The last time we tested the Titleist Players 4 Carbon stand bag was in 2022. I see many of the best Titleist golf bags dotted all over my home golf course, and I have heard anecdotally about how good they are, but I have never used one myself. So, when the latest super lightweight Players 4 Carbon arrived on my doorstep, I was excited to see what the fuss was all about.
Undoubtedly, the highlight of this bag is that it weighs just 1.4 kg. For context, this is about as lightweight as you can get for a bag that holds a full set of 14 clubs and all of your accessories. We tested the TaylorMade FlexTech SuperLite last year, which was also 1.4kg. These two bags are some of the best lightweight golf bags on the market, and I'd suggest that 1.4kg weight is about the lightest a full stand bag can go before sacrificing space. Sure, there are bags like the Sunday Golf Loma XL, which weigh less than 1kg, but these are only for half-sets.
According to Titleist, the polyester materials used across the bag has increased durability by one-third whilst still keeping the overall build incredibly lightweight. I'm not entirely sure on what index that is measured, but I can attest that the material looks and feels like it's built to last. It does, however, make the material feel cheap and scratchy to the touch, especially when considering the price tag.
Also benefitting the lightweight build are the carbon fibre legs. These do a lot to lighten the bag and enhance the aesthetics somewhat, but not much else. According to Titleist, they are more durable than standard legs. Again, I'm not sure how this is measured, but anecdotally, I can tell these will stand up to more abuse than a standard pair of plastic legs. I'd also suggest the inclusion has knocked up the price a chunk, too. The hip pad has been extended from the last version, and the straps are comfortable, secure and easy to get into a position that suits you. All in all, it's one of the most pleasant carrying experiences I've had when you combine the straps and light weight build.
Storage-wise, this bag has everything you'd expect from a lightweight stand bag. On the front, there is a large ball pocket with a smaller zipped pocket for tees and accessories above. I like keeping my tees, ball markers and pitch mark repairer in a separate accessories bag (pretty cool, right?), so I found this pocket a useful place to put my rangefinder. I did miss having a quick access magnetic rangefinder pocket like you get on the Ping Hoofer or Vessel Sunday III bag, but I expect adding a magnetic pocket adds weight to the bag.
A large side pocket will easily fit a jacket or extra layer, while the best pocket is the valuables pocket. Cleverly, Titleist has put a divider in this pocket to allow keys and phones to be kept separate from one another. There's nothing worse than shoving your keys, phone and wallet into a valuables pocket to find that the keys have been busy scratching your phone to shreds while you were playing golf. This divider is a brilliant added detail and thoughtful touch, one I've only ever seen on the Sun Mountain H2NO LiteSpeed bag I tested last year.
Unfortunately, for the entire time I tested this bag, all I could think about was the price - it doesn't feel like a lot of bag here for £230 ($290). There are no magnetic pockets, the materials aren't fully waterproof, and the only real touch of detail I could see was the divider in the valuables pocket. Sure, it's a lot cheaper than the likes of the Vessel Player Air, Ogio Shadow or Vessel Player V, but I feel like those bags warrant their respective costs, such is the quality of materials and added details.
Similar lightweight bags include the Ping Moonlander, which comes in under £150, the Big Max Aqua 7, which has an RRP of £160, and the TaylorMade FlexTech SuperLite at £180. All of these direct competition to the Carbon 4 in my opinion and some, like the Big Max, even have a few more bells and whistles like fully waterproof materials, despite the lower price. It was this that overshadowed what is ultimately still a well-built, desirable and practical stand bag. All that being said, it is one of the lightest golf bags that will be released this year. So, if being lightweight and comfortable are on top of your list of priorities, the new Players Carbon 4 should be very near the top of your list.
