I’ve had the Sunday Golf El Camino Golf Bag in play for awhile now. I really dig the concept of Sunday golf bags, which typically are very small, light, and hold less clubs than a standard bag.
Are 14 clubs really necessary?
Let me tell you a little story. For 578 long decades I was the president of my local men’s golf association. In human years that’s seven. I was in charge of arranging tournaments, scoring, activities and all that goes along with being the club president. Yeah I fielded calls at 3am from disgruntled players wondering why their birdie on #13 didn’t win a skin. It’s really fun to explain to some bonehead at 3am how an eagle beats a birdie. I digress.
One of the tournaments I put on every year was the “4-club” tournament. In that tournament each competitor could use any 4 clubs they wanted from their bag. I’d usually go 3W, 7i, PW, putter or something close to that. Over the years of putting on the 4-club tourney I noticed something very interesting. The scores didn’t change! What? Yes. The score players turned in with four clubs were the same average scores they shot with 14. It was then that I realized that having 14 clubs, including four wedges might not be as critical to my game as I thought.
Back to Sunday
So I’ve had a few Sunday bags in my years of golfing and blogging about golf. I love to walk and carry and a Sunday bag is the best option by far. Now let’s talk about the El Camino.
El Camino
The El Camino is well designed and thought out. Obviously not just slapped together by someone who doesn’t play golf. I can super-easily fit eight clubs in the bag and I’ve squeezed 12 in there in a pinch. I prefer eight when using the El Camino. Driver, hybrid, a few irons, couple of wedges, putter.
Getting clubs out and putting them in is a breeze. There are four compartments for arranging the clubs.
The pockets on the El Camino are huge, especially considering the small footprint of the bag. I can easily fit in a bunch of extra balls, accessories, rain gear, a towel, some snacks, and even a couple of…. “frosty beverages.”
The stand portion of the bag is solid. It provides a great base and deploys and tucks away without a thought. It’s natural to pick up the bag and just throw it over your shoulder without thinking about the stand.
Looks
Aesthetics are a big deal and the El Camino nails them.
The El Camino is super sharp looking. Clean lines, great color scheme (I dig grays).
Colors
The El Camino is available in eight colors, including a camo style. My color is Heather Grey.
Final Thoughts
Walking is no doubt the best way to experience golf. Walk the course with the El Camino.
While you’re at it, rethink your club strategy. You may be carrying too many clubs and not using your brain and creativity to create shots with the clubs you do have.
Great Gift Idea
Father’s Day, Christmas, Holidays, tournament prizes… All great reasons to pick up an El Camino! They’re around $200 on the Sunday Golf website.
Filed under: “How’d they know I needed a new wallet?”
In for review is a fun box with a couple of nice leather pieces from Robert Graham Clubhouse Collection. Inside is wallet with card guard RFID protection, and a fun tee holder with some very cool golf tees included.
The Box: (It’s all about the presentation!)
What’s Inside
The Wallet
My current wallet is falling apart! The timing of this product submission is perfecto! I’ll be putting the wallet into play immediately and posting a full review after I’ve beat it up for awhile.
Initial Impressions
I like the quality and the styling. The color scheme of the inner art is nice. This wallet is a little bigger than my previous, but I need more space to carry all the cash I win on the golf course.
BOOOM!
Stay tuned for my full review. Until then I’d consider these items as potential Christmas (“Holiday” for you politically correct folks) gift items!
Cool golf gear alert! I’ve been testing out the new Bushnell Phantom 2 Golf GPS for a few weeks. Thrilled to have it, as my original Bushnell Phantom was lost/stolen. I’ll cover that more in a minute. First. let’s take a look at the Phantom 2.
Features
The Phantom 2 provides GPS data for over 38,000 golf courses around the globe. I haven’t visited a course yet with either my original Phantom or the Phantom 2 that didn’t pop right up on the courses list (below).
The data includes front, center and back yardages. Knowing something other than center is strategically beneficial so one can choose the appropriate shot in terms of risk, carry, and optimal distance.
The yardages (pictured below) are shown in very large, easy-to-read numbers. Even if the unit is on your bag or golf cart several feet away the yardages are easy to read.
The unit automatically detects when the golfer moves to the next hole and advances the data to that hole. Of course, the user can manually control which hole he is on in the event of some…. “errant” shots.
The unit is pocket sized, small and light. It’s easy to carry in a pocket, but also comes with a clip for clipping it onto a bag or a belt. The clip features a loop so the unit can be attached to a golf bag with a carabiner. The back features a strong magnet to stick it to the supports of a golf cart. Pay close attention to where you put it.*
Each golf hole can have up to six hazard/layup distances per hole. This is extremely useful information, especially for that first time on a course when the player is unsure what to hit and how far the hazards and carries are.
The green-view screen is very informative and useful. It shows the shape of the green and allows the user to cycle through the different pin placements, showing the yardage for each pin placement. This is vital information which will help the player choose the right club and avoid missing greens and/or three-putts.
The player can track each shot, including putts. Below I’ve 2-putted the 17th.
The unit doesn’t just count up shots, it also tracks shot direction and distance so the user can analyze the round later and use that recon for improvement. Knowing what to work on is fantastic. Missing a bunch of fairways to the left? AIM RIGHT! LOL.
The internal battery lasts up to 18 hours, perfect for those summer solstice day-long marathons! The battery is charged via USB-C. Nice that it isn’t an odd and hard to find proprietary cable.
Lastly, the unit features a cool gray camo look.
Final Thoughts
The features packed into an affordable $129.00 retail price for the Phantom 2 are many. Yardages are quick and convenient, as is shot tracking. Play with confidence in your choices, knowing the proper distances, hazards, and pin placements.
*Beware of attaching the unit to a golf cart! I used my original Phantom this way until the day I forgot to take it off the cart. Despite the fact that I’d played the fanciest private club in town, by the time I realized I’d left the unit on the card and ran back to the clubhouse, the Phantom was gone.
I get so many useless golf gadgets in for review that it’s a big deal when I receive an actual useful one! Well here’s the big deal, the HandiMagnet. HandiMagnet is a small golf accessory which an incredibly strong magnet on one end, and a multi-function clamp on the other.
Glove/Towel/Paper
The first clamp, seen lower right on the image above, is for gloves, towels, or even papers like scorecards or pin sheets. Simply attach the super magnet to your push cart or golf cart frame, then hang the glove/towel/paper from the other. The accessory airing out and drying sweaty gloves. Take the glove off and hang it on the HandiMagnet while driving the cart or pushing a trolley down the fairway and let the glove air out in the sun and wind.
I’ve used the clamp to hang a pin sheet and have it right up in front of my face on a golf cart. Super convenient.
Cigar Holder
I’ve been known to enjoy a few stogies on the golf course. One pain when golfing is finding a place to put that cigar. With the 2nd mount (middle of first photo above) one can make any metal object an instant cigar holder. Below my 4-iron has been converted from a club that’s hard to hit, to a club that provides me convenient access to my Romeo Y Julieta.
Bonus Function – Club Loft Checker
An old golf trick to help a player understand the launch angle of a club is to stick a golf tee on the face of the club. The tee points to the angle of the shot. A golfer can use that in practice or on the course (against the rules) to see if a shot will clear an obstacle like a tree. Sometimes golfers will use some chewing gum to stick the tee to the club.
A bonus with the HandiMagnet is this unit can be used as an easy loft checker. The magnet is so strong it will not come off even during a full swing. I tried it and couldn’t get it to budge.
Final Thoughts
Father’s Day is coming up quick! HandiMagnet is a super choice for dad, at a mere $13.99. Get one for dad and one for yourself and still have enough money left over to buy a frosty beverage at the cafe after your next round.
Golf is expensive on just about every front, from green fees to apparel to equipment. Golf clubs are getting crazy costly. $400, $500+ for a driver! Iron sets regularly top $1000. Most fairways and hybrids fetch in the $200 range. Wedges are often $100 and up. Equipping a first time golfer with all new gear could like this could run thousands.
I don’t recommend beginner and/or golfers with low budgets buy expensive new clubs at first. I often point people who inquire about budget golf clubs to the used bin or the classified section. There can be some great deals on clubs there. Clubs which have many good shots left in them.
Until Lynx Golf reached out to me to review the Power Tune complete set, I had no idea I could point golfers with these budgetary needs to a brand spanking new set which includes wedges, putter and even a nice cart bag! Price? Under $175. That’s insane. Check it out.
Included
- 460cc titanium driver
- 3-Fairway Metalwood
- 4-Hybrid
- Irons, 5-iron through sand wedge
- Mallet Putter
- Cart Bag with five pockets, umbrella holder, towel clip, carrying strap
- Uniflex graphite shafts, ideal launch characteristics for the target golfer
- Black rubber compound Lynx grips
Driver
460cc’s is the max allowable driver size. This 460cc driver is made of high strength titanium and has a 10.5 degree loft.
A decal on the top of the driver helps the golfer with ball position/alignment.
Fairway
The fairway metalwood features 15 degrees of loft, making it a standard 3-metal. This club is made from premium stainless steel and has the same alignment marking as the driver.
4-Hybrid
It’s great that the set comes with a 4-hybrid, rather than a 3 and/or 4-iron. 3 & 4-irons are very hard to hit. Hybrids are far easier and launch the ball much higher.
Irons
The irons are forgiving and lightweight.
The head design and weighting helps golfers get the ball launched higher and easier.
Sand Wedge
It’s cool that this set comes with a sand wedge. Most sets like this don’t come with one.
This wedge is a modern design with the proper bounce to help golfers get the ball out of the sand more easily. The sand wedge in this set will also be a good short game club for anything under around 100 yards.
Putter
The included putter is a solid feeling mallet style putter.
The putter swings smoothly and consistently, and includes alignment lines, dot, and visuals to help the golfer setup properly.
Critiques
The one missing item with this set is a putter cover.
Golf Bag
The cart bag is lightweight and water resistant.
There are five pockets, two which are large pockets for apparel. The three smaller pockets are good for accessories, golf balls, and personal items. The bag includes an umbrella holder, towel clip and a cart friendly strap system.
Final Thoughts
This package is available exclusively on WalMart.com. It’s only $174.99. That’s an amazingly affordable price for what is included. What a great way to get someone started, or replace an old set. Father’s Day is coming up soon and you could hook dad up with an entire new golf rig for less than half of the cost of a $400 driver!
1
2
3
…
8
Next »
HOGWire – Golf Industry News
