From muni's to country clubs, there's an unspoken bond between the men and women that carry their own bags on their back. These golfers prefer to feel the terrain beneath their feet and the chance to experience the golf course as it is intended. They are "ready golfers" and opponents to slow play.They are grateful because they are physically capable of hoofing it for 4.5 hours. There is a sense of pride in the purity of walking 18 holes unassisted. I imagine it similar to the pride of a hunter that pursues his prey with nothing but a bow and arrow.These golfers are so intimate with their clubs that they need their equipment to perform on all levels.

I am one of these proud walking golfers. With the new year, I decided to get a new quiver for my sticks to make hunting birdies and eagles more enjoyable. If you're one of these golfers, I'll tell you why you should seriously consider adding the Sun Mountain Mini Bag to your arsenal. I emphasize that this bag is for walkers only!

I couldn't find many consumer reviews for this bag and was skeptical when I ordered the black, silver and orange (bay area colors) bag onlilne. I had the same sense of anxiety that I had the first time I lost my eBay virginity and the anxiety didn't melt until I made my first loop with the bag. I'm usually a bit sore and struggling from exhaustion as I come down the stretch, but after my first loop with SM Mini I was still fresh enough to let the satisfaction of a quality purchase sink in.

Out of the box, this bag doesn't seem like much, and at 2.5 pounds it really isn't.  Once you put clubs in the bag it all makes sense. Organized neatly, fourteen clubs fit comfortably and can be removed easily. Minimizing haste on the golf course keeps your clubs organized, retrievable, and encourages a level demeanor. My only complaint with the club storage is the "X" design of the club dividers. This causes the long and mid irons to bunch, but is one of the few compromises required. The bag feels like a feather when it's on your back and the straps are comfortable, effective, and resistant to twisting. There's enough room in the four pockets to carry the essentials, yet the ball pocket struggles from a lack of dual zippers. A water bottle pocket is perfectly placed above the ball pocket, easily reachable when carrying the bag. The stand mechanism is sturdy, with easily extendable and fully retractable legs. Overall, this bag is characterized by its efficient, minimal, and intelligent design. It's a no frills bag, but Sun Mountain, as always, brings quality, style, and balance to a hard-to-serve demographic.

I played Poppy Hills (in great condition with the arrival of the AT&T ProAm) on Saturday and put the bag through the paces for a full test drive. It worked flawlessly through the hills and it made the front nine very enjoyable. I noticed that such a compact bag holds the clubs closely, turns the volume down on the bag chatter and keeps those forgings from prematurely aging. We made the turn into torrential rain and it stayed that way for the rest of the round. Lucky for me, I brought the matching rain hood and it kept everything dry and playable (Thanks Sun Mountain for making the extra effort to craft some matching hoods instead of just tossing us some black ones. Little things like this make a difference and we notice). Even soaked with rain, this bag remained manageable and light. I was impressed.

I'm not sure why some people need a bag with a zillion pockets and flashy designs. I much prefer the Sun Mountain Mini and I'm gonna love this bag for what it is and not hate it for what it's not. Make compromises to your bag so you won't compromise your game.