Let’s get this out of the way first. When you hear that a golf bag costs $2,000, you’re probably thinking who would pay that much for a golf bag? And why?
After all, there are plenty of really great golf bags for under $500, even under $400 in many cases. But why do some women carry Gucci purses, which can easily cost in excess of $3,000? Doesn’t it basically do the same thing as an $80 purse, like holding all your stuff and maybe organizing it a bit?
Quite honestly, since I don’t know much about purses, I don’t even notice what most women are carrying. But I do believe most women know what they're looking at, and certainly a Gucci purse is not only well made, but it’s also a status symbol and perhaps even a work of art.
For lack of a better analogy, I believe that Vessel’s new Carbon Collection, which includes the Player V Pro Carbon and the Lux Pro Carbon cart bag, sort of fits into that category. After all, Vessel is certainly a luxury brand when it comes to bags, not only in golf, but in tennis, backpacks, duffels and toiletry bags as well.
But these new limited edition bags (which are expected to sell out) are a step up from the normal well-made bags like the regular Player V stand bag, which retails for $469. The new Carbon Series celebrates the company’s 13-year anniversary (the original Carbon Collection was released three years ago during Vessel’s 10th anniversary) with these two special edition bags that are constructed with a carbon fiber fabric called OmniFlex, a strong and extremely lightweight material that’s very durable. These bags also feature tour-grade synthetic leather, a bunch of pockets with magnetic closures, beautiful stitching and craftsmanship and a chrome badge marking the occasion.
These are not the kind of bags you just want to leave in the trunk of your car. You’ll want to take these out and put them in your house (in my case, in my home office) after and before you play.
The Player V Pro Carbon, which I got to take to the course, also has a 14-way top (the cart bag has a 15-way top) that seems easier to navigate than most other bags with 14-way dividers. The putter well is at the top of the bag next to where you would probably put the driver, and the bottom of the bag has two slots for your two shortest clubs. Each slot is lined throughout, so even if you use oversize grips, as I do, the clubs glide in and out easily, and the shafts are protected.
One of my favorite exercises as I got to play several rounds with this bag was gauging what my fellow competitors thought of it. Some of them I would ask how much they thought it was worth. I got a variety of responses as you might imagine, none close to the $1,999 retail price, of course. When I informed them of the price, their reactions were priceless. But when I explained it was a limited edition made with advanced materials, some seemed to understand. They all agreed it was one of the best golf bags for looks.
Fortunately, the Player V Pro Carbon is also a performer. It’s a hybrid bag at 7.55 pounds, but if you don’t load it down, you could definitely walk with it because its patented Equilibrium 2.0 Double Strap does a great job of distributing weight, and it’s super comfortable. Plus, the patented rotator stand system, with its wide low-profile base, gives the Player V Pro lots of stability. The carbon fiber legs also activate easily.
But really, I like this bag best as a cart bag, whether it’s on a powered cart or a push cart. There’s a cart strap pass-through, and because this bag is high end, it also comes with a matching cart sleeve protector to keep the strap from making marks on the finish of the bag.
As for the rest of the features, there are many, but what I liked the most are that not only are the ball pocket and rangefinder pocket magnetic (which has an internal divider), but there are four other magnetic pockets as well for a total of six. One of them is the upper valuable pouch, which is lined with antimicrobial velour. There’s another non-magnetic pocket as well for valuables, below that, and it comes with a key holder to secure your keys. Also on the right side is a large garment pocket, where I was able to store a vest and pullover in addition to the rain hood that came with the bag.
On the left side, there’s another quick access magnetic pocket, which is where you might put your golf gloves or tees, although there is also a velcro glove patch on the outside. And there are two bottle holders with magnetic flaps that close around the bottles or close completely when you don’t have drinks there. In addition, there’s an insulated cooler pocket that drains if you want to carry a couple of cold drinks.
In all, there are 10 exterior pockets and six internal compartments. There’s also a towel holder that doubles as a bottle opener, and each bag comes with a carbon headcover that retails for nearly $250 and a magnetic towel.
Most of all, Vessel stands behind this bag like no other with a lifetime warranty. So basically, this could be your last ever stand bag, and if you’re 30 or 40 years old, maybe $2,000 for a golf bag might be reasonable after all.
