Ogio (http://www.ogio.com)

Every so often one stumbles across a manufacturer that does what it does better than anyone else does it. When that happens, if other important factors (like price for example) are similar, then there is absolutely no reason to look anywhere else for what you need. Such is the case with bag manufacturer Ogio. While not by any stretch strictly a golf company Ogio does the golf bag thing way better than anybody else does. So while I had originally planned on doing a best of the rest post for part 8, I decided that rather than tell you about the new Cobra Irons and their 3 new drivers, or the FootJoy shoes that tighten or loosen with the turn of a knob on the heel, I decided that since I’m probably not about to so much as think about purchasing Cobra clubs (not that there is anything wrong with them), or FootJoy shoes (a fine shoe I’m sure, but I’m partial to Nike these days), I’d figure I’d go ahead and dedicate the next to last post in my 2007 equipment series to one of my favorite brands.

Travel Bags

So you’re going on a golf trip. If you’re flying your clubs are starting their journey with two strikes against them. Assuming that the baggage handlers, or the TSA don’t steal your gear outright, you need to have a good travel bag to help your clubs reach your destination in playable condition. While neither is new for 2007, Ogio offers two products in the Travel Bags category.

The Straight Jacket is Ogio’s entry level travel bag. It’s reasonably compact, and light (7.25 lbs). The main compartment is fully padded, and large enough to hold tour and stand bags. It has internal cinch straps for securing the bag in place, and two outer pockets for storing your accessories. Finally, it’s got urethane wheels so you can roll it around instead of carrying it everywhere you need it to go.

The Monster, which hit the market in late May of last year, is Ogio’s top of the line travel bag. It’s constructed of ballistic nylon and tarpaulin. It’s designed to stand up to all the punishment the airlines can dish out, thanks in part to its SLED (that’s trademarked and stands for Structural Load Equalizing Deck Technology). It’s oversized wheels make it very easy to maneuver. It’s also incredibly stable, and won’t tip over. Like the Straight Jacket it has internal cinch straps. The interior of this bag is HUGE (I own one). It’s got 4 well-sized exterior pockets to store things like shoes, balls, and snacks. The one knock is that there isn’t any way to lock the external pockets down, so stuff it full at your own risk.

Stand Bags

While I’m not about to go over the 15 or so current Ogio bag models, I will introduce you to a couple of the real stars in their lineup. If dry weight is an issue for you, Ogio can outfit you with a bag in the 3.5 lbs range. They actually have several under 4lbs., but it’s in the 5-7 lbs. range where Ogio bags really stand out. Many feature the Torq Strap(TM) and twist cart strap (to keep your bag from turning sideways as it bounces around your cart), and the Lift Grip (TM) integrated trunk handle (which is just a fancy name for a little notch that makes it easier to get your bag in and out of your car.

If you’re in the market for a new stand bag, the Vision SS is the first bag you should look at. The 5.85 lbs. bag features a 9? Woode top. Basically the top is divided into 8 full length sections. This allows you to store your woods, hybrids, and putter in one of the 5 individual compartments and pile your irons and wedges into the 3 larger main sections. Among other features is the zipperless ball pouch (ZBP tm), which basically works like a clamshell. It provides easy access to your balls, without having to fuss with a zipper (I wish I could get some pants like that). It seems like a minor feature, but as someone who has left his bag unzipped only to find a dozen or two balls rolling around the back of his truck, the ZBP really makes a lot of sense. Additional features include 11 pockets (6 of them zippered). Among the pockets are a wet/dry storage area (for that which is wet and smelly), and a fleece-lined valuables pocket. It also has a Molded Ball Silo (holds three balls), for quick access to additional balls after you shank one into the woods or the drink.

The single biggest selling point for the Vision SS is the Shling Carrying System. The Shling provides an alternative to the more common carrying straps for your bag. It easily slips over the shoulders and provides an even distribution of bag weight. Any description I give you isn’t going to do it justice. I suggest you check out the video on the Ogio site. The one caveat to the Shling system is that it comes at a price. Expect a stand bag with the Shling system to retail for around $200.

The 6.3 lbs. Grom was Ogio’s best selling bag in each of the last two years. As they do with many of their bags, Ogio has given the Grom a few upgrades and sent it out for another round. Like the Vision SS, the Grom features the 9? Woode top. It also has the ZBP, Zippered Rain Hood, Molded Ball Silo, and 9 pockets (5 zippered). It features the more familiar triple triangle shoulder strap system. It also has a walking accessible water bottle holster, and an elastic umbrella containment system.

At 6.8 lbs., the Edge replaces the Exo in Ogio’s bag lineup. Like the Exo, it has external support bars, which provide more internal space. Ogio bills the Edge as a hybrid between a tricked-out stand bag, and a lightweight cart bag. It’s got the ZBP, a 9? woode top, the Ball Silo, a Crossbow shoulder strap system (I don’t know either), water bottle holster, 9 pockets (5 zippered); including an internal cell phone pocket and fleece-lined valuables pocket.

Cart Bags

As with their stand bags, Ogio has a variety of options available in the cart bag space. Two of them really stand out.

The Ogio Syncro at only 6.9 lbs is billed as having the look of a stand bag with the features of a full-cart friendly bag. It’s designed for use with both walking and electronic carts. The Syncro has many of the now familiar Ogio features. It has 10 pockets (9 zippered) including an internal wet/dry chamber, a hydration chamber with leak port, internal wallet and cell phone pockets, a scorecard/pencil pocket, a full length umbrella containment system, a fleece-lined valuables pocket, and a containment pocket for its strap. Like other Ogio bags it includes a Ball Silo (TM), Lift Grip (TM) handle, and a zippered rain hood. There is also an oversized elastic towel loop. Unfortunately (in my opinion anyway) the ball pouch is zippered. Instead of the 9? woode top found on Ogio stand bags, the Syncro utilizes a 10? Uniter (TM) 15 club top. The totally sweet Uniter top has 15 individual compartments for organizing your clubs.

The Syncro is also available in a ladies model called the Shadow.

A step up from the Syncro, at a manageable 9.5 lbs is the Ogio Atlas. The Atlas is fully loaded with the best features Ogio has to offer. Like the Syncro it has a 10? Uniter (TM) top. It also has the ZBP, Ball Silo(TM), Lift Grip(TM) and a Hoode (TM) Rain hood. The Hoode works much the same way as the ZBP. Basically it provides a zipperless hood for those days when the weather isn’t cooperating with your day on the links. Other features include a dedicated hydration pocket, a wet-dry pocket (for your smelly clothes), a cell phone pouch, a sunglasses pouch, and fleece-lined valuables pocket. All told there are 13 pockets (9 zippered). You won’t find this type of storage space in any other bag weighing less than 10 lbs.

Given that I ride just as often as I walk these days (I’m not proud), and my faithful Exo is starting to show some wear (and doesn’t have quite the storage and organizing capabilities that I would like), I may place an order for an Atlas within the next few days.

Share This Post