The good old golf bag. Once an afterthought to style and relegated to just carrying your clubs either at an angle or straight up, golf bags are now more than just an afterthought. They now get some style and some functionality that means the golf bag can do more than just carry your clubs. When the Bag Boy XLT-15 cart bag arrived for review I was excited yet surprised at the same time. Why? Golf bags can be as personal as shoes and this bag is very unique in a market segment that is sneaky competitive. Most golfers don’t change their golf bag every year like they do their driver so when a golfer buys a golf bag, it may not be for life but it’s usually a long time. So will this Bag Boy be my, well, boy for a while? Check it out.
Key Features
- 10” 11-way organizer with 15 individual clip locks integrated into the top to hold clubs in place
- Full-length dividers
- External putter well with secure putter clip
- Insulated cooler pocket
- 8 pockets including a fleece lined valuables pocket
- Oversized front ball pocket
- External tee holders
- Towel holder
- Velcro glove strip
- Hidden umbrella sleeve
- Rain hood
- Trunk handle and lift grip
Initial Thoughts
The first thing I think of when I hear ‘Bag Boy’ is their rotating top with Clip-Lok technology. I thought that all of their bags were like this so imagine my surprise when I saw the clip locks but no revolving top! What in the name of Al Cervik? After getting over that little shock I decided to check out the rest of the bag before I loaded my clubs into it. This bag has more features than my local movie theater that’s for sure. Where to start? The first thing you notice is that the bag is pretty light, coming in under 9lbs so if you’re worried about bulk this bag does not have it. Actually it looks more like a stand bag than a cart bag which will come in handy when paired next to another bag on the back of the golf cart. Next you see that the trunk handle is placed horizontally and not vertically. Depending on how you place your bag in the trunk of your car this could either be a help or a hindrance. For me it was a help as I like to put my bag in the trunk horizontally across as opposed to straight in vertically.
Pockets? I already mentioned that there were eight of them but all of them are deep. Cavernous actually which is a good thing. I’d rather have pockets that are too big rather than not big enough. The ball pocket can easily hold 2 dozen balls with room to spare. The full length pockets can hold what seems a full change of golf clothes or rain gear if you needed to do so. One thing that should be noted is the location of the pockets. They all seem to be placed higher on the bag which decreases the amount of bending you need to access those pockets. But the coolest pocket of all is the (no pun intended) insulated cooler pocket. This thing can hold a lot of beverages. And I mean a lot! Take your pick of either 3 12oz bottles, 2 16oz bottles with a 12 oz bottle, or a 32oz bottle with a 16oz bottle. Pack wisely my friends. The pocket keeps things cool even when you may lose yours.
The external putter well with the secure putter clip deserves a serious golf clap. Other bags I’ve had or seen like to say they have an external putter well but how does the putter stay in place? Gravity alone? You want to leave you flat stick du jour to chance? The XLT-15’s putter well keeps your putter safe and secure with it’s own clip-lok and once you secure it you’ll never have to keep looking back to see if your putter is still there. It truly is a ‘set and forget’ feature. This is one of my favorite options on this bag and is something that I don’t want to do without again if I can help it.
One option that is a non negotiable for me when it comes to golf bags are full length dividers. Some people don’t care either way but this is a feature that I always want to have a part of my bag. My golf clubs are an investment and I want to protect those investments as best I can. I can’t think of a more simple yet effective way to do so than full-length dividers. It helps keep your clubs in place to an extent but they also keep your grips from wearing.
The organizer top with its Clip-Lok technology is so simple yet serves a great purpose. Your clubs aren’t pretending that they’re in a mosh pit when they’re clipped into place. This also helps minimize wear and tear on your clubs. Do they move? Sure they move in a twisting fashion a bit because they’re not completely immobilized but compared to the normal banging around that usually happens this will be a welcome compromise for the person who is insane about keeping their equipment nice and neat.
Finally, one of the most unique ideas I’ve seen on a bag is the ‘strap loop’ that you can tuck your carry strap into when it’s on the cart. Ingenious! No more sloppy strap or trying to pin it behind the bag while securing it on the cart. It’s a cool idea that I’m surprised has not been implemented on more bags.
Testing/Usage
Testing a golf bag isn’t like testing a driver or a wedge. It’s really about likes and dislikes which is all subject to the individual user.
Here’s what I liked about the XLT-15. First off I really like that it sat on the cart without venturing into the other bag on the cart’s space. It’s not the largest bag out there but it’s definitely not the smallest that I’ve used or seen either. I like to think of it as a larger stand bag minus the extendable legs. Make sense? The organizer top with the Clip-Lok technology is really cool. The thing that I really noticed with this idea is the lack of club chatter you hear when your clubs are secured in the clips. Is it quiet like a stealth fighter? No but the amount of club chatter I heard while taking the golf cart off the cart path and into the fairway, rough, woods, etc. or even just walking with the bag on my shoulder was notably quieter. This really could help keep your clubs looking their best longer.
Pockets, pockets, pockets. More is always better and when they are like caves that can hide a small animal then even better! I liked the fact that the insulated cooler pocket kept my favorite beverages cool almost the entire round in addition to being able to hold multiple beverages at a time. Much better than those bags that can only hold one beverage at a time. The external putter well with clip just flat out works. I think it’s what makes the bag so special actually. Your putter is spared from sharing bag space with your other clubs and yet it’s safe and secure. No extra wear and tear will come to your flat stick when using this bag that’s for sure. The full-length dividers are a great feature as well and I’m disappointed more companies don’t make this a standard with their own line of bags. A nice little touch is having the towel clip and velcro glove holder integrated into one unit so your glove and towels(s) are always together. I particularly like this so my accessories are on the same side of the bag.
Here’s what I didn’t like about the XLT-15. I didn’t like the fact that the bag strap was on the back of the bag. Convenient when on the back of a golf cart? Oh yeah. Convenient when you’re carrying your bag, put it down, and have to spin the bag around to get to the front pockets? Not so much. An external ball silo would be a great addition to the bag too. I’d gladly sacrifice some of the abundant pocket space to allow room for a 2 or 3 ball silo for quick access to your next ball. Finally, I think given the price point of this bag it’s a slight detraction in not having a 14-way divider. This would prevent doubling up clubs in the same slot which defeats the purpose of the full length dividers a bit. Finally the umbrella holder, while hidden into one of the longer pockets, seems to not securely hold my golf umbrella and allows for a lot of movement of the umbrella while tucked away.
Overall
For me the Bag Boy XLT-15 cart bag is a winner and has won a spot on my golf cart. If I had a golf cart that is. No golf bag is perfect so in the end it boils down to what features and options matter most to the golfer. The top features for me with this bag are the full-length dividers, the insulated cooler pocket, the Clip-Lok technology, and the size and number of pockets. If you’re in search of a new golf bag and haven’t considered a Bag Boy, this may be a great option to consider. Especially if you’re into taking care of your clubs like I am because I’m confident that this will not only carry your clubs but protect them as well. The XLT-15 retails for $169.99 which is a sizable investment for a golf bag but how often do you buy a golf bag? Exactly. Consider this bag as you would your clubs, an investment. For more information on the Bag Boy XLT-15 cart bag, click on over to www.bagboycompany.com.
T. Hanks