Ask Echo is a brand I wasn’t too familiar with, until recently. What intrigued me about them was that they make “silent” golf bags. This means your clubs won’t clash around in your bag, which can cause noise and damage.
I just recently got the T-Lock bag, and have been using it for the past couple of weeks. Overall, I do like it a lot, but there are some downsides to consider before buying it.
Let’s jump into the details and I’ll go over what I like about it, what could be improved, and if it’s a bag you should consider getting. I’ll also be updating this post as I get more use out of it.
You can see our favorite golf bags HERE.
The First Impressions
Taking the bag out of the box, the first thing that came to mind was, “wow, that’s a tall bag.” It’s just over 41″ tall, and I guess it needs to be this way because of how the clubs lock in.
This does cause a couple of problems, but we’ll get into that later.
As of now, the bag comes in 6 colors: black, grey, blue, toasted almond, and a couple of mixed colors. I got the toasted almond color, but if I could pick again, I think I’d go black or grey (easier to clean).
The other thing that stood out to me was how much storage there is. If you carry a lot of stuff with you, or you want a bag to take on trips, this will fit more than enough.
The Features
13-Way Top: Your putter, wedges, irons, hybrids, and driver will have it’s own slot, so you won’t get any club tangle. The only shared slot is where your woods go, but they can be locked-in, so they don’t move around. An oversized putter grip will fit in every slot.
4x Storage Pockets: Each side of the bag has 1 large storage pocket and 1 medium pocket. The large pocket can fit a pair of shoes, and the medium pocket can fit a rain jacket.
2x Dry Pockets: Each side of the bag has a waterproof pocket where you can keep your valuables. Phone, wallet, keys, sun glasses, etc.
Cooler Pocket: This bag has a huge cooler pocket (with 2x drains). I was able to fit 11 normal-sized cans, which should be more than enough. You also have room to toss in an ice pack (with less cans).
Ball Pocket: I was able to fit 18 balls in this pocket, which should be enough for even the biggest hacker. You could use the rangefinder pocket instead if you wanted to bring more balls.
Rangefinder Pocket: It comes with a large rangefinder pocket, but if you don’t use one, can be used for anything else. It’s pretty big, so it could be another storage pocket. It’s zippered, not magnetic.
2x Mesh Pockets: Each side has 2 small mesh pockets. It’s big enough to hold a water bottle or whatever else you might carry.
2x Towel Loop w/ Velcro Glove Holder: Each side of the bag has a plastic towel loop with a velcro glove holder. This gives you an option, depending on what side of the cart you’re on.
Umbrella Holder: I don’t bring an umbrella with me, but a lot of people do. If you do, you’re covered.
Pass-Through Cart Strap: A proper cart bag needs to have this. The cart strap goes through the bag (not around the bag), which prevents it from twisting. It also has a strap on the back that attaches directly to the cart (extra security).
Tee Holder: There are 6 slots on the side of the bag where you can put tees for easy access. It’s a small detail, but it’s one I really like.
4x Carry Handles: Each side of the bag has a carry handle, so you can easily lift it out of the car or move it around the garage.
The Performance
Compared to a stand bag, there isn’t much that can go wrong with a cart bag. You don’t need to worry about weight, and you don’t have to worry about the quality of the legs.
With a cart bag, I’m looking for quality, storage, and little things that make my round more convenient. Let’s talk about everything I noticed about the T-Lock (good and bad) after using it for 5+ rounds.
Let’s start with the good…
The Storage: This bag has a lot of it. More than enough if you ask me. I’d use most of the pockets if I was going on a golf trip, but for everyday use, I didn’t fill up half the bag.
The Club Slots: I really like the top this bag has (except for 2 downsides). I’ve had a 14-way top before, but the problem with that is that the clubs bounce around, which can be loud.
With the T-Lock, every club is locked in place, so nothing moves around. Hence, why it’s a “quiet” bag. I like the fact that every club has its place. It’s extremely easy to find the club I want, and there is absolutely zero club tangle.
The Quality: I haven’t had the bag for too long, but from what I can see, the quality seems good. I’m going to keep using the bag to test it out, and if anything happens, I’ll update this post.
The material is thick, so you shouldn’t get any rips or holes. The zippers aren’t as heavy-duty as some bags I’ve seen, but I overfilled the pockets and yanked on the zipper, and everything was good.
The Cooler: Don’t expect this bag to keep your drinks as cold as a fridge would. But when it comes to keeping things cold for 4 hours, it does a good job. I put a cold can in the pocket and left one on the counter, the one in the pocket was noticeably colder. I’d recommend an ice pack for best results.
Now for the downsides…
The Height: This is a tall bag. Having such a tall bag can cause a couple of problems. The first is minor, but if you’re fairly short, it could be tough getting your clubs in and out if the bag is on a power cart.
The second, and more likely downside, is that clubs with headcovers go so far down that the covers get bunched up. I guess it’s not a huge deal, but if you have a bit of OCD, it’s a bit annoying.
A solution to this would be different headcovers, taking them all off when you’re playing, lock them so they don’t go down as much, or just deal with it.
The Club Slots: I mentioned that I really like the slots on this bag, which is true. That said, one thing I noticed was that the middle slots are directly behind the driver. If you have a bigger cover on your driver, you’ll have to reach around it to get your clubs out.
Since I only carry 12 clubs, I don’t use these slots myself. If you carry a full 14, you could take the cover off your driver and it’ll be a bit easier.
The Color: The color I have is toasted almond, which is white and tan. It’s kind of expected that lighter colors will show dirt, which is the case (on all bags).
Since the material quality is good, you can really scrub the dirt and it’ll come out. The only thing is that it doesn’t come out as quickly as it does on my synthetic leather bag.
Would I Recommend The T-Lock Bag?
Having used this bag for a decent amount of time (and a number of other cart bags), I do really like it. It does have a few downsides that prevent it from being a perfect bag, but when you factor in what you get for the price, it’s a great value.
The main thing I like about this bag is that your clubs don’t move around. You’re not going to run into issues with your clubs getting damaged, and you’re not going to have club clatter. This is a big factor for me, and I didn’t really realize how nice it was until I got it.
The only person I wouldn’t recommend this bag to is someone that’s shorter. Since it’s a large bag, it could be a bit awkward to move around and get clubs in and out. If this is you, you can see some alternative bags HERE.
Let’s hear from you – Have you used any of the bags from Ask Echo? If you have, let us know what you thought about it in the comments below.
Buy From Amazon.ca or Askechogolf.com (code OBGOLF for $10 off)
