A great golf bag does a lot of things very well. The trick is finding the golf bag that does all of those things right for you.
Every golfer is a little different. Some predominantly walk, while others mostly ride. Some like to keep a lot of things in their golf bag -- balls, a water bottle, sunscreen, gloves -- and others prefer a more spartan storage approach. That's all before the aesthetics.
But, for me, I'm a golfer who almost always walks and travels a lot to play golf. So I need a walking bag that's light enough (but not featherweight), has a sturdy stand, features plenty of storage and will hold up to the realities of travel while still looking great, round after round.
That's why I jumped at the chance to try the new Sun Mountain Matchplay Ballistic golf bag.
(Disclosure: GNN may receive a small portion of the purchase price for any purchases stemming from our content.)
For the last handful of years, I've happily used a Vessel Player stand bag. It's a well-made bag that still does everything I need my golf bag to do -- except one thing. I've used that bag a lot, and I've beaten it up pretty well thanks to thousands of miles of traveling with it. The white faux leather has taken on some aesthetic damage. Part of that is on me for picking white, right? Part of that is just natural. Either way, the bag is still fabulous, but it's quite literally seen better days.
With a new bag, I was looking for something that would stand up to the rigors of golf travel, playing in all elements and would keep my stuff dry while keeping a great appearance.
So far, the Matchplay Ballistic is doing great.
This model is a new take on the Matchplay bag, which is excellent. It has plenty of storage, including: a deep ball pocket, a magnetic-closure pocket that I use for ball markers and knick-knacks (though others use for their rangefinder), a shorter side pocket with expandable water-bottle storage outside of it, and a long side pocket. There's also a velour valuables pocket on the outside that is also kinda perfect for a sunscreen tube. All told, there are eight pockets on this thing.
All of the zippered pockets feature industrial-grade zippers, and the side pockets have zipper-length covers just to offer an additional layer of protection.
The ball pocket can be removed entirely for full customization.
I went with a grey color -- officially, Steel -- with a four-way, 7.5-inch divider top, though a 14-way top is available. (I just don't see the value in having to put each club in its own slot, but your mileage may vary.)
The full-length dividers and the internal compression system make it easy to get clubs in and out of the bag. The stand itself is a little more vertical than some other golf bags, which I really like both as a taller person and also helping with club removal and return.
The top handle is well padded, and the side handle feels a lot like the top handle on my ClubGlider, making it easy and comfortable to move the bag in travel situations.
The star here is the weather- and abrasion-resistant 1680D ballistic nylon. It's supposed to look a little rugged, but it's handsome. The fabric is dense, so the bag keeps its structure but doesn't look so rigid that you might be carrying an army duffel. I'm not going to easily scratch the material, and a darker color is going to hide any blemishes quite well.
The padding on the side of the bag that's up against your bag as you carry with the dual-strap system -- which has the right amount of padding and strap width -- is perforated for air flow, yet it has a premium look. If you've noticed that Sun Mountain has leaned into more premium features and finishes in recent years, you're right, and that carries through here. This bag is $425, which is partially a reflection of the realities in golf right now.
The bag isn't the lightest on the market -- this is 5.4 lbs, and Sun Mountain has made some half that weight -- but that shouldn't be surprising considering the ballistic material. It is actually the same weight, though, as the vinyl pleather version of the bag.
Finding the right golf bag for you comes down to your use case. I've had several Sun Mountain bags over the years, and I still use one of my older ones as a spare-set bag. The company makes quality bags that hold up over time. The Matchplay Ballistic is a new model that offers the perfect features for a heavy-duty user, all while still looking fantastic every time.
The Sun Mountain Matchplay Ballistic golf bag is available now in five colors.
