How to Fly with Your Golf Clubs

What scares me the most about flying with my golf clubs is the fear of the unknown. You tuck your most valuable golf possessions in a travel bag and hand them off in hopes they arrive in piece in and in the same city as you... which is not always the case.

(Everything going in the bag prior to packing)

The Golf Travel Bag

The first line of defense is a good bag.  You can go online or to any golf retail store to pick up one of these bags and my recommendation is do not skimp.  The bag you choose is the first line of defense when you pass it off to the baggage handlers and it's placed on your flight (hopefully).  

Some travel bags have a separate compartment for your golf shoes.  While this is the case with my golf bag, I prefer to tuck mine into the bag but if you're looking to conserve space, the separate spot for golf shoes might come in handy.

Lastly is size.  The days of free checked baggage on an airplane are coming to an end and most of the airlines now charge for any bag checked.  If you can pack a few additional items in your golf bag it will make your carry-on lighter.  Packing golf balls comes to mind but also anything the FAA does not let you carry on (like your razor to shave with for example) can now be packed here.

(All in the bag.  I always put a towel around my irons to help prevent them from being knocked around)

Hard Cover Bag v. Soft Cover Bag

 Hard cover certainly offers more protection and if that's your biggest concern, it's probably the way to go.  As you can see in my pictures, I have a soft cover bag.  It has slightly more padding near the top where the head of the clubs go but does not offer the protection a hard case.  

Why would I buy the soft case travel bag?  Two reasons for me: Cost and Storage.  The original reason I bought my travel bag was to bring my clubs on cruise ships.  While baggage handlers still have the bag for a brief amount of time, cabin space was an issue.  A hard case bag would take up too much room in a typical cruiseline cabin.  The softer case I could tuck under the bed or in a closet.

The softer case is cheaper.  If you look at a golf bag site such as onlygolftravelbags.com, you'll see the price difference between hard and soft.  This is true anywhere you buy the bags but you might be able to find some on sale before the new ones come out.

(Zipped up and ready to roll)

Research Before You Go

I would prefer if you didn't read any golf blogs other than mine (I'm just kidding) but it's important to do research before you go.  Airlinetickets.org has a compiled a list of "50 Blogs to Read Before Going on a Golf Vacation" as well as travel tips for flying.  

I can tell you from experience JetBlue did not charge me for my bag and everything arrived in one piece both ways.  Southwest constantly advertises they do not charge for bags but neither of those airlines fly everywhere. 

Golf trips can be expensive and if it's only once a year, you want everything to go right.  Do your homework before you go to make sure you have the best experience possible.  

Comments

[Golfschlaeger]

If you have decided to take golf as an adult or you are a parent looking for child get their first set of clubs, there are many things that go into consideration when passing the golf clubs for beginners. The most important thing to consider is the level of interest of beginners. If its just something fun to try, but not necessarily take it as a hobby, then there is no reason to rock clubs. However, if golf is a real interest, rather than a whole family to do on the weekends, then they are valid reasons for buying a better set of clubs. Once the level of interest is determined, then it is time to take the next step.

[Jean Cullen]

Having had way too many items lost by the "scarelines" !!!
I've been having my clubs Fedexed for the past 3 golf trips via air & my clubs are waiting in the hotel/condo for me upon arrival!

[WAMGolf.com]

Great idea Jean! Now that airlines are charging for bags it makes fiscal sense too. I recently bought the Swinkey (I'll be writing about it soon) to help protect my clubs when I travel.

Thank you for commenting and the tip!