We’ve taken a bit of a different approach with this post. Rather than doing an extensive review of the bag, I’ve captured the experience of using it. In addition to my reflections on the Original Jones golf bag, we have an interview with the crew from Jones.
The Original Jones Golf Bag
Jones is a company that had me as a fan before I ever threw one of their bags over my shoulder. I’m a minimalist in almost all aspects of my life and golf is no different. I love solid and simple products and Jones fits nicely into that description.
A lot of the chatter that you hear around Jones revolves around the company being reclaimed and brought back to it’s roots – a classic walker’s golf bag. The story is great and it’s exciting to hear the passion that led to the re-introduction of the bags by a team of dedicated golfers that care deeply about creating an excellent and traditional on-course experience.
For me, there really is no nostalgia – I haven’t been playing golf long enough to remember the earlier era of the bags. Before the re-introduction of the company, I’d never heard of Jones. All of that aside, I get it. Actually, I love it. Even without a historical grounding with Jones, I still deeply appreciate the throwback and love carrying a bag that is designed specifically for the walking golfer.
After a few months with this bag, I still appreciate it more and more every time I head out to my home course. I’m a dedicated walking golfer and walking with a true walking bag makes a huge positive difference. Carts and stands be damned – you simply don’t need them.
Jones isn’t the only company currently making traditional walking bags, there are a handful of other companies out there that all have great products. What sets Jones apart is that these bags are well designed, easily affordable, and they still provide that great feel of playing golf the way it’s meant to be played. Even though I don’t have those memories of growing up with a Jones bag, I can certainly see why so many would have missed it when the company disappeared and why they are so excited that the bags have returned.
Yes, you lay the bag on the ground and no, there’s not a stand. Does this take away from the walking experience? Well, no. And actually, it amplifies it.
It’s been interesting switching between the Jones Original Bag and the quiver of other walking bags that I have. Rather than feel like the Jones bag is missing the modern-day amenities in golf bags I feel more that the modern-day golf bags are missing the core feel of what it means to walk the golf course. This is a true example of how taking things away increases the experience in many ways.
Thank you Jones.
An Interview with Jones Sports Co.
Why are you bringing Jones back?
We are reviving Jones to once again provide golfers with a simplistic style and culture that has dwindled in the past 20 years by bringing a classic to the modern world. The category of traditional carry bags has disappeared over the years, and Jones looks to resurrect a beloved form of golf bags. Rereleasing the Original Jones carry bag, along with many other George Jones designs, has created quite a buzz in the golf industry, but there are still many golfers that aren’t aware that Jones is back¬– or ever existed. We look forward to refreshing golfers’ nostalgic memories, and showing younger generations of golfers that less is more, and there’s no better brand to demonstrate that than the Jones Sports Co.
Where have you drawn your inspiration from?
Memories. Matt, a company partner, grew up carrying a “University of Oregon” Jones stand bag, and it was bulletproof. He wishes he never got rid of it because of the experiences he had with it, and the quality it was made with. For the most part, we are inspired everyday by the golfers who are eager to tell their stories about the old Jones bag they carried in high school or college. We want to recover that influence and satisfaction, and the only way to do that is by listening to the players.
Who are you seeing buying Jones bags?
Most golfers that purchase our bags already have had a Jones slung over their shoulder for countless rounds sometime in the past. Some had to earn a spot on their varsity team to find themselves carrying a Jones, while others just remember the long hours they put in at the local muni banging balls as their Jones lay down beside them incase they wanted to let out some frustration on the bottom mold. Either way, Jones bleeds nostalgia, and those who carried a Jones in their heyday, can’t wait to rekindle an old flame that once existed. More importantly, we look forward to introducing younger generations to a simple bag design derived from simplicity. Old school is new school.
What’s next for Jones?
Our limited edition Players Series No. 001 Bag was released in September and will continue to be sold throughout the new year until they sell out. This is a bag that will develop and change overtime. It’s designed for the lower handicap that prefers minimal branding and a sleek look, but it’s also a means of Jones experimenting with things and try things that other brands don’t offer. We plan on adding new features and designs to this bag with its new release every year to make each edition distinct. Some years it may be more unique than others, but we plan to never exceed the simplicity behind the Jones brand.
The next biggest thing for us is the stand bag that releases this year. Jones customers have been insistent we bring back the Jones stand bag. Remember the one with the fur top, and buckles? If not, we will refresh your memory this summer. The bag was in need of a few adjustments, so we are adding a new, effective stand mechanism that the golf world has never seen. Ultimately, we are trying to replicate the exact bags made in the past, but using higher quality materials that were not available in the past. Jones bags didn’t earn their name through branding; it was purely an indestructible, customizable golf bag that stood beside golfers during their best and worst of rounds, and that reputation is what made Jones an icon.
We also look forward to releasing new products outside our line of golf bags. Jones gear such as shoe bags, apparel, headwear, and accessories give Jones enthusiasts the opportunity to expand their love for the brand beyond the course.
The Jones Golf Bag Give Away
Are you craving that old-school Jones bag experience?
We’re running a sweepstakes to win the bag used in this review.
Keep an eye on the Fresh Facebook page or the Fresh Twitter account for more details.
Update: The sweepstakes is over. Congratulations to Michael Tuffner on winning the Jones Original golf bag.
