There are a lot of Sunday bags on the market these days, but none quite like the new Sunday Carry from Vessel Golf, which is probably best known for its larger hybrid and staff bags more than anything else.
That’s not to say Vessel doesn’t make a great carry bag. I still consider the VSL stand bag one of the finest carry bags I’ve ever tried.
But the Sunday Carry ($199), which weighs just 2.3 pounds, is as minimalist as it gets. And it all starts with the initial presentation. Folded into itself, it actually looks like a small shoe carrier.
But unzip it, unfold it, and put in a small rod to give the upper part of the bag a little structure, and voila, you have a golf bag.
Incredibly, this bag that’s constructed from durable 420D performance polyester with genuine leather accents and has just one divider, can actually hold up to 14 clubs. But if you were to do that, I think you’d be missing the point. That’s where I’d go back to a bag like the VSL, which as one of the best golf bags around is going to do a much better job of carrying a full complement of clubs.
Instead, I think this bag is best suited for playing pitch and putts, working on your short game, or perhaps going to the range. Just remember, though, without a stand, this bag is going to lay on the ground, which might not appeal to everyone, but hey, that’s how they did it in the old days.
Where I loved it was on a par-3 course, where I could just take a putter, a couple of wedges and an 8- and 9-iron. Loaded with a few clubs and a few balls, the whole package weighed less than six pounds, and it was super easy to carry.
The Vessel Sunday Carry has just two pockets. The upper lined pocket is designed for valuables like keys, wallet, and cell phone. In the lower, larger pocket you can place a few balls, and perhaps even a couple of other items like an extra glove or rangefinder or GPS device. The bag also comes with a single padded strap, which is more than adequate for its minimalist purpose.
Folding the bag back into itself is a little more difficult than unfolding it, but once I did it, I realized it wasn’t so hard. I can’t imagine any golfers would use the Vessel Sunday Carry as their primary bag, and many not even their second bag. So without a doubt, I think being able to fold this for compact storage is the most endearing trait of the Sunday Carry.
On a side note, when the bag is in storage mode looking like a shoe carrier, or when you look inside the lower picket, there’s a number above the logo and a message that declares among other things, that “You are a Vessel. Filled with Purpose.”
I thought it might be a unique serial number, but instead it correlates with the number of school backpacks donated by Vessel to kids in need. In the case of this particular Vessel, that number is up to 764,603.
