Pins & Aces Player Preferred Golf Bag
What We Like
High-quality materials and construction.
Versatility for carry, push cart and riding cart use.
Large pockets and removable carry straps.
14-way top keeps clubs separate and untangled.
Vibrant purple color!
What We Don't Like
On the larger size for the exclusively walking golfer.
Insulated pocket infringes on garment pocket volume.
Opening for lined valuables pocket it too tight.
The Bottom Line
The Pins & Aces is a high-quality, high-functioning bag. It has ample storage, five-way and 14-way top options and performs well on the back, the push cart or the riding cart.
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You had me at purple
Those of you familiar with my purple golf gear obsession understand why the Pins & Aces Player Preferred golf bag was a must-try item for me.
A rational person would think the Pins & Aces bag placing 12th out of 44 bags in the 2025 MyGolfSpy Stand Bag Buyers Guide would be motivation enough to check out the bag.
Pins & Aces had me at “Grape.”
Strengths of the Pins & Aces Player Preferred golf bag
While I was initially interested in (obsessed with) the color, what I really hoped was that the bag not only looked amazing but also worked well on the course.
My golf bag demands are fairly simple. Give me the comfort and convenience that I need to frequently push 18 holes and occasionally carry nine holes.
Ideally, the bag should function so well that it becomes almost unnoticeable during the round.
Let’s see what the Pins & Aces Player Preferred stand bag got right.
High-quality materials
My go-to bag for much of 2024 was a Vessel Player IV stand bag. I mention this because that bag serves as my reference point for quality.
When I first pulled the Pins & Aces Player Preferred bag out of the box, it reminded me of the Vessel bag.
The synthetic leather-like material has a great feel as does the velour-lined top. I’ll not go as far as to say this bag is as nice as my Vessel bags but that is the brand that first came to mind.
Pins & Aces should take that comparison as a compliment regardless.
While I was surprised by the quality, in retrospect I shouldn’t have been. I have a few Pins & Aes headcovers and their quality is also impressive.
Just look at the stitch count in Towelie’s bloodshot eyes in the photo above. Not only that but they nailed the towel material on that putter cover as well.
There is no question that Pins & Aces makes some outlandish golf products but my experience leads me to believe that they also want them to be high-quality and functional.
14-way top design
Though top arrangement is sometimes a topic of debate, I prefer the 14-way top. I know going 14-way can add a bit of weight to the bag. Since I usually push, the gain in organization more than offsets the additional weight.
“Quality” is once again the buzzword here at the top of the bag. The velour top looks great and so far has not proved to be a dirt and grass magnet.
Though Pins & Aces uses only five internal dividers in the Player Preferred golf bag, I did not run into any unusual grip-tangling situations.
In fact, it proved easier than usual to shove additional clubs or my Lagshot swing trainer into the bag alongside my usual 14 sticks.
The putter well is quite large. If you play a blade, the headcover will drop all the way down into the bag. Mallets are not quite as snug but also fit just fine.
Should you be a person who drinks “imported” beverages on the course, this is where your Beer Sleeve or LiquorStick will fit in the bag.
Though I’ve not tried it, I think your putter should still fit just fine next to the libation holder.
Lots of large pockets
Pocket type and placement is an obvious concern for any golf bag. For the most part, the Pins & Aces Player Preferred golf bag gets it right.
The zippers are high-quality and smooth. There is a large velour-lined pocket with a magnetic closure that would softly cradle your laser rangefinder.
Full disclosure: I use this pocket for golf balls.
Unfortunately, I find having easy access to a new ball to be more important than a comfortable laser when I play. I’m the OG of OB in my foursome these days.
The lower central pocket is huge and so, too, are the main garment pocket and lower carry-side pocket.
These pockets are so large that you will need to be careful if you plan to carry this bag exclusively. Overpacking is quite possible.
The Pins & Aces Player Preferred bag has a unique pocket. At the top of the garment pocket is a special pocket to hold your Zyn tin.
In a pinch, it will also hold a can of Skoal long cut.
How about that as a bonus feature? You now have a dedicated place for your Zyn. That should keep you from losing it and prevent that wear ring from showing up in the back pocket of your jorts.
Solid aesthetics and unobtrusive branding
The purple color is bright and bold. It’s a great shade of grape. The color shifts between the red and blue edges of purple depending upon the light. This is just what I look for in a bag that is designed not to blend in to the background.
If blending in is what you are looking for, there is a Realtree camouflage version of the Player Preferred bag.
In fact, there are a whole slew of colors available. Some are bold and others more traditional. The Domino color scheme is conservative and classy while the Pink Lemonade bag pops in yellow and pink.
The Player Preferred golf bag has the Pins & Aces name or logo on the bag in more than 20 places. Their logo is engraved on all of the rivets and the towel holder/bottle opener has it as well. Their company name is on the bag in five different places as well.
In spite of this, the bag does not feel over-branded. Like the materials, the arrangement of the branding reminds me of Vessel where the bag makes the statement, not the branding.
They could have put “Pins & Aces” in a giant font along the side of the large pocket but instead went with a small logo in the bottom corner.
Overall, I think Pins & Aces deftly got their name out there without having the branding overpower the aesthetic.
Removable (and well-padded) carry straps
Thankfully, removable carry straps are more and more common these days. When pushing or riding, I appreciate being able to get the unnecessary straps out of the way.
The padding and fit with the straps on the back are solid. Not a standout feature for me but also not something I’d worry about when carrying that bag for a round. Nothing wrong with being adequate.
Push cart fit
Like I said, I am primarily a pushing golfer. That is the main lens I view bags through when testing them. If a bag sucks on the push cart, it is not returning to the course.
The Pins & Aces Player Preferred bag is very push cart friendly. I tried it on a couple of different carts and it got high marks on both.
The top arrangement works great and the notch on the bottom of the bag will help it fit on the bottom bracket for many push carts.
The shoulder straps and legs for occasional carry and/or range use are the icing on the cake.
I did have one issue with the bag on my Clicgear 4.0. The top circumference was too large for the stock straps. No matter how I repositioned the cart’s top bracket, those strap ends were not coming together.
Ultimately, this was not a fault for the bag but rather an issue that the Clicgear 4.0 has with larger bags.
For cart bags and larger carry bags, Clicgear makes a longer strap to fit the larger bags. Once I swapped in that longer strap, the Player Preferred bag mounted on the Clicgear cart without further issue.
Stand-flat base
The stand-flat base may not help you much on the course but it is a great feature when storing the bag. While cart bags can typically stand on their own, many stand bags need their legs extended to be stable.
If the a bag takes up less space in the garage, that leaves more room for putters.
Weaknesses of the Pins & Aces Player Preferred golf bag
The Pins & Aces Player Preferred has a lengthy list of strengths. However, there were a few things I had minor issues with.
No strap pass-through slot
Alhough I was still able to secure the bag to the push cart, I did wish there was a pass-through slot under the large pocket.
A bag tends to fit a bit better when the strap wraps around the body of the bag rather than over the pocket. Thankfully, the strap did not infringe on pocket access except maybe for the Zyn pocket.
Valuable pocket zipper too tight
I found the zipper on the lined valuables pocket to be annoying. All of the other zippers on the Pins & Aces Player Preferred bag are great but the one on the valuables pocket it just too tight.
Every time I went into the pocket, the zipper teeth scraped on my skin. My hands are not huge and, no, the plastic teeth did not draw blood. That said, I found myself dreading sticking my hand into the pocket.
Perhaps the opening could be expanded a bit. I’d also like to see an additional valuables pocket inside the large side pocket. There is a key hook in there but a pocket would be better.
Insulated pocket doesn’t close and it’s in an odd location
My main criticism of the Pins & Aces Player Preferred golf bag is the insulated pocket.
I appreciate the size of the pocket. That is a 40-ounce Hydroflask in the photo above. The size is great.
What I don’t like is the position and the lack of closure on the pocket.
Though the main garment pocket still has plenty of space for extra layers of clothing, a large water bottle is going to infringe on that pocket volume. Additionally, accessing stuff at the bottom of the main pocket becomes more difficult since the water bottle gets in the way.
You can still reach the bottle when the bag is on your back but it will initially feel odd that you need to reach so far back for it.
The lack of a zipper makes it more difficult to keep snacks, ice and other things you’d like to keep cold secure in the pocket. Temperature control is far less effective in an open pocket as well.
Overall, I would prefer to see the lower pocket on the other side become the insulated pocket and a water bottle sleeve added to the side of the lower central pocket system.
This summer, I’ll likely need to attach a small cooler to the cart to keep things cold.
Out on the course
On the course, the Pins & Aces Player Preferred golf bag was a purple pleasure. Once I installed the longer strap from Clicgear, the bag stayed in place without a twist or lean.
I like how the architecture of the top keeps the clubs separate and accessible. As I mentioned, I had zero issues with the clubs getting tangled or not smoothly sliding in and out of the bag.
The purple color pops in the sun. The only drawback is that the bag made me realize how faded my straps are on my Clicgear. Once I replace those with new black straps, this will be one pretty purple package.
Final thoughts on the Pins & Aces Player Preferred golf bag
The grape color initially drew me to the Pins & Aces Player Preferred golf bag. Now the color is one of the least important reasons why I continue to use it.
Who am I kidding? The purple is the main thing for me.
Color aside, this is an excellent stand bag. The Pins & Aces Player Preferred bag combines quality, functionality and charisma. Outside of a few minor grievances with a couple of pockets, the bag performs like a champ.
The $329.95 price puts the bag in about the middle of the pack price-wise. Most stand bags are priced in the $250-$350 range these days.
Pins & Aces adds value to their Player Preferred bag by constructing the rain hood from the same material as the bag and including a travel cover.
I initially scoffed at the travel bag but have grown to appreciate it each time I toss the bag in the back of my brother’s truck. No more irons going rogue during transport.
Should you want to add your name in custom embroidery to your bag, for an additional $50, Pins & Aces can take care of that for you as well.
For more information, and if for some reason you want to see a color other than purple, head over to pinsandaces.com
The post Does Vessel Have Some Competition? appeared first on MyGolfSpy.
