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    reviews
    Accessories
    MacGregor Principal 7 Inch Stand Bag Review: best value bag of 2024?

    published: Dec 18, 2024

    MacGregor Principal 7 Inch Stand Bag Review: best value bag of 2024?

    Steve CarrollLink

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    We sometimes use affiliate links to products and services on retailer sites for which we can receive compensation if you click on those links or make purchases through them.

    How does the MacGregor Principal 7 Inch Stand Bag perform? Steve Carroll emptied his bag into this one and went to find out!

    Table of Contents

    Jump to:

    • Macgregor principal 7 inch stand bag review: ncg summary
    • First impressions
    • Macgregor principal 7 inch stand bag: ncg review
    • The details

    Picture the word MacGregor and it conjures up a golden age of Jack Nicklaus dominating the golf world. But don’t think this a company living in the past. The latest MacGregor stand bag is a triumph of modern technology. 

    This review introduces the Principal 7 inch stand bag, an ultra-lightweight option that can get you round the course with the minimum of fuss. 

    • RELATED: Best carry bags 2024
    • RELATED: Best trolley bags 2024
    • RELATED: Best golf balls 2024

    MacGregor Principal 7 Inch Stand Bag Review: NCG Summary

    MacGregor Principal 7 Inch Stand Bag
    5 star review
    NCG SUMMARY

    Exceptional in all weather, it’s light as a feather, can handle a full set of clubs, and deals admirably with a shower. If you’re looking to keep things compact, you just can’t go wrong. 

    PROS

    • Probably the lightest bag I have ever carried 
    • Dual-strap system is extremely comfortable 
    • Plenty of space for balls and clothing despite compact size

    CONS

    • At this price? Nothing at all
    • $99.99

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    • MacGregor Principal 7

      Check Now

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    First Impressions

    After years of heavy trolley use – it is a bit like a drug! – I’ve made a concerted effort to try and carry this season. So much so I bought myself one of those trendy nylon bags with a weird logo. 

    That’s me for the year, I thought, until the MacGregor Principal stand bag turned up in the office. The fashionable bag has been missing in action ever since. 

    The red and navy colour combination set it apart straight away (black and black and green are also available).  

    Then I picked it up. This thing is light. 

    You can barely feel the dual straps resting on the shoulders when you haul this up without clubs and it isn’t burdening you in any way when the irons hit the fabric. 

    It is genuinely remarkable. With a 4-way, 7-inch top, this bag is being marketed as something you’d reach for when you wanted to go out for a quick 9 with a half-set. 

    Let me tell you, though, you can get 14 clubs in this without having to damage your shafts when wrenching them out to play a shot. 

    MacGregor Principal 7 Inch Stand Bag

    It doesn’t need to be a stopgap. I’ve been using this as my main bag.  

    Lightweight bags sometimes come with an inferior stand solution – if any at all. I’ve seen no legs, mini-legs, and tree trunks in the bags I’ve tried down the years but even the stand system on the MacGregor Principal continues the feather-like approach. 

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    It’s not sacrificing any durability or toughness. These two legs are sturdy, and you won’t need to worry about them buckling under the strain.  

    We’ve also got two full length dividers, five pockets, including a velour-lined space for valuables, and a large rain hood along with a ring for your towel and an umbrella hood.  

    That’s a lot of features in something so small. But does it all fit together well, or do you find yourself stretching when reaching for a pocket? 

    Does the bag stand up to inclement conditions, or does it topple over under a brief breeze? Let’s look at how it performed during the heat of battle.   

    MacGregor Principal 7 Inch Stand Bag

    MacGregor Principal 7 Inch Stand Bag: NCG Review

    The MacGregor Principal is genuinely the lightest stand bag I’ve ever put on my shoulders. 

    I’m a veteran of Sunday and pencil bags and this product is even matching some of them for what it’s pushing on the scales. 

    But Sunday bags are by their nature limited. They’re designed for a quick run and are shorn of features to make that flexibility happen. 

    This bag feels much more of a bridge. It’s got all the features of a standard bag but reduced in size. So you’ll be familiar with the stand configuration, the moulded angle base, and the two pocket front – a smaller reach down sack on the top, giving way to a larger compartment for balls. 

    Its petite nature makes those pockets very accessible while on the move. It feels far easier to grab a ball, or reach for your laser, than it is with a full-size model. 

    MacGregor Principal 7 Inch Stand Bag

    The dual-strap system is well padded and extremely comfortable. It sat nicely on my shoulders without any need to reconfigure, but they’re easily moved depending on your size and comfort level. 

    When I tested this over several competition rounds, I carried a full set of clubs along with half a dozen balls and accessories and not only does it remain exceptionally light but the straps spread the weight nicely too. 

    I’m frequently burdened with ‘red shoulder syndrome’ after 18-holes with a loaded stand bag and the soreness has so far been reassuringly absent whenever this has been on my back. 

    Most of you will need to carry some extra clothing with you, depending on the conditions, and may have concerns about whether the trimmed downsize of this bag will allow that. 

    But I managed to get both a rolled-up waterproof top and trousers into the largest side pocket. 

    You really don’t have to make too many compromises with the MacGregor Principal. The velour pocket comfortably holds your car and house keys, along with a wallet. 

    A smaller, but still substantial pocket, on the lower left side of the bag easily holds a bottle of water – or something stronger! – and a snack. 

    The legs snap fold away when you pick the bag up and are rigid when placed. I’ve used this in some pretty strong early summer winds and it’s never once looked like collapsing under the gusts. 

    I’ve also been in the rain too and, while it doesn’t appear to be advertised as waterproof, the main body of the bag deflects water away in some style.  

    The rain hood is quick and easy to fit, but if the rain continues falling you’ll probably notice the shoulder straps absorbing the liquid along with the mesh cushioned fabric that sits into your ribs if you’re only using both straps across your right shoulder.  

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    That said, you’re getting far more protection from the weather than you’d usually expect from a product of this nature.  

    What’s the lowdown? The MacGregor Principal is excellent in nearly every way. At around £80, you’re getting nearly all the benefits from a much larger, and much more expensive, stand bag but in a far more convenient chassis. 

    If reducing the size and weight you’re carrying on the course is your primary purpose, this is the perfect solution. There aren’t many trade-offs, and you can still test the limit with a full set-up without compromising the product, or breaking your back at the same time. 

    This is surely the model that all ultra-lightweight stand bags should follow. This MacGregor golf bag is definitely a winner.

    MacGregor Principal 7 Inch Stand Bag
    • $99.99

      View Deal
    • MacGregor Principal 7

      Check Now

      View Deal
    • RELATED: Best carry bags 2024
    • RELATED: Best trolley bags 2024
    • RELATED: Best push trolleys 2024
    • RELATED: Best electric trolleys 2024
    • RELATED: Best golf balls 2024

    The Details

    Available: Now.

    RRP: £85 / $109.99

    Colours: Red/Navy – Black – Black/Green

    More information: MacGregor Golf US / MacGregor Golf UK

    What do you think of the MacGregor Principal 7 Stand bag and carry bags in general? Let me know with a tweet.

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    About the author

    Steve Carroll
    Steve Carroll

    A journalist for more than 25 years, Steve has been immersed in club golf for almost as long.

    A former club captain, he has passed the Level 3 Rules of Golf exam with distinction having attended the R&A’s prestigious Tournament Administrators and Referees Seminar.

    Steve has officiated at a host of high-profile tournaments, including Open Regional Qualifying, PGA Fourball Championship, English Men’s Senior Amateur, and the North of England Amateur Championship. In 2023, he made his international debut as part of the team that refereed England vs Switzerland U16 girls.

    A part of NCG’s Top 100s panel, Steve has a particular love of links golf and is frantically trying to restore his single-figure handicap. He’d like to tell you he floats around 10. The reality is more like 13.

    Steve plays at Sandburn Hall, in York, and is a country member at Close House in Newcastle. He has served on various club committees during his time in the game, and is the current Rules Secretary at Sandburn.

    Having studied history at Newcastle University, he became a journalist having passed his NCTJ exams at Darlington College of Technology. He began his career working on weekly papers in Newcastle, before joining the York Press in 2001. After five years as a news reporter, he joined the sports desk – specialising in horse racing and snooker – and was Digital Sports Editor when he joined National Club Golfer in 2016.

    What’s in Steve’s bag: TaylorMade Stealth 2 driver, 3-wood, and hybrids; Caley 01T irons 4-PW; TaylorMade Hi-Toe wedges, Odyssey 2Ball Microhinge putter.

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