Review: TRUE Linkswear Stand Bag

A TRUE Walking Bag
If you want to carry your bag it seems that you can either get a full featured bag that gets rather heavy or you get a stripped down bag that is much lighter, but doesn’t have all the features one might want for carrying.  The TRUE Linkswear bag is that perfect combo between full featured yet stripped down just enough to ideal carrying.

The very first feature that you will notice is that it is shorter than other golf bags.  It is only a couple inches shorter, but that reduction of length also reduces the weight.  Every little bit helps when lugging around your clubs for 18 holes or more.  It isn’t too short, it still works on a power cart or a push cart, but you will notice it rides much differently and you clubs stick our of it further.  I think the shorter length also improves the balance point so that it feels much better across the back of your shoulders.
The second feature that stands out is the smaller diameter.  Many stand bags are in the 7-8″ range, this is in the 6″ range.  Again it is nothing that seems to hamper the performance, but you will notice, especially if you try to put it on a push cart, it almost feels like it is going to fall out because the straps will most likely be on the loose side.
 

The pocket arrangement is very good for a smaller bag.  Actually even if the bag was bigger, it is still a very functional arrangement.  The full length side pocket will hold  a full set of rain gear without any issues.  The half length pocket on the other side works great for a dozen balls or some of the other accessories you might want.  The spine of the bag has 2 pockets.  I use the top one for my rangefinder and the lower one for the balls, tees and other stuff.  My wallet keys and phone tend to go in a different pocket each time.  The pocket I use for my rangefinder is probably the one designed for that, I just choose to put my Leupold in there instead.  There is also an insulated side slot for drinks that will easily hold a 20 oz. bottle.  All the pockets are plenty deep and hold everything you need for a round or two of golf.  The main ball pocket is the only slightly changed pocket from other bags in that it doesn’t open very far.  Often times that pocket will almost zip all the way off, while the TRUE ball pocket only opens part way.  I’m assuming that was done so that when you walk, even if you leave that pocket open, the contents won’t fall out.

The stand mechanism is solid.  The legs are thin, but seem plenty sturdy and the engaging mechanism works well.  It uses a tab system at the bottom of the bag that is engaged when you set the bag down.  The base is kind of a half base style with the other half being the small pivot point for the legs.  Visually it isn’t as nice as the enclosed full base pivot, but functionally it works very well.  It is probably lighter than other kinds of stand systems which would be the main reason for TRUE choosing this style.  I didn’t have a single issues with the legs on this bag; they deployed and retracted as they should.

The top is a 4-way top that offers better club separation than expected.  Although a 4-way top doesn’t keep the clubs separate from all chatter or some binding, it really offers enough dividing power that I was never frustrated while using the bag.  There are 2 full length dividers attached to the 4-way top creating 3 chambers.   It isn’t as tangle free to use as some of my 14-way divided bags, but surprisingly even with the smaller top and only a couple dividers I could put 14 clubs in the bag and never really had any serious issues with my clubs being tangled up when trying to remove one.  The top grab handle is great for picking up and setting the bag down.  The handle makes it incredibly user friendly.

The shoulder straps are very well done.  They are thick and hit just the right spot across the back so that it was comfortable even in the heat.  I don’t always carry a bag anymore so my shoulders aren’t used to it like they used to be, but I did use this bag for a number of walking rounds without a push cart and by the end of the round I still wasn’t sore.  The lightweight, great balance and thick, comfortable straps make this one of the best true carry bags on the market.  It also rode well on both a push cart and a power cart.  It fits perfectly on a Sun Mountain Micro Cart and on a power cart it works, just the strap needs to be pretty tight to secure the bag.

The TRUE walking bag comes in 3 colors, black, white or charcoal.  I went with the charcoal bag mainly because I wanted some variety.  They all look good with the splash of red and the white T.  They didn’t do a wide color palette of bags, but their basic colors choices go well with their simple stand bag. 

The TRUE Stand bag might not have all the bells and whistle of bigger carry bags, but from a lightweight yet functional standpoint it is probably the best you can buy.  It is very lightweight, easy on the back and is ideal for carrying your clubs.  Everything seemed well thought out and well designed for a somewhat minimalistic package that functions on the course.  I think it is the lightest stand bag made right now. Take a look at this TRUE carry bag as an excellent option for walking and carrying your clubs.

For more information: www.truelinkswear.com

Quick Hits
+Lightest stand bag
+Plenty of pockets
+Sturdy stand mechanism
+4-way top functions well
+Easy to carry

-Smaller size