One of the best things to look at when you’re trying to decide what golf bag to buy, whether for yourself or as a gift for someone else, is which brands and bags have the best reputation. Features, price, and design play a big role in any purchase, of course. But one of the biggest factors driving sales is reputation and word of mouth. If you’re out on the course playing a round with some friends and they each have a bag that looks similar in style, but one friend raves about the quality of the bag and the other wishes they would have bought something a little bit different, you’ll keep that in mind when it’s time to make a purchase yourself.

There are dozens, if not hundreds, of brands selling golf supplies, and plenty of different golf bag designs and styles available. Here’s a quick overview of 5 of the most popular golfing bag companies in the industry.

1. TaylorMade: One of the leading names in golf, TaylorMade is owned by the Adidas company and is most well known for the quality of its drivers. Naturally, a company specializing in clubs also makes golf bags of high quality.
2. Wilson: A reliable producer of sports equipment for a number of sports, Wilson makes quality bags that are approachable in price for most middle-class players. Wilson bags range approximately $50-$1,200.
3. Nike: Nike is, of course, a leading world producer of sports equipment, gear, and clothing for a huge number of sports, golf included. Nike’s golf bag options range from $50-$1,000.
4. Ogio: Ogio actually focuses on bags and other gear-storage products, especially golf, and boasts and ‘edgier’ style and reputation than many other brands on the market. Ogio’s golfing bags are very approachable in price, generally running $50-$350 depending on design.
5. Team Golf: Team Golf specializes, as the name suggests, in golf supplies that are team-themed, so fans of specific sports teams can proudly display allegiance while on the greens. Most of these team-themed bags are in the range of $130-$160, depending on the style (cart or carry) you are looking for.

If you are in the market for a new golf bag—whether it be your first bag, a new bag to replace an old one, or a gift for someone else—there are a few things that are important to consider. Choosing the right bag will not necessarily improve how well you play on the course directly. But having a bag that perfectly meets your needs will help facilitate you playing at your best. A good bag does everything you want and provides the right amount of storage and features, and is convenient. It does not get in the way, but rather helps you play your best.

There are a few choices that you’ll need to decide between to find the perfect golf bag:

First of all, do you plan to walk the green, or ride a cart? The type of bag you carry for each will differ. If you play on foot, a stand carry bag is the simplest and most convenient. It comes with one or two shoulder straps (to carry on one or both shoulders), and has fold out legs that automatically swing under the bag when you set it down, to keep it standing. In the past several years, the modern golf carry bag have been equipped with ergonomic design and quality padded straps, for added comfort. So if you are using an old carrying bag, it is probably time to get a new one.

The other major type of golf bag is the cart bag, which used much as you’d expect: when you plan to ride in the cart rather than walk the course. The cart bag is not as comfortable to carry, since this is not its purpose, but it also does not need to be as lightweight. It will generally have larger dimensions and have more pockets and extra compartments. With a cart bag, you can carry more balls, tees, gloves, towels, and maybe even a bottle of water and an extra hat.

The type of golf bag you buy should be based on what will work best for your game. Ask your friends what they have, or just keep an eye open when out on the course. Then head online to find the bag that has exactly what you’re looking for.

When it comes time to buy a new golf bag (or your very first bag, if you’re new to the sport), it’s worth it to put a little time and energy into making sure you make the right decision. Here are three concrete things to think about when you’re looking to buy a new bag. They should help you determine what matters most to you, which will make it easier to shop because you’ll know exactly what you’re looking for.

1. How will you use it?

This may seem like a silly or simplistic question, but it’s an important one. The first thing you need to decide is which type of bag you’re looking for, and that depends on how you plan to use it. Will you be walking the green when you play? If so, then you need a carrying style bag. Will you use the golf cart? If so, then a cart-style golf bag is better for your purposes. And if you’re looking to travel (especially if you’re going by plane), then a travel bag is something you should look into.

2. How big should it be?

Size directly corresponds to how much (and what type of) gear your bag will hold. Consider how many clubs and what sort of supplies you like to have with you on the course. If you are someone who wants to be prepared for everything, and then some, then a larger bag with greater dimensions and more pockets is something to look for. If you like to keep things clean and simple, and not have extra ‘stuff’ that you won’t use, a more streamlined golf bag may be more your style.

3. How much are you looking to spend?

When it comes to golf bags, you can spend anywhere from a couple hundred or several thousands dollars . Before you go to buy, have an idea of how much you are willing to spend, and which preferences hold more priority for you. If you find a bag in your price range that gives you everything you’re looking for, then great! If you have to adjust up in price to get the features you want, or down in features to get the price you want, have your priorities set ahead of time so you don’t get overwhelmed, and are able to make the best decision.

If you’ve already invested in a golf bag that you love, and that has every thing you’re looking for on the course, what do you do when you need to travel with your clubs? Traveling for business or pleasure will often put you in range of a great golf course that you’ve not had the opportunity to play before. Sure, you could borrow or rent clubs, but to play properly and really experience the course, you want to have your own equipment there with you.

So what is a travel golf bag? This is a bag that is designed not just to hold your clubs, but to really protect them when they’re being transported. Generally, there are two types of such bags: soft shell and hard shell.

A soft shell bag is plus and densely padded, for great overall protection of your clubs that doesn’t add weight. Generally, the soft shell bag is a bit easier to carry, both because of the slight flexibility, and because of the manageable weight. A soft shell golf travel bag may come with shoulder straps , handles on multiple sides, or even wheels for easy maneuvering through an airport.

The hard shell travel golf bag has, as the name implies, a harder, more durable shell. This is an even more protective case that would especially be a good idea if you are traveling somewhere that requires you to load your clubs as checked luggage. The hard shell case may be a little longer, as most have room to protect extra long clubs (not just standard clubs). It will almost surely have wheels and a variety of handles to give you multiple carrying options. It should also be easy to access your clubs, with a variety of zippers or openings, so that you get protection but still have convenience.

A travel golf bag is often well paired with a travel locker, or small golf trunk, to carry your balls, shoes, hat, and other accessories in an organized way. A travel bag may not be necessary for everyone, but if you’ve found yourself on more than one occasion wishing you had one, or if you’re really worried about an upcoming trip and you’d love to bring your clubs with safely, it is definitely something to look into.

When it comes to how well your nine or eighteen holes go, there are a lot of factors at play. Of course, your skills and abilities have the most sway on the game. But the clubs you use, the people you play with, the weather and course conditions, and even your golf bag each affect the outcome in their own way.

The things that impact your game physically are things like the weather and your clubs. If it’s cloudy and hard to see (or hot and hard to stay comfortable), you probably won’t play quite as well. If you have quality clubs, they’ll perform better than an old bent set you found in the back of your garage.

But the way a golf bag effects your game is actually similar to the way the people around you do: it influences your attitude, mood, and focus. How? Having people with similar attitudes, pace, and playing style as you lets you focus on the game, shot by shot, in a low stress, focus-friendly atmosphere. In the same way, a golf bag stores just what you need in a way that is easy to find facilitates focus on the game by doing its job well.

Conversely, poor game companions and a bad bag can be both distracting and frustrating. If you prefer to stay calm and quiet but the people around you are loud and raucous, this will not bode well for your score. Neither will digging for a bag that makes it hard to find your tees and balls, or a bag that is uncomfortable to carry, or that jams and makes your clubs hard to remove.

That’s why it’s important to have a golf bag that you are happy with. Different people are looking for different things in a bag. If you walk and prefer to carry just the basics, a lightweight, comfortable, supportive, streamlined carry bag will make your game easy. If you take the cart and like to be prepared, a cart-style bag with plenty of pockets and compartments will give you the convenience you need to feel good about your game.

Of course, the right bag doesn’t guarantee a great score. But at least it does its job, by facilitating your game in the best way possible, making it easier for you to focus on the hole and do your best.