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Ladies Golf Bag: Stand, Cart or Pencil, and How to Choose the Right One

A ladies golf bag is mostly the same thing as any other golf bag, made lighter, a little shorter in places and in a wider range of colours. What matters far more than the label is how you get round the course: whether you carry, push a trolley or ride in a buggy, and how many clubs you actually play with. Pick the wrong type and you either haul an extra kilo up every hill or fight a bag that keeps twisting on the trolley. This page explains the main types, the weights to look for, the features worth paying for, and how to match a bag to the way you play at a parkland course like Lullingstone Park.

Is a ladies golf bag actually different?

Often only slightly. Brands make women's versions of their best-selling bags with a lighter build, softer strap padding and different colourways, and sometimes a slightly shorter body or strap. A good example is Sun Mountain's women's 2.5+ stand bag, which weighs 2.9lb (about 1.3kg). Sun Mountain makes it the same length as the men's model, because the bag balances better on the legs when it is loaded with clubs.

That last point is the useful one. Women's clubs are usually made a little shorter than men's standard length, but a shorter bag is not automatically better. What you want is a bag where the grips sit at a comfortable height when it is on your back or on a trolley, and where the stand legs are stable with your full set in it. Plenty of women play with a unisex bag for that reason, and there is no rule that says you should not.

The four types, and who each suits

Our general golf bags guide covers these types in more detail and gives typical empty weights for each.

If you carry: stand bags and weight

Carrying is where the weight of the bag really counts. A full set, a dozen balls, water, a waterproof jacket and an umbrella add up quickly, and you lift the bag dozens of times in a round. Every few hundred grams saved on the bag itself is weight you do not have to carry for four hours.

• Look for double straps that spread the load across both shoulders, with padding that sits flat rather than digging in at the neck.
• Check the stand mechanism by loading the bag in the shop. The legs should open fully as you put it down and the bag should not tip with the driver in it.
• Fewer dividers is lighter. A 4 or 5-way top is lighter and simpler than a 14-way top; full-length dividers stop grips tangling but add a little weight.
• Carry fewer clubs. The rules allow up to 14, not a minimum. Our page on how many clubs to carry explains which ones beginners and higher handicappers can leave at home.

If you use a trolley or buggy: cart bags

A cart bag is built to sit on a trolley all round. The features that make it better than a stand bag on wheels are easy to check in the shop:

• A non-twist or locking base that sits in the trolley's lower cradle and stops the bag rotating as you walk.
• Pockets that face forward when the bag is on the trolley, so you are not reaching round the back for a glove or a tee.
• A strap channel through the top, so the trolley strap does not block the club slots.
• A 14-way top with full-length dividers, so every club comes out cleanly.
• A dedicated waterproof pocket and an umbrella holder, because a winter round in Kent will test both. Our page on golf umbrellas covers what survives a windy day.

If you do not own a trolley, Lullingstone Park offers hire; see buggy and trolley hire before you decide you need a cart bag at all.

Pencil bags for half sets and nine holes

A pencil or Sunday bag holds about seven or eight clubs and weighs very little. It is a good first bag for a beginner with a half set, and an easy option for a quick nine holes after work. The 9-hole Valley course at Lullingstone Park suits one well, since the round is shorter and a few clubs cover every shot. Our Valley course guide shows what you will need.

Features worth paying for, and ones you can skip

Worth it: a genuinely waterproof bag if you play through the winter, comfortable straps if you carry, a rain hood that clips on easily, a cooler or insulated pocket for summer, and a valuables pocket lined to protect a phone.

Usually not worth extra money: a large number of pockets you will never use, a heavy tour-style build, and matching accessories. A bag with a few well-placed pockets is lighter and easier to live with than one with fifteen.

Colour is not trivial, either. A pale bag shows mud more, while a dark one hides it; a bright colour is easier to spot on a crowded rack outside the clubhouse.

Buying a bag with a set

Many women start with a package set: a full or half set of women's clubs sold with a matching bag. These can be good value, and the bag is designed for the clubs in the box. Check that it is the right type for how you play, because package sets often include a stand bag even if you would rather use a trolley. If you are just starting out, our page on what clubs a beginner needs explains which clubs to prioritise.

A quick checklist in the shop

1. Decide first: carry, trolley or both.
2. Put your own clubs, or a similar set, in the bag and pick it up.
3. For a stand bag, put it down on its legs on a slight slope and check it stays put.
4. For a cart bag, ask to try it on a trolley like yours and check that it does not twist.
5. Open every pocket with a glove on, which is how you will use them on the course.
6. Check the weight on the label; compare like with like across brands.

For course information, green fees and tee times, start at the Lullingstone Park Golf home page.