Using a staff bag (as a non-staffer)

[Z1ggy16]

This reminds me of the old debate of playing blades and not being elite at striking, or... the forbidden iron covers. 

 

So a guy rolls up with a staff bag to place in a riding cart or push cart but obviously isn't a professional. Cardinal sin or who cares? 

[ksher84]

seems like it would be a hassle to lug around
my c130 is big but all the staff bags I've seen in person are enormous

[North Butte]

You're asking if someone else's type of golf bag would bother me? If so, there needs to be a poll response for "You gotta be kidding".

 

If the question is whether me using a staff bag would be a problem, I can't imagine wanting such a huge, bulky thing to deal with.

 

The only kind of golf bag I have a problem with someone else using is the kind with a Bluetooth speaker hanging on it blaring noise. 

[mshills]

You do you. Want a staff bag? Go for it. 
 

They are annoying as hell to use though. Heavy. Access is difficult when it’s on a cart. Often won’t fit well on a cart. 
 

I have one. It looks good in the corner of my office, and it has not moved in many a year. 

[mat562]

I own several and feel no shame in using them occasionally instead of my usual pencil bag. Nowadays they're mostly relegated to club storage duties however.

 

As long as your name's not emblazoned on it, use away, I say.

[Soloman1]

I find it more interesting that companies have turned people into walking banners for their logos on everything - hats, shirts, bags, gloves, etc.

 

I took a vow a few years ago to stop being a shill. It’s not about the money, but why should anyone pay $27 for a hat with a PING, Titleist, Srixon logo when the same hat from the same factory with no logo is $5.99?

 

Your choice, of course, but I had enough of being played.

 

It’s just more crap of life today . . .

[Notashank]

1 minute ago, Soloman1 said:

I find it more interesting that companies have turned people into walking banners for their logos on everything - hats, shirts, bags, gloves, etc.

 

I took a vow a few years ago to stop being a shill. It’s not about the money, but why should anyone pay $27 for a hat with a PING, Titleist, Srixon logo when the same hat from the same factory with no logo is $5.99?

 

Your choice, of course, but I had enough of being played.

 

It’s just more crap of life today . . .

The sane reason someone would wear a hat with their favorite baseball team or company logo they work for. They want to show who they like and represent with their products and support. 

[jholz]

I'd say it's stupid (for many of the practical reasons listed above), but it doesn't really bother me. I don't get angry over it. 

 

No answer in the poll to capture that sentiment. 

[Abh159]

Just now, jholz said:

I'd say it's stupid (for many of the practical reasons listed above), but it doesn't really bother me. I don't get angry over it. 

 

No answer in the poll to capture that sentiment. 

 

Completely agree with this.

 

Although I couldn't care less what type of bag someone has, I do find it a bit ridiculous when I see Joe Schmo walking around with a staff bag. Especially when he's struggling to even be able to get that monstrosity out of his trunk 🤣

 

 

[LeoLeo99]

1 minute ago, Soloman1 said:

I find it more interesting that companies have turned people into walking banners for their logos on everything - hats, shirts, bags, gloves, etc.

 

I took a vow a few years ago to stop being a shill. It’s not about the money, but why should anyone pay $27 for a hat with a PING, Titleist, Srixon logo when the same hat from the same factory with no logo is $5.99?

 

Your choice, of course, but I had enough of being played.

 

It’s just more crap of life today . . .

 

It's all a big nothing.   Just like it always has been and always will be.  No will care at our funerals if our hats had a logo or not.  The obituaries will say that we were avid golfers.  There will be no mention of our equipment affiliations.  

[MelloYello]

There's a part of me that thinks they look really cool and as a member of a private club, I always appreciate guys who go the extra mile to get that high-class look. 

 

There's also a part of me that knows from experience how impractical staff bags are for 1,000 reasons. So I always wonder whether someone is learning the hard way that staff bags aren't the way to go or if they're actually so conceited they're on like, their 5th staff bag and refuse to give up. 

[bnperrone]

As has been pointed out, staff bags function as designed when they are carried (by somebody else). Cart bag is infinitely better for using a cart or a pushcart.  

 

One time a guy rolled up to the resort I've been a caddie at with a full size staff bag and refused to change it into a carry bag. We carry two bags, so 3 caddies had to be sent for that foursome because the staff bag was all that one caddie can carry. He didn't pay a dime extra and two caddies made half their normal day because of it. That's some nonsense. 

[jwhite86]

I've got 3 of them... they look cool in the basement... but they don't see the course. What a hassle

 

As far as the poll goes, I don't really care what kind of bag you roll up with

[Flip4000]

As others said, people should use whatever they want or feel like. I would argue that it is probably really cumbersome to lug around to and from the car and I am not sure if pocket access would be the best mounted on the cart.

 

They do look cool and if you like them, go for it 

[buckrogers71]

I bought one b/c I got a really good deal on one. Used it on a couple trips b/c I could shove a bunch of stuff in it. Now it just sits in the basement with whole bunch of clubs in it. 

 

I could care less if someone has one. 

[cav5]

I live about 20 seconds from my club and bought a golf cart a few years ago. Aside from traveling to tourneys or vacation I use a staff bag on the cart.

[geesecougar2]

Staff bag evokes a mild eye roll. Just like iron covers or white pants.

 

But a much bigger offense is having your name on your bag, be it staff or otherwise. 

[Rosey31]

I still use my 20 year old staff bag with my name on it. I always use a cart and honestly it's not that big of a deal. If someone has a problem with it then it's their issue not mine. 

[MrParr1Noid]

I must be "that guy".   I really enjoy the ease of extracting a club from my bag without shifting, prodding and pulling just to untangle my clubs.   Staff bags are good, my  choice, even one has my name on it.  🙂    Carry bags are the devil, Sunday bags are for 4 club setups.   And I used to play balata's.   I find that 'blades' slide so much easier in and out of a staff bag than any other bag that I won/own.  

 

Carry On!

[bvmagic]

The only time I had issue with someone using a staff bag was when we took a road trip and had to fit all the bags in one car.  

[dfeldss]

I'd never use one and think they're gaudy but also live and let live. If you like it, let 'er eat

[TheDominator273]

My staff bag (with my name and the club logo) stays in the shop where it looks great holding Cleveland/Srixon clubs.  It would be incredibly impractical to play using it though.

[TourSpoon]

When I was in school and working at a club, a tour professional who started on the "Tommy Armour" tour gifted me a TA Tuffhorse staff bag complete with my name on it. Impractical to say the least for the many reasons above, it did serve me well for two years as a cart bag with the 845s I was playing. Fast forward 30 years later, it has held up well in my office and now in my house along with the TA 845 2 iron, driver with TA fuzzy headcover, and old Odyssey putter that currently reside in it. It was the grey, white and blue bag that Davis and Freddy had and it was a beast. The best thing about it was the 13" top that allowed plenty of room for your clubs. The worst thing about it was that is took up way too much room in the car. 

 

I haven't seen any staff bags that big in a long time, and I really don't care. I never used one after I worked at the club either as its just too big to be practical. The mini staff bags are not the same thing in my eyes, but again, I really don't care. 

 

 

 

 

 

[me05501]

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a staff bag being used out in the wild. 
 

I do sometimes run across someone with what looks like a rental club setup, with every club in the bag from the same generation of the same brand.  I guess that’s alright if it works. Chances are there’s at least one club from some other brand that would be a better fit for the player but whatever. 
 

Where I notice brand loyalty taken to extremes is in bluegrass picking circles. There are many out there who think anything but a Martin guitar or a Gibson mandolin is settling for less than the best. This hasn’t been true for decades but then most of these guys haven’t gone instrument shopping for decades either. 

[mshills]

Ex caddie here. Carrying two bags was the way to make bank, and I worked some really rough setups, usually for customer golf, but almost never moved clubs out of a guest’s bag. A memorable exception was a guest using an ancient leather mini-staff with no strap. He had a length of rope 😳 in place of the strap. Zero chance I was packing that sack!
 

Double bagging two leather Burtons always sucked. Beast of a bag, and carrying two was no fun. I often had an 11” or even a 13” staff bag on one shoulder and a Ping L8 or OG Jones on the other. Never attempted two full staff bags, F that, though I did see it done a handful of times. Point is, staff bags suck. They are great advertising, look cool, and are great to collect, but I’ll never use one for play. 
 

I also recall those TA ruffhorse staff bags. Must have weighed over 25 lb. Empty. 😮

[FormerBigDaddy]

9 hours ago, cav5 said:

I live about 20 seconds from my club and bought a golf cart a few years ago. Aside from traveling to tourneys or vacation I use a staff bag on the cart.

Love this. Goals. 

[FormerBigDaddy]

I purchased a full sized taylormade staff bag a few years ago and I have every intention of using it when riding on a cart.  However I couldn't bring myself to actually use it.  It was awesome and all the room was really nice, especially the lack of any club tangle.  That being said I felt like it was just going to be a hassle lugging it around and also didn't look like it'd fit on a cart well anyways.  I ended up selling it and never gaming it.  I have no issue with anyone else using one just wasn't for me.  Name on it without being a pro is a bit much but do you.

[J_Tizzle]

https://shop.sunmountain.com/2022-tour-series-cart-bag-detail

 

I just bought myself one of these since I will use my BatCaddy electric push cart or just throw on a cart (I haven't carried since the 3 weeks I played in college).  This is an odd kinda staff bag but made out of stand bag material.  I mostly want it because it looks like it will be more evenly weighted for the push cart so it doesn't track to one side like it does right now with my 3.5.

[SEP1006]

I could care less if someone showed up and had them in a trash bag. Personal preference and play what you want, wear what you want according to the dress code and use what ever bag or carrying device you want.

 

Myself, I have ALWAYS had a staff bag. Just like the extra room and I never walk nor do I plan to ever walk. About 7 years ago I started playing the Jumbomax Ultralight XL grips. So luckily I like Staff Bags as it would be a PIA getting the clubs out of a regular or even a cart bag.

[kerila07]

On 5/23/2022 at 11:28 AM, bnperrone said:

As has been pointed out, staff bags function as designed when they are carried (by somebody else). Cart bag is infinitely better for using a cart or a pushcart.  

 

One time a guy rolled up to the resort I've been a caddie at with a full size staff bag and refused to change it into a carry bag. We carry two bags, so 3 caddies had to be sent for that foursome because the staff bag was all that one caddie can carry. He didn't pay a dime extra and two caddies made half their normal day because of it. That's some nonsense. 

A friend of mine works at a top tier club in the area that is mainly walking with a caddy program.  Someone showed up with a staff bag loaded to the gills.  Caddiemaster said they would transfer his clubs into a walking bag for his round.  He stated he wanted to use his bag to which the caddy master asked if he wanted to play the golf course today and if he did he would be using the bag provided.