Welcome to I Tried It, a GOLF.com series about golf items — apparel, gear, accessories, etc. — that we’ve recently taken out for a spin. We’re here to give our honest, no-frills takes on the latest and greatest golf or golf-adjacent items. So, scroll down to read about what we love about golf’s newest (or new to us) products.
I’m not on the road much for golf these days, but when a trip emerged on the horizon that involved crossing state lines by plane, I was forced to acknowledge the fact that my 15-year-old travel bag was probably ready for retirement.
So which bag would be next for me? My husband is a Club Glove devotee, but I was in the market for something a little less expensive, reason being that I really just needed a vessel to shepherd my clubs safely a couple of times per year, max. As any traveling golfer knows, travel bag prices vary greatly, from $450 or so on the high end to less than $100 on the ultra-inexpensive end. I decided to split the difference somewhere, opting to try the Ogio Alpha, which retails for $249.99.
OGIO ALPHA Mid Golf Travel Cover
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The Alpha delivers exactly what you expect from a golf travel bag: durable, heavy-duty outer material and easy-rolling wheels. At first glance, it appears pretty basic, but its standard appearance masks a number of useful features.
First, the outer zippers are equipped with handy string-tie pulls and travel more than 180 degrees around the bag, so it’s easy to place your clubs in when it’s fully opened. There’s an internal buckle that loops around your bag to keep it in place, and the clubheads are cushioned by a layer of padding that surrounds the top third of the bag, with enough room to add a stiff arm for additional protection if desired.
There’s one zippered external pocket that is deep enough to accommodate a pair of golf shoes or other accessories, and the outer bag buckles are equipped with handy, heavy-duty handles to make it easy to lift the bag horizontally after pulling.
My carry bag is steamlined in terms of size, so once it was strapped in, there was plenty of room around it for additional essentials. The Alpha is large enough to fit both standard-size carry bags and cart bags.
The bag’s best feature, though, in my opinion, is the ease of storage when it’s not in use. The Alpha folds down to the size of a duffel bag in a few quick steps, and even comes with an additional buckle to secure it snugly in that compact, folded position.
