We can all sympathise with the annoyance of having to drag your golf clubs through airports. The apprehension of hoping your clubs make the flight in one piece. Well I took my clubs over to Germany in the Sun Mountain ClubGlider Meridian flight bag and it made tackling the airports safe and easy.
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Sun Mountain Club Glider Meridian Flight Bag Review: NCG Summary
NCG SUMMARY
The Club Glider Meridian makes travelling with your golf clubs a lot less taxing and stressful. Its clever design allows for the glider to be pulled through airports a lot easier with the two extra wheels. The bag has great manoeuvrability and is easy to use. There is plenty of space to fit a cart bag if that’s your preference.
PROS
- Multiple colour options
- Plenty of space
- Pockets for storage
- Legs and wheels are massively helpful
CONS
- Can take time to get use to putting the wheels up and down
First Impressions
It’s hard not to be immediately struck by the bold colour scheme of the glider. It may be bold and different, but it works, and you’ll have no doubts about which glider your golf clubs are in when picking up your luggage at the airport. If you like something more pared back, there are plenty of colours and designs available.
When I was packing my clubs away I was pleasantly surprised with how much room there was in the glider. I used a cart bag in Germany and there was still enough room to put clothes and golf shoes. If you take the conventional route and use a carry bag abroad then there is plenty of room for all your golf gear.
Sun Mountain Club Glider Meridian Flight Bag Review: NCG Review
I’ll be honest, my trip to Germany was the first time I had used a golf travel bag. It was a lot more seamless than I imagined it would have been. I for one was initially nervous about taking my clubs abroad because of the stories of how clubs get broken and damaged at airports. Luckily for me, nothing of that nature to report.
The thick, extra padding at the top of the travel bag means club heads are cushioned upon any impact that they are faced with. Sun Mountain also attribute the safety of their Club Glider Meridian to the ‘Ballistic style’ nylon construction that the bag is made from. This is designed to keep the clubs and golf equipment safe during travel and also adds to its durability.
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The hard plastic tray that the bag sits on during travel also adds to Meridian glider’s durability. Having the plastic tray to sit your bag and clubs on all just adds to that extra bit of protection from hard surfaces and keeps it more set in one place.
The glider also has straps inside to keep your golf bag in place during the rush of travel. Two internal cinch straps go around the body of the golf bag to prevent it from moving around inside. They are great features for enhanced security of the golf equipment.
Storage space definitely isn’t an issue, if you are planning on going for an extended break. Inside, I was able to fit in a 14-divider cart bag and there was still enough room for storing personal belongings. As usual, I seemed to be travelling back with more stuff than I went with, and with my cabin bag full I was able to store some golf clothes and golf shoes in the glider.
Of course, the highlight feature of Sun Mountain’s Club Glider Meridian are the pivoting caster wheels. These extra wheels ensured that I never had to pick up my golf bag when I was queuing to drop my bag off at the airport. The wheels were a huge relief in being able to drag the bag and make it manageable whilst carrying other luggage. I thought I would have been swamped with my clothes bag and the stress of navigating the airport, as well as lugging golf clubs around, but having four wheels eradicated a lot of that stress.
The leg mechanism is great. Easy enough to operate, but it does take some time initially to get a hang of extending and retracting them. When retracted, they sit under the bag flat, meaning there is no worry of snapping the legs.
It might seem like a funny thing to comment on, but the wheels really do roll well over different surfaces. I had no issues pulling the glider over street paving, airport flooring or a cobbled path. The Meridian really did glide over everything.
Although it seems quite big in size, it can be quite bulky at times, that is to be expected with its purpose and storage room. There were no issues in fitting it on the back seats of my car, which is a hatchback, other people may be able to fit it in their boot if they have a bigger car.
Final Thoughts
Although, this was my first time using a golf travel bag I can’t imagine it can be any easier. I can’t overstate how much the extra wheels and legs helped with mobility. It really was a joy to have the Sun Mountain Club Glider Meridian bag to take the stress off my shoulders and having the comfort that my clubs were in a secure bag.
The padding around the top of the bag is a real nerve settler for relaxing the thoughts of having your clubs damaged or broken, although there is no guarantee of that. Despite its size and bulkiness at times, I honestly think this is definitely one of the best golf travel bags on the market.
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The Details
Available: Now.
RRP: £389 / $339.99
Further Information: Sun Mountain ClubGlider Meridian Flight Bag UK / Sun Mountain ClubGlider Meridian Flight Bag US
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