I have been invited to a conference with golf at the resort. I am pretty excited because it is in a nice area and with some movers and shakers. This was out of the blue.

What do they charge when flying now to bring your clubs or should I look for rentals. Will the airlines beat them up? I want to make a good impression where I am not shanking balls or slicing my drives in the woods.

I will take some lessons and maybe get Hank Haney's Medicus because he is Tiger's swing coach. Maybe a Tour Burner and some X-20s or a Nike SQ 5900 because it is supposedly very straight.

I also need some new threads. Cargo shorts are not going to do it. Maybe some tweeds like the actors who played Walter Hagen or Bobby Jones in Bagger Vance. I do not think dressing like Poulter will help my cause either.

One of my sets of clubs have done almost 100,000 miles in a little under two years... I have NEVER had any of my clubs damaged, and on more than a few occasions TSA have unwrapped them to to make sure there are no "WMDs" in there, and not wrapped them up again. (Lazy B********s)

I use a "stiff arm" and a "Last Bag"

I have had one of my legs kinked on my SQ Nike Bag, but minor stuff.

The last few trips I have bought a cheap pillow from Target and the wife sewed the sides (folded it in half then sewed) I slip it over my club heads and wrap a bungy cord around them. Works well, along with neoprene head covers on all the irons to stop them clanging.

Airlines arent as bad as they are made out... sure they throw your bags, but if you have them wrapped decent they will be fine.

Thanks. The pillow idea is inexpensive extra protection and smart.

Ditto... except I just intertwine wrap the club heads in my caddy towels then put on the rain hood. Key is the Stiff Arm... lost a couple Drivers in my Last Bag before I got it... head broken off at destination... those baggage guys had to throw it out of the plane head first to do the damage they did... had to be on purpose.

I also do over 100K mi. annually. Love the TSA, they took out my rain jacket and a pair of shorts last time and must have forgotten to put them back in (who would steal shorts?)...

You will get charged for checked bags if you are not a frequent flier.... check out ahead of time what it will cost you each way... it might be better to FedEx them and rent or borrow a golf bag at the golf course. I know several guys who swear by this brought on by previous bad experience with the airlines... I don't ever do it, but it IS an option especially if they are going to charge you $25-50 each way to check it.

If you are going to check your bags, you might be able to fit everything in a Last Bag, I do it a lot if I am only gone a couple of days... Club Glove makes a suit organizer that slips inside the Last Bag so you can bring business casual along if needed. Their website is www.clubglove.com. Instead of using a big staff bag, use the carry bag and you will have tons of room for clothes.

Do not travel with out the Club Glove Last Bag and the Club Glove Stiff Arm. The bag is worth the money and the stiff arm just adds that little bit of extra peace of mind.

I added iron covers, snaked a towel around all the shafts and put the rain cover on my bag. Then stuff all that into the Last Bag.

Travels easily and is very well protected and secure.

As for the threads, go with solids on the bottoms and style on the top.

Oh and the trick to loading your clubs into a Last Bag...

Stand it up (the Last Bag) on the solid plastic part with the wheels on it and drape/peel the upper canvas part back.

Then set your golf bag into the Last Bag, tighten the strap around it and work the top over the Stiff Arm... Now lay it down and fill it up with clothes...

Don't try to load the clubs into it while it is laying on the ground... this can cause frustration...

I have 2 words for you "HARD CASE"!!!!!!!

I was a traveling Golf Pro and even worked on the Cruise Ships for 2 years and believe me they have no disregard for any piece of luggage on the Flights.

You can pick up a good hard case pretty cheap and it is worth every penny trust me!

The airlines recently put into an effect that ANY check-in luggage is now a $25 charge to offset the high fuel prices. So they will also cost you that extra $25 to take with but small fee to pay for using your own clubs as appossed to a rental set.

Protect your babies and go get a "HARD CASE"!

I have to agree totally with WRXJIM, labillyboy and eyezlee get yourself a Last Travel Bag and a stiff arm. My clubs have more frequent flyer miles than a NY Granny with grand kids in FL.... LOL Never had a problem with missing or damaged clubs, I use the exact same procedure as labillyboy, use the full size caddy towel and my rain cover is a very snug fit at that point no club wiggle at all, then synch it up in the travel bag, then I guess a little ocd comes out (but they are my babies after all) I make sure the zippers are pulled all the way to the bottom wear the grab handle is and use one of the TSA approved master cable locks, these differ from the normal luggage locks because instead of the tiny loop that only fits through the zipper they have about an inch of steel cable that I put through the zippers and then around the grab handle... Hope this helps a little and have a great trip

Just a note on hard cases...

I have used several over the years... there are a few issues with them:

1. They don't fit in a lot of car trunks... you won't be real popular when your clubs are in the back seat of the rental car with two of your buddies or worse... your boss.
2. They take up a lot of space in your hotel room, they usually don't fit in the closet. I used to check mine with the Bell stand when I got to a resort.
3. They generally don't have much extra space inside to fit clothes, souveniers, etc...
4. Baggage Handlers seem to take them as a special challenge, I don't know exactly why, but mine never lasted a whole year (I do over 100K mi. with clubs every year) they broke off the latches, cracked the shell on one, bent the hinges, tore a hinge off... But I never did experience a broken club... I will give them that.
5. If you go this route, make sure YOUR golf bag fits easily inside of the case you get, don't ever buy a bigger golf bag later on; it won't fit...
6. make sure there is a way to lock it with a TSA approved lock, the built in locks on some are TSA approved, make sure. You want to lock the bag.

In general, the Last Bag with the Stiff Arm protects your clubs just as well if you follow the advice in this thread for packing it. The Last Bag folds up and fits in a hotel room closet and more importantly your car trunk and takes up less space at your home when you are not using it.

I have had 2 Last Bags last me 10 years (my first one is still in use by a buddy who only uses it once a year it was just getting kind of ratty), I went through 3 hard cases in 3 years.... prior to that, I used a bunch of cheap-o travel covers with varying results...

As far as luggage fees, make sure you check with your airline... they are all different. Some charge more for golf clubs or a 2nd bag. it is not always $25 each way...

Weight is also an issue, find out what the maximum is (usually 50 lbs.) and weigh your bag before you leave for the airport. I just love it when the idiot in front of me has to open all their bags and shift things around to meet weight allowances...

If you are flying with someone who is a frequent flier, and they are not using all of their free checked baggage allowance, get them to check one of your bags for you... Buy them a drink when you get there...

Hard cases are great, I have had two... CERTAINLY the safeest way to transport them, but I could never get it in the back of a cab But for the ease you cant go past a Last Bag, or even the smaller one (Burst proof?) they are great, and VERY stable.

Not EVERY airline is charging for your first bag (JetBlue is one that still allows 1 free) . off the top of my head, United, US Airways, and AA are the only at the moment that charge for your first bag.

You can get around it by putting your liquids (non carry on items) into you golf bag, and put your clothes into a roller bag and take it as carry on.

I suggest putting the extra stuff into a single bag inside you golf bag so that TSA find it harder to leave a single item out of the bag... They will still go through it, but lessens the chances.

Remeber 50 pnds is the max per bag! Airlines start charging when you go over it.

an idea of weight for you - driver, 3w, 3H/B, 4-p/w, 2xwedges, putter, and stiff arm inside a SQ carry bag, with shoes, unbrella, jacket, 12 balls, was 37 pounds, so you have some room for some clothes, if it is overweight you can remove item to get it to 50 pnds and stuff them into you carry on. I generally carry on my golf shoes,(inside a shoe bag and clipped to the outside of my carry on bag). just incase they do lose my clubs I at least have my shoes with me and i can rent clubs. - You are alos alowed a smaller paice like a Laptop bag as well as your smaller roller board so you have more free space than you realise.

Very easy, and you can keep your carry on nice and light.

And yeh, Dri-Fit on the top, Beige black on the bottom, shorts or longs, I prefer shorts. Dri-Fit again

Funny you mention that but it is a very good point, between myself and my fiance our two last travel bags slip one inside the other both stiff arms colapsed and inside the bags and they still fit in any hotel/cruise ship closet we have encountered not to mention takes less space in the house than your average piece of hard side luggage.

I just returned from a trip to NY on JetBlue. I chose to go with a Golf Telebag -- a collapsible, telescoping hard case that reduces to a size that fits easily in a car trunk -- augmented by a Stiff Arm, to keep the baggage handlers from trying to telescope the case by breaking the bag rim, where the Telebag usually is secured from collapsing. I wound my towels around the irons, had the neoprene headcovers for the hybrids, and then put the rain hood over top of the clubs and Stiff Arm. Then I assembled the Golf Telebag over it.

Absolutely no issues whatsoever. The clubs, stand bag, a dozen balls, rangefinder, rainsuit, shoes and other assorted gear arrived in perfect order for both the inbound and outbound flights. I don't know if it's kudos to JetBlue's baggage handlers or to the Telebag or to the Stiff Arm... but my call would be "D -- all of the above".

I've recently done a second trip to Ireland. To give you a sense, I traveled with a bag of 15 clubs, in Callaway xxt stand bag, stuffed in an Ogio monster, with nothing but a towel around the club heads. I even stuffed shoes and balls in the bag. Traveling in this way, I've flown from Seattle to Newark to Belfast round-trip twice and not had any issues.

The only real problem is that TSA will go through your bag, and they seem to have a habit of pulling and tugging at things that are strapped in tight. So no matter how you pack it, they will change it. I can just imaging some officers swinging my R7 in some airport back room. Perhaps their search is only a certainty on international flights.

Anyhow, my last flight occurred literally days before the run up in fuel costs caused the airlines to change their policies. For international flights, they still let you check a second bag for free. However, domestically I believe you will now pay. Call the airline to see what they charge per pound, so you are not shocked when you check in.

A friend I travel with a lot had a Telebag for a while... he eventually had problems with the latches (I believe the baggage handlers figured out how to break them) it warped after a while making it difficult to assemble... He now has a Last Bag and is using the bottom piece of the Telebag for a wastebasket in his garage...

If you don't use it a lot, it should be fine, good luck!

ONE OTHER THING.... Don't put your rangefinder in with your golf clubs... they disappear. keep it in your carry on.

I have had the SBK, and the BagBoy 3 peice hard case... Both where "Worry free transport" in that I knew my driver would be in one peice, but...

As has been said the clips/locks failed on both well before the case did... I "made" some Velcro straps to replace them which did the trick.

The SBK cracked (not due to a golf trip) and the BagBoy one I gave up on because its so cumbersome.

I have loved my Last Bag, and will never change!!!

There are some good deals on Ebay for the Burst Proof, and the Last Bag. keep your eyes peeled.

Oh, and yeh - edited as well! NEVER put your rangefinder in with your clubs!!! eeek, I always carry mine on with me! I rarley even put my new golf balls in there! Esp my NOBs!!

I just got a great price on a trav-a-lite (from the bst!)- the reason for going with this one is I found the biggest problem was the airline size restriction, not weight - so I can do w/o my real bag for a weekend getaway, as long as it'll fit my L4V and tri-ball! I hope...

What size restriction? Never had an issue with a normal golf bag...

Airline size restriction? Are you travelling on a small island airline? Cesna?

I hope you dont regret it.... I cant live without space...

** I hope you didnt read the Airline baggage restrictions and see the size dimension??? but then NOT read th EXCEPTIONs, which include Golf Clubs, Surfboards, Bikes etc... ***

Franc,
It might be worth a phone call or e-mail to the resort you're going to be playing at. Some have some pretty nice rental clubs at not too bad a cost compared to buying a new set of clubs, travel bag, airline hassles, etc.

You are going to miss your normal bag... especially if you decide to walk... I know a couple guys who tried those... sold them on bst...

Just an FYI, the weight limit on American Airlines for a golf bag is 70lbs....

I hate the airlines and will never take a decent set of clubs again. Rent clubs if you are standard size. I brought mine because I am tall and have custom clubs.
I recently went to a friends wedding in Cancun, and on the way back the airline "lost" my clubs. I have provided documentation of all my flight info. pictures, receipts, etc.. and I have recieved a dime from them (it was in Feb. of this year). I have been informed that my loss will not be covered and I am researching laws and regulations to file a lawsuit. $3500 worth of clubs/bags/shoes is alot to lose.

Never fly US airways. Absolutley the worst customer service in the business.
I reccomend submitting pictures and reciepts to the airline as well as purchasing extra insurance if you decide to bring the stix along. Make sure you know the rules for replaceing such items.

If anyone has any experience with this, or advice, please PM me.

Are damages to clubs in soft sided bags covered by the airlines? or do you sign a form acknowledging that the airline is not responsible for your poor choice in club protection. I use a hardside SKB. Frontier has a 50# limit and a $25 each way fee for the second bag. When we go to Vegas we will check our clubs and carry on our clothes.

United "lost" my sticks and my wifes about 5 years ago... I submitted a claim and was reimbursed $5000 ($2500 each) pretty quickly... I am a 1K flier with them so I have to believe having status had something to do with it... I made a pretty tidy profit on that one.

I have never had to sign anything with the Last Bag... I have never had a club damaged either (stolen but never damaged) in close to a million air miles with it...

If you use a Club Glove Last Bag with the Stiff Arm and pack it properly they are not going to damage your clubs or the Last Bag. With the SKB your clubs are also well protected but you have to deal with the big plastic case that does not fit in most car trunks or hotel room closets. The airlines will eventually damage the SKB case beyond use...(I went through 3 in 3 years) your clubs won't get a scratch though...

The only "poor choice" in club protection are the cheap-o travel covers, used with out a Stiff Arm or other support to protect the clubs... Even in this worst case scenario, they snap off your Driver head and you get it reshafted.

Every airline is different make sure you check with the airline you are flying.

I believe the term is limited liability waiver, if you use a soft side bag then the airlines will not cover damages to your bag. Obviously the airlines know which kind of travel bag protects clubs. Frontier has it, United doesn't, check with the carrier you fly the most.

The SKB case is only 1" longer than my driver and it stands nicely in the corner of the hotel room. When and if it is damaged, the airlines or I will replace it. If need be it can stick out a window to get to the hotel, but it never has. We travel with a couple who use soft sided cases and we always get to carry their drivers.
Most airlines don't want you to pack any non golf items in your case, usually they let it slide though.

I put my irons in the bag head first to prevent shaft damage and to get the wight over the cases wheels.

Just to clear up some misinformation...

You must have a long driver (51"?) Wow..

Click to view attachment

The SKB case I had is 52" long (see above)... does not fit in almost any car trunk...

It is guarnteed for a million miles... or 100 flights. I do more than 100 flights a year... they would not replace any of the 3 broken ones I had, nor would the airlines... IN your favor, I will say that those were 10 years ago, the new latches are a lot better and TSA approved... My only real problems with them now are with the bulk and the difficulty in transporting by car... they are $50 cheaper than a Last Bag... and worth it.

ON your other point I have put 47" drivers in my Last Bag.... not sure why your friends can't get their drivers in unless they are on the Long Driver Tour... or have some el cheapo travel covers. Or do you mean they put them in your case for protection? (that would be smart if they have el cheapos)

And... airlines don't care what you have in with your golf clubs... as long as it meets the weight limit. I don't think I have ever in 30 years of business travel with golf clubs NOT had other stuff in with my sticks... sometimes it is the ONLY piece of luggage I take other than my carry on with my computer, GPS and/or Bushell.

Hard cases are great, but Im with labillyboy. After dragging them around and then moving to a Last Bag, I will never go back to a hard case. I had an SBK case early 06, and the clips broke..., and then moved to a BagBoy 3 piece, and they (clips) were even worse... (but I cant imagine that a couple of trips a year will be as hard on them)

My "house, and contents" insurance covers my clubs (special item, along with the wifes engagement ring) so I couldnt care if they get damaged (so long as its on the way home )

How would you fit a 51" driver in a 48" long container? My 45" driver barely fits inside the smaller SKB that I have.

We carry friends drivers for added protection.

You need to read the luggage requirements of your airline, they will state only golf stuff in your bag.

I was joking about your driver... the bag is 52" long and you said the bag is only 1" longer than your dirver... thus a 51" driver.. the inside dimension IS only 48"... but the exterior dimension (which keeps it out of car trunks) is 52" Point being... SKB's don't fit in most if not all car trunks... they actually don't fit at all in some compact cars...

If someone buys one on your advice, they will be very unhappy when they try to put it in the trunk to go to the airport and it does not fit... Even more unhappy when they get to Hawaii and find out the cool convertible rental they have won't hold it and they have to trade for an Explorer just to hold the SKB...

Glad you carry your friends drivers, you must be a really nice person! They should invest in better travel covers if they travel and play golf often unless they have cheap, crummy golf clubs not worth protecting... I know one guy who had his clubs lost on the way to a corporate outing and was thrilled since he had to rent brand new Callaways... he ended up buying a set when he got home...

Maybe you missed the part about me doing this for 30 years... they don't care if you put other legal things in with your golf clubs... trust me on this one... over a million miles with clubs every trip with clothes in with my clubs... NEVER a problem. Just keep it under weight... and no guns! I know a cop who keeps a pistol in his clubs, packed them for a Vegas trip and got pulled off the plane... semi big trouble for not declaring it... glad I wasn't there... but I have put just about everything else in with my clubs and only had a pair of shorts and a jacket not make it (still not sure why someone would take a pair of dirty shorts?)

I just want to make sure people know what the "real" story is so they can better enjoy their travels, that's all. I have used many types of travel covers over many years and many miles, IMO the Last Bag is by far the best option available for all the reasons I have laid out in this thread....

Forgive my ignorance, I cannot speak for the entire airline baggage industry, I can only read what is on the websites.

What airlines write on their websites and what occurs in day-to-day practice often differ greatly. The two areas I've noticed this the most are golf clubs and child restraint. In neither case is the real practice as stringent as their stated policies make it seem.

I always pack other stuff in with my golf clubs... Mask/flippers etc, once even an air matress

They dont care providing it isnt over 50 pnds... (again, I can only talk for the couple of hundred thousand miles my clubs have travelled in the two years I have been playing golf... )

and if you take EVERYTHING the airlines say on their website... make sure you carry -on is less than 10 pounds an fits inside the dimensions ha ha, dont get out of your seat while the seatbelt sign is lit.. yeh right... ipods OFF for takeoff and landings... whatever!

Yeh right! I always CRACK up when Americans arrive in Aussie or New Zealand and have to re-arrange their carry -on. its limited STRICTLY to 7kg, and no bigger than the smallest of rollerbags...

On a side rant... (dont get me started! )

Americans dont realise how good you have it still... The fact you can take your clubs for free is great. in NZ and Aussie Its $15 regardless of how many bags you check.(cn sometimes get lucky with the "right" check in agent... You only get one bag at 20kg, and the second is charged at $5 a kg... No free soda, and a small cookie... The US carriers are just starting to align themselves with the rest of the world. (some at least)

Wonder if Rocco uses a Club glove as the airlines broke his driver on his trip to the US Open?

Doubt he was flying commercial. He probably didn't have any travel cover on his bag. When you fly private, you usually try to keep the weight and bulk down, which means leaving the Last Bag or SKB at home. There are no baggage handlers to worry about probably just a bad loading job by the pilot...

In his letter of thanks he states that the driver was broken by the airline. Don't think he has his own jet.

I heard him say airplane, not airline, and he flys fractional jets... only a couple players actually "own" jets. In fact Tiger does not even "own" a jet... he has fractional ownership and NEVER flies commercial. I doubt Rocco flew commercial to a major, I guess it is possible, but unlikely. If he was using the bag I have, packed properly it would be 100% impossible for his driver to get broken... must have been something else if that is the case... Guess we know that he doesn't use an SKB though, it wouldn't fit in the courtesy car...

I read "broke by the airline" in his letter of thanks, only place I can find it is on the GEA website. Supposed to be a release by Callaway, comes from info@direct.callawaygolf.com

Rocco flies the frax...technically speaking, they are considered airlines.

-mini

Just curious - for those of you who are traveling 100k+ / year with clubs, what kind of trips are these? I also travel 100k but only 3-4 days per trip, 3 weeks a month. Usually I'm jam packed with meetings and the hassle of lugging clubs - getting to the airport early, checking bags, etc - just seems like a big hassle. Anyway, just curious how long your typical trip is and how you manage to keep the experience from being more trouble than it's worth.

I have the smaller club glove "Burst Proof II" with wheels. I love it. I dont travel nearly as much as these 100K-200K per year guys do, but I have never had any problems with my soft Club Glove bag at all. Thanks for the link though, cuz I dont have a "stiff arm" yet but that sounds like a nice investment.

90% business for me, I always take my clubs unless it's winter and I am going someplace with snow... or on a ski vacation. I like to do business on the course whenever possible, and have playing buddies everywhere. I am lucky that it fits in well with my occupation. I always check my luggage even if it is one suitcase, I hate carrying on those roller things... putting cosmetics in the plastic bag, NO WAY! I just hate (maybe not hate, but geez) all the people who have them; clogging up the security lines and fighting over the overhead bins... I never have more than a briefcase.

I am not THAT impatient, I can wait 15-20 minutes for my bags at my arrival; it gives me time to check emails and phone calls on my Treo. One of my pet peeves is people who are late, I get to the airport over an hour early even when I am just flying out for 1/2 day and back with no luggage...

Using the Last Bag for my clubs makes them easy to handle and they fit in all car trunks... the cover folds up and goes in the hotel room closet out of the way. Sometimes I just pack all my clothes inside the bag with my clubs, I use a suiter from one of my suitcases to hold hanging clothes; it fits right inside the Last Bag. Makes it very easy to travel with the sticks. If I want more room for clothes, I use a carry bag instead of my staff bag...

I get to fly private a few times a year, the first time I was able to, about 10 years ago, I showed up with my clubs in a travel bag (I had a great big SKB hard case at the time) the pilot made me leave it in my car... "just the clubs sir, you don't need that thing, we'll take good care of your babies..."

Still trying to figure out how to get the CEO job with the restriction on no commercial flying...

Out of 75 trips last year, I didn't take my clubs on probably 15...

I just returned last night from my vacation. We had 7 checked bags and all of them, except my golf clubs made it. I was flying with my dad & brother and they had the same thing - all their luggage arrived back except their clubs. I was pretty ticked last night, but they were delivered to my house today, so I am feeling better now.

This was my first trip with my new Club Glove Burstproof 2 w/ wheels & stiff arm. My clubs made it there and back undamaged. However, my brand new club glove has a small hole in it from the return trip. After reading all of the positive comments on Club Glove bags, I didn't expect to have a hole in it after the first use. I'm going to call their 1-800 number on Monday to ask about it.

I did pack my rangefinder and goretex rain gear in my suitcase just in case, and when my golf clubs turned up missing last night I was really glad I did.

^^ Unfortunately some airlines/airports when you check you golf bag in they need to be taken to an "oversize" area. This can be shared by a number of airlines, and its not hard for them to be overlooked... glad you got them back and fast

About the hole... You can never guarantee that your bag wont drag on the tarmac somewhere... Unfortunately... Club Glove are pretty good though so will be interesting what they say... The beauty of these bags is you can just sew a patch straight over the top of the whole... (incidently I dont have any holes yet... I have a few "fluffy" spots where it has obviously rubbed against something abraisive for an extended period of time)

75% of my golf trips are for pleasure... I take them on business one trip a month maybe... but total 3 -5 times a month of flying with them... It all depends where Im heading... The most common route... Boston - Seattle then to Bellingham... of from New York... also Boston to Richmond VA. and then once every four months to New Zealand and back... March was the last time I will be doing that as I bought another set of pro combos to leave behind, along with a spare driver, 3W, hybrid and putter:)

I have a few "perks" to my job... that make the whole "airport experience" not so bad... I generally have my laptop bag, a small roller bag (both go on plane with me. and then my Club Glove...

I always carry my rangefinder, camera and anything else worth stealing, don't dare lock anything checked.

How much difference between the Last Bag and the Burst Proof? in protection or is it just size?

I dont believe there is any difference protection wise...

Just more volume, and two external pockets. I would get the smaller one next time I buy, just more compact, and I find my bag sometimes "spin/rotates" inside as the straps dont hold it tight.

Question, can you fit a Cart bag (TaylorMade Monaco) into a Club Glove Last Bag...would would I need the XL?

Thanks, since I'm about 150 miles from the nearest store it is hard to compare. Most likely I'll E'bay one. Give the wife something easier to drag through the airport.

I have the regular size Last Bag, and my Nike SQ/Pro Combo bag fits in there with ALOT of extra room.

I actually just fit two sets of clubs my Last Bag. My SQ bag and the Nike Extreme bag in to bring them to Seattle (Put both sets of clubs into one bag and the other sat empty so I could remove it if weight was an issue...), so there is alot of room. I would think you could fit a 10" Staff bag in there.