Push carts are so much better than carrying or pulling a pull cart. The best part though are the bags that fit onto the push carts. You get so much storage space in the best golf bags for push carts for all your jackets, hundreds of balls and accessories!
The first time I bought a bag for my push cart, I bought the wrong one! I learned two valuable lessons from my mistakes.
LESSON ONE: Old-style stand bags suck for push carts. They twist and slide out of place and the pockets are not accessible.
LESSON TWO: Bags made for golf buggies and bags made for push carts are very different. Yes, there are TWO types of "cart bag" and getting the wrong one adds more hassle to your life. Your happiness on the golf course depends on it!
WARNING: I DO NOT RECOMMEND THE SUN MOUNTAIN C130 FOR CLICGEAR
You'll see plenty of sites advertising HARD for this bag for push carts. This bag is designed for riding carts, and is a pain in the butt for push cart users.
Do you see the top of the C130 in the above picture? That angle is going to kill your enjoyment of your cart bag if you use a Clicgear push cart especially. This bag is made specifically for riding golf buggies. The angled top of the bag in the picture is taller than the rest of the bag and goes right where your push carts console is so you can't open the Clicgear console. It's angled so heavily to make it easier to access your clubs on a golf buggy that you drive..
The only push cart that the C130 will suit is maybe the Sun Mountain Pathfinder PX4. Let's not frustrate ourselves when there are much more convenient options.
Difference between BUGGY CART golf bags and PUSH CART golf bags
1. The top part of the riding bags extends upward in a wedge shape and can get in the way of opening and closing your push cart console. You put the woods in the back, putter and wedges closest to you for easy access.
2. The top part of the push cart bag is generally laid out pretty flat so you can adapt what clubs you prefer to put where. This is a minor thing but if you have a Clicgear push cart or one with a console that you can store your stuff in, the more semi circular or flat shape of a push cart bag will help you.
Modern stand bags can also work nowadays
New modern era stand or carry bags can be used for push carts if you prefer to have an option to carry every now and then. I have never carried a bag, always pulling or pushing a cart, but there are now modern day stand bags that will have flat bases so you can use it on a push cart.
Best Push Cart Golf Bag Alternatives
1. Cobra Ultralight Cart Bag (the bag I use currently)
2. Datrek DG Lite II cart bag (good for both buggy and push cart)
3. Motocaddy Dry Cart Bag (Boss executive good looks in a cart bag)
4. Sun Mountain Sync golf bag (Sun Mountain's best)
5. Founders Club Premium Cart Bag (most organized push cart bag)
6. Callaway ORG 14+ cart bag (easy top arrangement)
7. Tour Edge Exotics EXS Xtreme Cart Bag (simple no frills push cart golf bag)
8. Datrek Lite Rider Pro (great setup on top)
I got this bag because it's so light. There are 14 dividers and lots of pockets. The cooler pocket legitimately works and in Thailand, despite the heat, my water stays cool all round long.
The valuables pocket has protected my phone and wallet and keys for over a year. The pockets are so big that I have so much extra space that I keep adding stuff to the point that i have to clear it out because I make the bag too heavy.
My only gripe with it is that when you stand it up, it feels like it's going to fall over all the time, but it never does. It takes a while to get used to that because it's disconcerting to wonder if your driver will hit a wall if the bag falls and snap the shaft.
The bag works on both driving carts and push carts and I love it.
Pros
Cons
The most important part of a push cart bag is the availability of handles to get the bag onto the cart. The Datrek DG lite II cart bag has perfectly located two handles on the top of the bag which also protect clubs from dings.
The top of the bag is angled making it great for riding carts but in a way that works well on push carts. You can arrange your clubs any way you choose with a 15 way divider, each club has it's own place to avoid club crowding. All the pockets face the way you need them whether on your push cart or buggy.
There are 7 pockets. The well-lined valuables pocket means you can throw your phone in there without worries about scratches and with the waterproof zip, no chance of water getting into your keys and wallet.
Pros
Cons
Cons
Sun Mountain are one of the hottest golf bag manufacturers and the Sync is one of the hottest push cart bags around. You won't hear too much about these guys besides in the golf bag niche because they're purely specialists in creating bags designed to please golfers.
You can store practically everything you need in the made in America Sync and you'd be able to survive the Apocalypse while out on the golf course with this big boy.
Eight pockets mean you can store enough balls for days, valuables in a soft material pocket, rain gear, gloves, beer cans in the insulator and if need be, a rifle would fit in the one side. Anyway, you get the idea, this thing holds everything.
15 storage slots mean you have a space for every club plus your ball retriever or to be more professional, your umbrella. So no more flailing umbrella hooking on everything you walk past.
The handles on the side of the bag and on the top make it quick and easy to load and unload the bag with nice balance so you're not doing an arm workout every time you take it in and out of the car.
They've also included a slot for you to slip the riding cart straps through so the strap doesn't interfere with accessing the pockets. That's a nice touch so you can feel comfortable ditching the push cart and riding along with your buddies without an issue.
Pros
Cons
Motocaddy may not be a name you've heard of for bags, but this looks executive and boss. This bag is stunning in looks and functionality. With multiple colors, you can also customize a removable ball pocket to embroider your own ideas onto it.
There are 7 zippered pockets and 14 full length dividers for your clubs, and the modern addition of a putter well which can take the fat putter grips. The handle on top is in a great position to help heft the bag on and off your cart.
The base of the bag is anti-twist so it stays in place on the cart. The zips on the bag have been created in a way that once zipped up, they're waterproof to the outside world. They've been heat welded to ensure dry inside your pockets.
Pros
Cons
This bag is the organizers dream. There are special slots for every single club in the bag. They clubs can rest on the tops whether right or left handed. Both dexterities can use this bag but please be careful. If you have had your irons fitted and they are longer than standard by more than an inch, your clubs won't fit the top-rests.
There are plenty of pockets on this model all facing outward so you can access them at all time. Putter wells on this model accommodate the fat putter grips.
A lot of thought has gone into this bag and at this price, it's a bargain. There's no jamming clubs frustratedly into the bag with grips catching on each other and when you walk, the clubs are not clanging together, denting each other as you traverse the rolling hills.
Pros
Cons
The Callaway Org 14+ has a top that allows for the clubs to sit so it's easy to access them on your push cart. At a weight of 6 lbs, the bag is not heavy and in that 6 lbs of golf bag, you get 14 dividers on top as with all new cart bags with all the pockets facing outward and a side putter well.
The best part and the reason this bag is on this list is because it is GREAT on a push cart. As people are forced by clubs to use buggies instead of walking and as people just stop walking the course, it's more common to find buggy cart bags. This bag is one of the best golf bags for push carts currently on the market just due to the design and that's all that needs to be said.
There are also tons of colors to choose from.
Pros
Cons
Tour Edge is a famous brand for their fairway woods but this bag is just perfect for push and pull carts. All the pockets face outward and the top of the bag is nice and flat so you can organizer the clubs the way that YOU want and not the way the manufacturer decides.
There's 15 full length dividers, great handles on the top, drinks pocket to keep it cool and plenty of space for your rain gear or cold gear.
Heavy duty and high quality fabric is used and there are 2 waterproof pockets for your valuables. There's even a damn rangefinder pocket finally! The weight of this unit is about 6-7 lbs.
Pros
Cons
Factors to consider in the best golf bags for push carts
When you want to get a golf bag for push cart, there are important things to consider: weight, storage, style and waterproofing.
I'll run through things to consider and things to avoid when shopping for your new cart bag.
Type of bag
Each kind of golf bag will have differing suitability for a push cart. Some are meant for the cart and some are definitely not. Some golfers even enjoy a lightweight pencil golf bag on a push cart.
Pro Staff Bag
I would recommend against this type of bag. They look cool and are the same as the pro's on TV but the access to pockets and the bulkiness will mean you can't get your stuff out while it's on the push cart. It will be more difficult to secure to the push cart and more than likely will cause it to topple over.
Stand Bag
Modern stand bags CAN work on a push cart. They have created kickstands that work much better on the bottom section of a push cart, without it sliding and falling off all the time. If you only push a cart sometimes, but like to walk most of the time, it's a good alternative. If you use a push cart or pull cart exclusively, I would not recommend this bag.
Cart and Buggy Bags
Remember to imagine and check how the 'cart' bag will work on a push cart. If the top section looks like it will get in the way of the console on your push cart, it will grind your gears. If the top of the golf cart bag looks like it is angled for you to access your clubs from a buggy, give it a skip. Most of the bags you want to use for a push cart have a relatively open top of the bag. You can access all clubs from any angle.
This is very important and I am concerned with some of the dishonesty on some websites that advise you to take bags that will definitely cause you frustration. If you are unsure, check out your push cart manufacturer in case they provide or sell a bag that fits their specific cart. That is an easy solution.
Weight
You're pushing the bag on a cart so we want it to be light but you don't need to sacrifice storage capacity for lightness. If you were carrying a golf bag, you'd want it very light , around 2lbs. But because we can push the bag on a cart with wheels, we can go a little heavier.
From my experience, it's not the first 14 holes on a hot long day that you need to think about. It's the final 4 holes when you're pushing your bag up the hill to the clubhouse. You're hot and tired and you have 1,500 yards to walk. I would recommend picking the weight of the bag according to your strength and stamina levels.
Cost
If you're going to get a bag understanding that you want to replace it every 2 years, you can go really cheap. If you're playing once a week and don't care to impress anyone, of course you can skimp a bit. If you're a regular player who likes to have everything accessible and on-hand, you want to splash a bit, knowing that you will get even more enjoyment out of golf with the right bag. But if you want something that will last through travel, bashing in and out of your car, and you're playing a lot of golf, you want to spend a bit more.
The more expensive you get, the better quality the fabrics are. The build is superior when it's more expensive and the bag will be designed in a way to make it last through all weather conditions.
Durability
Please note that golf bags also have to go through a lot of abuse. When you are on the field, it could be anything, rain, sunlight, storm, anything. Your bag should be robust enough to undertake any kind of weather abuse.
There is a tip, you can add a protective cover to the bag to increase its life. Anyways, whatever attempt you make, nothing can do justice to what an original durability and abuse fighting capacity of a bag can do.
Therefore, make sure to pick a durable model because your money should be invested in a right product.
Storage and Sections
Well, the golf bags are different from a standard or a conventional bag so what you really need to check here is the storage and section/compartments of the bag.
The bag should be such that can give you separate sections and compartments for different things. This will help in managing the bag perfectly. Please note that you can only be able to use the bag to the fullest if you have all the means of storage.
Final Thoughts on the Best Golf Bags for Push Carts
I've mentioned only the best of the best. I did not mention the Sun Mountain C130 because i believe this is a bag made primarily for the golf buggy (riding cart) and not the push cart, The top of that bag is angled in a way that it will interfere with a console if you have one on your push cart.
The above-mentioned bags are the best on the market of the ever dwindling push cart bags. Let's hope walking the course with a push cart doesn't go completely out the window in the future but it looks like the golf buggy revolution is coming as more and more people are either rushing around or too unfit or lazy to walk the 7000 yards needed to play a round of golf.
Invest in a push cart and get your lazy bones walking and get fitter. That golf buggy is not doing you any favors. I recommend the Clicgear and the Caddytek.