Equipment

Caddies change out staff bags for something lighter

Published

11 years ago

Jan 28, 2015

It’s a grind for PGA Tour caddies to carry around a fully loaded staff bag for four days straight of competition — especially in the hot Arizona sun.

Caddies for TaylorMade staff players will have an easier time this week at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. They’ll be carrying TaylorMade’s new Supreme Hybrid carry bag instead of their usual TMag staff bags.

The new Supreme Hybrid bag weighs just 5.3 pounds and has a four-point adjustable shoulder strap, 10 pockets for storage and a 14-way top with two slots, which fit any oversized putter grip.

Good thing the PGA Tour banned caddy races a few years back. If it hadn’t, losing caddies would claim that TaylorMade caddies had a competitive advantage due to their lighter bags.

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Andrew Tursky

He played on the Hawaii Pacific University Men's Golf team and earned a Masters degree in Communications. He also played college golf at Rutgers University, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.

26 Comments

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Bert

Feb 3, 2015 at 10:34 am

Played at an over-the-top course this summer and my assigned caddie immediately wanted to transfer my equipment and other items in my Sun Mountain Sync to his lightweight carry bag. What? A Sync Bag isn’t lightweight enough? No it’s plenty light; he wanted to double bag. What a joke and a scam on the player. Next time I’ll carry my own bag.

This topic seems to be an “advertisement” in disguise.

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Sargio_Gercia

Feb 1, 2015 at 2:03 am

Old Skool staff bags the way forward… They beat out the haters and have room for all my shizzle for the 36-hole club championship. Red White and Blue Hogan staff. It’s the boss. Why so serious, Golfers? Grip it and rip it, when the stand bag philistines are soaking wet and don’t have extra gloves, towels, rain gear and hot coffee, them who looks like the chumperoo now?!! The Haters Gonna Hate: Taylor Swift. I want to play a round with her.

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- Connor
  
  Feb 13, 2015 at 3:05 am
  
  (Happy Gilmore voice) …….Psycho.
  
  Reply Report comment
Drew

Jan 30, 2015 at 11:52 am

That Taylor Made bag looks really close to Sun Mountain Four Five.

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- Tom
  
  Feb 1, 2015 at 1:31 pm
  
  I am Fairly sure Sun Mountain makes most of the carry bags for almost all manufacturers except Ping.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Paul
    
    Feb 1, 2015 at 2:53 pm
    
    I don’t believe they make bags forTitleist either anymore for 2015…
    
    Reply Report comment
Bill

Jan 29, 2015 at 10:23 pm

Once you pick up a light carry bag with 14 clubs, 6 balls, and 12 tees you’ll never go back

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bradford

Jan 29, 2015 at 11:38 am

using collective “your” here…this is not a personal attack

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Shawn K

Jan 28, 2015 at 10:37 pm

I think it is ridiculous they still carry those heavy staff bags.
Good for the caddies!

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Jeff

Jan 28, 2015 at 10:37 pm

I love the staff bag, not this carry bag. And if it’s too tough to carry then I’ll carry it for 10% of $500,000 for four days. Us regular guys can’t pull the staff bag off because it looks ostentatious, but it’s almost a rite of passage for the Tour. You make the Tour and you get a sweet staff bag. If I want to see stand bags with names on the ball pouch I’ll go watch the high school match down the road.

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- Joshua
  
  Jan 29, 2015 at 10:23 am
  
  I don’t think staff bags are great for caddies backs, a lot of weight on one shoulder.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Double Mocha Man
    
    Jan 29, 2015 at 10:39 am
    
    I say let ’em have push carts!
    
    Reply Report comment
Why does anyone care?

Jan 28, 2015 at 9:54 pm

It is just flat ridiculous that anyone thinks an amateur shouldn’t/doesn’t deserve to/isn’t good enough to use a staff bag. I’m so tired of hearing that nonsense on this forum. I played professional baseball for 9 years and never cared one bit if some beer league softball player sported the exact glove I used, or the exact cleats, let alone a bag. I didn’t pay for any of my stuff, they did… It’s their money.

For someone who rides every round, I think it’s silly not to have a staff bag if you can afford it. They offer so many benefits over a stand bag or cart bag. The biggest being that they will actually stand up without falling over, unlike a cart bag. They also carry everything I could possibly need in a round, including room for an umbrella, a jacket, rain gear or anything else, unlike a stand bag

Using a staff bag doesn’t mean you are calling yourself a pro golfer anymore than using “tour issue” clubs, like so many here do. People who are solid golfers and say things like “I’m a X handicap and have no business carrying a staff bag” aren’t giving respect to pro golfers, they are insulting people who decided to spend their money on a piece of equipment that is sold AT RETAIL!

I’d be willing to bet a lot that if you polled the PGA field about this, the vast majority wouldn’t care in any way shape or form. A staff bag isn’t something you earn, it’s something you buy, and if you are good enough to be a pro golfer, it’s something they give you.

Reply Report comment
- Camryn
  
  Jan 29, 2015 at 12:57 am
  
  Good note. Can’t stand pretentious Golfers. That’s exactly why the rate of players is declining. “Elitism?” Golf in some aspects is, in Rodney Dangerfield’s best voice, “A crummy Snobatorium.”
  
  Reply Report comment
- Jafar
  
  Jan 29, 2015 at 9:50 am
  
  That is an awesome way to put it.
  
  Reply Report comment
- bradford
  
  Jan 29, 2015 at 11:36 am
  
  Sure, everyone has a “right” to play with one, but what’s the point? Perhaps I’m a purist, but I can’t see the need to carry 3 outfits, 2 umbrella’s, 4 types of rangefinders, 36 golf balls, a twelve pack, and 200 golf tees. I can’t see the need for any non-professional to have one. Staff bags are designed to be carried by a caddie, and the size is based on the need to carry everything one might need in a tournament. The average player never sees a caddie, and is never disqualified if he needs to buy a sleeve at the turn.
  So, sure, buy one and throw it on your golf cart with your 30 pack. You have every right, but it looks ridiculous.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Matt
  
  Feb 1, 2015 at 9:14 am
  
  I have a staff bag and love it. I only use it on the cart and as the article suggests, it’d be a pain to lug it around 18 holes. But the looks are better, it seems more durable and I’ve got more than enough storage than I’ll ever need. I don’t care if people think I’m pretentious – it’s my game and I’ll play with whatever I please.
  
  Reply Report comment
Just an opinion on bags....

Jan 28, 2015 at 8:00 pm

I wish I could have the room of a staff bag, but without all of the logos….I don’t wanna be that guy, I only play to an 8 and have no business carrying a staff bag. I do like those new titleist stand/staff bags, and TMAG’s TMX bag. I thought the more slots the more organized, I find everything gets tangled, prefer the 6 way top, and allow my clubs to be faster outta the bag. May sound silly, but I find myself wasting time untangling sticks in bags that are supposed to keep everything in it’s own slot. Better off sucking it up, letting them bang around and deal with some chatter marks.

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gvogel

Jan 28, 2015 at 7:54 pm

I like it. Maybe more guys buy smaller bags, take some of the clubs out, and walk more often.

Most of us are way too obese.

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8thehardway

Jan 28, 2015 at 7:06 pm

Great marketing move, sure to generate looks and comments. Was Vapor-ish green accent a coincidence?

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- Ben
  
  Jan 28, 2015 at 8:58 pm
  
  It’s green because of the Waste Management tournament. Their corporate colors are green. But I think the staffers will be carrying more black and white or red and black ones. Still a cool concept.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - gerald
    
    Jan 29, 2015 at 1:14 am
    
    Taylormades corporate colors have never been green. For the longest time its been black/red/white
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Graeme
      
      Jan 29, 2015 at 5:02 am
      
      That’s not what he said. The Waste Management tournament corporate colours are green, not TM’s.
      
      Reply Report comment
    - Teaj
      
      Jan 29, 2015 at 8:19 am
      
      Blue?
      
      Reply Report comment
- Double Mocha Man
  
  Jan 29, 2015 at 10:38 am
  
  That would be “Seahawk neon green”. Came before Vapor.
  
  Reply Report comment

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