of cart, the stand bag is perfect for you.

The last major type of bag, and my personal favorite, is the staff bag.  The staff bag is a large, multi-pocketed, usually logoed bag that you see inside the ropes on the PGA Tour.  I have owned many staff bags in the short twelve years of playing this game and seem to never tire of having one.  They are usually 9.5 – 10.5 inches wide and have five or six large pockets.  The staff bag can carry just about everything you may or may not need while playing your round.  I have personally put two-dozen balls, six gloves, laser range finder, a complete rain suit, an extra pair of shoes, tees, Band-Aids, Motrin, sunscreen and snacks into one staff bag.  This may seem like overkill, but I love the staff bag for this purpose.

There are quite a few individuals who play “tour equipment” on the forum, from drivers to irons with x-flex shafts and “tour only” shafts and heads that I could only dream of hitting.  However, with my slow swing speed, a tour staff bag is about as close as I will ever get to use tour equipment.

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