50 Words or Less
The Koger golf bag is the best Sunday bag I’ve ever carried. Light, durable, and wonderfully balanced. The strap is a marvel. A must-have for the minimalist golfer.
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Introduction
The Koger golf bag has its roots in sailing. Their website tells us, “[Sailing is] about agility and mobility. And it’s about materials that stand up to ever changing conditions, conditions that vary from benign to brutal.”
Agile and mobile with the ability to adapt to changing conditions. It’s a perfect description of this sublime Sunday bag, and the type of golfer you feel like when you’re carrying it.
Looks
The minimalist approach of Koger comes through from the first glance. This bag is devoid of the giant branding that is typical in golf bags. It’s one solid color – white, beige, light gray, or dark gray – with black accents. The red paracord on the zipper pulls provides the one pop of color, and it’s a wonderful study in how a tiny detail can have a big visual impact.
What I found in toting the Koger to the course is that it’s a paradoxical head turner. In a field of bags with flashy colors and billboard branding, a bag that doesn’t ask for any attention receives the most.
Finally, the coolest detail is hidden on one of the zipper pulls. Each bag is individually numbered, and that number is stamped on the zipper pull. I’m not sure I would have ever found this if I hadn’t swapped the red cord for blue, but I love this detail and what it says about the company’s meticulous nature.
Features
Koger golf bags are built for minimalists, so the features are pared down to the essentials. On either side of the bag, there is a large pocket. The “ball pocket” runs about half the length of the bag, the “apparel pocket” roughly two thirds. As you can see above, the pockets are quite deep, so you can pack dozens of balls, if you need. Being a little OCD, I do like having a valuables pouch inside the apparel pocket so I can find my wallet and keys quickly.
The only other feature is a pair of loops near the top of the shoulder strap (above). These are meant to hold a towel, laser rangefinder, or other small accessories.
As a recovering maximalist/aspiring minimalist, I genuinely appreciate Koger’s refusal to load this bag with extras. It makes it much easier to focus on what you truly need instead of saying, “Well, I’ll just pack this one more thing…”
Check out another minimalist Sunday Bag from Half Light HERE
Performance
I wrote this section in the normal way, ticking off all the key points – weight, shoulder strap, etc. Then I looked back and said to myself, “You didn’t write the most important thing.” So here it is: the Koger golf bag is a joy to carry. It’s the best Sunday bag I’ve ever used. This bag is so clearly a labor of love that carrying it makes me a happier golfer. Now on to the normal stuff.
When I got my hands on the Koger golf bag, the first thing I noticed was the weight. Koger claims it’s the lightest bag on the market at 805 grams (about 1.7 pounds). For comparison, my Seamus bag [review HERE] weighs 2 pounds 13 ounces and my Mackenzie [review HERE] is 4 pounds. To be fair, the Mackenzie is a larger bag (8″ opening vs 6″) but the doesn’t account for the weight difference of more than double.
That light weight comes from the material, which is unlike anything I’ve encountered. Koger uses fabrics that come from sailing, and they give the bag the feeling of something that will laugh off any conditions you could possibly golf in. Interestingly, the fabric does this while still feeling premium, not like a cheap, durable nylon.
As impressive as the weight is, the shoulder strap is the best performance feature on this bag. It’s the best shoulder strap I’ve seen on a Sunday bag, and I’ve used almost every one that exists. Two things set it apart. First, the underside of the strap is covered in suede to create additional friction and keep the bag from sliding around. This small touch goes a long way to keeping the bag secure. Second, the strap is very adjustable. You can change not only the length of the strap but where the lower end connects to the bag. This allows you to get it perfectly balanced regardless of your body and what you carry in your bag.
The 6″ opening of the Koger golf bag is divided by a thick length of rope. This does all you need to keep the covered clubs away from the non-covered clubs without damaging the shafts. It also moves a bit to make it easier to slide clubs in and out. Koger also gave the bag a strong spine and a gently structured opening to further ease the in-and-out of your clubs.
Finally, this bag is made to last. The material is water resistant, tear resistant, and sun resistant. It’s stitched with sun-proof thread. When I first got it, I was overly precious with it – “I can’t possibly take my new white bag into less-than-perfect conditions.” Now that I’ve had it on the course, I want to take it out every day and fill it with character.
Conclusion
I’ve written nearly a thousand words on how brilliant the Koger golf bag is. It’s handmade in Gothenburg, Sweden and comes with a promise that they will fix any flaws. Now you’re expecting the gut-punch reveal of the price, but it’s actually the best part: this bag costs roughly $425. Looking at what Seamus and MacKenzie charge, Koger could command double that, and I would still argue that it’s a great value. Koger is now my Sunday Bag of choice [full WITB HERE], and I’d suggest you get your order in before everyone else finds out.
Visit Koger Golf Bags HERE
Save 10% on everything with code PLUG
He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.
Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
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17 Comments
Is this the Koger White Small or Large?
Thanks!
Michael,
This is the small version.
Best,
Matt
Great review Matt !!! I will need to check this out.
Great review, as always, Matt. So….a silly question to you as a purist, but I’ll ask anyway: How much do you miss having a stand bag? You lay this type of bag on the ground and you have to reach and bend over to pick it up. Before and after ….every. single. shot. You’re younger and more athletic than me and probably most of us. But……tell us, dear writer: Do you miss the stand and legs? And lastly…..what is the max for this bag? 10 clubs or so? Thanks, again.
Steve,
Flattery will get you everywhere sir. :)
I don’t miss the stand because the trade off is less weight. I think that it’s a push – or at least person-specific – the difference between bending over a bit more to pick up something lighter and bending over less to pick up something heavier.
Regarding a max for the half bag (they make a larger one that I did not test), I think ten is about right. I’ve been carrying driver, hybrid, 4I, 6I, 8I, PW, GW, LW, and putter – nine clubs – and everything gets in and out pretty easily, even with midsize grips. I think one more club would be fine, but two more might start to get tangled.
Best,
Matt
Very good – thanks, Matt! I am presuming that the “larger” Koger bag still provides the majority of the benefits you enjoy(ed) with the smaller bag. Again….thanks.
Beautiful bag, but I really wish it had a second strap. I use a little ping Sunday bag and the backpack option is too nice to give up.
Okay, I’m a sucker for walking, even in my mid-60’s. But I need 11 clubs so I have a white large coming.
High quality materials, stitched well. Need to walk with it. Suede strap materials are designed for the strap to remain on your shoulder, not slide off.
Can you comment on what the import fees listed on their website ended up being to ship to the US?
Thanks,
Alex
Alex,
Unfortunately, I cannot. My bag was shipped to me for free to be reviewed.
Best,
Matt
Mine is arriving by UPS on Thursday. It was $45 on top of the price of the bag for shipping/etc – I assume that’s all of it as I have not received notice of more $$. But will let you know if it comes up.
No import fees on my bag to Texas – $45 for shipping takes care of it all, apparently.
I’ve owned the Koger (larger version) for six weeks and it’s my favorite bag to take to the range. I take about 10 clubs, rangefinder, water bottle, tees, and 3 balls, two towels, and 3 gloves. Easy and compact to carry. I have not played a walking round with it since it is 106 F at the moment where I live. But after carrying it around on the single strap, which does stay on your shoulder, I’d use about 10-11 clubs, less if I can. And it did happen to rain one day, and the bag stays dry. Yes, lots of money for a Sunday Bag, but I think it will last a lifetime or more.
Hi Matt – I bit the bullet and bought the larger version of the Koger bag based on your review. I typically carry 14 clubs, but I wanted something light, comfortable, and indestructible. I have an 8″ Mackenzie bag that I love to carry, however, I do not like carrying it in wet, or muddy conditions given its sentimental value to me. I am hoping the Koger will be a joy to carry, if so, it will become my primary bag that I walk with. Cheers!
Hi Matt,
Just to say your review was invaluable, thank you. UK based and was considering a Mackenzie bag but couldn’t quite commit! I had never heard of Koger but was randomly googling and your review popped up and the Koger ticked all my boxes and your description made me order in five mins. The bag seems to be exactly what I was looking for; functional, understated and beautiful.
Large light grey on the way now and will be carried around the links of the UK for years to come I hope.
In the past, I have used both push trolley and carry bag – my plan is to carry my Koger 100%, it just feels like proper golf to me. Have 11 ish clubs and the sailing material makes me hope I can use it all year…
Thanks again
Phil,
That’s great to hear! Thanks for sharing, and enjoy your Koger.
Best,
Matt