Specialist sports-luggage manufacturer OGIO, which took the US golf market by storm last year, is officially launching its award-winning 2014 range in the UK.
Last year in the USA, it was the innovative Chamber cart bag which turned heads – for 2014, much has been made Stateside of the introduction of the new ground-breaking waterproof bag design – the matt black Gotham – which was awarded a gold medal in the prestigious, benchmark Golf Digest 2014 Hot List.
The new Gotham Aquatech bag is a completely new take on waterproof bag design. The Gotham Collection has been designed to reduce the amount of zips used – an area prone to water entry – while still increasing internal storage capacity. Designed like Batman’s cape, the two main zips allow the larger pockets to expand once opened, exposing a generous and easy-to-access space and further internal pockets.
Gotham is also a lightweight design – weighing less than 5lbs – offered only in a stylish matt black. It comes with OGIO’s proprietary four point-strap system and seven-way Holster performance top, with side putter pit and integrated grab handle. Combined with a proprietary blend of water and stain-repellent fabrics and evolutionary construction techniques, the Gotham golf bag collection delivers a head-turning appearance with a feather-light feel.
The Gotham, which has a retail price of £249, was originally scheduled for a 2015 release but has been brought forward because of the positive reception towards the concept after it was unveiled in January at the PGA 2014 Merchandise Show in Orlando.
It’s because of products like the Gotham and Chamber – a silver-medal winner in the 2014 Hot List – that OGIO is stocked in shops at a staggering 78 of the USA’s top 100 destination courses, including Pebble Beach, PGA West, Trump National, Doral, Pinehurst and Whistling Straits, to name but a few. Three-time PGA Tour winner Aaron Baddeley, world number 51 Kevin Streelman, world number 80 Chris Stroud, and 100s of other Tour pros use OGIO bags and luggage – not just on the course, but also when travelling.
The 2014 range also includes four stunning new lines for ladies – the Diva Luxe and Featherlite Luxe stand bags, and the Majestic and Duchess cart bags; and four new co-ordinated collections, with everything from boot-bag and backpack, through to travel-bag and suitcases.
From the best-selling, six-pocket Grom stand bag, with its 14-way Diamond Performance stand top with oversized putter pit, integrated front handle and ground-breaking SHOXXTM X4 suspension carrying system – which has automatically adjusting elastomeric straps to equalise bag load and reduce strain – to the stylish Aquatech waterproof collection, with its hydrophobic material and thermo-welded seam technology, every OGIO product is manufactured to the highest standards while remaining aesthetically pleasing.
What’s more, Golf Digest Hot List reviewers also awarded a second gold medal to OGIO’s Machu cart bag, confirming the brand as THE specialist golf bag manufacturer.
Described by a WorldGolf.com reviewer as “… technically superior”, OGIO began creating its lifestyle brand of adrenaline-driven styled bags nearly 30 years ago and made its name in ‘action’ sports such as motocross and
surfing. But its insistence on innovation and a reputation for producing high-quality, co-ordinated luggage led, naturally, to a move into golf, where a bag is a prerequisite and not merely an accessory in use between car and stadium.
Unlike many major brands in the market, which simply regard a golf bag as an adjunct to a profitable golf hardware range, OGIO exists merely to produce top-end sports bags. It is the company’s raison d’etre – which ensures only the very best and most stylish golf bags carry the label of OGIO.
A spokesman for OGIO said: “We appreciate that you may be able to buy a similar product at a cheaper price – but the similarities will end once you start using an OGIO product. Not all golf bags are the same. You do get what you pay for – the quality will speak for itself. OGIO is unashamedly a high-end product, designed with the user in mind and illustrates you don’t need to sacrifice usability just because a product looks good.”
OGIO www.ogio-golf.co.uk