travel bags

[cleek]

any opinions on travel bags hard and soft ,obviously hard would be more protective but has anyone been using soft cases and have positive or negative feedback to provide ?
also does anyone know any places that rent them in the Ottawa area ?
found one in GTA but they don't ship /thx

[jeffc]

IMHO, hard case is the only way to go. downside is that it doesn't fit in rental cars all that well. but if you want the best possible case for protection, this is it. Some airlines won't be responsible for your clubs if you don't have a hard case. Do a search on here, this has been discussed before

[1800Duffers]

I have a Burton soft case and have had zero problems with my clubs. I have neoprene head covers and I use foam copper pipe tubing for the graphite shafts. The soft cases expand when you stuff extra clothes in it, since I travel with a carry-on.

[dataflux]

I have a hardcase and while it offers the maximum amount of protection, as jeffc said, it can't fit into the trunk of a car and must go across the back seats, which can be a huge pain when taking a taxi or being picked up at the airport. * lends softcases to its members which is a great benefit, since most trunks will fit at least two sets when theyre in softcases, or you can take the clubs out and fold up the cases for storage somewhere else. Having used both, I would recommend a softcase for purchase as its much more functional.

[imozzie]

I have a Callaway soft case and love it. Easy to handle, rollerblade wheels, simple to store and lots of space for 'extra stuff' on the way back. Hardshells are a pain in the butt with rental cars, a lot more cumbersome to move around airports and take up a lot of space to store. Plus, difficult to fit the 'extra stuff' in on the way back as they don't expand at all. What you see is what you get for space.

I worked in airport management for 15 years in Toronto. Although accidents do happen, they don't happen nearly as much as one would think with these types of items.

[cleek]

lots of good feedback , keep it coming , thx

if I could rent a hard case that would be the way I think I would go ... but I am still on the fence , pro's and cons to both hard and soft. Cost and portability for soft are what have me undecided.

[jvincent]

If you what a hard case I've got an older one in my shed that I am willing to give away. LMK if you are interested.

[cleek]

If you what a hard case I've got an older one in my shed that I am willing to give away. LMK if you are interested.

pm sent / thx

[cleek]

JV solved my dilemma , thanx again John !

[Golfer J]

I used to use a hardcase for travelling but it was heavy and hard to manipulate when trying to fit into a car since it was hard and rigid. 2 years ago I purchased the Ogio Mammoth and that's the best thing ever! I travelled many places with my clubs and never had a problem. I always wrapped some towels around the shaft to make sure they don't snap but you could always purchase a stiff arm (http://www.golftown.com/Club-Glove-S...tor-P1356.aspx) for added protection. Another note with the Ogio Mammoth is that since it's a soft case, when you are not using it, you can fold it up nicely for storage. The best feature of that bag are the 4 wheels on the base which makes for easy rolling while the bag is upright, not to mention all the handles it has on it. In addition the removable shoe bag is awesome.

It was one of the best investments I made in terms travel bag.

On a side note, when I went golfing in Punta Cana, I brought my gf's clubs and had to use my Burton snowboard bag and didn't have any problems with it either, except for the fact it was a bit long for the clubs so it would kind of droop when dragging the bag from the top (the snoboard travel bag had 2 wheels at the base)

[Golfbum]

A CPGA Pro gave me a tip when I flew to Orlando with my clubs in a soft side travel case.

Get a 48 inch piece of 1 inch wood dowel and use velcro straps to hold the graphite shafted clubs against the dowel. I put 4 clubs around the dowel and then put them back in my small Titleist Sunday stand bag. Wrapped my golf towel around the club heads and put the rain cover on the bag.

The dowel should prevent graphite shafts from being snapped. He told me he has done that for years and never had any club damage.

Then I packed clothing and shoes in the travel bag.

No problem with broken clubs, and soft sided bags are easier to pack in rental cars.

[cleek]

jvincent comp'd me a hard cover case and A/C destroyed it by the time my clubs got to Orlando 10 days ago ( no club damage ). The case is beyond repair and I am now thinking soft case ( Club Glove or Ogio) for 2 reasons. While waiting for my heavily taped case to return through Pearson I noticed the vast majority of cases were soft cover; plus the few hard cases that came via oversize baggage were launched through by baggage handlers.
It was awesome to get a jump on the season ; played Stonegate ( v.g ), Remington ( just ok ) and Falcon's Fire 3x ( excellent ); got a nice deal on a 3 day membership. Falcon's fire was actually hosting a Suncoast tour event ( woman's tour ) on the Monday and Tuesday a.m.

[jeffc]

jvincent comp'd me a hard cover case and A/C destroyed it by the time my clubs got to Orlando 10 days ago ( no club damage ). The case is beyond repair and I am now thinking soft case ( Club Glove or Ogio) for 2 reasons. While waiting for my heavily taped case to return through Pearson I noticed the vast majority of cases were soft cover; plus the few hard cases that came via oversize baggage were launched through by baggage handlers.
It was awesome to get a jump on the season ; played Stonegate ( v.g ), Remington ( just ok ) and Falcon's Fire 3x ( excellent ); got a nice deal on a 3 day membership. Falcon's fire was actually hosting a Suncoast tour event ( woman's tour ) on the Monday and Tuesday a.m.

what would your clubs have looked like if they were in a soft case?

[cleek]

what would your clubs have looked like if they were in a soft case?

true ; but baggage handlers don't treat hard and soft the same ( I actually witnessed that in TO)