JULY 30, 2007
Travel tips for equipment
How to prepare your golf clubs for air transport
During the summer season many golfers travel with their clubs to stay and play destinations. If you intend to get to your destination via air, here are some handy packing tips to ensure your sticks arrive unscathed.
First of all, you have to prepare your irons properly. There is a great deal of shaking and rattling that goes on during the flight and baggage handling.
Irons will constantly bang or rub together causing wear and tear. Wrap a large towel around your iron heads. Weave it in and out around each of the heads. After all heads are covered use duct tape and wrap it tight around the outside of the towel to keep the clubs together and to prevent movement.
The next step is to put the fairway woods and driver in, tucked behind the irons. They have head covers of their own to prevent rattling damage but they are very susceptible to breakage, especially if dropped head first by baggage handlers on the tarmac.
The trick to stop snapped shafts and dented heads is using a good old Canadian hockey stick. Put the butt end of the stick down into the bottom of the golf bag. It will stick up over the woods. Mark the spot with a pen where the stick is at least one inch above your tallest wood. Then cut the blade of the stick off at that spot. Take the stick out and put the freshly cut portion at the bottom of the bag and the butt end up.
If you are not currently lacing up the skates and do not have access to a hockey stick an old broom stick will also do.
If your clubs happen to land head first the stick will take the brunt of the impact and will save your driver and woods from damage.
The next tip, equally as important as the long stick, is using a cardboard concrete form tube (such as Sono Tube available at Home Depot or Revy for under $20), which protects your club heads and shafts from side impact damage. Most bags will require a 10 or 12 inch tube, and are available in various lengths.
Cut the tube to fit the length from the top of your golf bag to the top of the hockey stick. Place it over the top of the clubs. If you have extra clubs, need more room or just want to make a really snug fit around your sticks, you can make a vertical cut down the tube, squeeze the ends tightly and duct tape it together with three separate horizontal strips of tape.
Then place your clubs in the travel bag. If you have extra space in the bag fill the voids with your rain suit, jackets and shoes. The less room your bag has to move around the better.
The above tips are essential when using a soft shell travel bag. If you don’t already have a travel bag, I highly recommend purchasing one.
There are two options, soft shell bags and hard shell cases. There are many good soft shell bags with decent padding to protect your bag and clubs.
Many brands and styles are available out there with good bags ranging from $120 - $250. If money is no object splurge on a Club Glove bag, the number one travel bag used by PGA Tour players. They range in price from $250 to $400.
The hard shell bags are excellent as well, as the hard exterior prevents puncture holes, ripping and general wear and tear. With hard shell bags you really only have to wrap your irons and make sure there is not a lot of movement of your golf bag once you close the case. Again this can be achieved by adding extras such as rain gear, shoes and other apparel.
Once your travel bag is ready, put a plastic snap tie through the latch or zipper tabs (don’t use a lock, often cut off during security checks). The ties don’t make your bag theft proof to baggage handlers but it makes it a tougher target.
As an additional heads up, many airlines now have a 50 pound limit. If your bag is over this there typically is an additional charge.
Many players put a lot of money and time into purchasing the perfect equipment. Make sure to protect your investment on your next flight and the only thing you will have to worry about is your short game.
Lisa is a five-time Canadian Long Drive Champion and she competes on a long drive tour in the United States. Lisa is available for corporate outings and motivational speeches and can be contacted through her website at www.lisalongball.com.