It seems even the best lightweight golf bag designs always have some trade-off in pursuit of an elusive featherweight build. Whether that's getting rid of a full-length apparel pocket like on the Ping Moonlander, getting a little crowded with all 14 clubs like on the Vessel Sunday III, or not having premium touches like magnetic pockets like on the Ogio Featherlite, it always feels like golfers have to give up something in favour of that lightweight, comfortable carry bag.
It appears the designers at Sun Mountain have noticed this and set about creating a bag with no compromise. After a few months of testing, I'm pleased to report the new Eclipse 1.5 is the sort of 'have your cake and eat it' stand bag that keen walking golfers have all been waiting for.
The Eclipse 1.5, as the name nearly alludes to, is just 1.65kg (3.5lbs), ascending it to the very top of the table in terms of a lightweight build. But, it's not a small bag. Far bigger than the best Sunday bags but only a fraction heavier, it has a full-length apparel pocket, a quick-access magnetic front pocket (one that I've used for my rangefinder) and a deep front ball pocket. These are just three of the seven in total, offering more than enough storage even for the least frugal walking golfer.
The TaylorMade FlexTech Superlite is very similar in terms of weight, but doesn't come anywhere near it from a style and practicality point of view. The Eclipse 1.5 utilises a very smart and highly durable Cordura nylon ripstop fabric that adds a rugged feel and look to the smart overall profile. Thin though the material is, once you get a feel for it you get a real sense of durability.
The minimalism of the overall design is a huge plus point for me too. Very little branding can be found on the bag, and the black colourway I was testing it in allows for things like your favourite headcover and towel to really sing against the black, clean design.
One thing it is missing is a cooler pocket. There is space for a water bottle, thankfully - and it's easy to access on the move too - but not a dedicated cooler pocket like you get in some of the other best stand bags on the market.
The straps and hip pad are extremely comfortable, offering sweet relief to shoulders and lower backs as you get toward the end of walking 18 holes. The same material is used on the 4-way divider, which protects from any nasty shaft rub or wear very effectively.
The divider can comfortably fit all 14 of my clubs, including my large putter grip, without any crowding. I can imagine a full set of jumbo grips may struggle in this bag, but midsize and thinner will have plenty of space in this bag.
The only issue I had was with the deployment of the legs after a month or so of regular use. There's a little plastic piece (the official name of which I don't know, but I'll picture it above. This has tended to drift up and down the leg support, thus causing the legs to twist when deployed. It's easily pushed back into position with a little bit of elbow grease applied and was the only real hiccup I found from a wear-and-tear point of view.
You can really tell this bag was designed with the keen walking golfer in mind. Built as lightweight as a bag of this size can reasonably be with all the storage you need, I couldn't recommend this bag more, and it is easily the best in this subcategory of stand bags I've tested in recent years.
