Golf Bags - Advances in Technology

The days ofbasic leather golf bags are long gone, as designers make the most of moderntechnologies

Long gone are the days ofplain, practical and purely functional golf bags. Golf equipment designers andmanufacturers have realised in recent years that golfers love variety, and aretaking risks with the styles of their golf bags.

Golf Bags of DaysGone By

Golf bags have come a longway in a century. In the 1920's the standard style for a golf bag was acylindrical carrier made of cloth and leather, with a shoulder and hand strap.They were usually black or brown in colour, although there are examples of junior golf bags forchildren with bright tartan patterns. These designs were very basic andfunctional, and had no special features that we see in modern day golf bags,such as compartments for clubs or pockets for accessories.

The Development ofGolf Bags

As golf grew in popularitythroughout the middle of the century, the design of golf bags became moretechnical. Some of today's major golf bag brands began to put a lot of time,effort and money into researching and designing their products, and golfersbegan to enjoy bags with high-quality and light-weight fabrics. There wereother developments that affected the golf bags industry, such as the inventionof a battery-powered golf cart in the 1950's. Golf companies started to developbags that could sit safely on these carts and caddies began to worry aboutlosing their jobs! In 1986 the first golf bags with an automated leg systemwere invented, and in 1990 the double straps on carry golf bags first hit thegreens.

Today's Golf Bags

When you go shopping forgolf bags nowadays, you are simply spoilt for choice. Designs range fromaffordable bags made from lightweight nylon, to blow-the-budget designerleather bags. Double straps come as standard on most golf bags now, as do featureslike golf club compartments, pockets for accessories and a rain hood. When youmove into the mid- and top-range golf bags, you can expect features likefur-lined pockets, lighter-weight designs, and more strategically-placedpockets for items like golf balls and water bottles.

Golf Bags ofTomorrow

With advances in technology,golf bags look set to become highly technical pieces of equipment. One recentdevelopment is a Dutch-designed golf bag with solar panels, which can chargemobile phones and laptops. This is ideal for businessmen who need to be able totake calls at every hour of the day and can't risk running out of battery poweron the golf course. And who knows what else golf bag manufacturers might comeup with? A talking golf bag that advises you on which club to use for your nextshot? An in-built weather predicting function? Golf bags with built-in drinkscoolers? With today's technologies the sky's the limit!