I've been asked by a few people (AJG) what I pack when for the golf trips. Everyone I tell is surprised when I tell them I pack light. It looks something like this:
What to Pack for Your Golf Trip
- Clubs... it doesn't get more obvious than this. If you're flying be sure to buy a golf travel bag to protect your clubs. I always wrap a towel around the top of my clubs to give a little more protection as well as separating my driver from my bag.
- Golf Shoes: This probably seems like an obvious answer but on my 2008 trip to Ocean City, MD, one of the guys forgot his shoes. Not realizing until we were about to head out for our first round, he had to stop and buy a pair. If you have, bring 2 pairs. If you play in the rain one round it would be good to have a dry pair for the next round.
- Balls: Again it seems obvious but know how many rounds your playing and how many balls you'll probably use. If you're driving, this isn't a problem. If you're flying, bring as many balls as you can. You can usually find a place to buy them or get them at the course (which will be more expensive).
- Gloves: I carry a few extra gloves in my bag (you can see that here: Golf Bag Cleanout) and you might need an extra. When playing multiple rounds sweat and water wear them out and have a better chance of tearing.
- Food, Snacks, Drinks: If you're flying it obviously makes no sense. If you're driving, a case of water or Gatorade won't kill you but I always try to buy what I can and leave it there when we don't finish it. Things go pretty quickly when you have 6-10 guys in a house.
- Rain & Wind Gear: You never know what the weather will be like in another place. If you're playing 36 in a day, you're going to face some temperature changes. Plan accordingly. Also keep in mind if you're playing on the water, it's going to be a little cooler with a breeze. Have something stuffed in your bag you can use. See this post: Rain Gear
- Clothes: If you're in a house or condo you might have a washer/dryer. You could also buy an extra shirt from a course you like if you need to. A couple years we have had golf shirts made for our trip. The cost is around $45 a guy and we have our own logo. Everyone seems to enjoy it.
Whether you're driving or flying will make a big difference. The airlines are trying to clip us every chance they can. You can use Airfare Watchdog to get an up to date list of what the airlines are charging to bring bags. I was in a UPS Store yesterday and they said shipping golf clubs to the hotel is becoming more common.
Have a tip that might help everyone out? Leave a comment.
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