Budget Travel Bag Advice Needed

[Newbie15]

What would be my best option for travel bag on a budget? I might fly with my clubs 2-3x a year. I see bags on Amazon for $50 and others for hundreds. What do I need to spend and what features are important for protecting the clubs?

[jvincent]

My two cents, budget and travel bag should not go together.

 

Even if you only use it 2-3x a year a good back will last you at least 10 years or more. I think my current bag, an SKB hard case, is 12 years old as an example.

 

So, if you use it 30x, that's $10 per trip for peace of mind if you get a good bag for $300.

[bvanlieu]

I prefer at least 1/2 hard top bags.  I travel up to 10x a year with mine, been about 5 years now few rips but still going strong. Bit lighter then the full hard cases. 

 

Fighting words perahps, but this is also the only acceptable use of iron covers to help with drop dings. 🙂 

 

Having watched unloading of clubs multiple times at airports from the plane, bags tend to be tossed not placed down in the carts. Some strong handlers are capable of some impressive distances from conveyor belt to luggage cart. 

 

- b

 

[2bGood]

The cheap travel bags are a false economy as you will go through a few and inventible the zipper or wheels are going to bust mid trip. A good bag will last you ?life?. So far I have had one for 19 years with no problems.

 

No need to going to the very high end if you don't travel much, but the cheap ones are a waste.

[Newgs]

Ship Sticks might be an option if you don't want to drop the $$ on a top quality bag. In the long run it will obviously cost you more, but at 2-3 times a year it may not be a big deal for you. When I have used them I put my clubs in a club glove travel bag and attached the label to that, but I have seen many guys use a ship sticks branded cardboard box instead. Just a thought. 

[chinaski]

I think 2-3x a year would easily justify a quality bag. I got lucky and found a club glove locally for under $100 and only travel 1-2x a year at most. I'd look at ebay or locally through FB or CL ads. 

[Warrior42111]

I've had a soft cover bag boy bag for over 10 years. I think it was around $150 when I got it. As mentioned you want quality material and hardware i.e zippers. I pair it with a broom handle and tennis ball sticking out the top to protect the heads. I have not had a problem yet in my 10 years traveling about as much as you.

[MtlJeff]

I wouldn't travel regularly with clubs i valued unless they were in a hard shell case. I have just seen too much. My travel case looks like it's been attacked by ninjas, and it's possible that it has. There are cuts in it that are pretty deep. I think some people just hate golfers and actually try to damage your stuff. 

 

I've travelled a couple of times with a soft shell case, that i insulated with towels and bubble wrap. And it was fine. 

 

But i would much rather the hard shell. Again, they don't tell you this in the mainstream media, but airports are full of ninjas who attack your golf bags as they go through processing

[jvincent]

57 minutes ago, MtlJeff said:

But i would much rather the hard shell. Again, they don't tell you this in the mainstream media, but airports are full of ninjas who attack your golf bags as they go through processing

LOL.

 

I am actually on my second hard case. My first one, which was a cheap one, was actually cracked by the airport ninjas and I replaced it with the SKB. Lifetime warranty on the SKB btw.

[2bGood]

2 hours ago, MtlJeff said:

I wouldn't travel regularly with clubs i valued unless they were in a hard shell case. I have just seen too much. My travel case looks like it's been attacked by ninjas, and it's possible that it has. There are cuts in it that are pretty deep. I think some people just hate golfers and actually try to damage your stuff. 

 

I've travelled a couple of times with a soft shell case, that i insulated with towels and bubble wrap. And it was fine. 

 

But i would much rather the hard shell. Again, they don't tell you this in the mainstream media, but airports are full of ninjas who attack your golf bags as they go through processing

 I travel with my driver, 3wood and hybrid head in my carry on.

Edited January 12, 2021 by 2bGood

[rochestergolfer36]

49 minutes ago, 2bGood said:

 I travel with my driver, 3wood and hybrid head in my carry on.

I need to start doing this. 
 

I have used a club glove and their stiff arm for 10 years and have never had an issue. Usually wrap my towel around irons and put any other soft jackets etc near the top for added cushion. 
 

Well worth the investment, they last a long time. 

[Shushwap]

I picked up a new hard case this year from the classifieds..have a look around locally as u may be surprised at the amount of used travel cases for sale 

I have used a non hard case for travel in the past and everytime I opened my bag I would prey everything was ok... nothing worse then spending money to get away on a golf trip only to find out the luggage monkeys have damaged your sticks 

[Shushwap]

4 minutes ago, rochestergolfer36 said:

I need to start doing this. 
 

I have used a club glove and their stiff arm for 10 years and have never had an issue. Usually wrap my towel around irons and put any other soft jackets etc near the top for added cushion. 
 

Well worth the investment, they last a long time. 

This is how I usually travel.. the last time they opened up my bag and took everything apart.. stiff arm was moved.. the towels were shoved in the bottom... I now own a hard case.. other downside to soft cases... airlines do not cover damage if the clubs are in a soft case 

[setter02]

Don't go cheap.  No point in that if you value your clubs at all.  The good ones will last a long time.  I've had my CG Bombproof 2 for like 12 years now.

[plim123]

13 minutes ago, rochestergolfer36 said:

I need to start doing this. 
 

I have used a club glove and their stiff arm for 10 years and have never had an issue. Usually wrap my towel around irons and put any other soft jackets etc near the top for added cushion. 
 

Well worth the investment, they last a long time. 

I don't have the stiff arm, but i stuff the sides/head area with t shirts, towel, socks, etc. extra cushioning helps protect the clubs/shafts from the airport ninjas. (heads removed, of course). club glove ftw

[jvincent]

1 hour ago, 2bGood said:

 I travel with my driver, 3wood and hybrid head in my carry on.

 

I've never really understood the point of this. Assuming they have head covers the heads are unlikely to get even a paint chip.

 

I'm more worried about getting a shaft (or more) snapped in two.

[Mych]

Agree with some of the comments here. I use a CaddyDaddy Copilot XL, which is a hybrid bag and hard case. Very nice for traveling, top comes off so it fits easily in rental cars. I like to turn my irons upside down and take the heads off my driver/fairway, because TSA just smashes everything back together when they take the top off to inspect it. Flipping the irons upside down also makes it maneuver so much better in airports, terminal trains, bumpy sidewalks, etc. 

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007OK83G2

 

If you're going to go with a budget option, scour your local goodwill stores. A lot of times you can get a better quality travel cover than your budget would normally support. You might need to ignore or cut out some embroidery, but I've seen barely used Club Glove covers for $10-20. It's very hit or miss, but it can be worth a few minutes of hunting.

Edited January 13, 2021 by Mych

[dubbelbogey]

I know hard cases have their adherents. But I'll offer a contrasting view.

 

Two of my regular golf buddies have each broken hard cases. One was an SKB. Both suffered some sort of crushing impact and caused the shells to rack and the halves no longer line up. Both have since moved on to soft cases and careful packing technique.

 

Another point to consider is that the vast majority of touring pros and college players use a soft case. While I don't know if this is sponsor-based or not, the fact that these guys make their paycheck with their gear says a fair amount about how much they are trusted. Sure, the very top guys have private jets and staff that handles their gear very carefully, but that is demonstrably not the case at the lower ranks (e.g. Korn Ferry tour). They fly commercial like most of us.

 

My preference is to:

• Use a soft case - preferably a good quality one like Club Glove, but there are other decent ones out there. But don't skimp. Zippers and wheels can crap out on the cheap ones.
• Pull removable heads and pack separately
• If the regular (playing) golf bag openings allow, put the clubs in head first. This provides more protection and puts most of the weight down low so rolling the bag is easier.
• Use a rigid stick of some sort - to provide drop protection from if the bag is dropped top first. I prefer a hockey stick with a tennis ball on the end. A commercial Stiff Arm is fine, too, but I've seen those bent, too. 
• Pad things out with a towel for extra protection.

 

Not my buddie's hardcases, but a very similar fate:

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 12, 2021 by dubbelbogey

[elwhippy]

Buy cheap, buy twice. If you value your clubs then invest in a quality bag. It will last for years. 

[dubbelbogey]

Pulling the heads off makes sense as they are an extra lever arm to over-stress a shaft. Plus it seems possible that a head could get dented if it was crushed hard against an iron head. Cheap, easy peace of mind to pull the heads off, if possible.

[chippa13]

We have soft cases and put an old hockey stick shaft in there. Works just fine for us. I've heard horror stories of hard cases popping open and even once of Ship Sticks snapping a buddy's new driver.

[llewol007]

Hey OP it all depends. I’ve had success on both ends. Obviously the hard case is the way to go if you want to invest in it and are ready to store it while it is not being used. Gotta weigh out how often you will be using it. The soft case covers work well also but suggest the soft cover with padding towards the top of your golf clubs. You can get away with the soft cover but, if you do, remove any removable heads and store them in your golf bag pockets in their headcovers. Another thing is intertwining your golf towel or any towel in between the shafts in your bag to limit movement. With those two precautionary things done, a soft case will do just fine. 

[Twinsgroupie]

Buy a used Club Glove there are a ton of them out there that get used 1 or 2 times and sold.  I bought mine for $120 and it looks brand new. 

[manima1]

I went the cheap route and bought a "CaddyDaddy Golf CDX-10" soft case on amazon over 5 years ago and it's still holding up just fine.  I travel with it 2-3 times per year.  Believe you can find it for $70 on amazon.

 

Nothing wrong with a soft case, you just need to be intentional with the way you pack at.  As others have said, a few tips/tricks I use every time i travel - I've never had any issues with damage to clubs:

• Put old athletic socks over irons to act as covers / provide cushioning
• Take off removable driver heads
• Pack towels around the clubs, weave 1 in and out of clubs and wrap another around the clubs.  You can secure with an old belt or strap.  2 large bath towels offer a ton of protection.
• Have an object in the bag longer than the clubs to protect.  I travel with my Orange Whip and it does a great job of this.

I've never tried flipping the irons around in the bag, but might see if that works on the next trip.  The above method has worked every time for me though.

[2bGood]

1 hour ago, jvincent said:

 

I've never really understood the point of this. Assuming they have head covers the heads are unlikely to get even a paint chip.

 

I'm more worried about getting a shaft (or more) snapped in two.

 

For me the reason is two fold. 

 

1. TSA often removes head covers as part of their search and more than once I have had them no put back on!!! The result was a very scratched up driver. 

 

2. It makes the tallest club it he bag your 4 iron. Not that I want any clubbed snapped in transit, but I would prefer my 4 iron unavailable during a golf trip than my driver and an iron shaft is much cheaper to replace.

 

I do worry a bit less a snapping of clubs as I do use one of these as well:

 

I have never gone full hard case as I find them problematic in rental cars etc.

[BallerNate]

Very timely thread...was just looking to buy a used travel bag too! Very informative, thanks for the info everybody! Huge LOL @ the airport ninjas, Bahaha!! I know all about those sneaky buggers...it’s like damaging luggage is part of their jobs!! 🥷🥷

[Therty]

Fwiw the amazon basics rolling soft bag is cheap and very well built. Its carried my clubs well through  plenty of air travel.

[djcoolaid1914]

I just picked up a club glove on my local OfferUp a few mins ago for a steal ($20). just in time for my trip to Phoenix next week. 
 

check OfferUp, 5Mile fb market and Craigslist. Lot of deals to be had

 

any recommendations for courses in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area. 

[dubbelbogey]

Wow - steal is an understatement! Well done!

[ChipNRun]

I have traveled a few times with clubs.

 

One thing to remember in packing is balance. At one airport, someone's bag cover had torn because the person put four 12-packs of golf balls up at the top end, and the weight and "hard surface" led to a break.

 

Hint on airlines: If you travel Southwest Airlines, they will count a golf carrier bag as one of your two free pieces of checked luggage. Just make sure the golf bag carrier weighs less than 40 lbs. (?). This was the rules 14 months ago, pre-COVID, so double-check on current rules.