Big Max Aqua Hybrid 4 Bag Review
The Aqua Hybrid 4 is an extremely versatile bag, packed with features and performance.
This is an impressive and full-featured bag - it is also versatile, and caters for just about anything you could want from it.
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Smart looks and tons of storage space
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Fully waterproof - material, stitching and zips
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Suitable for cart or carry
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Squeaky straps
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Having played thousands of rounds of golf in the last 45 years or more, I have been through more golf bags than I can remember and been very impressed as technology and materials have led to constant improvements in what is on offer.
Big Max is an Austrian company that has been a major player in the bag and trolley market since its beginnings 30 years ago, and has a deserved reputation for quality products. I was therefore very pleased to try out the Aqua Hybrid 4, especially in view of the wettest winter we have seen in a long time!
As for its appearance, then this is a smart and professional-looking stand bag which is easy to use with its straps and stand, while also completely at home on a push cart or buggy. Not the tallest golfer, I didn’t need to adjust the detachable straps which are wide and comfortable with plenty of options to shorten or lengthen in order to carry at just the height and angle that suits. It also looks and feels very well constructed, with padding (and therefore comfort) very much a key ingredient. The 14-way divider keeps your clubs separate and protected, and there are six color options.
With regard to storage, then it’s hard to know where to begin! There are four very spacious external pockets, with the two larger ones offering more than enough space for waterproofs, spare clothing, rain hat, valuables and more. There are a couple of smaller pockets for items you may want to access easily, such as wallet or scorecard, and a large zippered pocket that will take not one but two drinks bottles and help maintain their temperature. There is even an external one to take yet another bottle offering the easiest access, as well as two Velcro strips to attach your glove.
My one minor niggle is that as I carry the bag - which I have now used for several rounds - there is sometimes a slight squeak from the straps. It may be that I don’t have the angle quite right, so I will look to adjust the carrying angle which will probably sort things out. Aside from this, the many plus-sides and features of the Aqua Hybrid 4 make this a very strong offering in a crowded market.
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Rob Smith has been playing golf for over 45 years and been a contributing editor for Golf Monthly since 2012. He specialises in course reviews and travel, and has played more than 1,200 courses in almost 50 countries. In 2021, he played all 21 courses in East Lothian in 13 days. Last year, his tally was 81, 32 of them for the first time. One of Rob's primary roles is helping to prepare the Top 100 and Next 100 Courses of the UK&I, of which he has played all but seven and a half... i.e. not the new 9 at Carne! Of those missing, some are already booked for 2024. He has been a member of Tandridge in Surrey for 30 years where his handicap hovers around 16. You can contact him at r.smith896@btinternet.com.
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