Not every category-leading player in the golf industry is located in Carlsbad, California, where you’ll find Callaway, TaylorMade, Cobra-Puma, and Titleist’s West Coast operations.

Take for example, Sun Mountain – located in the Montana town of Missoula, a popular destination for skiers, fly fisherman, and adventure seekers. It’s not the first place that falls off the tongue when talking about places to play golf.

But if you look at any quality outdoor product (backpacks, etc.) you will see a certain design sensibility that’s built into all Sun Mountain products, particularly their amazing golf bags.

The holster for the Zero-G strap

First and foremost, they are practical. They also have pioneered the lightweight category – we walkers aren’t worried about climbing Mt. Everest with our clubs but we would prefer a 3 pound bag over one that is loaded with unnecessary frills. So let’s take a look at one of the staples of the Sun Mountain product line, and one which I’m carrying now.

First off, I won't walk you through every pocket, let's just say that like driving a rental car, I rate a new golf product by how easy it is to find everything and how conveniently it's located. Sun Mountain bags always fit the bill here, from the tee and valuables pouches up top, to a large zippered pocket on the side and three pocket system at the bottom that includes a handy water bottle sleeve. The dividers are well made, and leave plenty of room for a full set of clubs. Colors, stitching, and design are modern but not overwhelming. (I went with the black and red to match my leather headcovers.)

And you just get the feeling that the bag is made to last. From the zippers, to the material of the bag itself, and the cart-friendly bottom made of a heavy duty molded plastic. Even the stand seems sturdy, with tie-down straps for when you're putting it in a travel bag for those airplane rides.

The "Zero-G" model adds an additional strap that takes the concept of double strap golf bags to a new ergonomic level, resulting in a bag that not only sits evenly on your shoulders, but now feels nearly weightless.

That's because Sun Mountain has added a cushioned hip belt that transfers the majority of the weight from the shoulders to the hips -- resulting in a more upright posture and reduced upper body fatigue. The strap slides into the holster (shown on the right) when not in use.

I'll leave it to Steve Snyders of Sun Mountain to show you how it all works. Check out the video below to learn all there is to know about this proven design.

It definitely gets AmateurGolf.com's thumbs-up!

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