Golf carry bags are lightweight and practical. The problem nowadays is there are so many different designs and extras to choose from. For a lot of people the first consideration will be price, but once you know your range then you need to look at the other features offered by the bag.

Follow these 6 steps and you will find the right bag for you:

1. Weight - This varies a lot, you can find bags as light as 3-4 lbs, but others can be very heavy. 18 holes is a long way to carry your clubs so make sure you do not pick a bag that is going to weigh you down.

2. Stability - A lot of carry bags now have an attached stand. This will obviously add weight, but it is a great feature as it makes it so much easier to get to your clubs and pockets. The width of the stand is important when the bag is at rest. The triangle formed needs to be wide for stability as a bag can easily be blown over in bad conditions.

3. Club Storage - Golf carry bags are smaller than trolley bags and it can be easy for your clubs to get tangled together when trying to take them in or out of the bag. Make sure that there are 4-5 dividers and at least 2 of them are full length dividers to prevent this happening.

4. Straps - Must carry bags now will come with dual straps which is essential to create balance when you are carrying. What you need to look for are easily adjustable straps so you do not have to fiddle about while on the course to adjust them.

5. Pockets / Storage - It is important to have enough storage pockets to avoid packing everything into one or two pockets and making them over bulky and akward to carry. Important pockets to look for are:

Small valuables pocket - preferably waterproof

Large pocket for storage of waterproofs, jumpers etc.

Beverage pocket - this needs to be easily accessible and insulated

Handy accessible pocket for your golf balls and tees

Somewhere to keep your scorecard

6. Extras - Other items that are required are:

Rain Hood that can be easily attached while on the course

A hook or similar to attach a towel to

Umbrella storage

Padding where the bag hits your body, particularly the lower back area

Once you have found a design that fits all your requirements you then just have to decide on color, do you want to stand out from the crowd or blend in?