Volo Golf's Swag Bag - REVIEW

[GolfSpy Dave]

Volo Golf's Swag Bag– REVIEW

An Official MyGolfSpy.com Review

 

Your Clubs Deserve a Nice Home

The golf bag purchase. There is a lot of thought that must go into this simple purchase. Are you a walker or a rider? Push cart user? Favorite brand? Hated brand? Match the brand of your clubs, or not? Important features? Color? My local shop has so many bags to choose from that the variety can get a bit overwhelming. To separate oneself from the masses, a bag must be able to grab your eyeball and say, “Look at me! I'm different from the others!”

 

So began my relationship with the Volo Golf Swag Bag.

 

Your Sticks Need Style Too

I am not afraid of making a bold fashion statement on the golf course. Not because I have the super strong game to back it up, but rather because golf is a game and as such it should be fun and a touch whimsical. Big colors, bold patterns and styles have been a part of golf clothing for decades, perhaps taken to the nth degree by companies like Loudmouth Golf. Volo Golf, a small SF Bay Area start-up company, is looking to bring these bold colors and patterns to the golf bag, or as they call it, The Swag Bag.

 

REVIEW – Volo Golf Swag Bag

STYLE (20 Points)

Personally, it was the style of the Swag Bag that led me to this review in the first place. The bright green argyle pattern almost burns itself into your brain when you first see it. I mean that in a good way. Think about how many cars you see as you drive around each day. There is always that one car that you see and truly take notice of. Your brain ignores thousands of Honda Civics but focuses intently as the Ferrari Enzo rolls past. How many bags do you see at the driving range when you go practice? How many of those do you remember? The styling of the Swag Bag will definitely make it stand out. If find it bold, but not gaudy. Maybe the style doesn't fit your personal palette, but you can't argue that the style is there.

STYLE SCORE= 20/20

 

PERFORMANCE (60 Points)

Many relationships begin with visual attraction, but only last if there is substance behind the looks. The Swag Bag's looks definitely caught my eye, but if it is a burden on the course, it will stay in the garage. For simplicity's sake, I will break the bag's performance down into the pros and cons that I observed while using the Swag Bag.

 

Pros

• Weight: Weighing only 4.5 pounds, the Swag Bag fits right in with the other lightweight carry bags on the market.

 

• Pockets: There are pockets everywhere on the bag. With one exception (see below) the pockets are exactly where you would expect them to be. The large pocket devoured a pair of tall cans and an ice pack without problem.

 

• Stand: Legs pop out easily and provide a sturdy foundation.

 

• Top Opening: While a touch on the small side, the five-way-top had enough room for fourteen clubs with minimal in and out tangling. It is a small bag, so you should expect the fit to be a bit tighter than your fourteen-way-top cart bag...

 

• Shoulder Strap: Once the bag is up on your shoulders, the strap is very comfortable. With the strap in position, the bag is very balanced and easy to tote around the course.

 

Cons

• Tee Holder: The tee holder material is a bit too elastic and the holes are too large. I had to pull the tees to the wide part to get them to stay. This caused the material to fray a bit too.

 

• Cell Phone Holder: Initially I thought this was a cool feature, a neoprene cell phone holder in one of the larger pockets, however after using the bag, this holder just gets in the way and makes the pocket smaller. After talking to the guys at Volo though it sounds like this feature may be removed from future bags.

 

• Valuables Pocket: I like the pocket itself, as the material is nice and soft, but the position is wrong. I think that this pocket should be moved into one of the larger pockets. Where it sits now, I found myself needing to be sure that my keys didn't fall out when I went in and out of the pocket on the course.

 

• Shoulder Strap Straps: While I like the feel of the strap unit once it is on, the arm opening is too small when pulling the strap on. The nylon straps that secure the harness rubbed my right bicep each time I put the bag on. Not enough to do any skin damage, mind you, but enough to be an irritant. The reason for the opening's tightness is that both of the straps on that side anchor to a single D-ring on the bag. If the front and back straps were anchored to different rings, this would go away. Maybe I just need smaller biceps as well...

 

 

Overall I found the bag very comfortable to carry. This is significant as I usually play with a pushcart. Outside of the right arm issue, I did not feel any unusual physical fatigue or soreness after carrying nine or even eighteen holes with this bag. A few pocket and strap design alterations and this bag would be awesome on the course.

PERFORMANCE SCORE= 48/60

 

VALUE (20 Points)

The Volo Golf site lists the Swag Bag at $99 (+ tax and shipping). I think that this price makes the Swag Bag competitive with other manufactures' lightweight carry bags with similar features. Manufacturing and materials also competes nicely with the other manufacturers. I can see this bag lasting at least a couple of seasons on the course. The only knock on durability comes from one of the stitches pulling out of the water bottle holder. An easy fix for me with needle and thread, but a fix that I should not have had to make.

 

Obviously what sets this bag apart is the style. If you want your gear to stand out, the styling of the Swag Bag definitely increases its value. The guys at Volo Golf also donate a portion of each sale to the First Tee of San Francisco. While that doesn't increase the value of the bag, I think that it does make the overall purchase more satisfying.

VALUE SCORE= 19/20

 

TOTAL SCORE= 87/100

 

SUMMARY

The Volo Golf Swag Bag is a solid performing lightweight carry bag with a bold style that truly sets it apart from other golf bags. While there are some minor construction issues, the guys at Volo Golf are aware of them and are working to fine tune future generations of this already good bag. Even better, there are new colors and patterns coming in the near future. I can't wait to see what comes next.

 

[GolfSpy Tim]

was just eyeballing this bag last week. LOVE the style - I'm with you on not being afraid of a bold fashion statement - for me, it makes up for my lack of a quality game ;-)

[GolfSpy Dave]

Just saw a new Swag Bag color: Blue

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1103094&id=136692779676741

[MmmmmmBuddy]

I like the idea of a smaller company coming to market with some nice looking bags. I would gladly pay a premium for a bag that looks good, but has all the niceties that I have come to expect from a premium carry bag.... Quality stand and straps are a HUGE deal to someone who carries. Pocket placement and design can't be an afterthought. I LOVE the look of this bag on the shelf, but I would have a difficult time pulling the trigger to make it my daily gamer.. (ok.. monthly gamer) Features will need to match the good looks in order for me to buy. I do love the look however....

[GolfSpy Dave]

I like the idea of a smaller company coming to market with some nice looking bags. I would gladly pay a premium for a bag that looks good, but has all the niceties that I have come to expect from a premium carry bag.... Quality stand and straps are a HUGE deal to someone who carries. Pocket placement and design can't be an afterthought. I LOVE the look of this bag on the shelf, but I would have a difficult time pulling the trigger to make it my daily gamer.. (ok.. monthly gamer) Features will need to match the good looks in order for me to buy. I do love the look however....

Looking at the new picture, it seems like this blue version has a different shoulder strap design. I'll shoot the Volo guys an email and see what is new in this version.

[GolfSpy Dave]

From Mitch at Volo Golf:

"Totally new construction, new new new straps/strap system and totally reinforced. "

 

Definitely looking forward to seeing the new incarnation.

[GolfSpy Dave]

Here are the new Volo Designs: