Best Car to Carry Your Clubs?

[funkyjudge]

By the way, although I love my Volvo V60 wagon for golf (and just for everyday fun driving, since it has the Polestar Engineering engine, suspension and chassis upgrades), I do love a good pickup truck with a bed cover for travel to and from the golf course.  My best golfing buddy has a 1983 Chevy or GMC 3/4 ton pickup that not only has a bed cover, but also a pull-out shelf on a rollers and track system for ease of loading and unloading.  That puppy has a great V8 engine that runs like a top and it’s a very comfortable-riding truck, which I cannot say about many pickups of that vintage.

[Chip Strokes]

6 hours ago, funkyjudge said:

Which are illegal many places.

yeah but they look 1000 times better than untinted windows, so i’ll take my chances with the fix it ticket. i’ve had limo tints for over 15 years and i’ve been stopped once in all that time.

i prefer an SUV as a daily driver to a car. my golf clubs will never in a million years be a consideration to get me to change that. 

now, to further dissent from the group…when i do feel like driving a car to the course, my woods have to go in the front seat because they won’t fit in the front trunk. 

[ChuckZ]

KIA Sorento.  The newer models have the seven seat versions which allow for a lot of room in the back.  Great for road trips and gas mileage is good.  Kept my first one for eleven years and this one is a 2019.  Basic model has all the bells and whistles I need.  Know for sure it will handle three tour staff bags.  We took it to the PGA Merchandise show in Orlando, when I first got it.  It is the four cylinder model and has plenty of power.  We also have a 2021 BMW 430i coupe, not practical for more than one golf bag.  The KIA is the golf car.  

[stevegp67]

I have a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. I carry my golf clubs on the back seat of my car. What I did that works really well is I went and bought an inexpensive black flat sheet (the kind used for bedding) and I use it to cover the entire golf bag and clubs. Buy a larger size, such as for a queen or king-sized bed. It is effective in the day and becomes invisible as the light fades. An added bonus: when you don't have your clubs in the car, you can use the sheet to cover your laptop, briefcase, or anything else that you want to keep from prying eyes. I previously lived in an area of Trenton , New Jersey where not everyone is an honest, upstanding citizen.

[funkyjudge]

On 10/16/2021 at 8:25 AM, Chip Strokes said:

yeah but they look 1000 times better than untinted windows, so i’ll take my chances with the fix it ticket. i’ve had limo tints for over 15 years and i’ve been stopped once in all that time.

i prefer an SUV as a daily driver to a car. my golf clubs will never in a million years be a consideration to get me to change that. 

now, to further dissent from the group…when i do feel like driving a car to the course, my woods have to go in the front seat because they won’t fit in the front trunk. 

If I had that car, I would make any sacrifice necessary to transport my golf clubs to the course.

[funkyjudge]

On 10/8/2021 at 11:39 PM, garyt1957 said:

Agree with preferring a sedan for travelling with golf clubs. Haven't found a trunk big enough  since our 2006 Malibu. Will have to check out the Impala (always buy used)

Try a Toyota Avalon ..... lots of room for multiple sets of clubs.

[RI_Redneck]

Trucks with bed covers have to be the best option for carrying everything you might need. The Honda Ridgeline also has a lockable trunk in the bed that will fit a single set of clubs. For those who are environmentally conscious, the Honda Accord Hybrid (which I drive at home) has a large trunk and will easily fit 4 carry bags or two bags and push carts. It was the biggest trunk I could find on a hybrid sedan.

However, Being a traveling golfer who drives rental cars more than I drive my own, I would like to give some suggestions on them. I avoid Hatchbacks & SUVs like the plague. Why? Because if someone can see your clubs in the back while it's parked in the hotel parking lot, they will break the windows and steal them. If they have a pull out cover, it's not so bad, but they can still get in there pretty easy and will be tempted to see what you're covering up in there. If I have a group of golfers on a trip, I usually will opt for a van instead of an SUV. It's a lot easier to hide the clubs in the back since most have a recessed area where the third row folds down. The Chrysler Pacifica is a really good one these days since a lot of the rental companies have the nicer trim packages with leather and other nice features. The best option is to take your clubs in the hotel though. That way, you KNOW there safe. The Impala, Malibu, Charger and Challenger, mentioned earlier, all have nice big trunks for multiple bags and are typically not an up-charge rental. The midsize Toyotas, Kias, Hyundai, etc. typically will fit a single bag no problem, but if you use a rigid travel case, they will be a problem because it will not fit in any of those trunks.

That's about all I have to add.

BT

[B_R_A_D_Y]

Pontiac Solstice has horrible trunk … only thing I might get in it is a walking bag with 9-10 clubs in it. So must put bag in passenger seat … but must remove driver because all the weight of bag might snap it. so I’m always begging a ride to out of town courses … maybe that’s why no one invites me. But ... When I drive to a course, I choose curvy country roads, and enjoy the drive to and from the course, it’s an absolute blast … 35 mph on sharp curvy roads is fun. 

Edited October 21, 2021 by B_R_A_D_Y