Sun Mountain Glides into the Luggage Biz

The popular ClubGlider has expanded into carry-on and suitcase versions.

Tony Dear

In January 2007, Golf Channel began airing an original series called “Fore Inventors Only,” in which garage techies and basement scientists demonstrated their sometimes wacky designs in hopes they’d be seen by curious corporate CEOs. All being well, the CEOs would wonder how on Earth golf and golfers ever survived without these brilliant gizmos and offer the originator millions of dollars for the technology and a place on the board.

Picking up 17% of viewer votes in the final edition nine months after the first show, and finishing third in the series behind Larry Koch’s Hill Shot Golf Trainer and winner David Jones’s Club Caddy, was the ClubGlider, an ingenious golf travel bag that incorporated a set of legs with in-line caster wheels to support 100% of the bag’s weight, and make getting your golf bag through the airport a breeze.

Designed by Maple Valley, Washingon’s Gary Sherrell with a little help from his father-in-law Bill Pangburn, ClubGlider was actually a much bigger hit with the media and consumers than the items that beat it, and in November of ’07, just a couple of months after the TV series had concluded, Sherrell entered into a licensing agreement with Sun Mountain for the golf bag, pull-cart and outerwear manufacturer to develop the product.

“ClubGlider has been a big success,” says Sun Mountain’s Steve Snyders. “But, once you use it, you start thinking how nice it’d be to have the extendable leg and wheels to carry the weight of other things that are a pain to pull around.”
Thus Sun Mountain recently introduced ClubGlider luggage which uses the same design as the original golf club travel bag. “Luggage was the natural, first extension of the technology,” says Snyders. “People that use the ClubGlider swear by it and have been very vocal in encouraging Sun Mountain to use a similar design with other products.

”The ClubGlider Suitcase – H 30” X W 13” X D 13” – weighs 17.2lbs, and is constructed with the same ballistic-quality nylon as the ClubGlider Meridian golf travel bag. There are multiple internal pockets and a main compartment that expands 2.5” for added capacity. The wheeled-suitcase has multiple handles for ease of use, and comes with a TSA-approved lock.

The ClubGlider Carry-On – H 23” X W 13.5” X D 11.5” is sized to fit in airplane overhead bins, has multiple handles, and weighs 8.25lbs. There are three external pockets, two inside mesh pockets, and a
TSA-approved lock.

The suitcase retails at $349.99 while the carry-on is $239.99. Both pieces are available in black only.

sunmountain.com

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