Nike Performance Hybrid Carry Bag -- REVIEW

[GolfSpy Dave]

Nike Performance Hybrid Carry Bag

An Official MyGolfSpy.com Review

 

http://www.nike.com/nikeos/p/nikegolf/en_US/products/details?sku=bg0306

 

It's Not Named After a Mythological Creature...

It may be just silliness on my part, but I loved that my old Nike bag was called Sasquatch. I guess I just like the idea of monster golf. Big, strong, super hairy (?) beasts pounding balls so hard that they look like coins when they hit the ground. For the longest time I was going to take one of the Hulk Hands kid toys and make a DIY driver cover from it. I may still do that, although I'll likely have to share one with ANGRY GOLF HULK. There are lots of great Hulk phrases or grunts to use as your driver swing thought.

 

Anyway, back to the SQ Tour bag. I really loved the Nike SQ Tour. It was comfortable, but a little heavy for walking. It's detachable straps made it great on the push and riding cart. I guess the best testament to that bag is that I still own it. I tend to cycle through a lot of golf gear, and not all of it stays in the golf cave. The SQ Tour has stayed and sometimes still finds the course. It was/is a great bag. I was definitely interested when I saw the Performance Hybrid Carry on the Nike site. At first glance, it looks a whole lot like the SQ Tour, and again for me that is a very good thing. Now I just had to see if this new incarnation was still that big powerful golf beast.

 

 

STYLE

 

The Nike Performance Hybrid Carry may no longer carry the cool Sasquatch name, but it still keeps the style that I loved in that bag. In true Nike fashion, you can go bold, or conservative in your color scheme. The official colors of this beauty are Sail/White-Stadium Gray-Volt, with “Volt” being the green. There must have been some market research study last year that selected bright green as the “it” color for 2013. It seems to me sneaking in all over the place. Go look for it, you'll see... Anyway, I like the colors a bunch. But you know from my previous reviews that I like bold in the bag. I'd probably go with Volt as the dominant color. The other three color combos in the line-up are a bit more subdued IMO, but still aesthetically pleasing.

 

Nike has also done a nice job with color placement on the bag, adding in the second (and third) colors in places just to spice up the looks. I loved the surprise of opening the pockets and finding the Volt green inside. There is no performance to be gained by doing this, obviously. I can just imagine the bag designers at Nike saying “It'd cool to put green in the pockets”. I agree, it is cool.

 

 

Score: 20/20

 

COMFORT

 

 

As a dedicated walking bag, the Nike Performance Hybrid Carry comes in on the higher end in terms of weight. It's big, and a few pounds heavier than some of the lightweight carry bags out there, but in no way would I classify it as a beast. I found it comfortable to carry, even when it was all loaded up with gear. I have definitely walked with lighter bags that were not as comfortable. The straps are easily adjusted to fit, and the crazy looking honeycomb patterned back pad is very comfortable. By “very comfortable” I mean that you almost don't feel the pressure of the bag on your back. It is very comfortable to carry. I am curious to see how this bag stacks up against the other 2013 stand bags in terms of comfort. However, I can say this, the Nike Performance Hybrid Carry is more comfortable to carry than my SQ Tour bag. Score one for the new kid.

 

Score: 20/20

 

DESIGN AND QUALITY

 

Based upon my experience with the SQ Tour, I expect the Performance Hybrid Carry to be well made, and it absolutely is just that. The fabric is strong, even the non-nylon, stretchy material. That material allows the bag to have Stretch Fit Pocketsâ„¢. Think of them as pants with elastic waistbands. Do you need to stuff more stuff into the bag? It'll stretch and accommodate it. Just like your comfy pants will after too many holiday cookies and winter ales. You'll take it off after the first, right?

 

 

There are a couple of other significant design changes from my old SQ Tour worth noting.

 

• The solid handle of the SQ Tour is gone. I liked this feature, but it did add a very rigid element to the SQ. Not a deal breaker, but I did miss it.
  
• There is a strap pass through slot under the top pocket. This is a great feature. My Clicgear strap slid right under, as did the power cart strap. No longer does putting the bag on a cart limit access to pockets. Well done.
  
• The addition of the pass through pocket at the top came at the cost of the large side pocket. The volume of this pocket is much smaller than the one of the old SQ tour. I guess most things in life are trade offs.
  
• The insulated “water” pocket is lined with fancy astronaut material, but is smaller than the SQ's similar pocket. Our John Barry Aggregate score has dropped from 3 to 2.
  
• There are stretch pockets at a couple of places on the bag. These are great for sliding in a cell phone or something else that you want easy access to.
  

Add these changes to the welcome retentions of the removable strap system, 14-way top, responsive leg mechanism, and lined (and waterproof) valuable pocket and you have a very nicely put together bag.

 

Score: 19/20

 

PLAYING WITH THE BAG – GENERAL IMPRESSIONS

 

The Nike Performance Hybrid Carry bag was excellent on the course. I mentioned its excellent comfort previously. Here are some other high points:

 

• Pockets: There are lots of them. You can carry a whole bunch of gear in this bag, but you can also keep it organized. I really liked being able to put everything in its place. The stretchy pockets are a great addition.
  
• Straps: The come off. Great for cart golf days. Adjustability and padding make for comfortable carry.
  
• 14-Way Top: Spacing and separation are good, although some of those grips still seem to hold hands inside the bag occasionally. The middle well at the top works great for the putter, although I did move big mallets to one of the edge holes.
  
• Base and Legs: Overall the bag is very stable on its legs. It also fit great on the Clicgear and into the bag area on the power cart without issue.
   
  

I really only have one knock on the bag's performance and that comes with the loss of the large gear pocket. I think that the gains pass through slot offset the losses from the big pocket being missing, but the loss of that pocket was noticeable when I had to pack in clothing to deal with unstable weather. Everything did fit, but it was a bit tight. I don't ever this being an issue with the SQ Tour's voluminous pocket. Again though, because I really like the pass through addition for my pushcart, and because for the majority of my rounds the weather is nice, the loss of this pocket space earns only a minor deduction.

Score: 18/20

 

PLAYING WITH THE BAG – VERSATILITY

One should expect some versatility from a bag with “Hybrid” in its name. Nike's Performance Hybrid Carry has earned that hybrid moniker. This is a nice carry bag that is excellent on the pushcart and power cart as well. Does it hold as much as a dedicated cart bag? Nope. Is it as light as a carry only bag? Nope. However, this bag bridges those three play styles better than any other bag I have used so far. I can't recommend this bag enough to someone who, like me, is mainly a pushcart player, but who sometimes rides and walks. It's great for range trips as well. Overall, this bag crushes the competition in versatility.

 

Score: 20/20

 

FINAL SCORE: 97/100

 

 

SUMMARY

Nike has taken the SQ Tour, a bag that I still use and love, and improved it in the Performance Hybrid Carry. You lose the large side pocket, but you gain increased ease of use on the carts, stretchy pockets, and a whole lot more. If it wasn't my job to cycle through golf bags all the time (all for you dear readers...), I would likely be very happy using the Performance Hybrid Carry bag for 2013. This bag has set the bar, and set it high.

[Walkerjames]

No John Barry beer score? JBA

[GolfSpy Dave]

No John Barry beer score? JBA

It was there, but perhaps not overt enough. I bolded it now, but the score was only a 2.

[Walkerjames]

It was there, but perhaps not overt enough. I bolded it now, but the score was only a 2.

 

My Bad I see it now. It my favorite part of the bag reviews. LOL.

[GolfSpy Dave]

My Bad I see it now. It my favorite part of the bag reviews. LOL.

It's probably my favorite too. I am out of Sierra Nevada cans so I don't have the photo. Don't know where they went?

[Walkerjames]

It's probably my favorite too. I am out of Sierra Nevada cans so I don't have the photo. Don't know where they went?

I hate that. My Beer does that too

[SPY ZINGER]

I've seen this bag and would agree, it's nice. Looking forward to the True Bag review. I'm in need of a new bag and True is at the top.

[fsav]

Great write up!

 

Not sure I like he few pounds heavier category but would have to feel it in action. Last year I went with the ping 4 series due to the lightweight feature but the biggest problem I have is clubs getting stuck in and out basically making me start walking with the bag while the club is hanging out half way😤 still haven't found that perfect lightweight bag with all the bells and whistles.

[Damon]

I own the Sasquatch bag, and have really enjoyed it. I've had only two issues - the rubber plugs at the bottom of each leg have fallen out and are lost, and I have the hardest time adjusting the straps so the bag balances properly when I walk. It's not horrible, but annoying at times.

 

Anyway, I agree that the bag does a fantastic job balancing the trade-offs inherent between walking and riding. I like the new strap pass thru feature. I think I would miss the solid handle. I don't think I would miss the larger pocket or the larger cooler.

 

Just curious, do you know the weight of the Sasquatch vs. the new model? I'm guessing new one is a little lighter?

 

Thanks

[GolfSpy Dave]

I own the Sasquatch bag, and have really enjoyed it. I've had only two issues - the rubber plugs at the bottom of each leg have fallen out and are lost, and I have the hardest time adjusting the straps so the bag balances properly when I walk. It's not horrible, but annoying at times.

 

Anyway, I agree that the bag does a fantastic job balancing the trade-offs inherent between walking and riding. I like the new strap pass thru feature. I think I would miss the solid handle. I don't think I would miss the larger pocket or the larger cooler.

 

Just curious, do you know the weight of the Sasquatch vs. the new model? I'm guessing new one is a little lighter?

 

Thanks

I think that the new one is lighter. I've looked for the specs, but so far no exact numbers. The feet on the bottom of the legs are also different. They have a bit more surface on the bottom. Does make them a touch more difficult to put behind the elastic bands.

[Damon]

I think that the new one is lighter. I've looked for the specs, but so far no exact numbers. The feet on the bottom of the legs are also different. They have a bit more surface on the bottom. Does make them a touch more difficult to put behind the elastic bands.

 

Thanks for the update. I'll check this out next time I head to Edwin Watts.