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What To Look For When Buying
Golf Club Travel Bags

Golf club travel bags design is to protect your golf clubs and other golf gear when travelling. You can choose from hard case or soft case travel bags. But what are the benefits of each type? What features should you be evaluating when choosing the right one for your travel needs? We cover all this and more in this article.

Golf set and travel bag

Travel Golf Bags Are Essential
For Protecting Your Golf Clubs

If you like to travel and play golf then you do need a travel bag to cover your clubs. You just place your everyday golf bag inside the travel bag for protection.

What kind of travel bag to get a hold of depends mostly on what kind of travelling you do.

The first thing to decide is if you should go for hard or soft case golf travel bag, both have strong pros and cons.

Hard case gives the best protection and tends to be preferred by those that travel frequently by air with their golf set.

Soft case is lighter, cheaper and easier to maneuver and therefore popular choice by those that travel occasionally with their golf set by air.

Hard Or Soft Case
Golf Club Travel Bags

Hard case golf club travel bags give the maximum protection and are therefore good option if you fly frequently with your golf gear. This ultimate protection and durability means they tend to be the more expensive option.

Hard case travel golf bags are heavier than soft case golf club travel bags, however most come with wheels for easy transport. Airlines are getting increasingly strict on golf gear weight so you should consider the weight when choosing between different hard case golf travel bags.

Don't let few raindrops ruin you golf vacation, pack adequate rain gear just in case. Your golf rain gear must of course be waterproof, windproof, breathable, and leak proof... and it should not restrict your movements. The best Golf Rain Apparel When Traveling keeps the elements out but does not restrict your golf swing.

Hard case golf bag travel covers are rigid so it can be difficult to fit them into the back of some car types. It is especially important to bear this in mind when renting cars or if travelling frequently in different cars with your golf set.

Soft case golf club travel bags are lighter and usually cheaper (though top end quality bags can be similar price as hard case travel bag). They are easier to store and maneuver into different types of cars, making them excellent choice if you are mainly travelling with your golf gear by car.

Not all soft case golf bag travel covers are equal. Some provide more protection than others offer and can be well suitable for air travel as well. When choosing between soft case golf travel covers look for good quality padding for your club heads and ideally padding right through the travel bag.

Most golfers agree that nothing beats hard case golf club travel bags when it comes to protecting your valuable golf equipment. However, unless they fly frequently with their golf gear, most golfers prefer to use soft case travel golf bags, due to the convenience and extra benefits (lighter, cheaper, easier to maneuver, etc).

If you pack your clubs well, i.e. wrap heads, use golf stiff arm, and make sure everything is tight... then quality soft case golf bag travel cover is a good option for the occasional air traveler.

Top Golf Club Travel Bags Travel Tips

Few packing tips for packing your golf gear in a soft case travel bag...

  • Always use golf stiff arm with your soft case travel bag
  • Use head covers on your irons and insert them head down into to the bag
  • Take the heads off your woods if you can, then insert the shafts tip side down into the bag

Important Golf Club Travel Bags Features

Weight Of Your Golf Travel Bag

Lightweight bags are not only easier to travel with, you are also less likely to have to pay overweight charges when flying with your golf gear. Most airlines have maximum weight limits on golf gear, normally between 50 - 70 lbs, or 23 - 32 kg. So keep the weight of your bag in mind when purchasing.

Size Of Your Golf Travel Bag

Most airlines have maximum size limits for golf club travel bags as well, but it does vary between airlines. British Airways for example allows golf bags up to 190cm x 75cm x 65cm (75 x 29.5 x 25.5 inches).

You also want golf travel bag that fits easily into most common sized car trunks, this is especially important if you are renting a car to reach your ski resort destination. You must also bear the maximum size of your clubs in mind when deciding which size to go for, remember, your longest club will have to fit in.

Top Golf Club Travel Bags Travel Tips

Increased numbers of airlines now charge for carrying golf bags but many still allow one golf bag per person free... usually based on defined weight and size restrictions.

One golf bag is usually defined as containing no more than 14 golf clubs, 12 golf balls and one pair of golf shoes.

Our Guide To Airline Luggage Restrictions offers direct link to the airline baggage sections of 25 major air carriers.

The Bag's Material

The material is important factor as it affects how durable and lightweight your golf bag travel cover is going to be. The sides tend to be the most vulnerable part of your travel bag so look for extra thickness on the sides.

You should look for material that is easy to clean. Cordura is extremely durable fabric and popular for soft case travel golf bags. The base is usually in different materiel, i.e. Ballistic nylon.

Bag Padding

Look for golf travel bags that have good padding right through, but quality padding for your club heads is vital.

Good Bag Organization

Your golf travel bag should have good organization for your golf clubs but also for your golf accessories. Most travel bags allow you to pack your golf shoes, main golf accessories and reasonable amount of other belongings, like clothes.

Luggage Wheels

Most golf bag travel covers come with wheels. This is a useful feature since good wheels make it so much easier to travel with your golf gear.

Look For Quality Handles

Durable handles are important, as they have to be able to stand the pressure of carrying the maximum weight allowed for the bag.

Look for multiple handles as sometimes you need to carry your travel bag by hand and in other instances on your shoulder... which means shoulder padding is a good idea too.

Quality handles also reduces the possibility of damage by airport luggage handlers during air travel transit.

Best Storage

Most soft case travel bags are collapsible, making it easier to store them between travelling or during seasons when you are not playing golf.

Luggage Locks

Golf equipments is expensive so good luggage locks are essential when travelling. Travel golf bags are usually treated as oversized luggage by airlines and usually you have to pick them up separately from your other luggage. This means your golf travel bag is usually unattended for longer than your other luggage.

Padlocks give better protection than zipper or latch locks. Always go for TSA Approved Luggage Padlocks to avoid your bag being damaged by airport security inspectors (applies when travelling to, within, or via the USA).

Appearance Of Your Travel Bag

Consider whether you want a golf travel bag that blends in or a bag that stands out, i.e. easier to spot it when collecting it at the airport.

Your golf gear is expensive so consider how you can avoid too much attention to your golf bag travel cover. One good idea is to get some dirt on your bag prior to use if first time, that can discourage thieves and give the impression of old and worn out golf gear.

Warranty

Check the warranty, good travel golf bags is an investment that should last you for a long time. Quality manufacturers offer warranty on their products, some even up to limited lifetime warranty.

Best Place To Buy Online

We believe that shopping online at Amazon for golf travel bags is the best place. Why? Because they offer extensive range of golf travel bags from all the major manufactures at the most competitive price.

You can frequently find offers for combined items, e.g. travel bag and a stiff arm bought together. In addition to be competitive on the price, you can also be eligible for free shipping if your order is over $35, which can be a considerable saving.

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