OGIO Shadow Golf Bag Review

By: Richard Moore | Tue 14 May 2024

Golfshake Ambassador Richard Moore reviews the new OGIO Shadow Golf Bag.

Full disclosure: I play golf all year round and where possible always use my cart bag and trolley as I am not a fan of carrying golf clubs. This is compounded by the fact that I do suffer occasionally from tennis elbow (pain on the outside of the right elbow) which is often aggravated when I’m forced to use my carry bag in winter - particularly when slinging it onto my back. So, I went into this review with slight degree of trepidation, but still an open mind. Ultimately, I also thought a golf bag is just a golf bag, surely?!

The bag test day was held for 12 journalists at The Berkshire (Red Course) which is utterly fabulous, with an abundance of heather (making any loose shot still easy enough to find) and weaves amongst a forest of enormous pine trees. The greens were fast and undulating and immaculate - the best I have played. One of the most memorable courses. Green fees are £240 and worth treating yourself one day.

Prior to the round a presentation was made by Michael Birch, sales and marketing manager at OGIO, which was eye opening as I knew very little about OGIO. My only memory being one of my fellow golfing buddies had a 100% waterproof OGIO bag, that’s all I knew them for.

OGIO Golf Bag

Introducing OGIO

OGIO is not a Scandinavian word - which was my best guess - but an acronym for ‘Our Gear Is Organised!’. OGIO makes a diverse range of durable, long-lasting luggage for business, sports and leisure use (laptop bags, ruck sacks, ski holders, bags for women and trendy teenagers, and of course, golf bags).

OGIO golf bags are not designed for the mass market, this modern brand aims to appeal to golfers who want to express themselves. They come in three categories: ‘Classic’, 'Cool’ and ‘Bold.’

Last year, OGIO launched a range of golf bags and flight bags covered in bananas and another in donuts. Even Michael had his doubts at first he claimed - but the entire stock sold out. One of the journalists commented that he saw many of them earlier this year on the luggage carousel at Faro Airport in Portugal - it is certainly one way to ensure your clubs don’t get mistaken! Watch out in the next few weeks for a design called Agave Ahora (based on the tequila flower!).

The fact mainstream golf bloggers like Peter Finch and James Robinson are brand ambassadors and post images of their ‘Bold’ looking golf bags is testament to OGIO’s rising star status.

The OGIO Shadow Golf Bag

The 'Bold' range will appeal to a narrow segment of the golfing market, however the OGIO Shadow Bag sits firmly within the ‘Classic’ range. This is a truly premium product aimed at those discerning golfers who want a bit of luxury and clearly enjoy standing out from the crowd. I’ve not seen a bag quite like it.

Bear in mind OGIO is an official luggage supplier to the Aston Martin F1 team and so the OGIO designers have approached the Shadow’s design with the same mentality. How luxurious is the upholstery in an Aston Martin sports car - the materials the stitching, the overall look and feel? That’s how impressive the finishing is on this bag. It is made of premium synthetic leather material all over. I’d also use the word ‘premium’ to describe its look, the stitching and padding on the handles, the quality of the zips and the stand bag mechanism (with lightweight carbon fibre legs), even the rain hood is the same material. And it looks fantastic. Top to toe.

But the biggest delight for me was I completed the entire round without a single twinge in my tennis elbow. Ordinarily it is starting to ache and affect my golf performance after nine holes. Not once did I even think about it. The other impressive feature for me is how comfortable it is to carry on your back. The hip padding is substantial but also on both straps (EVA foam) which I’d describe as so luxurious. But also how well the bag sits. Walking behind my fellow players I could see the constant workings and adjustments of the strapping system (Fit Disk technology) which means the straps are not rigid but adjust with your gait keeping the bag in the same position on your back at all times - clever stuff and it really made a difference to me.

One small feature I absolutely loved was the magnetic pocket, which I used to carry my laser range finder as I used it frequently. It is a lovely touch not having to zip and unzip it every time. The height of laziness I know - and the OGIO Shadow has two such magnetic pockets to really spoil you.

OGIO Shadow Golf Bag

Review Verdict

Overall, I suffered no fatigue carrying this premium bag on what was a pretty warm 21 degrees day in May whilst playing during the hottest part of the day.

I’m a fan of TaylorMade clubs, bags, balls, etc. However, I will be switching my cart bag for the OGIO (it fits my PowaKaddy perfectly) and I’m sorry to say the four-year-old stand bag will be going on the top of the tip with the old BBQ this weekend.

This luxury brand of golf bag retails at £369 and can be seen at some of the most prestigious golf club pro shops: The Berkshire, St Andrews, Valderrama, Royal Lytham & St Annes, JCB, Royal County Down, Wentworth, The London Club, and Sunningdale. However, it is also available through some online stores like Top Golf and Affordable Golf.

It’s available in four colours: classic ‘White’, the silver-coloured ‘Moon’ (grey), the rich blue ‘Earth’ and the sleek black ‘Midnight’