MGS Tested: 2015 Golf’s Most Wanted Cart Bags

By Tim Halberg

Do you ride exclusively, or do you often load your bag up on a push cart and enjoy the walk? Are you willing to sacrifice a few features to save weight, or is storage space the only thing that matters?

Whether you push a cart or ride in one, we’ve put together a list of cart bags guaranteed to satisfy your every need. These bags will hold your clubs, and plenty more.

For this year’s Most Wanted Cart Bag Test we examined 24 bags from 10 different manufacturers. As you’ll see, our top 3 finishers were very close, but we can confidently say that our winner is the best cart bag on the market for 2015.

Time for a new cart bag? Let’s look at your options.

The Contenders:

BagBoy Revolver LTD	DaTrek CB-Lite	DaTrek Lite Rider	Mizuno Eight50	Mizuno Tour Cart
Mizuno V90 Cart	Nike M9 Cart II	Nike Performance Cart II	Nike Sport Cart III	Orlimar Ariel
Orlimar Ensemble	Orlimar Limelight	Orlimar OC 14.9++	Orlimar SC 7.6	Ping DLX II
Ping Pioneer	Ping Traverse	Sun Mountain C130	Taylormade Catalina	Taylormade San Clemente
Tour Edge Hot Launch	Exotics Xtreme II	Wilson Nexus Cart	Wilson Cart Plus

Declined To Participate

• OGIO asked for an extension but ultimately did not submit any bags
• Callaway did not respond to email requests
• Cleveland has no new product at this time
• Titleist declined our invitation to participate

The Metrics:

Based on your feedback from last year, we’ve refined our metrics to focus on what you told us were the features and functionality you look for in a cart bag.

Testers were asked to put clubs into a bag, take clubs out, use the pockets, zippers, and carry straps, and to place the bags onto carts. Notes and scores were taken for each individual metric (view Scoring Metrics tab). For push cart testing we utilized BagBoy (Quad and TriSwivel II) and Sun Mountain V1 carts.

The Most Wanted Cart Bag should offer all the bells and whistles and plenty of storage space; luxury, looks and functionality.

• • Storage – The number and usefulness of pockets. Types of storage, eg: external tee holder, insulated drink pocket, ball pocket. Ultimately, how functional is the available storage as a whole.
  • Style – Are color options limited, or has the manufacturer made an effort to create a colorway to suit a variety of individual tastes?
  • On Cart Functionality – How well the bag fit on both riding and push carts. Is the functionality of the bag (pockets, glove strips, towel loops, etc.) impeded in any way by cart straps?
  • Club Binding – Regardless of the number of dividers, this metric simply measures how much club grab/binding occurred when inserting and removing clubs from a bag.
  • Top Grab Handle – Is there one included? Is it easily graspable, or has the manufacturer placed form ahead of function?
  • Features – How feature-rich is a given bag. Do each of those features function as intended?
  • Full Length Dividers – How many full-length dividers does the bag offer. Because full length dividers do not always equate directly to less club binding, the number of full length dividers does not directly factor into the overall rating.

Golf’s Most Wanted Cart Bags

Ping Pioneer II

Good: 15 full length dividers. More than ample storage. A huge insulated drink pouch that might swallow up a 12-pack with ice. All the bells and whistles and a sharp design.

Bad: The Pioneer doesn’t leave much to be desired, but a larger towel loop would be useful.

Notes: When looking for a true cart bag, you can’t go wrong with the Pioneer. Load her up. She can hold every piece of gear you’d ever need. Keep beers cold deep into the back 9, and be the envy of your buddies as you stylishly wind your way around the course with this bag in tow.

Buy PING Pioneer II

 Sun Mountain C130

Good: Two towel loops. 14 full length dividers. Lots of storage and a sneaky strap pass-through that routes the cart strap under the pocket.

Bad: Like the Pioneer, there’s not much to be improved here. Add a velcro glove patch and a bit more insulated storage space and this bag could take top honors.

Notes: Sun Mountain’s C130 held its own again this year with a strong finish. If you value two towel loops and a strap pass-through and can settle for a little less insulated storage space, the C130 is your ultimate riding option.

Buy Sun Mountain C130

 Ping DLX II

Good: Nearly a staff bag that’s fully function on your cart. The 5 full length dividers do a surprisingly good job of minimizing club binding.

Bad: The relative lack of full-length dividers will likely turn some off of the DLX II, though we point you back to the above note.

Notes: Another outstanding PING bag – it’s like PING wants to be in your cart. Not only is the DLX II a style leader, but it’s big enough to take on the whales, and totally functional.

Buy PING DLX II

Ping Traverse

Good: The perfect push cart bag. It offers ample storage in a comparable svelte package. The Traverse sits well on a push cart and has enough insulated space to keep you hydrated, but without encouraging you to overdo it. 14 full length dividers keep your clubs organized and minimize banging over bumpy terrain.

Bad: Won’t overwhelm you with storage space.

Notes: Whether hopping on a riding cart with some buddies or pushing your way through your home course, this bag was designed to travel well. No more sticking your glove to your head covers, just use the patch.

Buy PING Traverse

Mizuno Eight50

Good: A smaller design that prioritizes balance over storage. The EIGHT50 offers plenty of pockets with enough storage to get you through any round.

Bad: Only 4 full length dividers (and only 4 total dividers) might leave you wondering how to properly organize 14 clubs.

Notes: When I played golf with my grandfather, he never had the biggest bag. Size matters, and sometimes smaller is better. If you don’t like carrying unnecessary weight, this bag is certainly one to consider.

Buy Mizuno EIGHT50

Support Unbiased Product Testing:

We’re not lying when we say that we refuse to take advertising from the biggest names in golf. We truly believe it’s the only way to remain above the influence, publish real results based on real data, and continue to provide honest opinion and commentary about what’s happening inside the golf equipment industry.

If you found this report useful, meaningful, or just interesting, please consider making a donation to help support MyGolfSpy’s independence.

We accept credit cards through PayPal. A PayPal account is not required in order to donate.

[donation-can goal_id=’fund-the-revolution’ style_id=’mgs’ show_progress=false show_description=false show_donations=false show_title=false title=”]