Modern women's golf bags are highly developed, with sophisticated materials and advanced production techniques. Clichés and stereotypes are banished from the production of ladies' golf bags - though you can still find pleasant flashes of pink if you look hard enough. It's not the design which defines the Women's golf bag any more. It's the practicality. When you take into consideration the amount of time you'll be spending with your golf bag, and how much distance you'll cover, you can begin to understand the importance of purchasing a golf bag which does what you need it to do. If it looks good at the same time, then that's a plus.

Female golfers have different demands and requirements from male golfers. A female golfer's physiology is subtly different, in ways which make male golf bags designed for men uncomfortable for women. Good quality women's golf clubs are also a little different from men's, which means the bags have to be designed differently to accommodate them. Therefore, women's golf bags tend to be a little shorter, and they use a little less material in their production compared with men's bags. As such they're a little lighter and a little more manoeuvrable.

Differences

There are two predominant types of women's golf bag on the market; the cart bag and the stand bag.

Women's Stand Bags

Stand bags are designed to be carried over a golfer's shoulder, for those who like to navigate the course on foot rather than in a golf cart. A women's stand bag uses a bipedal stand, which props the bag up securely on the course, allowing you to pick your club quickly and easily and to have all your accessories close to hand wherever you find yourself (it's not always possible to park the golf cart in the bushes after you've shanked a shot into the woods, so it helps to be able to keep your clubs at your hip).

Because they're designed to be carried around, stand bags are necessarily smaller, and they're more comfortable and lighter than the alternative cart bags. Women's stand bags frequently incorporate two shoulder straps so they can be worn comfortably, like a backpack. The pockets and the capacity might be a little smaller than the equivalent cart bag, but what you lose in space you save in weight.

Women's Cart Bags

Cart bags are designed to be shuttled around on the golf cart, and therefore can afford to be a bit more cumbersome, and include a bit more storage space. If you know you're going to have a golf cart at your disposal, then you'll be able to carry all of your accessories and spares around the course with you, and be able to carry wet weather clothing in case it starts to rain while you're halfway through a round and miles from the clubhouse. You'll probably be able to squeeze more clubs in a cart bag too, which means you'll have a fuller club choice on the fairway.

Similarities

There are some characteristics which all women's golf bags have in common. For instance, most women's golf cart bags and stand bags will hold around 14 clubs (while the more mobile pencil bags are able to accommodate around 7 clubs). Prices range between £49.99 for the smaller, more portable stand bags right up to £149.99 for the luxury Callaway Ladies cart bag. This discrepancy in price stems from the functionality of the bag; the more a bag will hold safely, the more expensive it will tend to be. There's another factor which helps to determine the price of a woman's golf bag, and that's the styling.

Styling

As we mentioned a little earlier, the slightly patronising pinkness and femininity in the styling of women's golf accessories - accessories like golf bags - is being faded out. Modern manufacturers of top-end golf equipment are aware that women who take their golf seriously want the gear they use to match their commitment and playing ability, and as such the manufacturers are building sophisticated, functional and practical products for women golfers, just as they do for men.

But just because the new ranges of women's golf bags are highly functional doesn't mean that the styling has been forgotten. Quite the opposite; the styling of ladies' golf bags has now become quite refined, and many are almost indistinguishable from the male versions of the same bags. Ram, one of the biggest names in manufacture of golf equipment, produce a women's golf bag called the QUB3, which includes the same strong lines and bold colours which have become ubiquitous in men's golf, is available in three different colour schemes.

Cobra is another golf brand currently leading the field in terms of design. Their LRC-08 is a women's cart bag which is made of premium Teflon, which is coated with a high-weave, padded twill Nylon fabric. It's extremely durable, waterproof, and fashionable. Lynx and Nancy Lopez also produce excellent ladies' golf bags of similar quality, so whatever bag you choose you can be confident you've got a great product which will last you years.

To Sum Up

In summary then, if you're new to golf then you'll probably want a stand bag. They're smaller and less expensive, and they force you to use a limited number when you're starting out. This will eventually make you a better golfer, even if you're having a hard time learning. As your game improves and you learn your way around your clubs a little bit better, then you should think about upgrading to a cart bag - you'll be able to carry more accessories and more clubs.

You should consider your fitness too; a stand bag is going to be far more useful to you if you're walking the course rather than driving over it, but you need to be in strong shape to begin with. You should also consider your budget - as a pretty good rule of thumb when you're shopping for ladies' golf equipment, buy the best you can afford and don't cut corners. The more you spend, the better your equipment. And that'll make the difference on the fairway.