Aaron Goldschmidt, left, and Zach Haber created the Lowercase Bag, a stripped-down golf club carrier. (Courtesy Lowercase)
The gentleman’s game is built on tradition, but Aaron Goldschmidt and Zach Haber see no reason you can’t carry your clubs in a backpack and pedal over to the course.
The pair launched the Lowercase Bag, a stripped-down club carrier that can be worn on your back or pinned to a rear bike rack.
“It gives the ability to be more agile and nimble for golfers on the go,” Goldschmidt said. “It’s a smaller, more convenient way of transport.”
The bag can hold up to eight clubs and has compartments for gloves, tees, balls, bike locks and water bottles. There’s also a laptop space, so you can hit the course right from work. And a slot to specifically serve as a phone stand for those analytically driven linksmen wanting to track their swing.
The 35-year-old childhood best friends want to give golfers an easy way to bike over to the green. Players can clip it onto the rear rack, tighten a strap and go without a hazard.
There is another backpack bag out of Chicago made by Side Street Golf, but it is a bit taller than Lowercase’s and can’t attach to a bike. Sunday bags, skinnier versions of the typical receptacle, have also been around for decades.
The bag can be attached to a bike rack. (Courtesy Lowercase)
“The goal is not to replace your full golf bag, but to complement it,” he said, noting the convenience factor in popping a few clubs in for an afternoon at the range. Goldschmidt also said he’s heard from walk-only clubs who see it as a lighter alternative to lugging around a normal bag.
The Lowercase Bag will launch through Kickstarter in January at an early-bird price of $160. A week later, the founders will be in Orlando for the annual PGA Show, showcasing the bag to players and product-makers alike.
Goldschmidt said they hope to sell 100 bags from the launch. He expects to deliver that first round in the spring – around the same time it will start retailing on Lowercase’s website for $199. They will be manufactured in Vietnam.
“The goal for us is just exposure and getting in front of some golf industry professionals,” he said of the show. They’ll also swing for retail opportunities at courses, pro shops and simulators. But Lowercase isn’t married to one idea, and its founders want to get feedback from coaches, players and others before deciding what channel to pursue next.
That approach is part of the reason it took years to ensure the bag was up to par.
The Chicago natives came up with the idea when Haber, who lives in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, visited Goldschmidt in Denver in 2021. While teeing up a trip to the City Park range, the two struggled to come up with a safe and efficient way to bike there with a full bag. Even carrying clubs by hand or tucked under an arm was too risky for the long ride.
“We didn’t end up taking our bikes,” Goldschmidt said. “It was a disaster.”
When they got back to his apartment, the two drew up their concept on a napkin. But life got busy, and living on opposite ends of the country with full-time jobs didn’t help.
The bag can also be worn as a backpack. (Courtesy Lowercase)
They sat on the idea until mid-2023, when Goldschmidt, who works for a bicycle parts manufacturer, tapped into his manufacturing connections to make a prototype. Haber, an online sales manager for a food company, was the ideal compliment, Goldschmidt said, because of his marketing and golf experience.
With that in mind and a product in hand, they headed to the 2023 PGA Show. There, they talked to several golfers, bag makers and Callaway’s CEO during the four-day event.
They even caught the attention of 2008 Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes, whose foundation holds golf tournaments and supports youth golf teams. The former Steelers wide receiver suggested that because of Lowercase’s visual similarity to a backpack, it would make a more appealing option for kids. Goldschmidt said that a smaller version could be available in the future as a result.
They did all that without a table, which forced them to walk the event with the bag on their back. This year, already having that proof of concept, they’ll have a booth to bring the fourth iteration of the bag to market.
“We’ve definitely been a little bit more of a perfectionist trying to get it to a really great place for the show, but I think now has been the point where it’s like screw it. We can’t overdo it,” he said. “We just have to get out there and see what people think, and then we’ll kind of change on the fly as we get more feedback.”
Aaron Goldschmidt, left, and Zach Haber created the Lowercase Bag, a stripped-down golf club carrier. (Courtesy Lowercase)
The gentleman’s game is built on tradition, but Aaron Goldschmidt and Zach Haber see no reason you can’t carry your clubs in a backpack and pedal over to the course.
The pair launched the Lowercase Bag, a stripped-down club carrier that can be worn on your back or pinned to a rear bike rack.
“It gives the ability to be more agile and nimble for golfers on the go,” Goldschmidt said. “It’s a smaller, more convenient way of transport.”
The bag can hold up to eight clubs and has compartments for gloves, tees, balls, bike locks and water bottles. There’s also a laptop space, so you can hit the course right from work. And a slot to specifically serve as a phone stand for those analytically driven linksmen wanting to track their swing.
The 35-year-old childhood best friends want to give golfers an easy way to bike over to the green. Players can clip it onto the rear rack, tighten a strap and go without a hazard.
There is another backpack bag out of Chicago made by Side Street Golf, but it is a bit taller than Lowercase’s and can’t attach to a bike. Sunday bags, skinnier versions of the typical receptacle, have also been around for decades.
The bag can be attached to a bike rack. (Courtesy Lowercase)
“The goal is not to replace your full golf bag, but to complement it,” he said, noting the convenience factor in popping a few clubs in for an afternoon at the range. Goldschmidt also said he’s heard from walk-only clubs who see it as a lighter alternative to lugging around a normal bag.
The Lowercase Bag will launch through Kickstarter in January at an early-bird price of $160. A week later, the founders will be in Orlando for the annual PGA Show, showcasing the bag to players and product-makers alike.
Goldschmidt said they hope to sell 100 bags from the launch. He expects to deliver that first round in the spring – around the same time it will start retailing on Lowercase’s website for $199. They will be manufactured in Vietnam.
“The goal for us is just exposure and getting in front of some golf industry professionals,” he said of the show. They’ll also swing for retail opportunities at courses, pro shops and simulators. But Lowercase isn’t married to one idea, and its founders want to get feedback from coaches, players and others before deciding what channel to pursue next.
That approach is part of the reason it took years to ensure the bag was up to par.
The Chicago natives came up with the idea when Haber, who lives in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, visited Goldschmidt in Denver in 2021. While teeing up a trip to the City Park range, the two struggled to come up with a safe and efficient way to bike there with a full bag. Even carrying clubs by hand or tucked under an arm was too risky for the long ride.
“We didn’t end up taking our bikes,” Goldschmidt said. “It was a disaster.”
When they got back to his apartment, the two drew up their concept on a napkin. But life got busy, and living on opposite ends of the country with full-time jobs didn’t help.
The bag can also be worn as a backpack. (Courtesy Lowercase)
They sat on the idea until mid-2023, when Goldschmidt, who works for a bicycle parts manufacturer, tapped into his manufacturing connections to make a prototype. Haber, an online sales manager for a food company, was the ideal compliment, Goldschmidt said, because of his marketing and golf experience.
With that in mind and a product in hand, they headed to the 2023 PGA Show. There, they talked to several golfers, bag makers and Callaway’s CEO during the four-day event.
They even caught the attention of 2008 Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes, whose foundation holds golf tournaments and supports youth golf teams. The former Steelers wide receiver suggested that because of Lowercase’s visual similarity to a backpack, it would make a more appealing option for kids. Goldschmidt said that a smaller version could be available in the future as a result.
They did all that without a table, which forced them to walk the event with the bag on their back. This year, already having that proof of concept, they’ll have a booth to bring the fourth iteration of the bag to market.
“We’ve definitely been a little bit more of a perfectionist trying to get it to a really great place for the show, but I think now has been the point where it’s like screw it. We can’t overdo it,” he said. “We just have to get out there and see what people think, and then we’ll kind of change on the fly as we get more feedback.”
