When it comes to the best golf stand bags on the market, users are truly spoilt for choice, with multiple brands producing their very own models in a bid to capture the attention of the golfer. One of those companies is Cobra, a brand that is well-established on both the professional and amateur circuit.
Having previously tested the Cobra Ultralight stand bag, we can easily conclude that they know a thing or two about making a premium product, with their most recent offering being the Ultradry Pro, a model that provides waterproof protection and a lightweight feel for when you're out on the golf course.
We start with the biggest standout feature which, rather ideally, is the waterproofness of this golf bag. Playing around Essendon Country Club, in what at times was near course closure type rain, the Ultradry Pro kept all of my clubs and personal items bone-dry. Even the scorecard that was kept in the golf ball holder didn't have a drop of water on it!
I have all the confidence in the world saying that this is one of the best waterproof golf bags on the market, especially in the stand bag category. The protection comes from seam sealed zippered pockets and, rather kindly, Cobra have included a waterproof rain hood that dashes water away from your club heads and shafts.
Like some of the best Titleist golf bags and best Ping golf bags, we see Cobra implementing a five-way top and divider, something which worked really well out on the course as I found there to be no club tangling whatsoever. This also allowed me to slide my golf clubs in and out very freely without the need to rearrange the whole bag itself.
The final aspect of the Ultradry Pro that I was very impressed with was the straps. Not only were they well-padded and meant for easy carrying, something which was easy anyway as the bag only weight 4.5 pounds, but the Swivel Strap worked superbly throughout the round.
You may wonder what the Swivel Strap does? Well, thanks to a well-positioned shoulder clip, it allows the bag to swivel and move whilst you're walking the course. Essentially, as you put the bag on, it will move to the adjusted height, something which worked really well on sidehill and undulating lies and walks.
Although there are a lot of positives to this bag, there are one or two downsides, one of which is the pocket layout. There are six pockets to choose from on the UltraDry Pro which, although sufficient, aren't necessarily practical, with the largest pocket quite difficult to access, especially when there's a large bottle of water, or a pair of waterproofs in it.
Above the large pocket, there is a smaller one which, it seems, is only there to hold the waterproof top that goes over the clubs, although you could use it for other necessities if needs be. However, it makes me think that one large pocket would have been better than two smaller ones.
The only other criticism is the legs of the bag, which didn't fully retract up when they were on my shoulders. This, though, is only a slight moan because they didn't actually affect the carry performance, i.e. they didn't bang the back of my legs when walking. Also, on a positive note, the Ultradry Pro sat perfectly on a trolley and at no point twisted.
Overall then, the Cobra Ultradry Pro is a great performer out on the golf course and one of the best lightweight golf bags on the market. It has a lot going for it, such as the waterproof protection and shoulder strap system, but it could do with slightly bigger and more easily accessible pockets.
