Why this hiker’s dream bag was the best thing I used in 2025

Wwelcome to I Tried, a GOLF.com series about golf articles – clothes, equipment, accessories, etc. — that we recently took out for a spin. We’re here to give our honest and simple opinions on the latest and greatest golf or golf related articles. So scroll down to read about what we love about the newest (or new to us) golf products.

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I’m almost always looking for my next golf bag, which is why when I saw Sun Mountain was releasing a smaller, simpler version of their Matchplay support bag, I knew I had to try it.

Lo and behold, the Sun Mountain Matchplay Swift Sunday bag was my favorite thing to use in 2025.

You can read my full review of the pint-sized stand bag below, but since I’ve been writing about it, it’s become my travel bag (as seen in many of my gear testing articles) thanks to its small size and stable mechanism.

Everywhere I’ve taken it I’ve gotten compliments and many people were surprised to learn it was a Sun Mountain bag. I’ve been using Sun Mountain bags for years now, but it seems like the company is really trying to get into the premium bag space and doing really well.

Continue reading below for my full review of the Sun Mountain Matchplay Swift Base Bag.

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In the days before COVID, I was concerned about a golf bag trend: they just kept growing needlessly. And I don’t just mean pram bags; even the lightest bags on the market were getting bigger and bigger.

Seriously, what do people plan to put in these things? A change of clothes plus lunch for the queue?

I don’t understand. For me, the only things a golf bag should hold are half a dozen golf balls, tees, ball markers, a Sharpie marker, a glove, a towel, a rain jacket and, of course, 14 clubs. That’s it.

Thankfully, since the golf pandemic boom, we’ve seen more people go back to what I think is the best way to play the game, and bag manufacturers have followed the trend with smaller, lighter designs.

Some of my recent favorites have also leaned into a minimalist, form-matching aesthetic.

Sun Mountain Matchplay Swift on Sunday

Elevate your game with The Matchplay Swift Sunday, designed for the golfer who values ​​simplicity and efficiency. With a 5.25-inch 3-way tip, this bag offers a minimalist approach to club organization, perfect for those who prefer to keep their gear light. The single strap system ensures easy and comfortable use throughout your round. With six well-placed pockets, including a customizable zippered ball pocket face, this bag provides just the right amount of storage for your essentials while allowing for personal customization. Embrace a sleek, lightweight design that doesn’t compromise on style or functionality with the Matchplay Swift Sunday.

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with Mountain of the Sun Matchplay Swift Sunday, we have a premium and clean looking bag that is also a hiker’s dream.

Grounds

The Matchplay Swift Sunday is a smaller version of Sun Mountain’s new Matchplay support bag. It’s the company’s latest entry into the premium bag space, which has been populated by Titleist, Vessel and Stitch for several years. Many golf bags in this style have appeared recently, using vinyl materials that make the bag durable but also very clean.

The downside is that these bags can be on the heavier side.

With the Matchplay Swift Sunday, Sun Mountain went really compact and consistent with the design, shrinking the tip down to just 5.25 inches, more than two inches smaller than the standard version of a three-way tip. The result is a bag that weighs 4.75 lbs, instead of the larger version’s 5.4 lbs.

Despite its diminutive stature, the bag still has six pockets: a full-length garment pocket, a smaller side valuables pocket, a ball pocket, a spacer, a drink sleeve and a saddle pocket.

Basically, this bag is like you took a lightweight Sunday bag, put a handle on it, and switched to vinyl material.

What we liked

Let’s get the first concern out of the way: Even with just a 5.25-inch tip, the Matchplay Swift Sunday fits 14 clubs without a problem. Throw any more clubs and it will start to get sloppy, but you’ll have no trouble keeping a full legal set.

The style of this bag is also very clean and very restrained. There are only four colors available at the moment: black, blue, sand-almond and green-white. This is in contrast to Sun Mountain’s latest line of luxury bags, medium strip collectionwhich was also very good but contained many different color block styles. Nothing wrong with either; they just took a different direction and executed well once again.

Sun Mountain’s polished badge on the garment pocket is something new and very underrated. It’s the smallest details like this and the stitching patterns on the garment pocket and thigh pads that give this bag a premium look.

Of course, carrying the bag is easy considering the size, and it also balances well. With the single strap attachment included, this bag should be a caddy’s dream, and I intend to bring it anywhere I expect to need caddies. Like the Mid-Stripe bags, the Matchplay bags have clips that allow you to switch between double and single strap connections.

Another feature for me is the very strong durable metal legs. Sometimes with smaller bags, companies will skimp on the stand legs, but I think this is where the Sun Mountain bags excelled: I never saw a sag. In my old one Mountain of the Sun 2.5the legs were made of carbon fiber; now they’ve gone to a heavier metal, it seems. I would love to try and see American Airlines flexing these legs!

What can be improved

We’re being a little weird here, but I wish the right side valuables pocket was a little longer. It’s big enough to fit my iPhone, but that means it’s hard to get in and out when there’s other stuff.

I have absolutely no problem with the two dividers, but with one section at the top and two at the bottom, I think this is a point that could be alleviated. Perhaps just two sections is all that is needed with such a small tip. I used the bag once in a cart; that was the only time i had trouble getting the clubs in and out. Mostly, though, this bag wasn’t designed with a rider in mind.

Lastly, while I have the appeal of a single strap being a small bag, if you are going to put 14 clubs in this bag, it would be better served with a double strap.

end

If you’re looking for a lightweight bag with a premium look, look no further than the Sun Mountain Matchplay Swift Sunday.

The company is doing some really cool things in the golf bag space right now with their recently released Eclipse series and their new partnership with Joel Dahmen for him to use a Sun Mountain X Marucci collaboration support bag on the PGA Tour.

But with the new Matchplay series, they really have an option for everyone who wants a premium bag. And for a wanderer like me, Matchplay Swift Sunday fits the bill.

Sun Mountain Matchplay Swift on Sunday

Elevate your game with The Matchplay Swift Sunday, designed for the golfer who values ​​simplicity and efficiency. With a 5.25-inch 3-way tip, this bag offers a minimalist approach to club organization, perfect for those who prefer to keep their gear light. The single strap system ensures easy and comfortable use throughout your round. With six well-placed pockets, including a customizable zippered ball pocket face, this bag provides just the right amount of storage for your essentials while allowing for personal customization. Embrace a sleek, lightweight design that doesn’t compromise on style or functionality with the Matchplay Swift Sunday.

View Product

ALSO ALSO IN: Golf Galaxy, Amazon

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