Sun Mountain recently unveiled their new line of C-130 branded golf bags including the classic C-130 cart bag, the C-130 Hybrid carry bag and the C-130 Sync cart bag. All three feature numerous pockets, voluminous storage and 14-way tops. That said, they are very different bags
One of the things that caught my eye was Sun Mountain saying the Sync was designed “to perfectly fit on push carts.” Since I had all three bags and a Sun Mountain Ridgeline push cart, I decided to see which bag was the best for the pushing golfer.
3 key features for the club-pushing golfer
When I am pushing my clubs, there are a couple of things that I look for in a bag.
- Gear storage
- Stability on the cart
- Access to clubs
These are the critical elements for an enjoyable round of pushing my gear. Should a bag fail in any of these three areas, my enjoyment goes down and my score usually goes up.
Which Sun Mountain C-130 is the best for gear storage?
Like their flying namesake, all three of the Sun Mountain C-130 bags are cargo carriers. I can’t imagine a situation where you would require more storage on the course. All three bags have multiple pockets and the side pockets are enormous.
I find the storage particularly valuable when I am walking in the terrible part of the year, aka late fall to early spring. During this time, the weather can change from hole to hole. It is crucial to be able to pack extra layers in the bag or put layers in there as they are peeled off.
I know, some of you live where it snows, and you don’t play much in the winter months. However, I am sure you experience the same weather fluctuations at some point during your season.
Of the three, the side pockets on the C-130 Sync are a touch smaller than those of the other two models. Had the other models not been there for comparison, I would not have even thought of them being smaller than any other side pocket.
Ultimately, all three Sun Mountain C-130 bags provide plenty of storage.
Winner: DRAW
Which Sun Mountain C-130 is the most stable on the push cart?
One of the nice things about the Sun Mountain Ridgeline push cart is that you can adjust the upper bracket height to best suit the bag you are using. For the three C-130 bags, I made sure that the bracket was at the ideal height for a snug fit.
(By the way, if you are looking for a detailed review of the Sun Mountain Ridgeline push cart, we published one last summer.)
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In terms of the bottom bracket, all three bags fit snugly into the plastic bracket toward the cart’s front wheel. The C-130 Hybrid’s wider base caused it to sit a little more forward in the bracket compared to the other two but it was snug nonetheless.
The C-130 Sync has a slot cut in its base to accommodate the bottom bracket of a push cart. This did not come into play because of the platform shape of the Ridgeline’s base. Carts with a narrower support system should fit into the slot.
We see a little more design diversity at the upper cart bracket attachment point. Though all three bags feature pass-through openings for the strap, they are quite different in design. The C-130 cart bag has the simplest system. The ends of the strap feed through openings in the long side pockets and then the longer strap goes under the front pocket.
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For the C-130 Hybrid bag, the straps again travel through the side openings, connecting on the surface of the bag after passing under the carry handle.
For the C-130 Sync, the overall set-up is like the C-130 cart bag but the central pocket can be lifted up for easy strap connection.
On the Sun Mountain Ridgeline, I consider all of these bags equally mountable. This could vary dramatically depending upon where your top straps connect. The Ridgeline straps all attach at the side. This is similar to where a power cart strap would connect back to the cart. At this connection point, all bags work quite well.
However, if your cart straps attach in the middle rather than at the side, this could prove to be an issue. For the C-130 cart bag, this could mean the straps could buckle under the front pocket. That area is not easily accessible.
For the C-130 Sync, you can attach the straps with ease by lifting up the pocket. However, the strap buckles could press into the under side of the pocket and interfere with accessing the contents of that pocket. Since the C-130 Hybrid bag lacks that central upper pocket, connecting the strap is not an issue at any location.
Winner: DRAW on Ridgeline cart; may favor C-130 Hybrid on other push carts.
Which Sun Mountain C-130 is the best for club access?
The tops of the three C-130 bags have the same overall plan. There is a separate putter well and a bunch of holes for clubs. Surprisingly, not all are the same when it comes to effectiveness while pushing.
I found the layout of the C-130 Hybrid was the most effective on the push cart. The clubs are nicely accessible, easy to insert and remove, and they don’t bang around when pushed.
The other two bags perform well at the top of the bag but are a little frustrating at the bottom where most of us would put our wedges and short irons.
The C-130 cart bag has a large plastic ring at its edge, preventing the wedges from hanging over the bottom of the bag. Instead, they sit on the plastic.
The C-130 Sync has a smaller plastic lip but the wedges still rest on that rather than the softer bag fabric like they do in the C-130 Hybrid.
In a riding cart, this part of the grid is likely where you are putting your woods so this is not an issue. When you push, the irons and wedges are below the woods. If you put your woods at the bottom of the grid, your irons and wedges would collide with your fancy driver and hybrid shafts.
Compared to clubs resting on a fabric edge, the plastic promotes unwanted movement of the clubs at the bottom of the bag.
The C-130 cart and C-130 Sync bags share another issue. The bottom of the club grid consists of one large pocket rather than individual spaces like in the C-130 Hybrid.
To me, this is a problem. Any club you put in this hole is going to move when you push. Clanking is unavoidable. Even with only one wedge in that hole, it moves enough to hit the clubs in the row above.
Like with the plastic ring, this is not an issue in the riding cart. That large opening and is a nice big place to put your driver. Since the C-130 cart bag is a cart bag, I see the purpose of the large opening on a riding cart.
I’m not that understanding with the C-130 Sync. The C-130 was designed for a push cart. Through that lens, this single large opening is a flaw, not a feature.
Winner: C-130 Hybrid
Overall best Sun Mountain C-130 bag for the push cart: C-130 Hybrid
For me, the clear Best to Push winner was the C-130 Hybrid. All three bags perform well on the Sun Mountain Ridgeline. However, the arrangement of the 14-way top on the C-130 Hybrid was the deciding factor for me. The clubs are easy to access and don’t bang together.
As a bonus, the top handle and shoulder strap make the C-130 Hybrid easier to load and unload from a trunk. The stability gained from the pop-out legs make the C-130 a clear winner at the driving range as well.
That said, your usual play modality should be taken into consideration. Do you mix your rounds of riding and pushing? Are you a rider who occasionally pushes? In either of those situations, I would strongly consider the C-130 cart bag or the C-130 Sync. They are both strong bags on the riding cart though that large club slot could still be an issue when pushing.
Side Note: Have you ever visited The Walking Golfer’s Society page? If you are a walking golfer, you really should check it out. Courses all over the U.S. and Canada are given a Walkability Rating. So far, I find the ratings pretty spot on. If it’s red, I’m riding in a cart.
As I mentioned in my previous review of these bags, I think it is a great move by Sun Mountain to give these three bags the “C-130” label. Consumers are familiar with it and it aptly describes the impressive carrying potential of these three bags.
The flip-up pocket and slot in the base of the C-130 Sync are great features for use on a push cart but until the top gets a redesign, the one I’ll be shoving around the course will be the C-130 Hybrid.
Find out more about the Sun Mountain C-130 bags and push carts at SunMountain.com
The post Which Sun Mountain C-130 Bag Should You Be Pushing? appeared first on MyGolfSpy.
