I’ve always believed that the bag should reflect the clubs you use, but the more I think about it, the more I realize that the sort of bag you carry could have a significant impact on your game, and that you should buy the bag that best matches you (weight, size, features, etc.) But does your golf bag have to match your clubs?
Using a Sun Mountain or Ogio bag is obviously a different matter, but my question to all of you is whether you believe your bag should match some of your clubs if your bag is closely affiliated with a club maker.
I’d think it’s more a matter of personal preference.
Does your golf bag have to match your clubs?
No, the bag should be comfy and large enough to contain all of your belongings. I don’t think it makes a difference unless it’s exceedingly unpleasant or heavy. Beyond style and having the capacity to carry what you need, if you don’t carry, it’s virtually entirely irrelevant.
When shopping for a bag, I want one that is comfortable, durable, lightweight, and has useful functions. There’s no need to match it to anything.
I agree that your bag does not have to match your clubs, however I normally attempt to match my iron set to my bag.
My Callaway bag, on the other hand, does not match any of my clubs. I wanted something that would be easy to carry and had a cooler pocket when I got it. I did acquire some matching blank headcovers for my bag. I’ll be honest, I didn’t care for all of my mismatched headcovers that came with my POS clubs.
It’s not a problem if someone wants their entire outfit to match. It’s their money and equipment. I prefer a “hodge podge” look, so I’ll have to acquire some Taylormade and Adams items.
I believe it boils down to personal preference. To go with my iron set, I’m going to acquire a Callaway Diablo Edge Hybrid bag. I’m still carrying a basic set of Walter Hagen bags. It’s not a bad bag, but I’m not going out of my way to acquire the Callaway.
In fact, I’ve seen some other Callaway bags that don’t have nearly as many pockets as mine. So, for me, I prefer the bag to match some of my clubs, but it isn’t required. It must be the “correct” bag. I’m not going to switch just because of the bag’s name.
My friend’s Answer
Both of the bags I’ve purchased in the past are basic black. I wanted the side bag to be unbranded and without a large logo. I found a simple black RJ Sports bag a while back and recently purchased a second plain black 14-club divider bag.
Black is a great neutral hue that goes with most headcovers, towels, and whatever else you want to match in terms of color. Then I won’t have to worry about the bag’s name clashing with my irons/woods/whatever. Because I use Titleist irons, I prefer to keep a Titleist towel in my bag. But, I suppose, that’s simply a personal quirk. I’m proud of my clubs and enjoy matching the towel to the irons.
My purse is black, my towel is black and white, my umbrella is black and white, and all of my head covers are black. I’ve been dubbed “Golf’s Johnny Cash.”
Jones, Mackenzie, Sun Mountain, Stitch, and Vessel are some of my favorite bag companies. Ping, who has been creating great stand bags my entire life, is the lone exception. Ping, in my perspective, is a golf bag manufacturer that also produces golf clubs.
The clubmaker’s other bags would simply be a billboard or advertisement. I would rather not give out free advertising than pay to advertise for a business.
Conclusion
Matching the golf bag to your golf clubs comes down to the personal preference. You don’t have to match your golf bag to your clubs and most of the people I personally know don’t do it. However there are people who like to do it because they think it makes them look cool.
Whenever I hear this question I always think about the girls, because girl golfers like to take care of their style even when there are playing golf. But my answer when I hear does your golf bag have to match your clubs is always NO.