Ready to upgrade your old, clunky golf bag and select one of the best golf cart bags for 2019?
When it comes to choosing the right golf bag, you have two main choices; a stand bag or a cart bag. And while the golf market tries to make a hybrid version of the two, I recommend going with one or the other.
Golf stand bags are meant for walking your next round and getting a little exercise. Sunday Golf Bags are designed for walking and carrying less than 14 clubs (think a Par 3 course or executive course). Cart bags are larger with more pockets, usually separate storage for each club, and typically meant for riding or push carts. Hybrid bags try to take the best of both worlds but in my opinion, often miss the mark.
If you’ve decided that you’re ready for a new golf cart bag, I’ve found the best reviews to help select one an easy choice. In this post, I’ll cover exactly what you should look in your next golf cart bag and the best ones on the market.
Our Picks for Best Golf Cart Bag
- Sun Mountain C130 Golf Bag – Best All Around Cart Bag
- Bag Boy Chiller Cart Bag – Best Cooler Golf Bag
- Ogio Cirrus Golf Bag – Best Budget Golf Cart Bag
How to Pick the Best Golf Cart Bag For You
Once you’ve committed to a cart bag you need to know what features are offered with each of them. This will make it easy to compare the brands and find the best one for your game and budget.
Here are some of the features to consider when selecting your next bag.
Weight
If you plan on carrying your bag, the overall weight should be one of your biggest concerns. The last thing that you want to do is hurt your back before you even make it onto the 1st tee. Even if you plan on solely using this bag for riding, you want to make sure it’s not too heavy to transport back and forth from your car. Plus, the bag guys will appreciate it too.
In choosing the perfect cart bag, I recommend finding the top two or three and basing it on weight and price if you can’t seem to narrow it down. Plus, if it’s light enough, you can always add it to a push-cart in the future as well.
Storage and Pockets
One of the biggest perks of using cart bags is a large amount of storage compared to a stand bag. It’s easy to forget how much gear golfers pack for an average round of golf. Balls, tees, extra clothes, snacks, golf gadgets and maybe a few can drinks.
Some of the golf bags on this list have specific pockets for things like apparel, balls, tees, and even a refrigerated cooler pocket. Most bags also come with an umbrella holder so you are prepared for playing golf in the rain.
Divider System
One of the biggest differences from stand bags vs. cart bags is that cart bags have a divider system to ensure that clubs have their own space in the bag. This is a huge perk over stand bags which don’t have them and can make it a hassle to pull out each club. The number of dividers varies from varies in each model but a lot of them have one for each club.
While most cart bags do have dividers, some bags have none at all. Having a bag with 14 dividers makes it easy to grab the right club and quickly realize if you left one back a few holes ago. Also, with dividers make sure to see if it’s top level or full-length bag divider as well. Full-length dividers ensure it goes through the whole bag and won’t ever get tangled.
Putter Well
Putter wells don’t exist on stand bags and are a feature of cart bags that make it easy to find and grab your putter. It’s usually housed in a separate area and ensures your putter is more protected. This is a huge perk to cart bags, especially if you’re spending money on a Taylormade Spider or Titleist Scotty Cameron putter.
Rain Hood
Before writing this post, I just assumed that every golf bag came with a rain hood as every one I’d previously owned already come with a matching rain hood. But apparently, that’s not the case with all stand bags. If the one you like doesn’t come with a rain hood make sure you buy one separately.
Some bags also come with a travel hood as well or you can check out our best travel bags to make traveling with your sticks easy.
Towel Ring
Most of the time, you’ll find a towel clip, loop or ring on the side. This makes it easy to keep a towel hand for wiping your clubs and gear down. If you live somewhere that has a lot of winter golf I recommend this feature to not lose your towel on a regular basis.
Handle and Padding
Make sure you pay attention to the handle on the bag. Is it comfortable and do you think it’ll last years on the course? Some bags have one big strap (how tour caddies use it) while others have a small carrying handle.
7 Best Golf Cart Bags for 2019
Now that you know what features to evaluate the bags, here are the best golf cart bags for 2019.
1. Sun Mountain C-130 Golf Cart Bag
Sun Mountain is known for making high-quality golf products, especially stand and cart bags. With the Sun Mountain C130, not only is there a huge selection of colors the golf bag is super handy with tons of useful pockets. In fact, there are ten pockets total so you’ll have no problem finding room for beverages, rain gear, and golf accessories.
Pros
- 14-way full-length divider
- Matching rain hood included
- All utility handles are integrated on the top of the bag
- Smart strap system keeps bag attached to the cart while moving
- 11 colors (with different accent patterns) to choose from. Some of the designs are super custom like camo, USA red/white/blue and others
Overall
This mid-priced bag is attractive to buyers for multiple reasons, the biggest being the color choices. There are eleven total colors to choose from, which is more than enough to cater to multiple design tastes. This is a great design that is geared towards golfers of all abilities.
For more information, head over to our review of the Sun Mountain C130 Golf Bag.
2. Ping Golf Men’s Pioneer Cart Bag
Ping is also a trusted name in the game that’s been around a very long time. The Ping Golf Pioneer Cart bag is a mid-range priced bag that has been a staple in the golf cart bags market for a while.
If you have a previous version of this bag this is a big update with plenty of improvements. It’s two pounds lighter than the Sun Mountain bag previously mentioned and has anti-rip polyester to make it extremely durable.
As I mentioned, I’m not a huge fan of carrying cart bags but since this is one is so light (7 pounds) fellow golfers have said it wasn’t a problem if they opted to carry. Plus, it has a special non-slip bottom that lets you easily use it with a pushcart as well.
Pros
- Very lightweight at only 7-pounds
- Dual velour-lined valuables pockets
- Polypropylene top with anti-flex walls
- 11 total pockets with dual apparel pockets
- Quick access pocket is magnetic for your divot tools and ball markets
- Ball pocket panel is customizable if you want your name or nickname to easily identify your bag
Cons
- Very limited color selection. The black and navy are nice but its lack of color schemes is a limitation
Overall
The Pioneer has plenty of storage space for golfers who seem to bring too much with them each round. With so many pockets, you will have no problem bringing out all your gear to the course.
The bag also features 15 full-length dividers. While you can only legally have 15 clubs, the extra storage is good if you have alignment rods, ball retriever or are testing out an extra club.
3. Bag Boy Golf Chiller Cart Bag
If you’re someone who enjoys a few cold ones on the course, the Bag Boy Golf Chiller cart bag is a great idea for you. It comes in a variety of colors but the biggest perk is the built-in, insulated cooler. It can hold six 12 ounce cans and has an additional nine other storage pockets as well.
Overall
This bag is best for golfers who want extra storage and also want to save some money by skipping the beverage cart. And with some of the ridiculous prices for soda and beer at some golf courses, it’s not a bad idea!
4. Founders Club Premium Golf Bag
If you’re on a budget and want to save money for the round of golf, the Founders Club Premium cart bag is a great choice. It’s an inexpensive cart bag that can also be used for both push or pull carts.
It features a hard-top design that keeps club heads seated and organized during transit. For a lower priced cart bag, the quality of the material is very good. The fabrics used are a little bit lightweight but the bag seems to be durable with a ton of club protection from the molded top. This will help keep clubs from banging around in the cart and also will let you enjoy a much quieter round of golf.
Overall
Coming in at a affordable price, this bag is a great value if budget is your number one priority. Plus, it has 14 full-length dividers and different color options to match your gear. It’s a great bang for your buck.
5. Ogio 2018 Cirrus Cart Bag
The Ogio 2018 Cirrus cart bag is another low priced cart bag that makes up for in storage for the previous one on this list. It has a total of nine storage pockets but it doesn’t have the cooler pocket like the Founders Club cart bag.
There are four available colors for this model which black, bolt green, burst blue and rush red. The club has 15 dividers to make sure your sticks don’t get banged around when you’re in the cart as well. It also does come with a rain hood and double strap if you do decide to walk instead of ride.
Overall
The valuables pocket is fleece lined and weather resistant for protection. Even with a low price, this cart bag has a nice amount of high-end features.
6. Sun Mountain Sync Cart Bag
Like I mentioned before, Sun Mountain is a trusted bag that made the list twice. The Sun Mountain Sync Cart Bag is a mid-priced bag that only weighs six pounds! If you’re someone who doesn’t want to deal with getting a bag in and out of a car or truck, this is a great option. It’s much more compact and sleek than some of the others on this list.
There is a large 15-way divider that protects all types of golf clubs as they are full-length dividers. All of this comes out to a fairly nice sized package with multiple pockets to store your accessories.
Pros
- Water resistant rangefinder pocket
- Nine total pockets with tons of storage
- Comfortable utility handles at the top of the bag
- Only weighs six pounds which is comparable to the best stand bags
Cons
- No carrying handle in the front as its primarily made for electric or push carts
Overall
This cart bag is great for golfers that want a ton of space, lightweight, and very moderately priced. With so many pockets, golfers have specific pockets for cell phone, rangefinder, and other gadgets. Plus, the putter well is oversized and will fit grips like the Fatso 5.0.
7. Callaway Golf Org 14 Cart Bag
The Callaway Golf Org 14 cart bag is the last on the list of best golf cart bags for 2019 but it still has a ton of great features. One of the biggest perks of this Callaway bag is the seven available colors. Plus, the insulated beverage pockets, yes pockets, make it great for keeping drinks cold.
This cart bag is designed for an electric cart but you can easily push as it only weighs six pounds. The left side pocket also has a cleverly hidden sleeve for your golf umbrella plus slots for tees on the exterior.
Lastly, the club organizer section is very well made with specific sleeves for each divider in the bag. This will help prevent your clubs from going into other sections at the bottom of the bag and getting flustered mid-round.
Pros
- Dual pen holder
- Great selection of color choices
- Dual insulated beverage pockets
- Dual magnetic valuables pockets
- 14 way top with full length dividers
- Plenty of storage space for accessories and extras as pockets are deep
- Rain hood (depending on the color of the bag it may or may not match exactly)
Overall
The combination of the sleek design, color selection, storage (including beverage insulation) makes this cart bag a great choice. Plus, the Org 14 Bag only weighs six pounds and comes in moderately priced.
Final Thoughts on Choosing Your Next Cart Bag
There are so many great cart bags out there it’s important to find one that’ll meet your golf needs. Whether that’s needing a cooler, being able to carry, storage or something else, make sure you do your research. All of these bags come with at least 12-month warranties and should last you a lot of rounds golf.
Hopefully, this guide will help you find the best golf cart bag for you and keep making 2019 the best golf year yet. After you’ve found the right golf bag, head over to our review of the best golf bag organizers so you can store that bag in your garage instead of your trunk!