Five hours on the golf course can be draining. And I’m not just talking from a physical or mental standpoint. In a modern golf world of GPS yardage guides, cell phones and even portable speakers, there’s a need to stay plugged in. Sun Mountain is answering the call with the Supercharged 4.5 LS.

Renowned for its quality and innovation in golf bag manufacturing department, this is Sun Mountain’s powered-up version of its 4.5 LS carry bag. Available in four colour schemes—black, navy/white/red, Desert Camo and Red-Steel (pictured), with a four-way club divider, this lightweight bag comes with a portable Philips Power Bank 7800 mAh lithium battery with two USB ports (one standard and one rapid-charging).

Stored in a special pocket inside the full-length garment/shoe pocket (pictured in the open pocket below), the Philips Power Bank plugs into a USB port that is wired directly to an external port near the top of the bag. You can then plug your personal device into that external port with your own USB cable, and tuck your charging device into the adjoining water-resistant, velour-lined pocket.

The bag features 10 pockets in all, including a hydration pouch, multiple accessory pockets and another velour-lined valuables pocket. There’s also a matching rainhood.

Sun Mountain’s E-Z Fit Dual Strap System, meanwhile, is quite comfortable and easy to adjust for a custom fit. Its contoured, nicely padded carry straps feature a three-layer construction and have grab loops for maximum comfort. And there’s also strategically placed padding to cushion the bag on your lower-back.

While I really like the concept of recharging your draining devices while on course—and the Phillips Power Bank works fast and seems to hold its own charge for months on end when not in use—there is room for improvement. For example, while the Power Bank technically has the ability to recharge two devices at once (since it has two USB ports), it’s stored inside the garment pocket. So since there’s only one USB outlet protruding from the bag’s exterior, if you want to charge another device, you’ll need to make that second connection inside that apparel pocket and leave your device there.

I also have a couple issues with the external plug-in. Since it’s mounted facing down (likely to protect the connection from being compromised by rain, the odd sprinkler shower or debris), it can be a bit tricky sliding in your USB cable upside down. Second, as you can tell from the image, if the pocket storing your device needs to be zipped up, it can put quite a strain on the cable.

As for the bag itself, I wish they could combine the 14-way divider available in the other 4.5 LS model instead of the current four-way configuration of the Supercharged. But there are few complaints. It’s a really well designed piece of hardware, including a water bottle pouch and golf ball pocket that are perfectly positioned for easy access by your left hand while carrying the bag over your shoulders.

And a few final words about the recharging aspect. I do like the portability of the Phillips Power Bank, as well as the four lights atop the device that show its current charging level when you’re powering it up. But if technology ever enables a practical application of solar cells on a bag’s outer skin, then we’ll have the ultimate Supercharged golf bag. Until then, a little engineering might be required to perfect the current design.

Currently on sale at Golf Town for $255.99.

Overall Rating: 8.5/10.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Sun Mountain’s 2020 edition of this bag will indeed feature a 14-way divider! I love it when they listen to the consumer 🙂