The Rise of Sunday Bags: Why Golf Clubs Are Switching to Lightweight Carry Bags in 2025

A Quiet Shift in the Golf Bag Market

Three years ago, Sunday bags represented a small fraction of our order book — perhaps 8% of total units shipped. In the first half of 2025, that figure has risen to 27%. The shift has been consistent and accelerating, driven by changes in how golf clubs are thinking about their member experience, their merchandise mix, and the growing segment of golfers who walk rather than ride.

This is not a trend we anticipated with particular precision. It emerged from conversations with buyers — club professionals, merchandise managers, and wholesale distributors — who were responding to what their customers were asking for. Understanding why it is happening is useful for anyone placing golf bag orders in the current market.

What Is a Sunday Bag, Exactly?

The term covers a range of products, but the defining characteristics are consistent: a Sunday bag is a lightweight carry bag designed for a half-set of six to eight clubs, with minimal structure, no stand mechanism, and a carrying weight — empty — of under 800 grams. The original Sunday bag was a simple canvas tube with a single shoulder strap. Contemporary versions have evolved considerably, but the philosophy remains: less bag, more golf.

At Links Sports Co, our Sunday bag lineup runs from a 400g minimalist canvas sling to a 750g structured carry bag with a padded strap system and three external pockets. The common thread is the absence of the stand mechanism — the single heaviest component in a conventional stand bag — and a construction approach that prioritises weight reduction at every point.

Three Reasons the Market Is Moving

The first driver is the walking revival. Golf participation data from the US, UK, and Australia consistently shows that walking rounds have increased as a share of total rounds played since 2020. The reasons are partly economic — walking avoids cart fees — and partly cultural, with a growing segment of golfers actively preferring the pace and experience of a walking round. A golfer who walks needs a bag that does not punish them for doing so.

The second driver is the casual golf format. Twilight rounds, nine-hole formats, and social golf events have grown significantly as clubs work to attract younger members and non-traditional golfers. These formats typically involve a half-set rather than a full 14-club bag. Carrying a full-size stand bag to a six-hole social round is the golf equivalent of bringing a suitcase to a day trip. Sunday bags fit the format.

The third driver is merchandise differentiation. Club professionals have found that a well-designed Sunday bag — particularly one with custom embroidery and premium materials — sells at a price point that delivers strong margin while being accessible to a broader membership than a full custom cart bag. A member who would not spend $400 on a custom cart bag will spend $180 on a beautifully made Sunday bag with the club crest.

What Buyers Are Specifying in 2025

The orders we are receiving for Sunday bags in 2025 reflect a clear set of preferences. Canvas and wax canvas are the dominant material choices — buyers are moving away from the nylon and polyester that characterised Sunday bags a decade ago, toward materials that read as premium and age with character. Neutral colours — olive, navy, tan, and natural canvas — are outselling brighter options by a significant margin.

Customisation requests are focused on embroidery rather than printed logos. The embroidered club crest on a canvas Sunday bag has become a recognisable aesthetic in its own right — one that photographs well and carries a sense of heritage that printed alternatives do not replicate.

Strap systems are receiving more attention than they did previously. Buyers are specifying padded single straps and, increasingly, dual-strap systems that distribute weight across both shoulders for longer carries. The weight of the strap hardware and padding is a genuine engineering consideration on a bag where total weight is a primary specification.

What This Means for Orders

For buyers who have not yet added a Sunday bag to their product mix, the market data suggests the window for early-mover advantage is narrowing. The clubs and distributors who began offering premium Sunday bags in 2023 and 2024 have established customer relationships and repeat order patterns that will be difficult to displace.

For buyers already in the segment, the differentiation opportunity is moving toward material quality and customisation depth. A Sunday bag that is simply light is no longer sufficient. A Sunday bag that is light, beautifully made, and carries a club identity with precision — that is the product the market is moving toward.

Our minimum order quantity for Sunday bags is 30 units, with a standard lead time of 30–35 days from approved sample. Custom embroidery is available from 30 units. We are happy to discuss the full range of options with buyers who are considering adding the category to their next order.