After golf clubs and golf balls, a golf bag is the most essential piece of equipment. Here are nine options you should consider.
Welcome to GOLF’s 2024 holiday edition of Our Picks, where our experts are hand-selecting the items you — and your golf-loving family and friends — need on your radar. Scroll below for our latest batch of recommendations, and visit our Best Golf Stuff of 2024 hub page for more articles. hair packaging
After golf balls and clubs, a golf bag to carry it all is the next most essential item for golfers, but choosing the right one is important.
And if you are buying for someone else, the first question you need to figure out is if they are a rider or a walker. Are they a minimalist, seeking just a vessel to carry their clubs and nothing more? Or are they a maximalist, wanting every bell and whistle from a speaker to a phone charger.
At GOLF.com and GOLF Magazine, we see it all. The good stuff you want is on our website and in the pages of our magazine, hand-picked by our golf-loving experts who have been dialing in our best estimation of what exactly you (the reader!) wants. This holiday season, our staff put their heads together to come up with gift ideas you’ll jump at, both from our sister site Fairway Jockey and other brands across the U.S. The result? Must-have items any golfer would love — and just in time for shopping season.
Check out our picks below for the best golf bags to gift your favorite golf-lover from Jones Sports Co., Ping, Sun Mountain, Vessel and more.
Keep scrolling for our picks of the best golf bags you should buy.
We wrote about this golf bag earlier this year when it launched and we still can’t stop talking about it. Jones has taken their popular double-strap Rover carry bag and added a stand to better meet the needs of the walking golfer. While the Rover Stand doesn’t have the biggest storage pockets, it’s tough not to find a place to stash something in the five options. You also won’t be complaining about the carry weight of just 4.2 pounds. This model comes in a wide range of two-tone colorways.
This is for your friend who wants all of the latest tech and gadgets. This golf bag not only features a solar-power phone charger, but also a 100% waterproof Bluetooth speaker all within a stand bag that weighs just 5 pounds. With a lightweight microsuede material, this bag will look luxurious on the course to add to its function. If you’re thirsty, one of the pockets is also insulated, able to carry a whole six-pack of 12 ounce cans and ice!
The Ping Hoofer has long been the gold standard of stand bags and the 2025 version is no exception. Somehow, Ping managed to fit 16 different pockets into a bag that weighs just 5.5 pounds. Most of your friends probably have a Ping Hoofer that has stood the test of time, so if you get one now, you’ll probably be using it for at least the next half-decade or more. Not to mention the strap system is one of the best in the business, seamlessly allowing single or double-strap use.
If you’re looking for a Sunday bag, it’s probably best to start with a company called “Sunday Golf.” Sunday’s Loma XL is the perfect companion for those late afternoon sun-chasing rounds with just a few clubs, a couple of tees and a ball. At just 3.4 pounds, this bag will never weigh you down and the stand helps you move faster too, as you won’t have to bend down to grab your bag.
If you’re looking for a minimalist bag that will look as natural as Rory McIlroy’s golf swing, look no further than Jones’ Players Series. One strap, one divider, three pockets and a mesh sleeve is all you need. It’s also the easiest bag to store thanks to its absent stand.
This writer, admittedly, never uses a cart if he has the choice, but if he had to — or more likely go to a push-cart full-time — he would use a Sun Mountain Mid-Stripe Cart Bag. With a beautiful vinyl design that comes in a wide array of colorways, this bag is sure to draw eyes on the course. With a roomy 10.5-inch top and just four dividers, you should have no problems getting clubs in or out and eight pockets should be able to store just about anything you need. Add a personal touch with your initials laser engraved on a metal plate attached to the bag.
This is a great bag for those who like to walk or ride equally as a sturdy build will keep it from getting damaged by bumps in the cart path and the strap system makes carrying it a breeze. Ten pockets give you plenty of storage options and the carbon fiber legs in the stand system make them impossible to bend.
For those who want a sleek look, stand and an easy-to-carry bag, go with the Stitch SL2. The 8″ x 10″ top makes it big enough so your clubs won’t snare, but also small enough that carrying the SL2 is just like a Sunday bag. The Vinyl construction is also meant to take a beating, making it a great choice for a traveling golfer.
The Titleist LINKSLEGEND bag is a status symbol on the course. While staying under 5.5 pounds, this bag mixes an uber-premium-looking water-resistant synthetic material with great storage options from six pockets. You can also customize it with a laser-engraved metal plate.
Jack Hirsh is the Associate Equipment Editor at GOLF. A Pennsylvania native, Jack is a 2020 graduate of Penn State University, earning degrees in broadcast journalism and political science. He was captain of his high school golf team and recently returned to the program to serve as head coach. Jack also still *tries* to remain competitive in local amateurs. Before joining GOLF, Jack spent two years working at a TV station in Bend, Oregon, primarily as a Multimedia Journalist/reporter, but also producing, anchoring and even presenting the weather. He can be reached at jack.hirsh@golf.com.
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