REVIEW: How the Titleist Premium Carry Bag Helped Me Stay Sharp on Vacation

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For the avid golfer, there is nothing more stressful than knowing that, during a family vacation, you might not get to hit the links for a few days. Luckily for me, Titleist has a great option for the more committed player that allows you to bring a few clubs and balls without taking up too much space.

This year, Titleist launched the Premium Carry Bag, refining its past offerings of what many would refer to as a “Sunday Bag” and bringing something completely new to the table. In the past, Titleist has offered something similar, and they still do. But this year, they added a few new features to their Carry Bag, thus making it a perfect suitor for the “Premium” label.

It’s a great-looking, small, lightweight bag. Initially, I had planned to use it for chipping at the range when I didn’t want to carry my StaDry 4. I knew with my upcoming trip to the beach, it would be perfect to give it its first go around.

Titleist sent me this bag in late June, just in time for me to pack a few wedges, my Scotty Cameron, a couple of irons, my Driver and 3 Wood, and of course, some balls for vacation. I am blessed to have plenty of space on the beach as I drive on the shore on Assateague Island with my family each year. There are 145 cars spread out over 13 miles of beach, so there’s plenty of room to play.

I went for over a week this year with my girlfriend and family, so our car was full. Even with a lot of luggage and other additions that are necessary on the beach, this bag fits well in the car and doesn’t take up much space.

I got it down to the beach and unloaded it, and my first order of business was to take it to the beach. I chipped balls in the sand to work on bunker play for a while, I made a putt-putt course on sand that had been flattened and hardened by the high tide, and I even hit a couple balls into the Atlantic Ocean.

Titleist lists the features of the Premium Carry Bag on its website:

The lightweight and durable design was great, and I really didn’t mind carrying it around from location to location on the beach, despite the sand. It was easy to maneuver and was maybe 10-12 pounds with everything in it.

At just 2.8 pounds on its own, it’s obviously not a strenuous task to carry around this bag. It still features all of the quality and craftsmanship of other bags, and it really did a great job of handling the heat, the seawater (which is destructive) and just being lugged around and thrown on top of a bunch of other things I had.

This bag is for much more than just a trip to the beach. There’s a Par 3 course by the beach house where I stay, and there are no golf carts. This would be an ideal solution for that.

However, as previously mentioned, this would also be an ideal choice for people who are looking for a way to carry just a few clubs to the range or to a chipping area. There’s no sense in hauling your entire set of irons if your entire session will be spent working on short game. This is really a great option for all of those things.

Available on Titleist.com for just $155, the Premium Carry Bag is truly a great option for those who want to travel light, carry fewer clubs, or just have something slightly more manageable. While I brought nine clubs with me, I am sure you could fit most of your bag in here, especially if you are playing with blades.

REVIEW: Sun Mountain 2023 Eco-Lite Stand Bag – You Won’t Believe How Light It Is!

Joey has been a journalist for over three years, covering various topics in the automotive and sports industries. He has been a passionate golfer for around six years, but has been a fan of the game for much longer. His earliest memories of golf are watching The Masters and learning the game with friends at courses local to him in Pennsylvania, which, despite the challenging climate, he plays year-round. He has attended several golf tournaments, including the BMW Championship in 2021 and 2022, and has been denied (what should be) a record 12 times for The Masters' annual ticket lottery.In his bag, Joey currently plays the TaylorMade Stealth Driver and 3 Wood, TSi2 19° Hybrid, Titleist T300 irons, Callaway Mack Daddy and Tommy Armour Wedges, and a TaylorMade Spider Putter. He plays TP5x or ProV1x.

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In the past, I’ve reviewed the Titleist Players 4 Sta-Dry Golf Bag, and I even walked nine holes with it. It was lightweight, comfortable, and easy to carry for nine holes, even for someone who rarely walks a round of golf.

However, Sun Mountain decided to send me their 2023 iteration of the Eco-Lite Stand Bag, and when it arrived at my door, the box was so light that I had thought they had sent me a picture of the bag on some printer paper and not the bag itself. However, when I opened the box, I was pleasantly surprised to see the Java-Coyote-Pecan colorway inside.

I must admit, online images painted a different picture. It seemed smaller in the images Sun Mountain provided, but it seemed to be just as spacious as any bag I have that is a stand bag. I loved the colors, they are unique and classy, and reminded me of one of my favorite things to drink on a chilly morning when I play 18 with my friends: a cup of warm coffee.

Sun Mountain describes the bag on its site:

“Eco-lite bags have many of the great features offered in Sun Mountain’s top-selling bags and are made with Repreve fabric, which is made using recycled plastic bottles. Approximately twenty-five 20-oz bottles go into the material used in each bag.”

One of my main draws to this bag, in particular, is the recycled materials. My main job requires me to write about electric vehicles and sustainable energy; at one time, I was very passionate about it. While I still believe in recycling and being sustainable where we can, I am not as hellbent on it as I once was.

With that being said, I really enjoy these types of everyday things that take recycled materials and take advantage of them. A nice golf bag that utilizes sustainable materials to decrease waste is a win-win in my book, and that was one of my favorite things about this bag, without a doubt. Shoutout to Repreve fabric for their great work here.

However, there are a lot of great things about this bag that are applicable to the golf course:

There is so much storage on this bag that it is insane. I haven’t yet found a use for the side pocket, but usually, that’s where my rain gear ends up. As you can see, when I took this bad boy out to the range for some pictures, it was a beautiful day, so I didn’t pack it.

However, the ball pocket is huge, and you can fit more than a dozen in here with additional space for your rangefinder, gloves, or whatever else you want to put in here. I also thought fitting two standard water bottles in that particular pocket was a nice touch. Usually, it’s perfect for one on other bags.

There’s so much room for things here that it is no wonder this bag weighs nothing on its own. Fill it up with a lot of necessary things, and it will probably get heavy, simply because there is so much room for accessories and necessities you’ll need for the round.

I play the T100s from Titleist, a blade that is minimal. I asked my friend with Callaway CBs to put his irons in here to see if there was any difficulty with space. Needless to say, there was not.

We fit his mallet Odyssey Putter in there as well, as I also play a Scotty Cameron Newport, a blade. I tried to be as invasive as possible with clubs in here, and it was no issue. Everything went in and came out with ease. In the past, I’ve had bags that are extremely tight when certain grip thicknesses are concerned or even club head sizes, even with four dividers.

This managed to handle all of his clubs, the oversized putter head, and wedges, with no issue. I was very impressed.

These straps are like a fresh bookbag on the first day of middle school: they’re thick, comfortable, and provide more support than any bag I’ve had in the past.

When I reviewed the Titleist Sta-Dry 4, my biggest complaint was the straps, and I wasn’t sure if much could be done.

Sun Mountain proved me wrong.

Because I couldn’t get a great image of them myself, I decided to use Sun Mountain’s. I promise you, you won’t have any discomfort with these.

This is a quality bag. I am excited to see if the material holds up and how the colors respond to the elements. But all in all, for $249, this is a great pickup. Well done, Sun Mountain.

Cover Image via Joey Klender

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SuperStroke’s new Ryder Cup Grips are a perfect way to put a new grip on your putter and let all of your playing partners know who you will be pulling for in Rome.

For years, the Ryder Cup has been like the Olympics for me. It’s the one time of year I’ll root against my favorite players to pull for my country. McIlroy, Rahm, and Hovland all become villains to me. Even I found myself pulling for Patrick Reed during his triumph over Rory a few years ago in what is still the best match play I’ve ever seen.

But SuperStroke has brought all of us a little closer to the action without hopping on a plane and traveling to Rome. This year, the Ryder Cup grips the company presented are a tad different than past years. Previously, EUR and USA were spotted near the top of the grip, but these new versions are void of that, and it makes them a little simpler and a little cleaner.

Credit: BetMGM

As you can see, this year’s model for the Ryder Cup still presents the same colorways that were available in the past. That’s as it should be. But what my favorite part about these is that they are identical to normal SuperStroke grips, and they are available in any model, fitting your preference.

SuperStroke was good enough to send me four Ryder Cup Grips, two USA and two Europe.

SuperStroke writes:

“Introducing the Officially Licensed 2023 Ryder Cup SuperStroke Putter Grips – a must-have limited edition offering that celebrates the prestigious tournament in style! Available in exclusive Team USA and Team Europe designs, these grips embody the spirit of international competition.”

Available for $34.99 a piece, these are a great addition to any putter. I have to admit, one is already at my local shop being put on my TaylorMade Spider (I simply cannot remove the Scotty Cameron grip from my Newport, but time and thought may get the best of me).

“Crafted with SuperStroke’s renowned quality and performance, these grips deliver exceptional control and precision on the greens, giving you the confidence to take on any putt. Don’t miss your chance to own a piece of golf history – grab your Officially Licensed 2023 Ryder Cup SuperStroke Putter Grip before they’re gone!”

Anyone who has used a SuperStroke grip knows the quality that comes with them. The various models available give everyone that customized fit, and the colors and design of these Ryder Cup grips help make the putter your own.

Cover Image via SuperStroke

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Of all of the golf shoes I’ve worn in my life, nothing has felt quite as cool as lacing up a pair of Nike’s TW ’20s. It reminded me of the first time I wore a pair of Jordans or a pair of Adidas AdiPures during college soccer, which are worn by the greatest player ever to live, Lionel Messi.

There’s something different about lacing up a shoe that the greatest player in their respective sporting discipline had a direct influence on. Tiger’s shoes are among the most comfortable Nikes I’ve worn while also being stylish yet sporty at the same time. There might be a method to Scottie Scheffler’s madness too, and maybe, I say with a bit of facetiousness, they’re part of the reason for his overwhelming success through the past two PGA Tour seasons.

Image via: GolfGETUP

I busted these bad boys out of the box in July, hoping to add another regularly-worn pair to my arsenal. Admittedly, it has been hard to get away from my FootJoy Traditions since I bought them last year. They’re stylish whether you’re in slacks, chinos, joggers, athletic shorts, or golf shorts. They’re comfortable, and most importantly, they perform very well.

While the Tigers may not offer the same amount of versatility in terms of style that the Traditions do, they did offer one thing that I desire in any golf shoe I put on: traction, comfortability, and performance.

I decided to give these their first go on the range. I usually don’t dive into shoes for the first time during a round as I’ve done in past reviews, but the timing worked out a little more for me with these.

As I said, maybe it’s not as versatile (at least to me) as Traditions, but damn, is this a good-looking shoe or what? It is simple yet stylish and fits a lot of different looks on the course. I was a tad worried about the narrow fit. As I’ve written in previous reviews, I have a wider foot, so narrow shoes don’t do me a lot of good when it comes to being comfortable.

The best part about these shoes was right after five minutes of walking in them. At my home course, the range is about a five-minute walk from the parking lot. I noticed that when I put these on, they were a little tighter than I’d typically like.

By the time I got to the range, these things felt as broken in as some shoes I have had for a few months. They had already formed to my foot and had given me a glove-like fit before I had even hit any balls.

They were just perfect, comfortable, and I really enjoyed how everything was coming along. The next big test was the performance during my range session.

We know that Scottie has one of the most unique and arguably violent golf swings at the professional level. The Scheffler Shuffle has led Scottie to one of the most dominant stretches in professional golf since the guy whose name is plastered all over these shoes.

Because I am not 1/100th the player Scottie is, I had 0 concerns with how these would grip the turf at my range. As you can see from the picture above, the folks at Royal Manchester Golf Links in Manchester, PA (shoutout to the best course in my area and the most phenomenal staff in the world, at least in my opinion) keep the range in great shape.

The true test was not at the range, as these passed with an A+ and flying colors in terms of grip and overall traction during the times when I really pushed the limits in terms of trying to swing “out of my shoes,” as many people would like to say. The real test came during the first round I wore them, which was a dew-covered course near Harrisburg that hosted an early morning foursome with three of my friends and me.

Not to my surprise, the TWs held up with incredible grip and traction. Admittedly, since getting some new irons a few months ago, my game has taken some time to adjust to them. However, these shoes helped me remain confident when I needed to get a few extra yards out of a club. There was never a slip or a slide in these. They were perfect.

I won’t lie, 10/10 is something I will likely not write about another shoe. Even the Traditions give me some issues on the more tumultuous terrains in my area. There is nothing like these shoes.

Nothing.

The previously-mentioned glove-like fit reminded me of a memory foam bed. I was incredibly surprised because Nikes are usually pretty tight on me, and I feel like I am in between sizes. That really was not the case here. After the first five minutes, everything was great. When I put them on for the round after my initial range session, my feet fell into a trance.

This is where I have a few concerns. The liner of the shoe is a silky material that has already stained because of a bit of dirt. I also have a few reservations about the shell, which I wish had a tad more give. I don’t think they won’t hold up, I am just more hoping that they break in a little bit more after a few rounds.

Will these be worn more than my FootJoy Traditions? Probably not. But I say this for two reasons:

I love how comfortable they are, and I love how they look, and I really think I may reserve them for range sessions and occasional rounds. They’re a shoe I truly never thought I’d have, so I’m really head over heels with them. It’s just tough to justify putting them ahead of the Traditions for style reasons alone. I always like to say: Look Good, Play Good.

These will be a favorite of mine forever. I will recommend them to anyone, including you.

Pick up your own pair at Nike.com, and thanks to the fine folks at Nike for sending me a pair to review!

Cover Image via Dallas Morning News

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