50 Words or Less
True to the Subtle Patriot name, the company’s Covert Golf Cart Bag has an understated exterior with an interior that beams national pride. High quality materials and a well executed design.
Introduction
Reviewing the Subtle Patriot website, I learned that the company is much more than a clever name. With his family in their fourth generation of military service, founder Tom Gocke knew his new company should provide more than quality products, it should also support veterans and first responders. I’ll get to the patriotic design elements in the next section, but it’s also worth noting that Subtle Patriot is dedicated to hiring veterans and partnering with veteran owned companies. That alone is applause worthy, but Subtle Patriot goes another step further by financially supporting NS2 Serves and their “Boots to Suits” program. If you do nothing else today, visit the ns2serves.org website.
Style
On the outside, the Covert Golf Cart Bag is all about the Subtle in Subtle Patriot. From a distance, the bag looks to be plain black accented by gunmetal grey zippers. Up close, the bag displays its colors with understated stars and stripes fabric. The shell also features accents of carbon fiber patterned material and ‘SP’ logoed zipper pulls and fasteners.
The flashiest branding is the small eagle Velcro patch on the front middle pocket. Best of all, you can have your own custom patch made for just $12.95.
The second word of the name – Patriot – reveals itself fully when you unzip the pockets and see the red, white, and blue lining. Full of symbols, icons and words that represent the United States of America, the inside of the pockets are non-subtle expressions of the company’s love of country.
Features
The 15-way top of the Covert Golf Cart Bag provides ample options for club organization, plus room for a ball retriever or training aid. The highlight of the numerous pockets was the hard shell pocket on the side that offered protection for my range finder. My only complaint with the pocket is that it’s deeper than its shell.
Another cool feature, and reflective of the brand, is the MOLLE System (pronounced Molly) that allows for a myriad of attachments to the bag. I’ll admit I wasn’t familiar with the term and learned it’s an acronym for Modular Lightweight Load-Carrying Equipment. I’ve seen the distinctive straps on police and military vests but never knew they had an actual name.
Performance
Three integrated handles on the top and one webbing handle at the bottom made moving the Covert Golf Cart Bag easy. Carrying the bag was accomplished with a well-padded single strap that also has a nice storage strap for keeping it in place if you keep the bag on a cart.
Securing the Covert to the cart was quick and easy thanks to the generous cart strap pass through. I liked that the bag’s shape held strong even when the cart strap was super tight. Rubberized feet on the bottom helped keep the bag in place when going over bumps and making aggressive turns on the golf course.
I was a little surprised to read that the bag only had 5 full length dividers, but that turned out to be a non-issue. The full length fabric panels allowed grips to mingle within a section, but the individual openings kept the clubs well separated and easy to pull.
Conclusion
If the Covert Golf Cart Bag is visually appealing to you, you’ll be pleased to note that Subtle Patriot offers a variety of products in their signature look including golf accessories, luggage, and gun cases. Tom Gocke’s 20+ years of experience shines through on the quality and design execution of the Covert Golf Cart Bag. Just as important in my view is the Subtle Patriot mission statement: “Through the creation and sale of best-in-class products honoring our love of country we will increase awareness and support for our nation’s military veterans and first responders.”
Matt Meeker
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Any chance for a not so subtle Patriotic golf bag?
Check out their website – some great looking patriotic bags and gear.
– Meeks
Patriot??? Made in China. Another exploitation of military and patriotism theme. [Edited to remove explicitly political content]
Can hardly see the flag pattern on the black and green women’s models in normal light.
Returned.