(Image credit: Future)

Golf Monthly Verdict

A spacious travel bag that’s been well laid out and that’s easy to manoeuvre. We loved the range of color and style options that for the most part will help you stand out from the crowd

Reasons to buy

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Enough space to store everything you’ll need
+
Eye-catching styling
+
Easy to manoeuvre

Reasons to avoid

-
Will be too bulky for those who want to travel light

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By Neil Tappin

published 8 March 2023

When it comes to travel, the sheer scope of gear golfers require makes good luggage imperative. From the various outfits to shoes and the best golf waterproofs, a ‘normal’ sized suitcase can fill up pretty quickly. Taking with you a flimsy bag that isn’t big enough to carry everything you need is the mistake all golfers need to avoid.

First and foremost, Ogio’s Rig 9800 travel bag is big enough to hold everything you’ll need for an extended period of travel. In cubic inches this comes in at 7500. What this means in real life is enough storage for more than one pair of shoes and a mix of different outfits.

I recently took this bag on a golfing trip to Orlando and was pleased that, despite the size of the luggage, it was very easy to manoeuvre. The large, heady duty wheels and telescoping pull handle both work well to ensure you aren’t endlessly fighting with your bag as you make your way through the airport. What’s more, I filled this bag for my trip to Florida and the weight remained under the baggage allowance.

If you use this with one of the best golf travel bags for your clubs, you'll have ample storage room, even for an extended trip away.

Inside, the Ogio Rig 9800 has been cleverly laid out. The main compartment is huge but there’s an adjustable divider and a padded helmet compartment. Having no need for a helmet, I used this part of the bag to store the things that required more padding around them - very handy.

There are enough pockets to divide your things without there being too many and making it hard to find your things once you’ve finished travelling. Being able, for instance, to divide out shirts or golf trousers and keep them relatively flat and crease-free is one of the benefits of having a bag this size.

The last thing to mention here is the styling. As you can see, I had the ‘sugar skulls’ colour option but there are a range of characterful alternatives as well as some more muted options. I liked the skull pattern and even had a couple of compliments on the bag while waiting to check in!

In his current role, Neil is responsible for testing drivers and golf balls. Having been a part of the Golf Monthly team for over 15 years and playing off a handicap of 3, he has the experience to compare performance between models, brands and generations. For 2022 he thinks the main trend in drivers is: "In a word, consistency. Whilst all the brands are talking about ball speed (and the new drivers are certainly long), my biggest finding has been how much more consistent the ball flights are. Mishits don't seem to be causing the same level of drop-off or increase in the spin numbers. This means that more shots seem to be flying the way you want them to!" As far as golf balls are concerned the biggest development is in the, "three piece, non-Tour, urethane-covered section. For regular golfers, these models offer superb performance at both ends of the bag without denting your wallet quite as much as the premium Tour-played options."

Originally working with the best coaches in the UK to produce instruction content, he is now the brand's Digital Editor and covers everything from Tour player interviews to gear reviews. In his time at Golf Monthly, he has covered equipment launches that date back well over a decade. He clearly remembers the launch of the Callaway and Nike square drivers as well as the white TaylorMade driver families, such as the RocketBallz! If you take a look at the Golf Monthly YouTube channel, you'll see his equipment videos dating back over a decade! He has also conducted 'What's In The Bag' interviews with many of the game's best players like Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm. Over the years, Neil has tested a vast array of products in each category and at drastically different price-points.

Neil is currently playing: Driver: TaylorMade Stealth Plus Fairway Wood: Titleist TSR2 Hybrid: Titleist TS3 Irons (4-9): Mizuno JPX 919 Forged Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM7 46˚, 50˚, 54˚, 60˚ Putter: Odyssey Triple Track Ten Ball: Titleist Pro V1X