Vessel Player IV Series Golf Bags – Key Takeaways

Two new models: Player IV and Player IV Pro Both available with six- or 14-way tops New jam-resistant bottom club divider $395 for Player IV, $435 for Player IV Pro

 

The new Vessel Player IV Series golf bags seem like a bit of a backward launch. We’ve already seen the Player IV DXR stand bag in MyGolfSpy’s 2023 Stand Bag Buyer’s Guide (it finished eighth). The new Vessel Player IV and Player IV Pro, however, are being released today.  And, as is typical of Vessel, Player IV packs plenty of features and plenty of options.

Just don’t expect it to be a “budget” golf bag.

“Two words serve as our inspiration: luxury performance,” says Vessel founder and CEO Ronnie Shaw. “Luxury speaks to the materials we use. It speaks to the sleek design and to the way we stitch the bag together. Performance speaks to our features and how each pocket is designed. We want to make insanely amazing products.”

Are the new Vessel Player IV golf bags “insanely amazing”? We’ll have to get our hands on some samples to really tell. But the early returns do sound promising.

Vessel Player IV Series Golf Bags: Standard and Pro

Offering regular and “pro” models of irons is pretty much standard procedure for golf OEMs. But we have to admit, we’ve never seen that approach with golf bags before.

“This is the first time we’ve done it,” says Shaw. “So far with pre-orders people are buying the Pro more than the standard (by a 60-40 margin).”

The biggest differences between the Vessel Player IV standard and Pro are the size of the opening and the weight. The Player IV standard features an 8.5-inch top while the Player IV Pro has a 9.5-inch top. Both are being offered with either six- or 14-way dividers with the Pro models running about one pound heavier (6.5 for the six-way, 7.5 for the 14-way).

The Vessel Player III was MyGolfSpy’s best stand bag for 2022, and the new Player IV models feature several upgrades. Among them are dual water bottle sleeves with magnetic openings along with a cooler-lined pocket. Additionally, the carbon fiber legs feature a new housing to protect them from scratching.

But perhaps the biggest upgrade can be found at the very bottom of the bag.

Jam-Resistant Bottom

One of the biggest gripes about any stand bag is club jamming. Grips tangle at the bottom of the bag and pulling them out or jamming them back in can be a major pain. Which, any golfer can tell you, just plain sucks.

“We listen to a lot of customer feedback,” says Shaw. “What they said was the 14-way divider is great but the clubs still tangle and snag.”

The Vessel Player IV series provides a clever solution the company is calling a “jam-resistant bottom club divider.”

In a typical stand bag, anytime you carry the bag on your back or deploy the legs, the grips slide to the low end of the bag. So what starts out as maybe nine inches of total real estate shrinks down to maybe four inches, with the grips getting tangled in a big knot.

“We actually made a clear bag so we could see where the grips would go,” says Shaw. “When we tried it out, you could see the putter grip sliding all the way to the bottom because of the way the bag leaned.”

The jam-resistant dividers are essentially three horizontal channels formed into the base. So, whether you have the six-way or 14-way top, the grips will be separated into three groups at the bottom of the bag and, it would seem, not get tangled.

Which doesn’t suck.

Brass In Pocket

While there are many pretenders to the throne, Vessel can lay a legitimate claim to being the first bag with magnetic pocket closures. Magnetic pockets are ridiculously convenient but, as with any convenience, there’s a downside.

“We found that people would just throw everything in there,” says Shaw. “We designed it to hold the rangefinder but people would also toss tees, divot tools and ball markers in, as well.”

That’s why you’ll find a separate sleeve or divider in the magnetic rangefinder pocket. You can slide your rangefinder in the sleeve to protect it from everything else.

“The ball pocket has the same thing,” adds Shaw. “I throw all my junk into the ball pocket. And anytime I want to find a ball marker, I can’t. I know I have like 17 ball markers in there but I can’t find any of them.”

The ball pocket has both a divider and a “mess” pocket in the inside wall. The new Player IV series also have dual insulated bottle cooler sleeves with magnetic openings.

“We thought one was enough but people asked for more,” Shaw says. “So we added the whole hip-side panel with a waterproof cooler pocket.”

Carry That Weight

With weights ranging from six to 7.5 pounds, you’d think the Vessel Players IV series stand bags might prove to be a bit of a load for the dedicated carrier. Shaw says overall weight is one thing but how that weight is distributed on your back in another thing entirely.

“Balance is more important than weight,” he says. “I’ve had people tell me that because of the strap and how balanced the bag is, they can carry a full-featured bag and not have their bag hurt. That’s even though on paper, it’s a heavier bag.”

Vessel’s unique Equilibrium 2 Strap features a four-point swivel disc where the four straps meet. The company says the disc self-adjusts to maintain balance whether you’re carrying the bag on one or both shoulders. Additionally, the upper straps on the Vessel Players IV series connect at the very top of the bag, to the frame at the opening.

“Most other companies connect on the bag itself,” says Shaw. “That one or two inches makes a big difference when you’re carrying.”

Additionally, the carbon fiber legs feature a new housing so they won’t get scratched on a pushcart or golf cart.

Vessel Player IV Series Golf Bags: Colors, Price and Availability

The Vessel Player IV standard golf bag features an 8.5-inch top opening with your choice of a six- or 14-way top divider. It’s available in five colorways: matte black, matte white, matte grey, matte navy and what Vessel calls DXR Black.

The Vessel Player IV Pro has a larger 9.5-inch top opening and is also available with either six-way or 14-way dividers. Because of the larger opening, the Player IV Pro’s 14-way opening can easily accommodate midsize and jumbo grips. Vessel says the standard Player IV 14-way opening works best with standard-size grips only.

The Player IV Pro is available in pebbled black, pebbled white, pebbled grey, pebbled navy and DXR Black.

Vessel bags, as mentioned, aren’t for the budget-minded. Vessel uses the same material in the Player IV series as it does in its Tour player bags and the company doesn’t skimp on the features. The standard Player IV bag is $395 for either the six- or 14-way top while the Player IV Pro six- or 14-way will run you $435.

“Premium” is an overused word in golf and where Vessel winds up in your price-value matrix really depends on what you want from a golf bag. If all you want is something to tote your clubs around, there are far less expensive options. Luxury, features and higher quality, however, almost always come with dollar signs attached.

For more information, visit the Vessel website.

So GolfSpies, where does Vessel fall on your price-value matrix?

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