Golf bags are an essential accessory in that they hold and protect your clubs, shoes, tees, balls, and other accessories. Aside from the practical element of a golf bag, you can make a fashion statement on the course, displaying your own personal style.

To address the practical side; before choosing your next golf bag, you should take a moment and consider how you like to play your game. Do you like to walk? Ride? Carry a lot of essentials? You'll be thankful that you took the time to discover which type of golf bag you really need.

There are many benefits to walking the golf course, not the least of which is the ability to better enjoy the natural surroundings of a beautiful course. Walking of course also provides you with the benefit of the physical exercise as well. Some gofers find that it's easier to concentrate on the game since you can walk directly to your ball rather than riding around looking for the landing spot of your partner's last slice.

There are many lightweight walking bags available that allow you to take along just the essentials such as your clubs, tees, a few balls, towel, extra glove, energy bar, and perhaps a bottle of water. Keep in mind that you'll be carrying your bag for a three to five hour stretch. Carrying a bag that's too heavy can exhaust your energy which can have an adverse effect on your game, and make it much less enjoyable.

When choosing a walking bag it's important to make sure that the shoulder straps are well padded and comfortable.

A walking bag with a fold out stand is important for a couple of reasons; first your clubs aren't lying on the ground which may be damp or wet; second, while the bag is standing it's easier to view all of your clubs when making the club selection for your next shot.

Walking bags can be used on a riding cart however they typically don't fit as securely in a cart as a cart bag. This can result in your clubs falling off the cart and becoming damaged.

A riding cart provides its own set of benefits:

• Riding is a more social way of playing golf since you are with your partner during the entire round and are better able to share your victories during the round.
• It is usually a quicker way to play as well.

Cart bags are not designed to carry comfortably on the golf course. Since weight is not a factor hey typically provide several compartments which allow you to carry a lot of stuff, and help to keep your belongings organized so you can find what you need quickly.

When choosing a cart bag there are some features to look for that will help to better protect your clubs:

• If your club shafts are graphite, you'll want to make sure there is proper padding on the golf club dividers, and that the dividers extend to the full length of the bag to prevent the shafts from hitting each other in the bag.
• You need to be less concerned if you use steel shafts but it's still a good idea to make sure that your club heads aren't hitting each other while bouncing around in the bag.
• The best way to protect against this is to have separate club shafts in the bag and take the extra precaution with club head covers. This is particularly important for your driver and metal woods.
• A quality cart bag will be sturdy enough to securely stand up on its base without falling over, and will fit securely into the riding cart bag holder so it won't tip over and fall out.

Cart bags will also fit securely into a power walking cart. These are similar to a golf pull cart but they are under their own power. Some of the more expensive models provide a remote operation which allows you to remotely drive your power walking cart. This can be a viable option for the golfer who likes to walk, but needs to carry lots of stuff during the round.

• Golf balls
• Golf shoes
• Range distance finder
• Golf Tees
• Gloves
• Towel
• Golf umbrella
• Rain suit
• Sunglasses
• Golf hat or visor
• Divot tool
• Coins
• Extra pencils
• Insect repellant
• First aid kit
• Bug bite medication
• Sunscreen
• Energy bar, fruit, or other snack.
• Beverages

Unlike some of your other golf equipment, the technology of a golf bag won't do much to improve your golf game. Choosing the right one however can give you piece of mind that your clubs are well protected and can go a long way toward enhancing the enjoyment of your round.