Golf Travel Question

[Leo]

Hi. We are planning a trip down south next spring and I was wondering if I should purchase golf travel bags for our clubs. Would our golf bags and covers be ok?

...... Leo

[smittygolfer]

I do quite a bit of travelling with golf clubs, and the way airlines handle luggage, it would be in your best interests, as well as your clubs bests interests , to in fact purchase travelling gear. All the more protection for your clubs, the better.

Have a good trip.

Hi. We are planning a trip down south next spring and I was wondering if I should purchase golf travel bags for our clubs. Would our golf bags and covers be ok?

...... Leo

[Marmotte]

I do quite a bit of travelling with golf clubs, and the way airlines handle luggage, it would be in your best interests, as well as your clubs bests interests , to in fact purchase travelling gear. All the more protection for your clubs, the better.

Have a good trip.

If you purchase a travel case, use a hard shell. I has my golf bag crushed by Air Canada last year. I was using only a bag cover and I do regret. I now borrow a hard shell from a friend, I have only to worry about Air Canada missing the connection flight to Ottawa in Pearson or Dorval.

[faldo]

Also, I've been told by some friends that several US Airlines will only handle hard cases. Way too many damage suits that they had to pay :cry

My wife & me use a soft bag with good wheels & a strong handle both on the end & the sides. They are totally essential. Just try to lug everything thru 4 terminals to your connecting flight.......
I've picked up two small walking bags that fit in together nicely. We don't take/need all our clubs.
The key is too wrap a couple of large beach towels in & around the heads of the clubs. That's where any damage is the most likely..
Buy yourself a solid padlock & put your shoes, etc. in your suitcase.

It's worked great for 5 flights for us. Funny, I just checked & there's no brand name of any kind on the travel bag.
We treat it as our 2nd bag, as one big suitcase covers us for 10 days in the Carribean.....

Good luck

[Leo]

Thanks alot the responses. I would like to purchase hard cases for our clubs, but because of the cost, we will go with 2 soft cases for now for my wife and I.

And thanks for the suggestion of the towels, pad lock, etc. I will do the same when we leave in March.

........ Leo

[Kilroy]

I usually just pack my socks by slipping them over my irons. I have always used a soft case with a padlock, and have never had a problem (knock on wood).

[Big_duck]

I usually just pack my socks by slipping them over my irons. I have always used a soft case with a padlock, and have never had a problem (knock on wood).

Another tip with softcovers is to insert a broomstick or hockey stick shaft in the your bag. This stands a little taller the the club heads and will take the strain if the top of the bag should get jammed.

[Mulligan Man]

You may wish to re-consider using a padlock. US Airlines no longer allow luggage to be locked and they will break the lock (with no compensation) if they decide they want to view what's inside.

[Leo]

Good point - If we were going to the U.S. I guess a padlock would not be advisable.

But since we are thinking of going to Varadero, Cuba (direct flight from Ottawa), would padlocking the bags be ok?

[jeffc]

I usually pack some of my clothes, especially the ones that can get wrinkled (towels, t-shirts, etc). around the club heads and around the outside of the bag. It allows me to take a smaller suitcase since a lot of what I need is in the golf bag, which I have to take anyways

[Colby]

I usually pack some of my clothes, especially the ones that can get wrinkled (towels, t-shirts, etc). around the club heads and around the outside of the bag. It allows me to take a smaller suitcase since a lot of what I need is in the golf bag, which I have to take anyways

I'm the same way. Rain gear, towels, extra jackets, whatever. My golf travel bag weighs a ton when I'm finished

[powerlefty]

I've travelled with my clubs for more than twenty years and never had any damage to them. They've been all over North America, Hawaii, and the Caribean.

I use a soft bag that has built-in foam padding. Wheels are a must and a sturdy should strap can also come in handy. I pack golf towels around the heads and zip my rain hood over the heads as well. To avoid damage form the clubs getting dropped on end, I put a piece of copper water pipe in the bag that is about 2 inches longer than my lonegest club - that way it takes the impact.

I have always locked my bag with padlocks and have travelled several times with them since 9/11 (including US destinations) and never have had a problem. Having said that though, I recently noticed at O'Hare in Chicago signs indicating checked luggage was NOT to be locked.

As for going to Varadero, it is a single flight from Ottawa to Cuba so the clubs don't get handled that much. I locked the bag last year and had no problem. Don't take a cell phone or a GPS though or anything that loooks like them as they will get confiscated. They almost seized my Palm Pilot because they thought it was a cell phone.

[Slammin' Stever]

Mulligan Man is correct, my locks on my travel case were cut by the airlines and my hard number tags were broken on my headcovers. I should have done what Dan recommend with the socks!!!

I usually just pack

my socks :reallymad

by slipping them over my irons. I have always used a soft case with a padlock, and have never had a problem (knock on wood).

Not only would I protect my clubs but I probably would keep security away from my clubs also........

And never have a problem!

Stever :cry

[Rough Stuff]

Security checked my clubs too. Putting a padlock on is asking for trouble...they'll get in one way or the other.