The 3 Best Golf Bags For The Money (Carry & Cart)


I’ve tried a lot of different golf bags over the years and a lot of them have really good and really bad features. This post will talk about the 3 best golf bags that I’ve come across so you can pick the highest quality bag possible, and I’ll also talk about the cheapest place to pick each of them up.

That being said, here are my favorite golf bags:

  1. Sun Mountain C-130 (Cart Bag)
  2. Sunday Golf El Camino (Sunday Bag)
  3. Sun Mountain 4.5LS (Stand Bag)

When we were trying out all the bags we ranked them all based on how comfortable they were to carry around the course, how durable they were, and also how much they cost. We’ll be talking about both carry and cart bags.

#3: Sun Mountain 4.5LS Stand Bag

This is my favorite full-size stand bag by far since it’s lightweight, durable, holds all my gear, and can also be used on pushcarts. A lot of these stand bags won’t really work on a golf cart, which is frustrating, but this one will work fairly well. It’s not perfect but it’s far better than most of the others.

It’s got a middle-of-the-range price tag but it’s something that’ll last for many seasons to come (or your entire weekend golf career) if you take care of it. A lot of bags have issues with the zippers coming apart but everything has held up nicely on this one.

It’s probably the most comfortable bag to carry (in my opinion) and if you’re able to pay a little extra for this bag, I think you’ll be pretty happy. Comfort is super important to me and if you’ve ever carried a bag while walking the course, I think you’d agree.

Let’s talk about some PROS:

  • It comes in 6 different color combos
  • Pretty much all aspects of the bag are high quality
  • It’s comfortable to carry
  • It can be used as either a carry or cart bag (big plus)

The CONS:

  • The rain hood fits fairly tight so it’s a bit tough getting your clubs in and taking them out
  • The clubs do clank against each other when you walk (since there are 14-way dividers)

Overall, if you want a high-quality stand bag that can also be used on carts, this will be perfect for you. You can click here to check the price on Amazon.

#2: Sunday Golf El Camino

This is the bag I currently use because of how versatile it is. It’s a Sunday bag, which means that it’s smaller than your traditional bag and doesn’t hold a full set of clubs (it holds up to 10 clubs).

If you play with a full set of clubs then this won’t be for you. If you’re like me and have 10 clubs or less, it could be perfect for you.

Why?

It’s lightweight and easy to carry on shorter courses (if you play par 3’s). It’s big enough to carry most of what you’d need on a full course. It can also be used on the cart.

The PROS:

  • It has plenty of pockets for all your stuff (5 total)
  • It’s the most versatile bag
  • It has an insulated drink pocket
  • It’s light and easy to carry

Now the CONS:

  • Not the best for full sets of clubs
  • The legs are a little bit narrow

Overall, what you get for the price is pretty tough to beat. High quality, comfortable, priced well, and versatile. You can see our full Sunday Golf El Camino review here.

#1: Sun Mountain C-130 Cart Bag

This is my favorite full-size bag by far (never used Sun Mountain bags before) since everything seemed to be as close to perfect as you could get. It had plenty of room for all my stuff, it was pretty light, and the quality was top-notch.

It’s the best-looking bag on the market (in my opinion) and the quality is just as good as most of the higher-end bags out there (that are double the price). The same was the case for the Sun Mountain carry bag.

It’s middle of the range in terms of price (a bit cheaper than the Callaway) but is well worth it because it’ll pretty much last forever (as long as you take care of it). The material it’s made from is tough and stain-resistant, which should keep it looking new for a long time.

The PROS:

  • The clubs are smooth to take out and put in
  • The materials and zippers are well built
  • It has convenient pickets for every piece of gear

The CONS:

  • It’s not the lightest bag out there (it won’t matter on a cart)
  • The velcro glove holder didn’t work the greatest after a while (not a huge deal)

Overall, it’s definitely the best cart bag currently on the market and would highly recommend it. You can click here to check the price on Amazon.

Final Thoughts

If you’re in the market for a new golf bag, these three will be great options. They’re all built really well, are comfortable to lug around, and the price is right.

If you have a full set of clubs and only cart the course (pull or power), go with the C-130. If you sometimes walk the course (carry) and sometimes cart the course, go with the El Camino or 4.5LS, depending on if you have a full set of clubs or not.

Let me know your thoughts and any questions you have. Like this article? Feel free to give it a share!

Looking to get some new golf gear? Click here to check out our recommended gear page to see the stuff we’re recommending and the cheapest place to get them.

Jon Webber

Just an average golfer trying to take my game to the next level. Was shooting around 100 not that long ago but have now been in the 80s consistently. Best round to date was 12 over. Best 9 holes were 4 over.

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