Golf Travel Bags: Hard Sided or Soft Sided?

[Clip_Box]

How's it going everyone! We have a Puerto Vallarta group golf trip coming up next year and wanted to get a jump on learning how to fly with golf bags.

Are hard sided cases really that much better? Are they worth the money? I have seen horror stories for both. Hard sided bags being demolished and shattered, soft sided bags being ripped up and torn, clubs (especially drivers) being snapped upon arrival.

Are hard sided cases worth the money as long as you get a good quality? Are soft sided ones ever good enough quality or are they a waste of time?

Any tips and tricks for either one when packing them?

Looking for any input!

[Clip_Box]

Also,

What is a good recommended brand for a quality travel bag/case for clubs?

[Golf2Much]

I've had a Club Glove soft sided travel bag for over 30 years and taken it all over the world.  All the zippers work fine and there's only minor wear and tear of the travel bag itself (actually less than I've gotten on some luggage).  I've only had to replace the wheels as they degrade over time (replacing is easy as they are standard inline skate wheels).  It has some worn areas, but not to the point where it impacts aesthetics but not function of the carrier.   During that 30 plus years, I've never had a club damaged during transit.

I like the soft sided travel bags as they are easier to handle in and out of the car and through airports.   Independent of which you choose, make sure you get one with wheels.  It makes navigating airports so much easier.

A couple of tricks I've learned:

• Get a stiff arm, Bag Boy Backbone or other retractable arm to help protect your clubs from impact on the top of the bag.   Before those where available, I had a broom stick cut about 1/2" longer than my driver to help protect it.   I have the Backbone and it's nice as it fully retracts when not in use and will extend to various lengths when in use.
• Given I have adjustable woods, I now take off the heads when I travel.  That leaves the much shorter shafts which easily can fit underneath the Backbone.   Just so I have a record on what the woods were set at, I take a picture and keep it in my phone (just in case I forget the settings).  Don't forget to pack a wrench for reattaching when you arrive.
• I use my golf towels to wrap within the iron faces.  There's a lot of rattling during their travel adventures, so it helps minimize any cosmetic damage due to rubbing against each other.
• For extra padding, I'll include my rain gear or other clothing in the travel bag.
• Put your name and phone number on and in your travel bag.  Sometimes the tags get damaged and fall off, so you want to be sure if you're separated for whatever reason there's some identification to let people know the clubs are yours.
• Though the Club Glove has zippered pockets for golf shoes, when I'm traveling to a golf destination, I'll bring my shoes, some balls, tees and other items with me in my carry on.  Especially if we are playing when we arrive.  That way if the clubs do not make it with me on the flight, I can rent and still play golf while they find my clubs.  On my way back, everything goes back into the Club Glove.
• I have a separate smaller, lighter weight stand bag that I travel with.   Even though we'll likely be using carts at our destination, the smaller bag is easier to pack in the travel bag and the lighter weight helps me make sure I meet the luggage weight restrictions.
• Speaking of weight, I try and remove as much non-essential golf related items from my bag when I travel.  I take just as many balls as I think I'll need.  Leave the Orange Whip at home.  Again, being conscience of the overall weight.  If something comes up, I can likely buy it at the destination.

I hope this might help.  Good luck in your travels!

[Hacker60521]

@Clip_Box, @Golf2Much nailed it with great advice. I’ve had a College size Club Glove for about 15 years, and it’s held up great. I’d offer similar advice and definitely get the stiff arm. Also, the only change I would have made is to get a color other than black. Mostly for visibility and spotting it at busy airports where people might accidentally walk away with your bag. 

[10Hockey]

I have been using Club Glove for over 30 years !  I like the durability , the fact that you can put a a pair of golf shoes on each side ( zippered pouches) on the outside.  The zippers are fantastic.  About 22 years ago the airlines split the plastic plate on my Club Glove ( don't know how they could possibly do it ) ; Club Glove covered the cost of a new bag !  If you buy one, get one of their many colors so that your bag does not blend in with all of the other black golf bags ( mine is yellow ). 

[Julius]

I have both a Club Glove which is very good, but when a friend got the Sun Mountain Club Glider, I went for that.  I have taken it on 2 trips and I have to say it is incredible, so easy to use and get around.  To the specific question, I prefer a soft sided bag, similar to other comments here I take care to wrap the heads (or take them off) and use golf towels and other golf jackets to wrap some of the gear.  I also use a backbone to protect the top part.  The soft sided allow you to throw more gear in there, shoes, balls, etc, whereas the hard sided is going to have a more defined limit - it is the same principle as between hard and soft sided luggage.  Similar to luggage, if you take care when  you pack the bag the goods inside should be fine. 

[CS_408]

I’ve used an Ogio soft bag, with the backbone club protector on 2 European golf trips as well as about 30 domestic golf trips. Definitely prefer the soft sided as it’s easier to fit into whatever rental car you may get. Had a hard sided for about a minute and returned it right away for torment reasons.

i don’t take off the heads on My woods, rather i put my shoes and extra clothes around the heads as extra padding. I. The way home from trips, all the dirty clothes and such get put in there, again for extra padding, and bonus, not in the suitcase with the clean stuff!

[WaffleHouseTour]

I’ll second Club Glove (after 20+ years I’m finally looking at replacing mine and going back to the source)

I’ll second taking the heads off - put them back in the headcovers and store in my shoe bags. 
 

I’ll second taking out unnecessary teams and go one step further - take out your range finder and put in in your carry on. Take out ALL electronics - too tempting and draws scrutiny in the x ray. Take out that Arcoss Link charger…

The ONLY electronic device in my bag is the Apple Air Tag for tracking purpose. 

[Wakit300]

I've had an SKB hard case for 20+ years and had no issues with club damage whatsoever. Plus, they're less expensive than a club glove. Honestly, I've never understood the soft side thing but tons of people love them. Maybe it's the convenience. All I know is SKB makes cases for guitars, amps, etc.  If you can protect those things from the airlines, I'm going with you.

"Got them pretty road cases
Protect our asses, protect our faces, protect our guitars, protect our amps.
Got them pretty road cases throw them out an airplane and they'll just bounce" ... DBT

Edited July 30 by Wakit300

[JBRgolf]

My wife and I had a hardsided case for years. Problem was they took up way too much space in the rental car when touring UK and Ireland. Switched to a Sun Mountain hybrid which provides hard plastic protection for the top. The soft fabric and base collapse into the plastic top for smaller footprint for storage and travel. 

[Ryan M]

SKB all the way. Their lifetime warranty is amazing. I have even found used ones dirt cheap and then just replace any broken wheels or handles.

The protection is unrivaled imo. That said, @JBRgolf is right that they can be difficult to fit into a rental car. I end up putting it in the back seat sometimes. Also, I will say the Sun Mountain glider looks a little easier to wheel through the airport than the SKB.

Keep in mind that if you use a soft-sided case, the airlines will not reimburse you for any damage. They will with a hard-sided case. At least this was the case w/ Delta about 8 years ago when I checked.

[Murrrrrrrr]

All made really valid points here. Just to provide a different take in case you are frugal like me, I have had the Amazon soft case for 4 years now and have not had an issue at all. I mainly travel domestic, with the occasional international, about 4-5 times a year and take my bags almost every time. I am aware Club Gloves are really nice, and a lot of my golf buddies have one, but at the time of purchase I went with Amazon because I wasn't as committed to the game and the Amazon bag was only ~$25.

However, I should probably note that I pack very diligently. Always use a backbone (I use the Bag Boy Backbone), take your driver/wood/hybrid head off and pack them in your personal luggage, and wrap your clubheads with sweaters, sweatpants, hoodies, etc. But still, I think the fact that my Amazon bag has not ripped in almost 20 trips should be noted.

[cksurfdude]

Hard sided case user here - Samsonite with six wheels on the bottom - and am much more comfortable that my clubs are completely protected with it.

So far only minor scratches.

An important point to me is that expensive graphite shafts are susceptible to compression damage if something drops on the side of a soft bag.

As others have noted a major downside to a hard case is fitting it into a car .. especially if you're going to Europe with smaller cars than the SUVs a lot of us drive here.

I also take the driver head off (leaves extra room to throw more stuff in), put iron covers on (also help protects the graphite shafts) and wrap towels around the heads and tops of the shafts. I can also just drop other things into the case without having to really "pack" it carefully. 

The six wheels allow you to very easily roll it upright one handed through airports; the other two wheels are on one edge so you can grab the top handle and roll it at an angle like other cases.

Also have a Club Glider which is a great great invention and makes traveling with clubs pretty easy.

 

[Erin B]

I’ve had both. I like them for different reasons but if it’s a soft bag, need an extender to protect your clubs. Hard bags take up more room but clubs are better protected. Make sure you get one with foam cushioning. I also travel with the rain cover on the bag, and stuff it with rain gear and other clothes to help keep the irons bouncing around. I use a hard case exclusively now. Just my preference.

[Proshop3356]

I’m with the SKB hard case contingent. I also agree with all the advice about taking the heads off of any clubs you can. I use Iron Glove covers to protect the irons, but you can use any iron covers you can find. Simply cut a broom handle to keep the bag from moving inside the case. You can rest assured the case will be turned upside down at some point of the trip, so stuff towels around the top to keep clubs from moving around. 

[zotparkerm]

I could cut/paste most of Golf2Much's input - other than specific brand names I follow much the same practices.

I have had really good luck finding soft side travel bags at thrift stores, so I actually double up my case.

I definitely think that removing adjustable heads (drive and 3 wood for me) is a must. 

I put head covers on all the irons and then wrap golf towels around/through the clubs and then around the outside (circumference) of the heads.  I put my longest in the middle trying to make sort of a cone shape with the driver shaft, broomstick (yep I am that cheap) and 4 iron in the middle.

Multiple name tags all over and inside.

On a recent trip I crammed both my clubs and wifes clubs into one bag (I thinned us down to 10 clubs each) and packed a floppy Sunday bag alongside the cart bag.

I do find that the soft sides get ripped on occasion.  Double bagging pays off.

I use 3-4 brightly coloured luggage straps to create an easy-grab extra handle and to make my bag stand out.

[Ye Olde Gingerbeard Man]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003UFRKX2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Above is the hard case I bought before my trip to San Jose del Cabo last year. I played at Puerto Los Cabos Golf Club. The case did its job and was actually recommended by a friend. I will be playing the Norman Course at Vidanata Vallarta next month. As far as other recommendations.I bought iron covers, I remove the hybrid, fairway, and driver heads from the shaft, place them in the respected headcovers during travel. I have had zero issues so far.

[MGoBlue100]

On 7/30/2024 at 8:19 AM, Golf2Much said:

I've had a Club Glove soft sided travel bag for over 30 years and taken it all over the world.  All the zippers work fine and there's only minor wear and tear of the travel bag itself (actually less than I've gotten on some luggage).  I've only had to replace the wheels as they degrade over time (replacing is easy as they are standard inline skate wheels).  It has some worn areas, but not to the point where it impacts aesthetics but not function of the carrier.   During that 30 plus years, I've never had a club damaged during transit.

I like the soft sided travel bags as they are easier to handle in and out of the car and through airports.   Independent of which you choose, make sure you get one with wheels.  It makes navigating airports so much easier.

A couple of tricks I've learned:

• Get a stiff arm, Bag Boy Backbone or other retractable arm to help protect your clubs from impact on the top of the bag.   Before those where available, I had a broom stick cut about 1/2" longer than my driver to help protect it.   I have the Backbone and it's nice as it fully retracts when not in use and will extend to various lengths when in use.
• Given I have adjustable woods, I now take off the heads when I travel.  That leaves the much shorter shafts which easily can fit underneath the Backbone.   Just so I have a record on what the woods were set at, I take a picture and keep it in my phone (just in case I forget the settings).  Don't forget to pack a wrench for reattaching when you arrive.
• I use my golf towels to wrap within the iron faces.  There's a lot of rattling during their travel adventures, so it helps minimize any cosmetic damage due to rubbing against each other.
• For extra padding, I'll include my rain gear or other clothing in the travel bag.
• Put your name and phone number on and in your travel bag.  Sometimes the tags get damaged and fall off, so you want to be sure if you're separated for whatever reason there's some identification to let people know the clubs are yours.
• Though the Club Glove has zippered pockets for golf shoes, when I'm traveling to a golf destination, I'll bring my shoes, some balls, tees and other items with me in my carry on.  Especially if we are playing when we arrive.  That way if the clubs do not make it with me on the flight, I can rent and still play golf while they find my clubs.  On my way back, everything goes back into the Club Glove.
• I have a separate smaller, lighter weight stand bag that I travel with.   Even though we'll likely be using carts at our destination, the smaller bag is easier to pack in the travel bag and the lighter weight helps me make sure I meet the luggage weight restrictions.
• Speaking of weight, I try and remove as much non-essential golf related items from my bag when I travel.  I take just as many balls as I think I'll need.  Leave the Orange Whip at home.  Again, being conscience of the overall weight.  If something comes up, I can likely buy it at the destination.

I hope this might help.  Good luck in your travels!

I also have had Club Glove, mine for over 20 years. I’ll emphasize everything @Golf2Much said above. I’ve been all over the US, to Scotland etc. Never an issue. Enjoy your trip and play well!!

[MGoBlue100]

On 7/30/2024 at 10:42 AM, WaffleHouseTour said:

I’ll second Club Glove (after 20+ years I’m finally looking at replacing mine and going back to the source)

I’ll second taking the heads off - put them back in the headcovers and store in my shoe bags. 
 

I’ll second taking out unnecessary teams and go one step further - take out your range finder and put in in your carry on. Take out ALL electronics - too tempting and draws scrutiny in the x ray. Take out that Arcoss Link charger…

The ONLY electronic device in my bag is the Apple Air Tag for tracking purpose. 

Yes; forgot! Put an Air Tag, Tile, etc inside your golf bag. Great cheap insurance. 

[PrayingForPar]

Flew this July for the first time using a soft case. I chose soft case purely based on price.

Took off all the adjustable heads, put a broomstick for support, and put all my irons in the bag upside down. Used clothes for "padding" around the bag and had 0 issues.

At the airport baggage claim, about 10 guys were picking up clubs and only one of them was a hard case.

My use case is that I only plan on flying with my clubs a handful of times in the coming years, but if I was flying a lot with my clubs, the club glove would be the way to go. Regretfully, after I got back from the trip I checked out marketplace and offerup for a club glove and they are all over the place for a fraction of the cost brand new.

[RemingtonR]

I've been looking at an SKB so that I don't have to sign the waiver from the airlines to waive damages. But seeing as a lot of people have been having issues with theirs its making me second guess it.