Equipment
Caddies change out staff bags for something lighter
It’s a grind for PGA Tour caddies to carry around a fully loaded staff bag for four days straight of competition — especially in the hot Arizona sun.
Caddies for TaylorMade staff players will have an easier time this week at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. They’ll be carrying TaylorMade’s new Supreme Hybrid carry bag instead of their usual TMag staff bags.
The new Supreme Hybrid bag weighs just 5.3 pounds and has a four-point adjustable shoulder strap, 10 pockets for storage and a 14-way top with two slots, which fit any oversized putter grip.
Good thing the PGA Tour banned caddy races a few years back. If it hadn’t, losing caddies would claim that TaylorMade caddies had a competitive advantage due to their lighter bags.
Neal Shipley was the first to admit that he enjoyed his food while in college. But since his days at Ohio State, he’s slimmed down and earned a PGA Tour Card.
That hasn’t stopped him from having fun with his wedge stampings, though it’s led to some misunderstandings.
On the 54 (degree), we have ‘Big Fudge,'” Shipley told GolfWRX. “It was supposed to be ‘Big Fridge,’ so this happened a little while ago. ‘Big Fridge’ was a nickname between my college teammates and I, with ‘fridge’ meaning stomach, a big stomach.
“We told the Ping guys to put … ‘Big Fridge’ on it, and I think maybe some bad cell service or something, and they thought I said ‘fudge,’ so they put fudge on it.”
On Shipley’s 50-degree he also continues the food theme, this time with his go-to order at the “Golden Arches,” and his stamping “DONS 7.”
“The number 7 meal, the two cheeseburger meal, that was my McDonald’s order, back when I would have McDonald’s frequently,” Shipley shared.
At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.
It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.
Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @raw10628 has a L.A.B. DF3 putter and Masters putter cover up for grabs.
From the listing: “Some great items here today, time to thin out and make room for next set of gear. All prices include shipping.
LAB DF3 Purple 33.5” 68° lie with TPT – $725. LAB Masters release DF3 cover – $150.”
To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4
3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4
5-wood: Ping G440 Max (19 degrees @18)
Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4
Hybrid: Ping G440 (23 degrees)
Shaft: Oban Isawa Red Hybrid Shaft 04 Flex 70 Gms
Irons: Srixon ZXi7 (5-P)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i80
Wedges: Cleveland RTZ (50-MID, 54-FULL, 58-MID)
Shafts: Aerotech SteelFiber Private Reserve i105
Putter: L.A.B. Golf OZ.1i
Shaft: ACCRA Putter Shaft
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Aaron Rai’s winning WITB: 2026 PGA Championship
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Charles Schwab Challenge Tour Report: MacIntyre, Åberg and Spaun all switch putters, TaylorMade launches new Spider
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Maria Torres WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 5-M4 3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees) Shaft: Accra TourZ Green 6-M4 5-wood: Ping G440...
Eric Cole WITB 2026 (June)
Driver: PXG Lightning Tour Max (9 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 70 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (15 degrees) Shaft:...
Si Woo Kim WITB 2026 (May)
Driver: Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond (8.5 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X Mini driver: Callaway Paradym Ai Smoke Mini...
Wyndham Clark’s winning WITB: 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D (10.5 degrees) Shaft: Project X Titan Yellow 60 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D Tour (15 degrees) Shaft: Project...
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Bert
Feb 3, 2015 at 10:34 am
Played at an over-the-top course this summer and my assigned caddie immediately wanted to transfer my equipment and other items in my Sun Mountain Sync to his lightweight carry bag. What? A Sync Bag isn’t lightweight enough? No it’s plenty light; he wanted to double bag. What a joke and a scam on the player. Next time I’ll carry my own bag.
This topic seems to be an “advertisement” in disguise.
Sargio_Gercia
Feb 1, 2015 at 2:03 am
Old Skool staff bags the way forward… They beat out the haters and have room for all my shizzle for the 36-hole club championship. Red White and Blue Hogan staff. It’s the boss. Why so serious, Golfers? Grip it and rip it, when the stand bag philistines are soaking wet and don’t have extra gloves, towels, rain gear and hot coffee, them who looks like the chumperoo now?!! The Haters Gonna Hate: Taylor Swift. I want to play a round with her.
Connor
Feb 13, 2015 at 3:05 am
(Happy Gilmore voice) …….Psycho.
Drew
Jan 30, 2015 at 11:52 am
That Taylor Made bag looks really close to Sun Mountain Four Five.
Tom
Feb 1, 2015 at 1:31 pm
I am Fairly sure Sun Mountain makes most of the carry bags for almost all manufacturers except Ping.
Paul
Feb 1, 2015 at 2:53 pm
I don’t believe they make bags forTitleist either anymore for 2015…
Bill
Jan 29, 2015 at 10:23 pm
Once you pick up a light carry bag with 14 clubs, 6 balls, and 12 tees you’ll never go back
bradford
Jan 29, 2015 at 11:38 am
using collective “your” here…this is not a personal attack
Shawn K
Jan 28, 2015 at 10:37 pm
I think it is ridiculous they still carry those heavy staff bags.
Good for the caddies!
Jeff
Jan 28, 2015 at 10:37 pm
I love the staff bag, not this carry bag. And if it’s too tough to carry then I’ll carry it for 10% of $500,000 for four days. Us regular guys can’t pull the staff bag off because it looks ostentatious, but it’s almost a rite of passage for the Tour. You make the Tour and you get a sweet staff bag. If I want to see stand bags with names on the ball pouch I’ll go watch the high school match down the road.
Joshua
Jan 29, 2015 at 10:23 am
I don’t think staff bags are great for caddies backs, a lot of weight on one shoulder.
Double Mocha Man
Jan 29, 2015 at 10:39 am
I say let ’em have push carts!
Why does anyone care?
Jan 28, 2015 at 9:54 pm
It is just flat ridiculous that anyone thinks an amateur shouldn’t/doesn’t deserve to/isn’t good enough to use a staff bag. I’m so tired of hearing that nonsense on this forum. I played professional baseball for 9 years and never cared one bit if some beer league softball player sported the exact glove I used, or the exact cleats, let alone a bag. I didn’t pay for any of my stuff, they did… It’s their money.
For someone who rides every round, I think it’s silly not to have a staff bag if you can afford it. They offer so many benefits over a stand bag or cart bag. The biggest being that they will actually stand up without falling over, unlike a cart bag. They also carry everything I could possibly need in a round, including room for an umbrella, a jacket, rain gear or anything else, unlike a stand bag
Using a staff bag doesn’t mean you are calling yourself a pro golfer anymore than using “tour issue” clubs, like so many here do. People who are solid golfers and say things like “I’m a X handicap and have no business carrying a staff bag” aren’t giving respect to pro golfers, they are insulting people who decided to spend their money on a piece of equipment that is sold AT RETAIL!
I’d be willing to bet a lot that if you polled the PGA field about this, the vast majority wouldn’t care in any way shape or form. A staff bag isn’t something you earn, it’s something you buy, and if you are good enough to be a pro golfer, it’s something they give you.
Camryn
Jan 29, 2015 at 12:57 am
Good note. Can’t stand pretentious Golfers. That’s exactly why the rate of players is declining. “Elitism?” Golf in some aspects is, in Rodney Dangerfield’s best voice, “A crummy Snobatorium.”
Jafar
Jan 29, 2015 at 9:50 am
That is an awesome way to put it.
bradford
Jan 29, 2015 at 11:36 am
Sure, everyone has a “right” to play with one, but what’s the point? Perhaps I’m a purist, but I can’t see the need to carry 3 outfits, 2 umbrella’s, 4 types of rangefinders, 36 golf balls, a twelve pack, and 200 golf tees. I can’t see the need for any non-professional to have one. Staff bags are designed to be carried by a caddie, and the size is based on the need to carry everything one might need in a tournament. The average player never sees a caddie, and is never disqualified if he needs to buy a sleeve at the turn.
So, sure, buy one and throw it on your golf cart with your 30 pack. You have every right, but it looks ridiculous.
Matt
Feb 1, 2015 at 9:14 am
I have a staff bag and love it. I only use it on the cart and as the article suggests, it’d be a pain to lug it around 18 holes. But the looks are better, it seems more durable and I’ve got more than enough storage than I’ll ever need. I don’t care if people think I’m pretentious – it’s my game and I’ll play with whatever I please.
Just an opinion on bags....
Jan 28, 2015 at 8:00 pm
I wish I could have the room of a staff bag, but without all of the logos….I don’t wanna be that guy, I only play to an 8 and have no business carrying a staff bag. I do like those new titleist stand/staff bags, and TMAG’s TMX bag. I thought the more slots the more organized, I find everything gets tangled, prefer the 6 way top, and allow my clubs to be faster outta the bag. May sound silly, but I find myself wasting time untangling sticks in bags that are supposed to keep everything in it’s own slot. Better off sucking it up, letting them bang around and deal with some chatter marks.
gvogel
Jan 28, 2015 at 7:54 pm
I like it. Maybe more guys buy smaller bags, take some of the clubs out, and walk more often.
Most of us are way too obese.
8thehardway
Jan 28, 2015 at 7:06 pm
Great marketing move, sure to generate looks and comments. Was Vapor-ish green accent a coincidence?
Ben
Jan 28, 2015 at 8:58 pm
It’s green because of the Waste Management tournament. Their corporate colors are green. But I think the staffers will be carrying more black and white or red and black ones. Still a cool concept.
gerald
Jan 29, 2015 at 1:14 am
Taylormades corporate colors have never been green. For the longest time its been black/red/white
Graeme
Jan 29, 2015 at 5:02 am
That’s not what he said. The Waste Management tournament corporate colours are green, not TM’s.
Teaj
Jan 29, 2015 at 8:19 am
Blue?
Double Mocha Man
Jan 29, 2015 at 10:38 am
That would be “Seahawk neon green”. Came before Vapor.