If you’re doing your research into how much a golf bag weighs, you’re most likely wondering whether to continue carrying your clubs or invest in a trolley to take the strain off your back. Either that or you’re considering a career in caddying and you want to know whether you’re up to the task of carrying a Tour-style bag with 14 clubs and a great number of accessories, such as waterproofs, mid layers, a rangefinder, spare shoes, food and drink.
Let’s start at the light end of the scale. The lightest golf bags on the market weigh as little as 1.5kg (3.3lb). Some, such as the TaylorMade FlexTech SuperLite golf stand bag, even weigh a fraction less – this particular model coming in at just 1.4kg (3lb). For comparison, a bottle of wine typically weighs the same amount, as does a standard bag of flour from the supermarket. So, golf bags can be very light.
Of course, they become heavier when you start to cram them with gear – and some of us do like to carry rather a lot. Let's do some quick maths (weights are approximate).
These workings are on the conservative side. Let's say you're a caddie. Tour bags weigh in the region of 4kg (8.8lb). The chances are your boss is going to want you to pack a few more items than what the weekend golfer would typically need – perhaps more food and drink and one or two extra items of clothing. So, at the heavy end of the scale, a golf bag might weigh as much as 15kg (33lb).
Factor in that you might walk as far as six miles (not far off 10km) during a round of golf, and no one can say golf isn't a good form of exercise, even if you 'cheat' by using an electric trolley to carry all your gear.