Sunday bag users...

[jimmyjames]

worth it???

I decided I would like to walk more to save $$$ and get more exercise out of my rounds. I currently have the Taylormade Monza Featerlite bag but I think I want the Taylor Carry bag (a sunday bag) to walk around with. Is a sunday bag worth it? Seems like I could just throw a sleeve of balls in there, a few tees and 12 or so clubs and just go.

[sergtz]

When I've switched from a heavyweight carry bag to a lighter one, I've considered many things, and maybe you should also consider them. Such examples are, how much "extra gear" do you carry, as a water cooler or a canteen (as me), if you play in rainy/wet turf conditions to leave the bag on the floor, or how much you care your clubs considering a sunday bag doesn't have divisions at all, and in my case, I try to keep graphite shafts separated to avoid excessive wearing (and bad looking shafts). Also remember that a sunday bag is something like an "extended range bag", and with only one strap, how comfortable do you feel to carry 10 pounds of clubs + your extra stuff relying in only one shoulder, instead of carrying 16 pounds (That's my bag weight full loaded) in both your shoulders and back with a more comfortable cushioning that offers most of carry bags, such as yours.

In my case, my intention to carry my bag is not to also carry my pushcart in the trunk, because I drive a small car, and I have to play a kind of tetris to accomodate the whole stuff (bag + cart), also as a way to take golf more seriously as a sport and not just as a game.

Maybe if you feel a bit unconfortable carrying your bag (yours is similar to mine, a TM corza) it's a shoe problem... I used to wear a pair of hi-tec valhallas and their sole is hard as hell, and being extremely uncomfortable to walk 18 holes also using my pushcart, but I've switched to a pair of dryjoys, and they're so comfortable, that now is pretty easy to walk the whole course carrying my bag.

I also have a range bag to go to the range after office, but as I commute by train and walk almost half a mile from the train station to the office, bringing with me 8 clubs and a light backpack is sometimes uncomfortable because of the weight relying in only one shoulder, and how much it slips, that makes me miss my carry bag...

Maybe, you have to take your time considering it.

[Good1sideClyde]

I use (most of the time) a ping moon lite II bag and it's been great. I don't have a problem with the single strap as I prefer them to the various dual-strap contraptions that are out there and am a left-shoulder carrier. I can't stand that nearly every bag has to be carried backwards, drives me crazy...

Anyhow it holds a full [s]18[/s] 14 club set with no problems and easily carries everything I need for a round of golf with a surprising amount of storage room for extra stuff if needed. It gets a bit tight with raingear etc jammed in but for a normal round it's great, there really isn't much difficulty getting the sticks in and out of the bag. Is small and light and keeps the clubs snuggly together which makes for a nice quiet walk compared to most carry bags. Of all the bags I have it is the one I am happiest with (though the expectations are minimal with a sunday bag) and it is my favourite one.

[bgbull]

I carry 12 clubs in a ping moon lite II and it works very well. I find it's easier to carry because I don't have to stay on a cart path and I can walk across any green to get to the other side.

Bernie

[WishICouldPlayMoreOften]

I use my Sunday bag only when I'm playing a course that I know won't require me to use my full 14-club set. Usually I only carry 3-wood, 5-8 irons, pw, sw, putter, balls, and tees with my Sunday bag and on courses that are under 6300yds when I don't think driver and other clubs are necessary.

[Tuba]

I carry a Titleist Sunday bag and find I don't walk as far. I can get everything in it that I need as long as I clean it out every week or two. I carry 12 clubs, tees, close to a dozen balls and a windshirt or vest depending upon the forecast for that particular day.
I also have a cart bag and a click gear for really hot days or for those days when I might need lots of gear.

[professor_doom]

Have an old sunday bag that never sees the course. My callaway carry bag gets the job done fine. The lack of a stand on the sunday bag means that I spend as much effort bending over to pick my clubs up over the course of a round as I would carrying the extra weight of the normal bag. The sunday bag does a fine job holding spare clubs, though.

[Buddyjay]

[quote name='professor_doom' timestamp='1281260267' post='2625647']
Have an old sunday bag that never sees the course. My callaway carry bag gets the job done fine. The lack of a stand on the sunday bag means that I spend as much effort bending over to pick my clubs up over the course of a round as I would carrying the extra weight of the normal bag. The sunday bag does a fine job holding spare clubs, though.
[/quote]

I think that's why Ping came out with the Moonlite II bag. It has a rigid strap that stands up so you don't have to bend as much to pick it up. I haven't purchased one yet, but two other's on this thread have it.

[remlapr]

IMO, this is one of those things that sounds good in theory but usually doesn't play out in reality. I have one somewhere collecting dust. Assuming you mean a true Sunday bag where you would be switching clubs back and forth between it and your regular bag. Plus regular stand bags have gotten so light it's just not worth the hassle. I think my bag is like 4.5lbs empty and Sunday bags are around 3? The only time I walk is par 3's or executive courses and I just pull the rain jacket and clubs I won't need and leave them in the trunk. Much easier then messing with two bags.

[gongshow44]

I use a sun mountain sunday bag as my gamer everytime I play. Works great, much better than the moon lite II in my opinion, tried both. The sun mountain is just better designed and can be used as a full use bag easier than other sunday bags. I keep tees, rain gloves/coat, two towels a water bottle; and all fit great. Very comfortable and velvet style divider like the old hoofers is great on the shafts. Overall very great bag, not to mention it looks impressive carrying a sunday bag, rarely do you see a hack with a sm sunday bag. Cheers

[Guest]

i'm pretty new to the game, so I've been working extensively on my short game on par 3 courses around me. I usually get by carrying only 2 or 3 clubs with me, so I don't usually carry my stand bag (ping 4 under). I just purchased a mizuno scratch sac, only because it sucks to have to put everything else in my pockets. Walking around with a putter and wedge in hand is fine, and bending over to pick them up doesn't even bother me that much (i'm still young), but not having somewhere to keep everything else (keys, phone, wallet, balls, towel, water bottle, etc) is starting to get to me. I only picked the scratch sac over the moonlite because it has a fully waterproof tube. I had to give up the stand up strap, but I'm picking my clubs off the floor as it is anyway, and I'd prefer dry grips on chilly mornings.

[BMC]

Yes to walking!! I'm 52. 7 hdcp. I walk 80% of the time. Carry nine clubs. It's the more athletic way to play.

I found a great small, single strap stand bag at Dick's. Walter Hagen. About 70 bucks.

I defintely save about 2 to 3 strokes a round by walking. More time to strategize walking to the ball and the excercize keeps me relaxed.

[ibradley]

I bought a leather sunday bag from Mackenzie golf earlier this year. I LOVE it. I carry a full set no problem.

http://www.mackenziegolfbags.com/

[mat562]

 I've been a pencil (Sunday) bag user for years. Although I occasionally break out an old Ping L8+ stand bag when it's wet, simply to keep the clubs dry and my clothes clean, I play the majority of my golf with my clubs stuffed into a little 6"-topped Nike pencil bag. There's ample room for a full set of clubs (I've occasionally had as many as 18 in the thing  with no great dramas) and, albeit there's a slight faff factor when it comes to getting clubs in and out, the small size doesn't cause any great problems. Expend a bit of extra care and the clubs easily go in and out with no scraped shafts or torn grips as I've heard people assert is a side effect of pencil bag usage. As long as you're not ramming the things in like you're a sponger on the gun deck of HMS Victory your clubs will be fine.

On the contrary to tales of damage, I've actually found that there's a real benefit from using a small bag, particularly if you're a user of softer forged clubs, in that the irons are closely stacked together and thus don't clatter about. The result is a reduction in the amount of bag chatter you'll see on your irons. Some of my retired sets are in markedly better condition, as regards bag chatter, than the clubs of friends who've been large bag and trolley users.

There's ample space for a sufficient number of sundry items like balls, tees, gloves etc., and it's possible to carry an extra jumper or some rudimentary foul weather gear in the clothing pocket of most carry bags as well as a brolly.

I'm very happy with my bag and it's still going strong after five years or so of hard graft. I prefer a bag with a proper divider (mine has a basic 50/50 split via a single cross-divider) and, were I to look for a pencil bag tomorrow, I'd go for one with that design feature. A basic divider-less bag isn't as user-friendly. For my money, the best of the current pencil bag crop are the Ping Moon bags. A friend has one and it's a brilliant bit of kit; light, relatively spacious, well made and with a very effective top cuff and divider system that's far better than the old, divider-less Mk I version.  

[courserecord66]

I have had and use every weekend a Mizuno Scratch-Sac, it is waterproof and holds a good quantity of clubs. It is also amazing how you can get by without 14 clubs, I play off 3 and haven't carried 14 clubs for over 5 years now. You can also walk wherever your ball takes you.

[Titleist87]

What makes playing on Sunday different than any other day? Is the course easier? Can you hit balls farther? The concept of a 'sunday bag' is a crock.

[avgjoe]

[quote name='drstroud' timestamp='1281708866' post='2636258']
What makes playing on Sunday different than any other day? Is the course easier? Can you hit balls farther? The concept of a 'sunday bag' is a crock.
[/quote]



caddies used to not work on sundays

[homerdog]

I've got a Titleist pencil bag for summer use and, with a comfortable double strap, it is perfect with a half-set of clubs in it.

 

[Yuck]

I also use a Moonlite 2 and walk most of the time. The biggest disadvantage I see, is that with the smaller, slimmer bag, it can make a large golfer look even fatter. In fact, once I got stuck carrying a large staff bag, and folks asked me if I had lost weight.

[arbitrage]

I have a 5 year old Odyssey Sunday Stand Bag that fits 8 clubs. I use it for the range, lessons, pitch-n-putt, and of course to bring the E-Bay/BST haul to my clubmaker . Every year I get at least 5 offers for it. I will never sell the bag!

[bobcat]

Its great to have a "Sunday Bag" to take to the driving range. For years, I owned a flimsy canvas thin "pencil" bag that was "OK" for carrying 6-8 clubs during visits to the local range. It was marginal for that purpose at best...I always wished it would hold more than it did.

Recently I ran across a TaylorMade Carry Bag on sale at TGW that I couldn't pass up. Though it weighs only 2-lbs, it can carry a full set of clubs. (I don't normally carry 14 clubs when visiting the range, buts its nice to have that option). With this new TM bag I will usually carry 10 clubs and a putter plus a water bottle, rain gear, towel, groove brush, glove and extra glove, visor, suglasses, balls and tees. Carrying this bag when loaded with all these items is actually quite comfortable. Why? Because this TM Bag is actually not so small. Surprisingly, the top diameter is 8" which is quite large for a "Sunday Bag". Furthermore it has (3) large pockets including (1) pocket that runs the full length of the bag for larger items such and extra towels. A second good-sized pocket for balls, tees, and other accessories is provided, and it even has a separate water bottle sleeve as a 3rd pocket. The latter is very important here in the Florida heat.

I must mention that the driving range I use is actually part of a much larger practice facility with several chipping greens, sand practice areas, and multiple putting greens so I tend to do a lot of walking and bag carrying while there.

For actual course play, I will continue to use my large Burton Staff-Cart Bag, with its mammouth 10.5" top diameter. It is a nice luxury during play when selecting, pulling and replacing clubs while riding in an electric golf cart. The only time I ever lift this bag is when I put it into the trunk of my car...the Valet at the Course takes it out. I would never even consider carrying such a heavy bag to the multi-acre practice facility described above.


Clearly, a "Sunday (Range/Practice) Bag" is a must for me! The TM Carry Bag is well-suited to my particular needs. Check it out at TGW.com while it is still on sale. Good Value at the sale price!

[gjpep]

I'm curious if anyone has experience with the Sun Mtn. Swift X bag. I realize it's not a "typical" sunday bag, but it is small/lightweight, but has the benefit of having a stand. I used to use an older Sun Mtn. stand bag, but switched to a Sun Mtn. cart bag (SL-1) when I got my Clic Gear pushcart (both of which I love). However, when I go to the range, I don't like that I have to stand my bag on it's bottom (which is a bit small and precarious (it already has fallen over once in the parking lot when a gust of wind caught it)), or lay it down when I'm at the chipping and putting areas. I'm especially curious how many clubs fit in it, and how well they fit in the 2 openings(as I might consider it to use at a par 3 course I occasionally play).

[avgjoe]

small bags w/ stands are sometimes not as stable, due to less weight (fewer clubs) to activate or hold down the stand mechanism or having a narrower base, esp on uneven terrain... found this out w/ wife's callaway bag, and was why I went w/ the ping moon lite w/ the stand-up strap

[hjberg]

I appreciate you guys taking the time to recommend your bag choices. I am getting older and the hoofer I have owned for years is getting a bit heavy. I refuse to push one of those ridiculous looking carts! The most important difficulty I face is the instability of my hoofer with many fewer clubs. Thanks again, and I think the Moon lite is the choice.