My obsession with golf bags started a few years ago when I had the insight that golf is a game that’s meant to played on foot. When I started walking all of my rounds, it was pretty clear that good walking golf bags are few and far between.

Excessive weight, too many pockets, poor quality, and generally designed for pack-rats and with the assumption that the most time you’ll spend with your bag is dragging it from the parking lot to the cart. Put simply – most bags suck for the walking golfer.

When I saw the iliac Pledge to Walk badge I knew that iliac was a brand that I’d identify with. Anybody who makes gear with walkers in mind has started out on the right path with me.

Iliac has been making their Purist walking bags for a while and they’ve recently extended their line of bags to include both the stand bag and the tour bag. Although I was initially drawn to the walking bags, it’s admittedly a small niche of walking golfers that are okay with dropping four figures on a golf bag. I decided instead to review the Purist Stand Bag since it’s still a high-end, well-crafted offering that is a bit more mainstream than the pure walking bags.

I put in an order for the Purist Stand Bag the day it was announced and it felt like forever before it showed up at my door. When the bag did arrive – I was floored by the overall quality and attention to detail.

While it’s not a minimalist bag – it’s still on the minimalist side with a well-crafted design and great materials used throughout. There’s a different feel that you get when using equipment that is made without any sacrifices in materials and the feeling is there in the Purist Stand Bag.

The bag comes with both a double-strap and single-strap setup and the two are easily interchangeable.

You can decide which strap system works the best for you and setup the bag accordingly.

If you’re carrying your own bag then my guess is that you’ll prefer the double-strap setup. If you’re in a cart or taking a caddie then the single-strap setup would likely be the best choice. Both strap systems are fully adjustable and extremely comfortable. I’ve ended up using the double-strap setup for the majority of my walks.

The stand bag was initially released in white but has recently come available in black as well.

I personally prefer the white bag, but it’s worth considering the black bag if you frequently take a cart. After having the bag in the cart a few times (the courses required me to take a cart), the cart straps did leave black marks on the white bag. While the scuffing isn’t a problem with the design of the bag – you don’t have the opportunity to dictate the condition of the carts. If you’re taking a cart a lot, it’s worth considering the black bag just for this reason.

There are usually one or two things that stand out in a bag, but there are a lot of things that stand out in the Purist stand bag. The bag is small – yet big enough to hold anything that you’ll need with you over the course of a golf trip. All of the pockets are big and roomy and there weren’t any pockets or accessories that I felt like were missing. While there are a few more pockets than you need for an everyday walking bag – this is a nice hybrid bag that will work well for just about any type of golf outing.

My only complaint about the bag is the weight. This isn’t a lightweight bag due to the materials – especially the (faux) leather. I do believe that aesthetics and craftsmanship are important in a golf bag, but it’s a conscious decision that you’ll want to tradeoff weight for convenience and looks. If you’re looking for a pure everyday walking bag – this probably isn’t it, if you’re looking for a great all-around bag then it easily could be.

You can find the iliac Purist Stand Bag on the iliac web site and you can find some additional detailed product photos on our facebook page.