TSA PROBLEM, EVERY TRAVELING GOLFER MUST KNOW

[drg613]

Just got back from Florida (which was awesome, by the way), and my SKB was checked both ways. The only problem I could see was they put two irons in one slot. In the grand scheme of things, no big deal.

[dwboston]

I took a trip to the Bahamas a few weeks ago, and could tell my clubs were inspected on the way down. I use a stiff arm in my travel bag, and it wasn't as tight when I picked the bag up. Other than that, everything was fine. I had removed the heads on my driver and woods and placed them inside the headcovers and put them in the large pocket of my golf bag. On the way back, I threw most of my dirty laundry in the travel bag - it didn't look like the bag was touched on the way home.

[Backspin9]

I just got back (to Chicago) from a week in Clearwater, FL and didn't have any problems. My Club Glove made it through the trip unscathed by the baggage handlers and unmolested by the TSA. Hope to have the same results when going to Vegas for a week in early April. Normally this would not even be a concern, but you guys have (now) made me paranoid. LOL.

BTW, good idea with the dirty laundry. I like that. Just use your travel bag as a hamper for a week. That should ward off any pesky inspections if they open it up and get a whiff.

[Fourmyle of Ceres]

Yeah or just go ahead and take a dump in there right before you check your bag. That'll teach 'em!

[LansingMI]

[quote name='Fourmyle of Ceres' timestamp='1395236015' post='8903543']
Yeah or just go ahead and take a dump in there right before you check your bag. That'll teach 'em!
[/quote]

Tried it last Summer on a trip to DC. Doesn't work....they still searched it.

[Fourmyle of Ceres]

Lucky you weren't on an international flight. You might have gotten busted for trying to smuggle corn into the country.

[nunee]

I use neon zip ties to identify my luggage. I'll 'lock' my travel bag with a zip tie through the zippers. It is easy for them to clip, and if they do I know my bag has been opened. I can check it at the airport for any apparent damage.

More often than not, my clubs are searched. It is rare they are not...

[Ajlepisto]

Just went to and from San Diego from Oregon and I had my bag inspected both times.

The TSA cleared sticker doens't mean it was inspected by hand. They have to leave a little slip inside that says they opened and checked. The TSA cleared stick on the tag on the outside just means that they approved it for flight.

[dan250yds]

[quote name='wdm50' timestamp='1392643439' post='8685383']
[quote name='Cwing' timestamp='1392558074' post='8678671']
I am headed to Scotland in the fall. Do's, don'ts of packing clubs and gear? Should my gps be in the bag?
[/quote]I remove my heads on my Driver and 3 wood and put in my carryon backpack, I really have not had any issue's with TSA, but I have heard horror stories. The trick is to find you a very rich friend who has a private jet, now that is the way to travel. Hope your trip across the pond brings great memories and the golf Demon's stay in the US.
[/quote]

I am gonna think of that the next time I fly...remove my driver head. What a great idea.

[Chris92009]

I have traveled with my clubs a lot last year and kept getting the little card from the TSA however everything seemed to be in place and no problems......yet
I primarily fly Delta.

[Awarren11]

Anybody ever heard of putting a lock on your bag, just like with other luggage?

[dwboston]

[quote name='Awarren11' timestamp='1396541211' post='9011533']
Anybody ever heard of putting a lock on your bag, just like with other luggage?
[/quote]

Just like other luggage, it needs to be a TSA-approved (i.e. removable) lock. I use a TSA-approved combination lock on my golf travel bag. It doesn't prevent them from opening it.

[FairwaysToHeaven]

[quote name='Awarren11' timestamp='1396541211' post='9011533']
Anybody ever heard of putting a lock on your bag, just like with other luggage?
[/quote]

wait, you think a simple lock keeps tsa out of bags? they have keys for approved locks, otherwise they cut it and your out of a lock

[Jasontex1328]

I take mine with me just about every week and they are constantly switched around etc... I haven't had any damaged but I'm always worried about it so I now travel with my backups only and don't worry about it... I also no longer care about leaving them in the trunk at the hotel since they're old blade Wilsons (sweet clubs by the way but replaced for $30 on eBay), an i20 driver that I could replace with anything and my back up wedges.

I don't know why it bothered me that they didn't put them back in the same place, but I know how tricky closing my case (SKB hard) can be so I know with how fast they go it would be unreasonable for me to expect them to have as much time to be careful as I have when packing it. Now obviously I wish I could expect them to be careful but they have a thankless, boring, but important job so i'll live with my back ups and a little less worry on the road.

To the poster earlier about Wild West Airlines, awful idea... People on the ground care about what happens in the sky too.

[Sean2]

This is the only answer. :-)

[attachment=2709633:charter-jet.jpg]

[gr8blueheronbird]

[quote name='Sean2' timestamp='1428962548' post='11350943']
This is the only answer. :-)

[attachment=2709633:charter-jet.jpg]
[/quote]Or an SKB hard case for about.000001% of the cost of that...

[ryu123]

for the past 14 years I've taken about 3 - 6 golf trips annually taking airlines.

I know TSA looks in my travel bag, since they leave their card.

Never had a problem with my clubs or anything missing, except 8 years ago when I bought a TSA approved lock. When I picked up bag at the destination airport the lock was missing. So I now don't bother to lock my travel bag (except for the times I ship by Fedex).

[SilverBullets]

I hadn't flown with clubs in a number of years but did it twice in the last 12 months. They definitely didn't open my travel bag. I know this because the way I packed my clubs and the way I weaved a few players towels between the iron heads. The club and bag were exactly the way I packed them on both round trip flights. I was pretty shocked.

[Twitch12]

I travel nearly every week for work and bring my clubs more than half the time. I probably have 20 TSA inspection cards at the bottom of my club glove travel bag. I've only had them inspect my clubs in my view once, and it was at the Kansas City Airport. Each club was removed, wiped with their swap to test for explosive material and then sat on a table. The lady managed to knock all 14 clubs off and they crashed to the tile floor a few feet below. I was not happy, since the head overs had been removed from the woods. I got upset and talked to several managers before the issue was resolved. Since that incident, I haven't had issues. Also, when they wiped my clubs, the explosive test came back positive due to the solvent residue left from changing grips the week before. I had to answer about 100 questions and then was allowed to head to security. I would ship my bag, but my clubs fly free on Delta and American, so it's hard to justify paying to ship them. I'm on Club Glove #3 in a five year span due to abuse from the airline luggage handlers.

[Twitch12]

I travel nearly every week for work and bring my clubs more than half the time. I probably have 20 TSA inspection cards at the bottom of my club glove travel bag. I've only had them inspect my clubs in my view once, and it was at the Kansas City Airport. Each club was removed, wiped with their swap to test for explosive material and then sat on a table. The lady managed to knock all 14 clubs off and they crashed to the tile floor a few feet below. I was not happy, since the head overs had been removed from the woods. I got upset and talked to several managers before the issue was resolved. Since that incident, I haven't had issues. Also, when they wiped my clubs, the explosive test came back positive due to the solvent residue left from changing grips the week before. I had to answer about 100 questions and then was allowed to head to security. I would ship my bag, but my clubs fly free on Delta and American, so it's hard to justify paying to ship them. I'm on Club Glove #3 in a five year span due to abuse from the airline luggage handlers.

[ckostrewa]

When I travel with clubs I zip tie or rubber band 2-3 clubs together for extra reinforcement should the bag be exposed to pressure from other luggage or TSA/baggage carelessness. Individual clubs are less prone to breaking this way. TSA isn't going to remove those clubs from your bag if they're tied together at the hosel because it's pretty difficult to get them in/out of the bag.

[mwmgolfx]

I've been flying with clubs for 20-30 times per year for over 15 years(free baggage with United). Lots of inspections and bag opening. 99% of the time out of Newark. Only one time that i can remember not being inspected with paper inside at Newark.

Only 1 issue in that time, they stole a kingsbarn goodie bag full of tees, ball markers and divot tools clipped on outside of bag but inside club glove. Couple of times a little late but always arrived before tee time.

Using same club glove I bought 15 years ago. Wrap clubs with golf towels and use large dowels or commercial length protector. Have top very of clubs very protected. And bag has extra pockets that carry shoes and extra clothes, towels, etc. So bag is really protected as well. Never have locked it. Had hard case long time ago and that was more problem than it was worth, often was left partially apart and other issues.

But I have used Shipsticks several times as well. And had one issue with them of bag arriving late after trip. Biggest issue for them is on side trips where I'm not going to a specific resort but like to Vegas where I'm playing 5-8 different courses and who to ship to. Hotels are usually low cost marriotts and finally ended up having them shipped to/from one of the Marriotts.

[TLfan]

Flew to Chicago and back out of New Orleans this week to Harbor shores and a few other tracks and never had a TSA tag in any of my bags, guess I got lucky but they never touched anything.

[az2au]

My clubs have now flown to 5 states and 7 European countries in the last year including repeated trips to Ireland and England and they've been searched every time as far as I can tell due to the large amount of TSA slips I have at the bottom of the bag. Nothing stolen, no damage. I think I can conservatively say that over the course of the last 18 years that I've been traveling for work that my clubs have flown over 1,000,000 miles since I'm at about 5 times that and they've been with me at least 20% of the time. We're talking about 30+ states and 27 different countries where I've played golf during this time. Again, no damage, nothing stolen and in all that time only once were they late enough I had to rent clubs. I realize it goes wrong for some people but I've apparently been extraordinarily lucky. Still just use a Club Glove (number 4 at this point) and a Stiff Arm but there was a period of about 3 years where I didn't even bother with the Stiff Arm.

I flew to England yesterday so I just opened up my clubs to make sure that any bold statement above was still true (and, yes it is 4:04 am here).

[Pert1862]

TSA, the Paul Blarts of the Federal Law Enforcement system.

[2bGood]

I have had my bag rifled through by TSA. I take the heads of my woods off and wrap them well and put them in a pocket. When trip I found my driver head unwrapped and just tossed lovely back in my travel cover. It was thrashed.

Now I carry on on wood heads.

[ace036]

I tried carrying my wood heads on my carry on bag last week through the Myrtle Beach airport. TSA stopped me in the security line to inspect my back pack and said they don't allow golf clubs to be carried on... I had to go back to the ticketing desk and have one of the works go into the back where my bag was and have them put the heads into my Club glove bag... what the hell? How come just the heads can't be carried on?

[8overpar]

I tried carrying my wood heads on my carry on bag last week through the Myrtle Beach airport. TSA stopped me in the security line to inspect my back pack and said they don't allow golf clubs to be carried on... I had to go back to the ticketing desk and have one of the works go into the back where my bag was and have them put the heads into my Club glove bag... what the hell? How come just the heads can't be carried on?

I'm flying out tomorrow. As of right now I have the heads in my carry-on. I suppose I'll ask before checking them. I dislike flying, but I'm more nervous if my bag gets to my destination with the contents unharmed. I have enough room for my divot tool, ball marker and a few select tee's as well as my rickety GPS and rangefinder in my personal bag.

[Imp]

I tried carrying my wood heads on my carry on bag last week through the Myrtle Beach airport. TSA stopped me in the security line to inspect my back pack and said they don't allow golf clubs to be carried on... I had to go back to the ticketing desk and have one of the works go into the back where my bag was and have them put the heads into my Club glove bag... what the hell? How come just the heads can't be carried on?

I flew last week without issue with my heads in my carryon (PVD to SLC and back - wasn't even inspected) and my clubs have traveled quite a bit. If I ever got challenged, I'd explain to them it's not a golf club. It's just a part of a club, not the entire club and yes, I know that the rule says entire clubs are not allowed. I know, it's logic, but being calm and reasonable is the best I can do. :)

 

--kC

[CCTxGolf]

I always put my wood heads and gps in my carry on. Never had a problem. It’s odd that in myrtle beach, prob has some of the highest golf bag traffic in the country, they chose to give you a hard time. That would really pisss me off. Especially if your bag had already been taken out on the ramp and they gave you the whole, “they will be waiting for you when you get back” or “either give them to someone who can ship them to you or we are throwing them away” business.

 

Obviously those tsa workers were not golfers! Lol