Ping Hoofer 14 – Golf Bag Review

Below I’m going to cover the latest and greatest version, the Ping Hoofer 14.

A Close Look At The Ping Hoofer 14

Why is it called “14”? Simply, it has 14 slots, one for each club. Ping also has a standard 5 slot version that I’ve always used in the past. I never really liked how the clubs got crossed over in my old bags, so thought I would give this one a try.

Best Features

This is really a stunning piece of engineering, so the best features section is going to be rather long. They include:

1. Massive upgrade on top “jug handle” to put bag down and pick it up. For me personally, that was the biggest usability upgrade from shot-to-shot, and well worth the upgrade alone
2. Highly upgraded pocket systems, with slots for almost every need from sharpie balls markers to yardage books and more…
3. Waterproof pocket (a major upgrade on old model, which had a waterproof zipper but was not as high-tech as the current one)
4. Key-chain / rangefinder clip in main pocket
5. Several Velcro areas to put your glove while not in use / drying out between shots in humid / wet climates
6. Easily detachable and adjustable carrying straps for cart or trolley use, to make the bag much more slick in appearance or have them dangling in the mud while on a push trolley [which are highly used in many countries outside of America]
7. Dedicated rain cover slot that also doubles as back padding while carrying
8. Slot for a cart strap to go between pockets and bag, to be more secure and not crush your valuables pocket

And the list could very well go on! Needless to say I’m impressed….

Downsides

However, with all the above mentioned, there were a couple of downsides:

1. Only 14 slots, which makes it hard to carry more clubs if on a practice round, for example, scoping a course for tournaments, or want to have some practice training aids. The top slots can accommodate more than one club, but again a bit of a squeeze. For some this might never be an issue, and will generally not be for me either
2. The main larger pocket is smaller than on old versions, so if playing in colder / wetter climates storage might become a problem if looking to stash full rain gear, sweater, some snacks, etc…
3. The water bottle pouch was a little shallow and larger bottle may not be too secure

All of these are in my opinion quite minor, but worth mentioning.

Final Thoughts On The Golf Bag

In the six years since I last bought / used a Ping Hoofer bag, it’s really come on quantum leaps [which is impressive as for as long as I can remember the Hoofer line has been the defacto standard for the best carry bags].

There has been great attention to detail paid, and most if not all of the “wants” I had while playing in college / pro have been answered in this bag. From the pocket organization systems, to the rain cover pocket and cart strap slots, it’s all top notch stuff!

On that note, hopefully I can rekindle some of the old form and go low this summer!