Has anyone had a club stolen at the airport?

[Brando5105]

My JAS anser WRX putter was missing after I returned home from Washington visiting my family. I had everything in my hard travel case. The case was inspected by the airport and now my prized putter is missing. God my luck has been quite horrible as of late with golf. First my three wood head flies into a pond and now this.....

 

Has anyone delt with this before? How long does the claims take for the airlines to work

[Brando5105]

I just got a call from the airport. They said that they found a putter in SeaTac airport but it was not mine....... I am getting fed up with this. I hope they find it someday soon

[clements240]

I've had things missing but never a club! Stay after it and demand that you be reimbursed for the value of the club.

[ccgolfer37]

I've had things missing but never a club! Stay after it and demand that you be reimbursed for the value of the club.

 

I agree.

This club was most likely stolen not lost I hate to say it.

Its absolutely horrible and it just makes me SICK! but there is a pretty good business for airlines workers who steal golf clubs. I heard first hand about what goes on back in the luggage area at airports. What will happen is that if a worker sees a case that they are interested in they will open it up. If they see something of value, maybe one club or the whole set, they will hide them off to the side. Once the passenger sees that their clubs are not there, they will file paperwork for a lost item. (I don't know if you did this or not) Once the paper work is filed as a lost item, thats when these guys actually take it. I don't totally understand all the politics surrounding it, but from what I know, as soon as something is listed as lost thats when its actually taken from the property.

Unfortunately, there isn't much that can be done. From every case I've heard the customer has been fully reimbursed for their stolen or "LOST" golf clubs. (I run a golf retail store, so I hear these problems often usually 1-3 times a month, with is A LOT!!) I will add that I am a fan of all the airline safety and yes its nice to have, but by having to leave our luggage unlocked, it has opened up a WHOLE NEW PROBLEM! This seems to be a pretty serious problem. From what I have heard (again I run a golf store that has lots of baller types coming in who take 5-10 golf vacations a year.) The most problems seems to be in Dallas, with San Diego a close second. I will add that this is by NO MEANS any statistical data, I am just saying that when my customers come in and this happens, they tell me that more have had their clubs stolen at Dallas and San Diego Airports.

 

This is just my two cents on the topic. I am terribly sorry about your situation. I wish I could say that I don't hear this often, but I do...some of the people I have had come in after this have had some VERY VERY RARE stuff stolen. Tour issued clubs...circle T putters, most were gifts. (My store just down the road from The Bridges where scotty cameron is a member)

I think that this is a real problem that needs to find a solution.

[DeepRough68]

I had my entire golf bag stolen while unloading the car at the airport. It wasn't a high dollar set, but still about $400. And I still don't know how it happened.

I set my golf bag down next to be SUV while I unloaded all the other luggage onto the trolley. When I went to load my golf bag, lo and behold it wasn't there. Myself and 4 other family members were around but nobody saw a thing.

My wife wasn't happy that I was going golfing on our family vacation, although it was only 1 round on the morning she had a visit to the spa planned...somewhere I wasn't going.

In the back of my mind, I believe she had someone steal them.

And Honey if you read this, I'm sorry - it was my fault ;)

[Brando5105]

thanks for your support. I am still hopeful that it will turn up

[taylormadefan]

I will add that I am a fan of all the airline safety and yes its nice to have, but by having to leave our luggage unlocked, it has opened up a WHOLE NEW PROBLEM! This seems to be a pretty serious problem.

 

You can still use locks, but they have to be the type TSA can open. It's not foolproof, but I always use one on my luggage just to be safe.

 

[Konrad]

I will add that I am a fan of all the airline safety and yes its nice to have, but by having to leave our luggage unlocked, it has opened up a WHOLE NEW PROBLEM! This seems to be a pretty serious problem.

 

You can still use locks, but they have to be the type TSA can open. It's not foolproof, but I always use one on my luggage just to be safe.

 

 

 

Don't mean to be a smarta**, but if they're the ones stealing it what good does that do? Or is it other people who are stealing these items?

[ccgolfer37]

I will add that I am a fan of all the airline safety and yes its nice to have, but by having to leave our luggage unlocked, it has opened up a WHOLE NEW PROBLEM! This seems to be a pretty serious problem.

 

You can still use locks, but they have to be the type TSA can open. It's not foolproof, but I always use one on my luggage just to be safe.

 

 

 

Don't mean to be a smarta**, but if they're the ones stealing it what good does that do? Or is it other people who are stealing these items?

 

 

I should have been more specific, from what I have been told, its NOT the TSA but the actual Airport employees themselves...the baggage handlers

[taylormadefan]

Don't mean to be a smarta**, but if they're the ones stealing it what good does that do? Or is it other people who are stealing these items?

 

You're right, it won't stop TSA, but from the person I quoted, they say it's airline employees IE baggage handlers who are stealing.

 

Even so a baggage handler could get the key, but at that point you're playing a numbers game and every bit of protection you can have helps.

[vinnyv20032003]

Well I am at the airport right now, and I sure hope to God my clubs make it! Traveling home from college for a summer full of golf and all I need is for my now complete set to be stolen.

[sanddog28]

I have found that my Club Glove "Last Travel Bag" with a couple of TSA approved locks one combo and one key keeps everything nice and safe, too much trouble for the normal handlers to get into without ripping through the bag which if that happens would be covered by the airline... Biggest thing to remember is that we can once again lock our bags as long as its a TSA approved lock, that way the actual security guys can still get into them if they need to. And to be honest since i started locking my bags again they have been "screened" once in about the last 18 months. So this to me sounds like the "screeners" are doing a lot of rumaging.

[Brando5105]

They called me today saying that they came across a Ping putter at JFK. They said it could be mine.... They are going to take some pics and email them to me.... I hope it is mine... How in the hell did it end up at JFK?

[rbenz]

I hope its yours. We're looking at bringing our golf bags for our annual trip back to Aisa (seems to be annual now hehe) and considering bringing our golf gear. Horror stories like these makes me think twice about bringing them.

[Brando5105]

With a strange turn of events....Yesterday I get a nock on the door and its a guy from the airport with my putter in hand. After a long winded apology he leaves and I finally have my putter back. I thought that I would never get her back........WOW I am one lucky guy

[rybo]

It's good to hear you got your putter back. I would have gotten the police involved. Not sure what they could have done though.

 

I do a lot of traveling for tournament and such and I always take a few precautions. First I tightly wrap a towel around all of the clubs. I also put the rain hood on the bag, fully zippered and snapped into place. The towel is really to stop the clubs from banging together but it would be difficult for someone to take a quick peak inside the bag. The rain hood holds the towel in place but is just another deterrent. I use a Club Glove bag and always make sure the zippers are at the bottom of the bag. If someone wants to get into the bag they will have to unzip the entire length of the bag to do so which is very troublesome as there are three 'security straps' that hold the travel bag to the golf bag. These are on the outside, so again they would have to free these just to unzip the bag since the zippers are at the bottom. Always use a TSA lock. It would be very time consuming for someone to go through all this just to get inside, and suspect the people who are stealing probably do not have that much time. Just the time to repack would be at least 5 minutes.

 

Never had a problem and hope to keep it that way!

[arbitrage]

I've never travelled with my clubs before because of my fear of the TSA and what I see at luggage carousel's. This thread further influences me to never travel with them. Are you guys thinking about shipping your bags to your resort/destination? With a lot of the airlines starting to charge for checking in bags, the cost of shipping doesn't sound that bad anymore. I rather have peace of mind then deal with airline employees.

[dwboston]

I've never travelled with my clubs before because of my fear of the TSA and what I see at luggage carousel's. This thread further influences me to never travel with them. Are you guys thinking about shipping your bags to your resort/destination? With a lot of the airlines starting to charge for checking in bags, the cost of shipping doesn't sound that bad anymore. I rather have peace of mind then deal with airline employees.

 

I shipped my golf bag to Maui for my honeymoon a couple of years ago and it worked out great. Back then it cost something like $75 each way - but it was worth it for not having to deal with the bag from Boston-San Francisco-Maui and back.

 

I try to do the same things as the previous poster when flying with my Club Glove travel bag - zippers at the bottom, rain hood zippered at the top of the bag, and towels lined around the top as well. On the return trip, I put all of my dirty laundry in the travel bag as well.

[Mugnut]

Had no idea this was so perevalent. My lcubs were shipped home via commercial air in a travel bag from Florida and my T.P. Mills Softtail (by far my favorite putter ever) was gone - bag clearly had been rifled, everything removed pockets etc.

 

That's the second stolen Softtail for me in a year -- anotehr was sotlen (with my whole bag) out of my car in the garage at work (on a Saturday a.m., no less, adding insult to injury).

 

I assumed it was TSA but I suppose it makes more sense that it's a baggage handler. I'm definitely going with TSA-approved locks next time, though I have taken to shipping my clubs for trips now instead. 100-150 in shipping costs is nothing compared to losing a 300 putter esp. it's been bent to your specs and is a gamer.

[arbitrage]

I think if caught, the TSA agent or the baggage handler should have to face 5 minutes alone with the person he stole the clubs from. I am joking, of course. Maybe I'm not.

[golfebj]

Man you guys are scaring me into not taking my rig to Detroit with me next month.

 

I'm going for about a week and the end of June right before the forth.

 

 

How does the shipping via UPS/FedEx work for you guys?

 

Thanks,

 

Emanuel

[dwboston]

Man you guys are scaring me into not taking my rig to Detroit with me next month.

 

I'm going for about a week and the end of June right before the forth.

 

 

How does the shipping via UPS/FedEx work for you guys?

 

Thanks,

 

Emanuel

 

There are services that specialize in shipping golf bags or luggage. I used golfbagshipping.com. They send you a kit with a Tyvek bag, heavy duty zip-ties, and labels. You place your travel bag inside the Tyvek bag and seal it up. UPS or FedEx then pick up the bag and ship it right to the hotel on the day that you specify. They also send a kit for the return trip that you need to put in your luggage - it's flat and takes up minimal space. It worked very well for me 2 years ago.

[blkdiamond]

Glad to hear you got your putter back. I am starting to travel for business and I am planning on taking my clubs with me so I checked with my insurance company to see if I am covered under my homeowners policy. They said that if my clubs were lost during a flight they would be considered stolen, I would have to file a police report, but I would be covered, which gives me a little more comfort traveling with my clubs.

[pickblade]

Man you guys are scaring me into not taking my rig to Detroit with me next month.

 

I'm going for about a week and the end of June right before the forth.

 

 

How does the shipping via UPS/FedEx work for you guys?

 

Thanks,

 

Emanuel

 

I have flown Southwest to Detroit the last two years and have left my hard case locked. They never asked to open it and just scan it. I do not have TSA approved locks. This year I am flying a different airline and hope I don't have any hassels. Previously on other airlines, they would let me lock the case after they checked it. I stood right there while they checked everything.

[BaronV]

Did the guy who dropped off your putter give an explanation, like where it was found?

[Brando5105]

It was found at JFK. I have no idea how it got there.

[DLiver]

My golf bag gets searched almost every time I travel. Nothing has ever been taken, knock on wood.

[BaronV]

This topic gives me a brief pause about buying a travel bag for my clubs then. I usually just rent when I play away, but was thinking to save $$ by bringing my own as well as not having to adjust my game with a different set.

[golfebj]

This topic gives me a brief pause about buying a travel bag for my clubs then. I usually just rent when I play away, but was thinking to save $ by bringing my own as well as not having to adjust my game with a different set.

 

Especially with American Airlines charging $15 per checked bag now. I may just travel and hope my uncle has a decent knock around set for me. But then again...I hope to take my babies some how.

[hackerboy]

My wife and I had our clubs stolen out of the Orlando Airport about 7 years ago. They eventually caught the group, who were diverting clubs from the baggage area out by the planes. They stole 200 sets of clubs over a 6 month period, all pawned. We never got ours back, but between the airlines and our homeowners insurance got new sets. Very irrititating process. Hope that putter is yours, although that is pretty weird it would come out of a set like that.