Dating back several years, I've been telling you about products from Caddy Daddy, and I've typically raved about them. I'm so high on their products because they almost universally achieve blending good, practical features with a price point most anyone can afford.
Up until now, Caddy Daddy hasn't made many standlone golf bags that didn't double as a travel case, which is their bread and butter. They've made their Ranger Sunday bag, which also can double as a travel case for a limited number of clubs, but they didn't make a 14-club bag all to itself. Now they do, and it's called the RoadRunner.
As you might imagine, a lot of folks who travel to play golf wind up riding in carts. I know that's not everyone, but more people ride on vacation than don't, provided you're not at a destination resort like Bandon Dunes or Streamsong. And if you're going to spend your vacation riding, then you might as well bring a bigger, cart-style bag.
There are also plenty of golfers who prefer to ride every round. Many are forced because of physical limitations. These golfers also could benefit from a cart bag, which offers more storage and make it a little bit easier to pull and return golf clubs.
However, anyone who has ever used a cart bag knows they can get a little hefty. By themselves, cart bags weigh a few pounds more than stand bags, but golfers often get a little carried away storing their entire golf lives in a cart bag. That means the bag suddenly weighs 35 or 40 pounds and is a pain to get from the trunk to the cart.
The realities of cart-bag life were what Caddy Daddy tried to solve with the RoadRunner. The most obvious feature on the RoadRunner is the luggage-like way the bag can be transported. On the top of the bag, near the traditional cart-bag handles, is a telescoping handle. On the bottom of the molded base are two inline-skate wheels. Working together, the features give a golfer an easy way to transport the bag to-and-fro. It's smart and will help a cart-bag golfer. The telescoping handle is covered by the bag's materials so it (1) doesn't stick out like a sore thumb and (2) won't get damaged easily in a cart or trunk.
(As a golfer who prefers to walk, I'd love to see this feature with a longer telescoping handle and bigger wheels to create a cart bag that could also double as its own pull cart.)
The bag sports a 15-way top with full-length dividers for all 14 clubs and perhaps an Orange Whip or a ball retriever.
The front of the bag has two sections of pockets, typical to many cart bags. The top section is smaller and has an expandable pocket. The bottom section has an insulated cooler pocket in the top and room for golf balls in a pocket in the bottom section. I'm a huge fan of cooler pockets.
Both sides of the bag have symmetrical pocket setups: a deeper, full-length pocket, along with a felt-lined valuables pocket and another pocket on top.
The RoadRunner has a padded shoulder strap, in the event you're going over terrain where the handle-wheels combo can't be used. There are two towel rings, a glove attachment, a rain hood and handles to make it easier to get the bag in and out of your car.
The RoadRunner is well made, with high-quality materials. The company's products hold up well, and the bag has a 1-year, no-questions-asked, full-replacement guarantee. It really is easy to use the handle-wheel combo, and it's nice not to have to lug the bag after the round.
Since I almost always have used a stand bag in my golf life (except for that period from eighth to early ninth grade where I chose to use a full Odyssey staff bag, which I still have by the way), having all the extra storage feels like a revelation. This bag will be useful to me plenty in the future. Despite my preference to walk, I probably wind up playing one-third to half my rounds each year in a cart because I'm either playing in an event, on a media trip, at a resort or at a course where walking isn't practical.
When I'm traveling, some of these pockets can double as luggage storage, meaning maybe I won't have to incur some extra baggage fees or I can avoid an annoying carry-on. There are lots of real-life benefits to having a cart bag in the repertoire, and you may as well have the most convenient one available.
There are some other cart bags on the market with wheels and a handle, and they're all kind of in the same general price range. The Caddy Daddy RoadRunner sells on their website for $170, though I've seen it online for $150.
