The Best Golf Bags To Upgrade Your Golf Game in 2024

The best golf bags we’ve seen this year, including carry bags, stand bags and more.

Author:
Adam Zammiello
Updated:
Jan 9, 2024

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As a golfer, you might spend so much time thinking about the golf equipment in your bag that you overlook the bag itself. But your golf bag is a critical piece of golfing gear. If your golf bag is, dare we say, subpar, then it may very well lack the adequate storage and functionality that let you bring your favorite golf clubs along, safely stash your personal belongings and keep your water bottle cool. Insulated pockets, anyone?

Luckily, whether you prefer to walk the course or zip around the range in a cart, there are golf bags for just about everyone, no matter your personal preferences. And as we’ve already hinted at, golf bags have evolved over the years to include an assortment of different features beyond just the number and size of compartments and pockets. That means it’s just a matter of deciding which of those features are best suited to your style of play and personal comforts.

To help you upgrade your golf bag swag in 2024, we’ve put together our top picks for the best golf bags on the market. Our selections range from ultralight walking bags to heavy-duty golf cart bags, so there’s something here for every golfer, regardless of how they like to take their golfing gear around the course.

Our Picks for the Best Golf Bags of 2024:

Best Overall Golf Bag: Callaway Fairway C Double Strap Stand Bag
Best Hybrid Golf Bag: Titleist Hybrid 14 2023 Stand Bag
Best Looking Golf Bag: TaylorMade FlexTech Crossover 2023 Stand Bag
Most Spacious Golf Bag: PING Hoofer Stand Bag
Best Waterproof Golf Bag: Titleist Players 4 StaDry Stand Bag
Best Stand Golf Bag: Zero Friction Wheel Pro Pushcart Bag

Best Overall Golf Bag: Callaway Fairway C Double Strap Stand Bag

Key features:

Price: Starting at $229.99
Weight: Four pounds
Type of bag: Compact stand bag
Number of pockets: Five
Dividers: Compact 4-way top with full-length dividers
Strap: Available in single or double strap
Colors: 10

The Callaway Fairway C double strap stand bag provides all the necessities players need from their golf bags, earning it the number one spot on this list. At four pounds, it manages to pack quite a lot into its overall sleek design. It offers a compact four-way top with full-length dividers for your clubs, and its strap system is padded for comfort and redesigned from the previous model to cover more of your chest and shoulder, giving you greater weight distribution. This increased strap coverage was also designed to help improve balance. The Callaway Fairway C double strap features a rubber handle for grip, five storage pockets, metal zip pulls, a towel ring made from alloy and quick clips. A single strap version is also available, and the Fairway C comes in a variety of different colors.

Best Hybrid Golf Bag: Titleist Hybrid 14 2023 Stand Bag

Titleist-hybrid-14-2023-stand-bag-black-and-white — PGA Tour Superstore

Key features:

Price: $265
Weight: 5.6 pounds
Type of bag: Stand and cart bag
Number of pockets: Eight
Dividers: 14-way club dividers
Strap: Double
Colors: Nine

The Titleist Hybrid 14 2023 Stand Bag has a cart-friendly design for the days you don’t want to walk the course. Off the cart, this bag is supported with high-grade aluminum legs that have grips on the bottom for extra stability. There are 14 dividers for the clubs, and eight pockets offering plenty of storage. Each side has a long apparel pocket to fit any other golf gear you need, including rain gear in case the weather takes a turn. The dual-density foam strap is cushioned and is extra strong for durability. There’s also an integrated cart strap tunnel for easy access. Since this bag is made for the cart and walking, Titleist kept it light at just 5.6 pounds.

Best Looking Golf Bag: TaylorMade FlexTech Crossover 2023 Stand Bag

TaylorMade-FlexTech-Crossover-2023-Stand-Bag-grey-and-green — PGA Tour Superstore

Key features:

Price: $299.99
Weight: 5.5 pounds
Type of bag: Stand and cart bag
Number of pockets: 10
Dividers: 14-way club dividers
Strap: Dual strap
Colors: Six

If you’re looking for a stylish and functional option, we recommend the TaylorMade FlexTech Crossover 2023 Stand Bag. It comes in six color options from a clean white to darker colors with bright accents. Aside from looks, the FlexTech Crossover is fully functional with 14 dividers to organize your clubs to reduce damage and make them easier to find. The fixed straps have a removable self-adjusting system so they’re out of the way on a cart. There is also a cart strap passthrough to secure the bag while you ride, and the upper end of the bag has a water-resistant valuables pouch to keep all of your essentials dry. This bag also has an insulated cooler pocket to store any drinks or food you want to keep cool.

Most Spacious Golf Bag: PING Hoofer Stand Golf Bag

Key features:

Price: $275
Weight: 5.5 pounds
Type of bag: Stand golf bag
Number of pockets: 11
Dividers: n/a
Strap: Dual or single shoulder strap
Colors: Six

If you tend to run out of places to stash your golf gear and personal items, then you should check out the PING Hoofer stand golf bag. It holds up to 22 liters of volume across its 11 pockets (two of them are valuables pockets, one of which is lined with velour). There’s also an apparel pocket with a full-length zipper and additional storage inside. There’s a dedicated ball pocket panel with zip access, and a top-access magnetic rangefinder pocket. The bag weighs in at five and a half pounds, and its 5-way divider top is constructed from polypropylene for durability and support. And if you like having easy access to any of the 11 pockets, the PING Hoofer stand golf bag sports a cart strap pass-through channel that secures your bag to the cart without blocking compartments. For a more pared down and slightly more affordable version of the Hoofer stand bag, PING also has the PING Hoofer Lite, which comes with seven pockets for a total of 19 liters of pocket volume.

Best Waterproof Golf Bag: Titleist Players 4 StaDry Stand Bag

Key features:

Price: Starting at $275
Weight: Seven pounds
Type of bag: Stand bag
Number of pockets: Seven
Dividers: Four
Strap: Double strap
Colors: 10

Titleist has a whole line of its Players golf bags, and they all bring something different to the course. But the Titleist Players 4 StaDry stand bag is, well, a clear standout. Its waterproof design and seam-sealed zippers protect your valuables and clubs if you are playing, rain or shine. The bag’s double strap system is designed to provide cushioned support against your chest and shoulders. It features seven pockets—including a tee pocket, an external water bottle pocket and top-accessible magnetics pocket—and four full-length dividers, along with a Velcro landing patch for your golf gloves. At just under four pounds, the Titleist Players 4 StaDry stand bag is lightweight and has a low profile for easy handling, storage and quick access to your clubs. Its legs are constructed from high-grade aluminum and bottom-hinged for added stability.

Best Stand Golf Bag: Zero Friction Wheel Pro Pushcart Bag

Key features:

Price: $299.99
Weight: 9.5 pounds
Type of bag: Cart, carry and stand bag
Number of pockets: 7
Dividers: 14
Strap: N/A
Colors: Three

Coming in under ten pounds and sporting seven pockets with zippers, the Zero Friction Wheel Pro Pushcart Bag is designed to make it easy to roam the course while bringing your gear and personal belongings along for the ride (or walk). Its hip pad and strap system provide comfort and support for days you feel like walking, and its stand is designed for easy opening and closing. This bag has 11-inch removable treaded wheels that can be pushed on easily or removed using the release lever. There is also a storage pocket for the wheels, so they always stay with the bag. It includes storage for clothing, an isolated water bottle pocket and a water-repellent transparent cell phone pocket with touchscreen capabilities. Its 14 full-length dividers keep your clubs straight, organized and stop shafts from crossing.

What Are the Different Types of Golf Bags?

Cart bag

A cart bag is designed to hold a lot of gear. They do tend to be bulkier and weigh more than carry bags, so if you consider walking your way to each of the 18 holes to be part of the golfing experience, then a cart bag may not be your ideal choice. However, if you love having plenty of room and compartments to store stuff in, and you’re determined to walk, you can still rely on a push cart to wheel your bag along with you. Otherwise, you’ll need to rent and drive a golf cart. And because cart bags can stand upright, most of them don’t have legs that extend to support them.

Carry bag

Also known as walking bags, carry bags are all about minimizing weight and bulk. This means carry bags lack the space and compartments you’ll find in a cart bag, but the tradeoff is you can realistically walk the entire course without a push cart. If you ever decide to use a golf cart, you’ll just need to make sure your bag is secured nice and tight; golf cart straps are designed for bulkier cart bags, so your carry bag is more likely to tumble around if not properly latched in. Carry bags usually have a single shoulder strap and many of them hold fewer than 14 clubs. But if getting in some quality walking while playing a round and enjoying the scenery is important to you, a carry bag may be the right pick for you.

Pencil bag

Often considered to be a type of Sunday bag, the pencil bag is a slim, ultralight golf bag with a top that measures around six inches in diameter. It comes with enough storage to hold the bare basic golf gear, making it ideal for going to the driving range, playing nine holes, or hitting around a par three course. Many pencil bags can even hold 14 clubs despite their trim physique.

Stand bag

Stand bags tend to split the difference in size and space between what you’ll find in a cart bag and carry bag. They’re called stand bags because they have legs designed to prop them up on the green, whereas cart bags stay put on a cart and carry bags are laid flat on the ground. Stand bags are not as compact and minimalist as carry bags, but many stand bags come with dual strap systems so you can walk the green comfortably and with proper support.

Tour bags

Like their name suggests, tour bags are what the pros use on the PGA tour. These are larger (and heavier) than most cart bags, but they offer the compartments and capacity that professional athletes need. They’re also likely to be made of high-quality materials for added durability. Tour bags may be overkill for the casual player. But if you plan to hit the pro circuit, a tour bag may be the way to go.

What Are the Different Divider Options Available for Golf Bags?

A divider, also known as the “top” of the bag, refers to how the top of a bag is divided for club organization. A golf bag can have all full-length dividers that run from top to bottom, which means separated clubs can’t cross shafts, or top dividers that only sit at the top of the bag to group clubs together based on your preference. Some bags may have a mix of full-length and top-only dividers. So whenever you see “14-way top” listed on a bag’s specs, this doesn’t mean that the bag’s dividers run the full length of the bag. A bag may have zero dividers or up to 15-way dividers.

How To Organize Your Golf Bag

Having a well-organized golf bag allows you to access your clubs quickly, and prevents the speed of play from slowing down. Your exact organization will depend on how many compartments are in your golf bag.

In general, you should group your clubs by length, with the tallest ones in the back compartment and the shortest ones in front, so that the heads fall toward you.

Use the most accessible pockets (generally the ones in the top and front) to store the items you use most frequently, such as tees, spare balls and ball markers. Use the less accessible pockets to stash items that you use less often.

How To Carry a Golf Bag

When loading your bag, make sure the weight is relatively evenly distributed. This will prevent the bag from bouncing around or pulling to one side.

Place the shoulder strap on your dominant shoulder. Adjust the strap to make sure it’s not too long or short. Then lift the bag from the ground, and carry. Feel free to switch shoulders if it becomes too heavy.

Golf Bag FAQs

How much should I spend on a golf bag?

There’s a wide range of golf bag prices available, and only you can determine which fits your budget best. However, you can find quality bags starting around the $120 mark and going up to about $400 or more.

What are all the pockets for on a golf bag?

A golf bag’s exterior pockets are great for holding items that you’ll use during play, such as tees, balls, ball markers, an umbrella or a beverage.

How many dividers should a golf bag have?

Golf bags generally have between one and 14 dividers. Bags with more dividers are heavier, but keep your clubs separate from each other for maximum organization.