Curious to know how to travel with golf clubs? If it’s your first time doing so, you may be at a loss on how to get started.
The enormous price tags attached to these sporting goods are partly to blame.
Traveling with your own clubs means you don’t have to purchase or rent a set every time you go on an out-of-state golf trip.
Plus, even if you do have the money to secure a new set, there’s little chance that you’ll have the same feel as the ones at home.
That could have a major impact on your game.
Six Key Tips on How To Travel With Golf Clubs
Most of the time, you will have no choice but to pack and travel with your own set of clubs.
Not only does it help keep your pockets intact, but it also improves your chances of bringing out your best game.
So, how should you travel with your precious golf clubs?
Whether you’re flying or going on the road, here are some things to remember for a hassle-free experience:
1. Pack Clubs in the Right Case
Should you go for a hard case or a soft case? While you might think the answer doesn’t matter since “a case is a case,” it very much does.
It can be tricky to choose between the two case types since each has advantages and disadvantages independent of the other.
For instance, a soft case is easier to pack but is less sturdy.
In comparison, a hard case is easier to carry in transit but doesn’t do as fine a job at protecting your golf clubs from damage.
Soft cases are made of soft and flimsy material, such as nylon, making them lightweight and easy to carry.
That said, the material also removes from the case’s protective qualities, leading to you filling that gap by being more aware and careful with how you travel with your golfing equipment.
Where protection is concerned, nothing beats hard cases.
They are especially what you want to go for when flying with clubs to provide them with that extra protection they most certainly need.
Plus, a hard case is the only thing that will convince an airline company to cover your damaged clubs.
Pack them in a soft case, and you’re equally to blame for the busted clubs.
You don’t want to take any chances on a long-distance trip, right? Well, then, that means going for a hard case as much as possible.
These are golf clubs we’re talking about, which can be rather difficult to replace when they break.
2. Use the Correct-Size Bag
Golf clubs come in a variety of sizes, so it follows that golf bags differ in sizes too.
The right-size bag should fit your clubs and other stuff snugly, as opposed to a bag that leaves a lot of space.
Larger bags are also more difficult to fit in the trunk of your vehicle.
That said, a too-small bag can be just as troublesome. It won’t fit everything you need for the trip, leading you to spend money on a new bag.
When out shopping for a golf bag, make sure it’s the right size so that you don’t go through the inconveniences of having a too-small or too-large bag.
3. Pack Everything You Need Wisely
It might not just be your golf clubs that need proper packing.
After all, the recipe for a good game could require more than just personal golf clubs.
You could also need towels, socks, t-shirts, golf balls, and shoes.
Although you might be able to rent these wherever you’re playing, it won’t be the same as having your own.
Not only are you potentially wasting money purchasing or renting all this other stuff, but you could also be depriving yourself of the personal “feel” afforded by using your own equipment.
Of course, we all know that golf is an expensive sport.
So, while you should pack all golf-related items in one bag, this shouldn’t include expensive pieces of jewelry.
If you aren’t looking to impress with anything other than your golf game, leave the expensive items at home.
Alternatively, you can place them in your pocket or anywhere you have immediate access to, like a personal bag.
4. Take Pics of the Bags and the Items in Them
Once all the stuff you need is in the right bags, take a picture of the bags and the items in them.
That way, you can charge the airline company for any damage to the bags and the items they contain.
Despite being trained to handle bags carefully, some just aren’t that gentle. Unfortunately, this rarely ends well for your stuff.
Having pictures means you will know exactly how the bags and items inside them looked like before the handlers took charge.
5. Position the Clubs Upside Down
Pack the clubs upside down inside the golf bags to prevent the hosel and lower shaft from damage while in transit.
These parts are especially vulnerable to breaking and bending, but making sure they are upside down lowers those risks.
6. If You Can, Book a Non-Stop Flight
A connecting flight can be even more of a hassle when traveling with golf clubs.
While we’re not saying the airline will lose your stuff, the chances of that happening is definitely higher in a connecting flight.
This type of flight exposes your clubs to more sloppy luggage handling, which could end up breaking or bending your equipment.
On a non-stop flight, you don’t have to worry about the possible damages of a plane switch.
Sure, these flights are a little bit on the pricey side, but that should be of little consequence when you consider the value of your golf set.
The Only Golf-Club Travel Tips You’ll Ever Need
If you weren’t quite sure how to travel with golf clubs, you might have remedied that today.
There’s a good chance you won’t be too out of sorts handling your golf clubs when your next out-of-state trip arrives.
In many situations, a golf club determines the outcome of a game, so we’d say you earned yourself a victory.
Golfing involves long-distance traveling, which is why there’s really no escaping this learning phase even if you wanted to.
And with countless credible sources for information available these days, the process doesn’t have to be too difficult for anyone.