Safe travel case for golf clubs

[Jul89]

Hi Guys,

 

does anyone know a safe travel bag for golf clubs? Where the clubheads are protected from blows? 

 

I have one but it has soft material where the clubheads are. I want a hard case

Edited January 28, 2023 by Jul89

[Pepperturbo]

I have traveled the US and Internationally, plenty, toting clubs in a ClubGlove Burst Proof II, with Stiff-Arm was purchased back in 2003ish, bought one for the wife too. 

 

The bag, today, looks relatively unscathed, considering the amount of use; never had a club damaged.  I have quality TSA lock on it, so inspection is made easy.  It's heavily padded, and I wrap towels around shafts and heads.  Some trips, I have included some of my dive gear without issue.  Quality you can trust doesn't come cheap.

 

On a golf trip awhile back, two buddies had hard bags bought with five years; both had troubles; closing apparatus on one broke open, while the other had a wheel break loose.  Good luck on finding what works.

[jvincent]

37 minutes ago, Jul89 said:

Hi Guys,

 

does anyone know a safe travel bag for golf clubs? Where the clubheads are protected from blows? 

 

I have one but it has soft material where the clubheads are. I want a hard case

 

SKB hard case. Virtually indestructible. Lifetime warranty.

[italianstallion]

6 hours ago, jvincent said:

 

SKB hard case. Virtually indestructible. Lifetime warranty.

I’ve got the same thing. I’ve had it since 2006 and have flown countless times without issue. 

[Jul89]

https://www.amazon.com/SKB-Standard-Interior-Traveling-Reliable/dp/B000A13PGA

 

This one?

Edited January 29, 2023 by Jul89

[Jul89]

14 hours ago, jvincent said:

 

SKB hard case. Virtually indestructible. Lifetime warranty.

 

7 hours ago, italianstallion said:

I’ve got the same thing. I’ve had it since 2006 and have flown countless times without issue. 

 

https://www.amazon.com/SKB-Standard-Interior-Traveling-Reliable/dp/B000A13PGA

 

This one?

[italianstallion]

4 hours ago, Jul89 said:

 

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/SKB-Standard-Interior-Traveling-Reliable/dp/B000A13PGA

 

This one?

This is the one I have:

 

https://www.amazon.com/SKB-Staff-Golf-Travel-Case/dp/B0000AUB58/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?crid=OSCIVX5ZXZOU&keywords=skb+golf+travel+case&qid=1674999661&sprefix=skb+%2Caps%2C87&sr=8-3

 

This one will only fit a stand bag (I have a Ping Hoofer and it fits nicely). Anything larger won’t fit. I think the one you linked is good for larger bags. 

 

 

[jvincent]

4 hours ago, Jul89 said:

 

 

 

https://www.amazon.com/SKB-Standard-Interior-Traveling-Reliable/dp/B000A13PGA

 

This one?

 

That's one size larger than the one I have, which is this one. https://www.skbcases.com/products/deluxe-standard-ata-golf-travel-case

 

I use a carry bag and it has plenty of room for that, a pair of shoes, and some gear.  I typically bring a couple of extra clubs just in case as well.

[MtlJeff]

I'd also recommend a hard case. I've traveled with both and haven't had problems with either, when i travelled with my soft case i re-enforced it with towels and stuff taped around them. 

 

I'm fairly convinced airport workers actually try to be rougher with golf bags just because people hate golfers. 

 

My hard shell case looks like it was attacked by a wolverine. 

 

I always felt if i went soft shell enough times eventually there'd have been problems

[Maroon_19]

I switched from the SKB to a Club Glove Last Bag Large Pro and a CG stiff arm.  If it is good enough for the pros it's good enough for me.  The SKB was just too much trying to get it into a van with three other bags and luggage. And then you have to store the thing. 

 

Probably 20 trips now in the Club Glove.  Bag still looks brand new.  Zero issues with my sticks.  Plenty of room for a couple pair of shoes and toiletries if I'm doing a carry-on bag only.

 

As always, remove any and all removable heads - driver and anything else.

Driver shaft grip up in the bag.

Turn half of your irons upside down in the bag - grips up.  This helps move COG of the bag down low and makes it easier to move around the airport.

Towels around the rest of the heads at the top of the bag.

[klebs01]

I’ve seen multiple broken clubs from soft cases. It’s usually low on the shaft just above where it goes into the hosel. I have an SKB and it’s bombproof. Started with a cheaper one years ago and it protected the clubs fine but the hinges and latches didn’t hold up. Just get the best right away with an skb. 

[Jul89]

Ok I am convinced to get the SKB. I will take measurements of my bag and clubs and choose a good size. I hope I can get one delivered to germany.

 

Thanks you guys.

Edited January 29, 2023 by Jul89

[JJFWebster]

Only issue with the hard case is that they are more prone to getting left behind or misplaced. The handlers have difficulty stacking them on/around other baggage so they get left until the very end with other odd items like car seats/strollers. When there is no more room left, those car seats are going ahead of your clubs. 

 

I've worked in the industry for ~20 years. I use the Ping soft-sided case and place my driver in the middle of the bag, next to the support rod, with padding all around it (jackets/shoes/etc). The case has convenient handles and stacks well so it's easier for them to load and place other bags on/around it. My clubs have always arrived, even when friends on the same connection had to wait a day or longer. The issue becomes more prevalent on smaller aircraft types/more remote trips.

[st1800e]

One issue with the hard cases is fitting it in a rental car.  

[italianstallion]

38 minutes ago, st1800e said:

One issue with the hard cases is fitting it in a rental car.  

This is a good downside that’s important to remember. Need to make sure you book a rental car that’s big enough. 

[MtlJeff]

1 hour ago, italianstallion said:

This is a good downside that’s important to remember. Need to make sure you book a rental car that’s big enough. 

 

They should fit in rear seats of most cars. So as long as you're not using the backseat you should be ok

 

But yeah they won't fit in every trunk

[DColton]

Yeah the SKB hard case is the way to go.

 

Also since no one mentioned it, it's pretty lightweight so you can pack shoes/extra balls etc. and still clock in under the 50 pound limit

[cjblake09]

On 1/28/2023 at 12:54 PM, Jul89 said:

Hi Guys,

 

does anyone know a safe travel bag for golf clubs? Where the clubheads are protected from blows? 

 

I have one but it has soft material where the clubheads are. I want a hard case

I had the SKB and the airline trashed it.  I went to the club glove soft case and no issues since.  As others said i take off all the heads on my woods and put all my irons in my bag in reverse with a stiff arm.  

[cardia10]

Flying with a hard case is rarely an issue, but getting it into a rental car is an issue. Go with the club glove and wrap a towel around the heads. Tons of flights here and other than Air Canada losing them, I've never had damage.

[ilikegolf26]

On 1/29/2023 at 4:32 PM, cjblake09 said:

I had the SKB and the airline trashed it.  I went to the club glove soft case and no issues since.  As others said i take off all the heads on my woods and put all my irons in my bag in reverse with a stiff arm.  

When you say trashed it, please expand. You mean trashed it to the point where your clubs were damaged or just caused a lot of scratches, dents, etc to the case but the clubs stayed protected?

[Jul89]

Which stiff arm is good? Bag Boy Backbone? CG Stiffarm?

[ilikegolf26]

5 hours ago, Jul89 said:

Which stiff arm is good? Bag Boy Backbone? CG Stiffarm?

I think the club glove is the best one out there from my “research.”  
 

also, for those of you with SKB hard cases, do you use a stiff arm as well?

[Maroon_19]

7 hours ago, Jul89 said:

Which stiff arm is good? Bag Boy Backbone? CG Stiffarm?

I bought the CG Stiff Arm with my CG Last Bag.  I've see the BB version and to me the CG version is built better up top.  The BB top looks flimsy to me.  YMMV.

[wolverine_man]

My new Mizuno Club Glove Collegiate made its maiden voyage to and from SJC a month ago. My father used an old SKB. My Collegiate with Stiff Arm did suffer a little abrasion to the material which was a tad surprising, and the nice royal blue got a tad soiled, but I suppose that’s the point of the case. It does wheel very nicely and folds down to almost nothing. And it’s very light. Also, one of the legs on my Linksmaster bag has a very, very slight bend in it now. Very hard to see it but it was no doubt caused by the baggage handlers, as the bag is quite new. That’s basically the alternative versus having perfect protection with a huge, heavy and bulky plastic case (SKB) that is a pain in the a** when loading your rental car/SUV.  
 

 

[mshills]

Club Glove + stiff arm is what I use.  Never an issue, many, many flights. I sometimes remove the driver head, sometimes not, and have not had anything break. Throw a towel in around some of the heads, but there is good padding around the top so I never felt the need to go crazy with extra protection. 
 

The SKB is a great case too, and for the person who asked, no, you do not need a stiff arm with these. I prefer the Club Glove especially now — rental car business is FUBAR and selection isn’t what it used to be. Sometimes you have to take what is available and the case will not fit. 
 

Another, maybe even better option is the Sun Mountain Club Glider. It’s a soft case like the Club Glove and it is much easier to move if you are facing a long trek to hump the bag. 

[mshills]

On 2/6/2023 at 5:35 AM, Jul89 said:

Which stiff arm is good? Bag Boy Backbone? CG Stiffarm?

They will all do the job. 
 

A 3/4” wooden dowel with a tennis ball on the end works well too, but it is heavy. 

[wolverine_man]

I also have a fond memory of flying to Florida for a father/son Palm Beach golf trip around 1999/2000. We had just gotten our SKB cases and had reserved a mustang convertible rental car. Well, when we got there it had just started raining, and with just the two of us, there was no way our hard cases would fit in the vehicle with the top up. We had to go with an SUV (QX4), instead. I was bummed.  We do still have the same SKB cases, which last literally forever. So there’s that, I suppose. 

[Jul89]

I just received my SKB Deluxe ATA Staff Gold Travel Case and its a perfect fit. And also received the Bag Boy Backbone. Why do you say you don't need a stiff arm with SKB? Without one, the weight of the Bag may push the clubheads into the hard case?

[bellken]

1 hour ago, Jul89 said:

I just received my SKB Deluxe ATA Staff Gold Travel Case and its a perfect fit. And also received the Bag Boy Backbone. Why do you say you don't need a stiff arm with SKB? Without one, the weight of the Bag may push the clubheads into the hard case?

The stiff arm is designed to protect golf clubs from vertical impacts in soft travel cases. You don't really need the added protection inside your hard case. The forces exerted by your golf bag pushing the clubhead into the hard case is considerably less than the force imparted when a baggage handler throws your golf bag around.

[Jul89]

Well I will use it now anyway. I like my clubs a lot

Edited February 9, 2023 by Jul89