The bag you want depends almost entirely on one question: do you walk, or do you ride?
Everything else — dividers, pockets, colour — is secondary to that. A bag built for a cart is miserable to carry, and a carry bag on a cart wobbles and swallows nothing.
| Carry | Stand | Cart | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | Lightest | Light — legs add a little | Heaviest; weight is irrelevant |
| Stands up alone | No | Yes, on retractable legs | No — it sits in the cart |
| Storage | Minimal | Moderate | Generous, pockets face outward |
| Strap | Single or double | Usually double | Single, for moving it to the car |
| Best for | Nine holes, practice, minimalists | Walking eighteen — the default | Riding every round |
If you are unsure, a stand bag is the safe answer. It carries acceptably and rides acceptably; the other two are specialists.
The difference between a five-pound and an eight-pound bag sounds trivial and is not, because you carry it for four hours over five miles with clubs in it. Loaded, that gap becomes noticeable by the twelfth hole.
Weight is bought with material and paid for in durability and pockets. An ultralight bag has thin fabric, fewer pockets and a simpler stand mechanism. That is a fair trade if you walk; a bad one if you ride and wanted the storage.
The top opening is split into sections. What matters is not the count but whether the dividers run the full length of the bag.
A four-way full-length divider beats a fourteen-way partial one.
A double strap distributes weight across both shoulders like a rucksack, which is the difference between a comfortable walk and a sore one. A single strap is lighter and fine for nine holes. If you walk eighteen, insist on a double.
Check that the strap adjusts enough for your torso length. Many bags are strapped for an average that may not be yours, and a strap that will not shorten sufficiently puts the bag too low on your back.