2018 Ogio Grom Stand Bag First Impression

[tblackmer 5]

2018 GROM GOLF STAND BAG

 

First Things First

 

I know the folks here at GolfSpy recently published an excellent article about the Best Stand Bags of 2018 and i think it's very informative and well done. That being said, I purchased my Ogio Grom long before the article was posted and simply don't have the funds to try out all those bags. All i can do is provide my honest opinion of the bag i have and hope it helps some of you when looking for a new bag.

 

 

Well Done

 

The 2018 Ogio Grom does a good job improving on some flaws that i have seen in the Ogio lineup over the past several years. The overall build quality and sturdiness is above average based on others I've used. Here are some examples of things i really like about this bag: 

 

• The 14-way diamond top is piped lower into the bag which makes removing and replacing clubs much easier than some other bags I've used. As you will see in the image below, I use the putter pit for my driver in most of my configurations.
  
• The stand legs are thick and sturdy on this bag and i don't worry at all about them collapsing. I have had issues in the past with stand legs breaking.
• The easy access features on the front of the bag are very convenient. The Three ball holder is especially nice on the days when i use my push cart which doesn't have a ball holder of its own. There is also a nifty three tee holder and glove patch.
  
• The heavy duty reinforced handle on the front of the bag is surprisingly comfortable and well designed. The comfort of this handle really helps cut down of carry fatigue if you overuse the bag handle as i do.
  
• The cart strap pass-through is a nice touch that ensures the strap of a golf cart won't impede the use of the bags right side pockets. This feature also helped keep my bag from falling off a cart when the strap came loose.
  
• Stylistically i think the Grom has an excellent look to it. I'm not going to waste your time and talk about colors and style in detail, because that is personal preference and you should make up your own mind. What i will say is that the bag looks in real life, just like it does in the online images.

Needs Improvement

 

Like almost any product, the Ogio Grom is not perfect and could use some incremental changes to improve. At some point we might start to see more influence from their new parent company Callaway. Although I like this bag, here are some things that need improvement: 

 

• The 14-way diamond top is great for the fact that each club has its own slot, however the slots are a bit narrow and can be tight for people with oversize or tacky grips. The diamond top is also a bit snug in design so that the clubs are very close together. I would strongly recommend using iron head protectors due to the proximity of the irons when in the bag, especially when traveling or in a car.
• Does not fit well in most golf carts. I know that this is a stand bag, and they're not typically designed for golf carts, but if you're like me and don't have multiple bags to choose from, you will likely use the same bag for walking or riding. The result of this is that the Grom simply rides a bit sideways when in a cart. This has not resulted in an inability to access any pockets in my experience.
• It's heavy compared to the competition. Again, this might not be a big deal if you are an amateur body-builder, but at about 7lb after walking 9-18 holes it adds up. The extra weight might be a result of solid build quality, but I haven't tested every bag and thus can't speak to that. I will say that in my opinion the build quality is very good.
• The mechanism that engages the stands is a bit bulky. This is ultimately the reason that the bag rides awkwardly in golf carts and some push carts. I will say that the bag fits fine on my Bag Boy Tri Swivel II push cart.

Summary

 

I doubt any bag is perfect, but I certainly don't regret purchasing the Ogio Grom. So far, I've used it for about 7 months and have not had any major issues. So much of buying this kind of item boils down to personal preference and taking the time to do your research. The Grom uses an oversized shoulder strap rather than the ever popular (backpack style) dual-strap, and while this is not my preference, I'm not going to sit here and nitpick such things.

 

If you would like my take on the more nuanced details of the Ogio Grom please feel free to message me.

 

UPDATE

Ogio responded to a tweet i sent asking why they went with the Diamond top:

 

"Hey Thomas, the Diamond Performance top is a modified version of our Woode Top system that allows you to separate your woods from your irons. We are always looking for innovative ways to enhance the users game through organizational improvements."

 

Thanks so much for reading.

-Tom

[DPattGolf 1,733]

Great review from a newer member! 

 

Maybe its just me but that divider design seems sub-optimal 

[jlukes 16,468]

The woode divider system was perfect. Not sure why ogio went away from it

[tblackmer 5]

Great review from a newer member! 

 

Maybe its just mean but that divider design seems sub-optimal 

 

 

The woode divider system was perfect. Not sure why ogio went away from it

 

I agree with you both. I've reached out to Ogio consistently over the past several months to try and get the reasoning behind the diamond top, but haven't heard back. My only thought is that somehow this design is a bit more compact than other 14 way tops on the market, but that's based on a limited amount of information. If i hear back from Ogio I'll update the post.

[MomoMan83 152]

Excellent review!  I have had my Grom stand bag for about a month and so far I am a fan.  While the ball pocket doesn't hold as much as the one on my Ogio Decibel I like the extra storage overall and so far the 14-way divider has worked great for me.  The shoulder strap doesn't bother me much since I use a push cart when I walk, but using it with an electric cart is a bit annoying trying to get it situated.  It's really nice having balls, tees and glove right there handy next to each other, and the balls don't pop out of the silo when driving over rough terrain.

[808nation 1,789]

Used a Ogio Grom stand bag for many seasons then went to a Ogio Chamber cart bag with the silencer technology. Always liked there designs and functionality. Great review tblsckmer!!!

 

#PowerToThePlayer