50 Words or Less
The CRU Golf Legacy golf bag oozes class, quality, and craftsmanship. Smart design with inventive features. Usable for walkers and riders.
Introduction
They say that good things come to those who wait. I’ve waited over two years since the first tease at the 2018 PGA Show, but the CRU Golf Legacy golf bag is finally here. And the wait was worth it. CRU has been a Blue Ribbon Gear winner for their headcovers (click HERE) and their new golf bag shows the same attention to detail and expert craftsmanship.
Looks
Legacy is the perfect name for a golf bag that has the look and feel of something your grandfather owned and that you might pass down to your children or grandchildren. There’s something about the character of a 100% leather golf bag that’s inimitable. You can imagine someone like Ben Hogan throwing a bag like this over his shoulder as he walks up to the clubhouse.
The quality of the materials is enhanced by the extreme craftsmanship and attention to detail. It’s immediately obvious that the construction of the Legacy bag is labor intensive, but I defy you to find a single loose thread. CRU signs off on the quality of each bag with the blue, handmade stitch shown above. This signature detail will appear on every first generation Legacy bag as a stamp of approval.
As you would expect from CRU, there are also options for customization. CRU is currently offering custom embroidery on the ball pocket for free. Even more impressive, custom bags will ship in just one week. You can also customize the color of the zipper pulls.
At the time of publication, the CRU website only shows the Legacy bag in black. There are other colors available on a limited basis, and you can find out what’s available by contacting CRU HERE.
Features
The Legacy golf bag walks a middle ground between minimalist Sunday Bag and modern carry bag. In the Sunday Bag column, it has no legs and a simple top structure.
On the other side of the ledger is a well-curated list of features that makes the bag usable for a wider array of players. One of the most ingenious features is the alignment rod sheath which doubles as a removable spine (shown above). Some Sunday bags have no structure, others have a “spine” or a rod that gives the bag shape. The Legacy bag has both – put in an alignment rod to give the bag structure or remove it to fold it up for travel or storage.
The amount of storage in the CRU Legacy bag is more in line with a modern bag. There’s a full-length jacket pocket, zippered beverage compartment, valuables pocket with waterproof zipper, and a large ball pocket. Additionally, the bag has an umbrella loop and clasp. Finally, a D-ring is mounted near the handle to keep a towel, a GPS or rangefinder case, or a speaker close at hand.
Performance
Let’s start with the strap, which was a point of emphasis for CRU’s founder, Adam Blake. As a caddie, he had a lot of experience carrying Sunday bags and knew that many had poorly padded straps that dug into caddies’ shoulders. With this in mind, he put extra cushioning into the strap on the Legacy bag, and it makes the bag a very pleasant carry.
The strap is not only well-padded, it’s extremely versatile. There are four D-rings that, along with the adjustable-length strap, allow the user to customize the carrying experience to fit their body. Additionally, the extra D-rings allow for the option of a second strap so that the Legacy can be carried like a backpack. No other golf bag that I know of offers this level of carrying versatility.
The top of the Legacy bag has the largest opening of any Sunday bag I’ve seen. The inside diameter is a full 8″, and it greedily swallows up a complete 14-club set. This gives the Legacy a huge boost among those who both carry and ride and play with both half and full sets.
On the bottom of the bag, CRU has attached a full sized handle. This makes it much easier to get the Legacy into and out of a car. The handle also allows you to balance the bag more comfortably when walking. Additionally, you’ll notice that the base has an eyelet which allows air and condensation to escape – another small but important detail.
Finally, the CRU Legacy is a bag that is meant to be gamed. Every time I pick up this bag, words like “rugged” and “bulletproof” bounce through my brain.
When speaking with Adam Blake about this bag, he told me that CRU drew upon bags from the 1940’s as inspiration for the construction of the D-rings that hold the strap. He encouraged me to try to pull off one of those D-rings; since I value the use of my fingers, I declined.
The combination of leather and heavy-duty hardware does make the Legacy weigh more than other Sunday bags. If you’re fanatical about shaving off every possible ounce, this may not be the bag for you.
Conclusion
Over the last ten years, CRU Golf regularly looked toward making golf bags only to stop short anytime they couldn’t do it exactly right. As I said at the beginning, it was worth the wait. The CRU Golf Legacy bag earns top marks in every category from its stunning looks to its unique design features to the unbelievable quality and construction. If you want to buy the last golf bag you’ll ever need, this is it.
Matt Saternus
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that bag looks awesome!!! but im liking the Moon Skull cover more haha… I snagged one on release day and was shocked how awesome in looks in person. If we play golf this year it will be my gamer
Great review, as always, Matt. Although as a “Tar Heel Dad” my eyes were poked by the Duke emblem, I am reminded of your BlueDevil roots, so there you go. So……it sounds like this bag is good enough for your MacKenzie to be concerned about being one-upped or replaced? This bag sounds worthy of being in the same breath as the minimalist Macs or the venerable Jones’s?
Steve,
I have a full walking bag shoot out that will get into the details of each of those bags, and more, coming out on 4/27. Short version: the CRU is absolutely on the level of the MacKenzie for quality and the materials are actually much more durable/heavy duty. Jones is a great option, a killer for the price, but not in the same class as the other two for craftsmanship.
Best,
Matt
Good review. I’ve heard good things from Pete Pappas, @PGAPappas on Twitter, about this bag.
You both seem to rave that this is one terrific bag.
Nice to get a good opinion of this from two good sources.
Hm, I love minimalist bags. I still carry around my Jones bag for my vintage sets, and I also have an old leather/canvas Sunday bag by Belding Sports, both classics, but yeah, one strap can be a little tough on these older and getting even more olderer shoulders. Any info on weight? And you also mentioned second shoulder strap, worn like a backpack, how does that work? I’ve been eyeing up the Mackenzie, but boy this looks sweet – heirloom quality – but the weight may be a factor in my decision. Didn’t see any mention of either on the website. Thanks again Matt.
Jay,
We have lots of stats here: https://pluggedingolf.com/the-best-walking-golf-bag/
-Matt
Nice Golf Bags.