While the TaylorMade marketing crew is busy letting you know about their latest-and-greatest clubs, they’ve also been quietly releasing some new golf bags that are worthy of taking a look at.
So many golf bags continue to be the same bag with a different logo plastered on them. Especially when it comes to stand bags – they all generally look and feel the same. They’re typically heavy and uncomfortable with lots of features that don’t add up to much other than extra weight.
The Microlite bag is different enough to pay attention to and well-designed enough for you to seriously consider picking one up. There are a lot of things to love about this bag – and that’s coming from someone who can be very critical of most golf bags.
To start with, it’s important to realize that I have a heavy bias towards walking bags and stand bags. You’ll never see me with a cart bag or a staff bag; at least not until I get old and have to take up riding in those evil gas and electric things that litter our fairways. I walk just about every round and therefore the Microlite is a well-designed bag for my preferred way to get around the course.
The noticeable difference with the Microlite when you get to see it in person are the sharper corners throughout the bag. You’ll see it in everything from the general bag shape to the tapering of the stand legs. While this gives the bag a sleek and modern look, it also makes a lot of sense from a performance view. The rectangular shape of the big sits well on your shoulders and easier to maneuver your clubs in and out of.
When it comes to stand bags, one general observation is that most stand bags are pretty bad at well – standing. I’m convinced that most bag designers forget to take their bags out to the course and walk a few rounds before selling them. The Microlite bag does not have this problem. Having the legs spring open (even in deep rough and on odd-lies) is a welcome change and gives the bag a basic necessity that I wish other bags had. It sounds strange to say a stand bag “stands” well, but this one does and it does so effortlessly.
The next thing I typically notice is how well the clubs go in and out of the bag. I tend to keep 12 clubs with me in a standard round and the Microlite can easily accommodate that number and has plenty of room to go up to 14 without being crowded. The 4-way opening is well-designed with larger openings at the top and bottom of the bag where they are needed most. The clubs go in and out of the bag easily without any snagging or forcing. Another basic – but again it’s something that you’re standard bag typically doesn’t handle well.
The shoulder straps are very comfortable and slide on and off of your shoulders with little effort. They seem to be the perfect thickness – not to thick to be bulky and hot, and not overly thin or uncomfortable. The adjustability is good enough to find the perfect fit. The square shape of the bag is interesting because it does end up carrying extremely well and it makes me wonder why most golf bags are circular.
A few other noteworthy features of the bag are the top handle, the pockets, and the weight. The top handle is incredibly useful and it sticks out in a way that you can easily grip the bag by the top. A useful handle makes handling the bag and positioning it extremely easy and works well when getting the bag in and out of the car. The pockets are what you would expect and there are plenty of them, probably more than you need if you’re walking. Regardless – the pockets are well-thought out and easily accessible (especially the lightly-insulated water bottle pocket). The last item to mention is the weight – this bag is relatively light at 4.5 pounds. As long as you don’t have all of those pockets stuffed full – you’ll appreciate the weight that has been dropped off the bag.
If you’re in the market for a new bag, I highly recommend heading out to your local shop and taking a look at the TaylorMade Microlite.
