Sun Mountain 2018 C-130 Golf Cart Bag Review

The C-130 2018 golf cart bag is a surprising addition to the Sun Mountain golf bags. It shows an incredible amount of potential with features and design. Although it falls short of being perfect, there is no denying how important it is to the Sun Mountain company that has a wide range of golf bags with great features.

Sun Mountain 2018 C-130 Golf Cart Bag Review

Sun Mountain takes it to the next level with their 2018 C-130 cart bag. It is available in eleven different colors, with the black/camo blaze being the most defining color. The layout of the bag was handled nicely, and users will be able to access the most vital components of the bag while it is in a cart.

Sizing isn’t an issue so it will fit in nicely whether you are carting it around or carrying. Even if you aren’t a Sun Mountain fan, this high priced cart bag is a surprising inclusion into their ever growing catalog.

Who’s It For?

Golfers that want a bag with a lot of space and a stand out design. The 2018 C-130 can hold a lot of clubs, accessories and extras. There are enough features here that even professionals will find it a good deal for the price. Preference for a different material would be the only reason to consider a more expensive bag over this model.

Brand

Sun Mountain has been the choice of hobbyists and beginner golfers for years. They are competitively priced, full featured and surprisingly well made. Plenty of professionals and intermediate players use Sun Mountain as their daily bags and have no complaints.

Because of this, Sun Mountain has become a company that is always in the conversation when players look for a new golf cart bag. The C-130 2018 is a step in the right direction for the company as they improve its features while inching closer to high tier quality.

Durability

This bag is rugged enough for a cart bag, but won’t win any awards for being as rugged as the competition. It can take some punishment here or there but shouldn’t be put in the same category as high tier bags that last for over ten years.

The strap system will stay intact, but the first thing to go will probably be the colors. If you choose one of the more complicated colors of the C-130, then color wash out is a possibility if it is abused a lot. This is of course looking at it years after purchase, so it isn’t an immediate concern for any potential buyer.

Price

Current Sun Mountain fans may feel that the price hits them in the mouth a bit. Sun Mountain has always been great with prices, and even with this model, that story remains the same. The C-130 2018 is very much a premium bag.

If you look at it that way, then Sun Mountain is offering it at an excellent price. With the many features that were packed into the new model, consumers should have no trouble with the pricing structure of the C-130 2018 model.

Materials

There are multiple layers to look at with this bag. The first part is the 70D fabrics that make up most of the bag. It is durable and gets the job done, but not fantastic. The good news is that you can find the same material on some parts of bags in a higher price range.

It isn’t bad material, so the C-130 2018 has that going for it. Other materials worth looking at is the foam used in the padded shoulder strap. This is where the bag really becomes with the money, as it is comfortable to carry even when you have it filled to max capacity.

Design

A real winner with this golf bag is the eleven designs to choose from. Colors available are black/camo blaze, black/charcoal, black/navy, black/red, black/black, blue/black, charcoal/black, chili, lime white, navy dusk and navy/white/red.

There is something for everyone with those colors, and a few are eye popping enough that they are one of a kind. The C-130 2018 is a really good looking bag from top to bottom. Plenty of updates have been made that enhance how the model looked in 2017, so the new version really is the best looking cart bag from Sun Mountain’s catalog.

Best Features

Since the C-130 2018 sits between being a great bag and a great high end bag, there are some notable features to point out. These features prove that the high price tag is justified, yet still makes this a cheaper choice than other branded high end bags. For a good price you can get one of Sun Mountain’s best cart bags of the last decade.

• Fourteen roomy club dividers including a dedicated putter compartment. Although the dividers were listed as a con for not being “true” full length, they still do a good job of spacing out your clubs. The dividers keep the clubs from banging against one another, and there is enough space to fit custom clubs without worrying about damage.
• The Smart Strap system is a much needed and useful addition to the C-130 2018 model. Velcro is used to fasten the bag to a riding cart so that it stays in place. The Velcro is surprisingly strong and stays out of the way of the pockets which are fully accessible while the bag is in the cart. There is no problem with the Velcro losing its effectiveness through repeated use. As long as you don’t let it get too dirty, the Smart Strap system will remain useful for cart riding.
• All ten pockets are roomy, front facing and put in the perfect position on the bag. There are two full length apparel pockets to store your clothes, and a cooler pocket for a drink of your choice. Depending on what you pack, fitting an extra-large cup in there isn’t a big deal at all. Several of the pockets are water resistant, and at least two are velour lined.
• The included matching rain hood is quite nice, thick and durable. It seems like the smallest feature to compliment, but for some users this is the saving grace for a bag in bad weather.

Some Key Features

A good key feature is probably the two velour lined pockets. Usually with a bag of this size you only get one, so doubling it up was a nice touch. You can add double the valuables or just load it with extras of your choice. Also, the size of the bag is just about right at 10.5 inches tall. There are no incompatibilities with carts, old or new. It feels right when carrying and isn’t too bulky even when every pocket is filled.

Best Comparison

Although the 2017 model would offer a fair comparison, a lot of golfers have been pointing out that the Ping Pioneer is an equal choice. Both are fantastic bags, with the strength of the Ping Pioneer being its individual club holder.

It is much better than the C-130 2018 and 2017, and it handles organization better if you have a lot of clubs. Golfers that tend to swap out clubs a lot will prefer the Pioneer while golfers that want more space will find the C-130 2018 to be a much better choice.

Biggest Pro

This is a bit of a tossup since professional users won’t agree with it. But the biggest pro of the C-130 2018 is its design choices. Sun Mountain always excels in this category, but they still took it to the next level with this model. Beginners and intermediates that are tired of looking at uninspired bag designs will find the C-130 to be a true stand out. About the only bad thing you can say about its design is that they didn’t include a few more colors. But with eleven total, they are already ahead of many other bag manufacturers.

Biggest Con

The biggest con is probably the material they used. It isn’t bad, but the 70D fabric comprises too much of the bag. If they had went with a tougher material, then the C-130 2018 could have easily surpassed a lot of expensive high tier bags.

It really would have been a game changer for Sun Mountain, and they would have forced bag makers like Ping and Taylormade to rethink their top tier lines. Once again, the 70D fabric is used in other high tier bags, just not to the extent that the C-130 2018 uses it.

Summary

Sun Mountain came extremely close to changing the entire industry with the creation of the C-130 2018 model. It is a labor of love that has shown just how much the series means to the company. If they improve on the base materials for the 2019 model, then the world of cart bags will change forever.