50 Words or Less
The PING Hoofer 14 brings superior organization to stand bags with a 14-way top. Retains all the smart features of the standard Hoofer.
Introduction
Many golfers like to throw their clubs on their back and walk the course, but who likes having their clubs in a tangled mess? No one. For the player who wants to keep their sticks better organized while they trek, PING has created the Hoofer 14 golf bag.
Style
Much like the Hoofer, the Hoofer 14 keeps the branding minimal. There’s a small PING logo on each side, Hoofer branding on the legs, and that’s it.
The design of the bag is even cleaner than the Hoofer – the sides have large swaths of solid colors without stripes or decoration. This is a bag for the player who wants to let their game do the talking.
The PING Hoofer 14 comes in 5 colorways: black, black/graphite/copper, graphite/white/crimson, red/graphite, and blue/black (shown here).
Features
The key features of the Hoofer 14 mirror those of the standard Hoofer. First is the attached rain hood (seen above). The rain hood is smart on two counts. Having the hood attached means that you won’t lose it. Also, PING has located it where most bags just place padding, so you don’t lose any storage space.
The other standout feature is the way that the straps are connected to the bag. There are two clips (picture below) that allow you to carry the bag in a variety of different ways. If you’ve ever carried a bag with backpack straps, you know that trying to use only one strap can be awkward. With the new Hoofer, just pop one of the clips and the bag balances naturally for a single-shoulder carry.
Beyond these two standout features, the Hoofer has all the things you expect from a modern stand bag. There’s a cart strap channel that allows you to secure your bag without losing access to any pockets. There are 12 pockets with a cavernous total of 22 liters of capacity. Finally, there’s a water bottle pocket that’s perfectly located to give you a drink while you have the bag on your back.
Performance
The key difference between the standard Hoofer and the Hoofer 14 is the top. I found that the 5-way top of the Hoofer was enough to keep my clubs fairly well organized, but the Hoofer 14 takes organization to the extreme. The extra dividers make sure every club slides in and out without tangling. The Hoofer 14 also has an additional full length divider compared the standard Hoofer – four versus three.
This extra organization comes at a minimal cost: half a pound. The standard Hoofer weighs five pounds, the Hoofer 14 is five and a half. To me, this difference is barely worth talking about. Unless you’re an ultra-minimalist, you’re probably carrying several pounds of extra balls, water, tees, etc.
The single feature that makes the Hoofer 14 such a pleasure to carry is the strap system. With one clip, you can switch from a comfortable backpack carry to a well-balanced single shoulder carry. I suspect many of you are thinking, “I carry my current bag on one shoulder all the time, and it’s not that bad. What’s the big deal?” I challenge you to go to see the Hoofer 14 in person and experience it for yourself. It’s the feature you didn’t know you’ve been missing your whole life.
Conclusion
If you’re in the market for a new stand bag this year, it probably ought to be a PING Hoofer. The only question is which one. The standard Hoofer will likely be the most popular, but if you like to see your clubs perfectly organized, the Hoofer 14 is for you.
Matt Saternus
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Nice review and nice bag. If you want a 14 way stand bag your choices come down to the SM 4.5 and the Ping Hoofer 14. They’re both constructed for durability and ease of access, storage, etc. However the Ping bag is unfortunately a smaller diameter top and the dividers do not extend fully to the bottom like the SM bag (at least the last generation). The smaller top leads to clubs binding quite often and is what lead me to the SM bag instead. I actually like the construction of the Ping bag more but wasn’t willing to deal with the binding problem If you look at any review of this bag the first think mentioned is the binding problem. I believe the SM bag has a 10.5″ diameter while the Ping bag is slightly smaller. Keep up the good reviews.
Did you find your clubs to tangle at all? I just got a Cobra ultralight bag and while I like everything about it… the 5 way dividers kind of leave my clubs a bit tangled, they don’t always slide in and out nicely. Also, because the straps are clipped and held right near the bag, that force from carrying constantly makes that connection point creak and make odd noises.
Zach,
I found the Hoofer 14 to be above average in terms of clubs not being tangled. Nothing except 14 full-length dividers will eliminate tangles, but the Hoofer 14 is quite good.
Best,
Matt
Thank you so much for presenting the quality and more helpful resources.
I have an SM 4.5 LS and it’s fine for a cart, but I like lower profile bags in my car because I’m carrying bags for a couple of players most of the time. SO I went to PGATSS and filed a Hoofer 14 with clubs – comfy and lower profile than the 4.5 LS. and the Hoofer 14 owns more substantial to the hand materials, The 14 dividers bothers me a bit because I carry a ball tube to the range most of the time and it does not fit. But the Hoofer 14 is an attractive bag and the bag settles naturally in a good position on your lower back. Then I looked at the SM 4 plus bag – 4 lbs and somewhat minimalist and much lower profile than its brother, the 4.5 LS…. Compared to the Hoofer 14, the 4 Plus materials are not as subtantial and the Hoofer 14 has a variety of pockets inside the pockets that make it attractive as well as the magnetic rangerfinder pocket. If you want 14 dividers and a lower profile bag, I agree with taking a serious look at the Hoofer 14.