Vessel Makes Killer Golf Bags. But These 5 Items Are Darn Good, Too!

Vessel Golf is known, first and foremost, as a golf bag company. They’re not cheap but they’ve been fixtures on MyGolfSpy’s medal stand ever since we started golf bag testing. It’s not just us that thinks so, as Vessel golf bags are a fixture on the PGA and LIV tours.

Over the last several years, however, Vessel owner Ronnie Shaw has expanded into more travel and lifestyle gear (there’s also plenty of pickleball gear but I don’t want to go down that particular rabbit hole). After careful consideration, here are five non-golf bag items we think are worth a look.

#1: PrimeX Backpack

Frequent travelers know the indisputable truth: cheap luggage isn’t good; good luggage isn’t cheap.

At $269, the Vessel PrimeX Backpack isn’t cheap but you’ll probably get tired of it before it actually wears out.

Like Vessel golf bags, the PrimeX backpack features well-organized pockets. It’s big enough to hold a 15-inch laptop, with velour-lined front and side pockets for your cell phone and other valuables. The top accessory pocket has a magnetic closure and includes a key leash and storage space for business cards, cords or other small items. Overall, it’s compact enough to stow under the seat in front of you.

If you need a little more space, the PrimeX Plus backpack can fit a 16-inch laptop. That extra space adds another $30 to the pricetag.  

If you want something a little less expensive, Vessel offers the more compact Skyline backpack at $175. If you want to go crazy, there’s the PrimeX Carbon. It’s a limited-edition offering that retails for a cool $1,395.

#2: Signature Garment Duffel

The Vessel Signature Garment Duffel isn’t unique. You can find something similar from brand names and no-names alike, at a variety of price points. You can certainly find less expensive options but our frequent traveler’s maxim still applies.

Garment duffels are brilliantly simple. It’s a duffel-style suitcase that works as a carry-on or as a simple road-warrior bag. However, if you pull the zippers all the way back, you’ll find a built-in garment compartment good for a couple of dress shirts and a sport coat. Once you zip those items in, you roll the compartment back up and turn the bag back into a duffel.

Vessel dresses it up a bit with internal zippered compartments and pockets they say are for shoes but I’m not 100-percent sold on that one. As usual, Vessel throws a little sumthin’ sumthin’ at you that many others forget: a strap on the bag to fit over the handle of a roller suitcase.

The Vessel Signature Duffel comes in five colorways and sells for $279.

#3: Soft and hard travel bags

Traveling golfers have their own maxim: protect your gamers as you’d protect your family. As shocking as it may be, not everyone treats your clubs like the precious jewels they are. Vessel’s soft Golf Travel Case 2.0 is designed to fit every bag in the Vessel lineup, including staff bags (we’ll go out on a limb and say even non-Vessel bags will also fit). It’s roomy, easy to load and features a thick padded top for an extra layer of protection.

What makes the bag interesting is that it’s expandable. It features zippered side gussets to make the bag more compact for your stand bag. You can unzip the gussets to expand the bag for cart or staff bags.

Hard travel cases are waning in popularity but they still have their fans (particularly the airlines). Vessel partnered with SKB on its hard case. It’s pretty standard for a hard case, with a TSA lock, what Vessel calls “industrial strength latches” and thick foam padding. It’ll handle a stand or cart bag easily but you’ll have to leave the staff bag at home.

The hard case also comes with up to $1,500 of protection to cover any golf clubs damaged during travel.

The Vessel Golf Travel Hard Case sells for $449, while the soft Golf Travel Case 2.0 is $399.

#4: Way cool headcovers

I don’t know about you but, thanks to recent buddy trips, I have way too many driver and fairway wood headcovers. They’re the ultimate pro-shop impulse buy.

I’m trying to cut back but Vessel isn’t making it easy with its collection of classy and clean leather headcovers. The old-school genuine Leather Golf Headcover ($69) is like taking a time machine back to 1973. It’s all white with a simple black 1, 3 or 5.

The Lux Embosse headcovers are also genuine leather and come in six different styles in white, black or the very sweet Smooth Brown. They feature a lovely, embossed number and are available for hybrids, fairways and driver ($79-$99).

If you like a splash of color, Vessel’s Geometric headcovers come in Crimson Red, Heritage Brown or basic black and feature a subtle geometric design ($129). If you like even more color, the Vessel Icon LE Headcover is tri-colored: black, red and white. It’s made from genuine leather and synthetic leather ($99).

#5: Rain Hood by Seaforth

Many of the golf-centric accessories on Vessel’s website are headscratchers but Vessel fans seem to like them. However, Vessel’s unique Rain Hood, made in cooperation with Canadian manufacturer Seaforth, may be one of the best values in golf at only $39.

Yes, I know golf bags come with a rain hood but if you know where yours is, you’re a better person than I. Mine is somewhere safe. Where that is, I couldn’t tell you, but I do know it’s safe.

Your typical rain hood is usually nothing more than a barely functional afterthought. They snap in place (sort of) and aren’t terribly roomy. The Vessel Rain Hood is a little different. It connects to your bag with internal straps and offers plenty of room to grab a club. Additionally, it features an easy-access magnetic closure system instead of a zipper.

If you’re heading to Scotland, Ireland, Cape Breton or Bandon, you’ll want to be prepared for the wetness. One of these puppies will go a long way toward keeping your sticks safe from the drizzle.

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