Golf Travel: It’s All in The Bag

The golf travel season starts in earnest after the holidays, when your credit cards have recovered and the long winter needs escaping.

But in addition to deciding where to go—Hawaii? Scottsdale? Palm Springs?—you are also faced with how to get your clubs there in one piece (editor’s note: including your brand new putter; stay tuned this week for PutterZone.com’s roundup of hot new putters for 2008). Fortunately, the choices in golf club transportation have never been better.

There are three main types of travel gear bags: hard case, soft case, and what I call the hybrid case.

Hard cases that store your golf bag are probably best for club protection, but their bulk can be frustrating and impractical. Be aware that you may not be able to fit one of these cases into the trunk with your other family luggage, especially if you have a small rental car. I do like hard cases for those traveling on buses, trucks and vans, and in very frequent traveling situations, simply because they are the most durable.

However, the soft travel case has come very far in recent years, offering similar protection with less bulk and weight. I believe that OGIO has done the best in creating a unique, user-friendly travel bag, particularly with their Mammoth model bag ($249, pictured here). This bag has four oversized wheels, enabling it to be rolled in any direction, which is particularly helpful when standing in lines. It can also stand upright on its own.

The Mammoth has a crush-resistant head cover that protects your clubs. It also has a removable shoe bag location. The handles are strategically placed for maximum convenience, and your club bag is cinched and secured inside.

I always recommend a top-of-the-line bag like the Mammoth for those who will be traveling with their clubs multiple times per year. Those traveling just once or twice per year can save a few dollars buy purchasing a bag with less features but the same club security. OGIO has the Monster at $199 and Callaway has the Big Bertha Travel bag at $119. The Bertha is the most basic travel bag of the branded bags, but it does offer basic protection.

The third type is the hybrid travel bag, such as the Atlas by Sun Mountain. This type of bag offers maximum protection with a hard plastic top and a collapsible heavy duty bag that folds up in to the hard top for easy storage. Another form of hybrid is the travel case that doubles as your on-course “bag,” such as the Ultima II by Trav-a-Lite. This hardshell cylinder may look a bit strange out on the golf course, but it’s also lightweight and compact, which can make your travel life easier.

The bottom line is that, before purchasing a travel case, you should not only consider your budget, but also the type and frequency of golf travel that you will be pursuing, as well as your storage space at home. There’s a travel case for every type of golf traveler these days, just make sure you do your research to find the right one for you.

This report was authored by Nick Taylor, proprietor of Golfland Warehouse, the official retail affiliate of PutterZone.com. The Golfland Warehouse Report is an exclusive monthly series designed to keep golfers informed about the latest equipment, technology and ideas in the world of golf, with an emphasis on putting and the short game.