We put together our best golf travel bag for airlines rankings with one focus. Having your golf bag and its contents intact upon arrival at your holiday golf destination. Days are getting shorter and cooler in the western hemisphere and autumn rapidly approaching winter. For many golfers this signals the great golf escape.
When my local courses are snowed under those rounds in the sun feel all the better. If you are like me, you have already prepared the list of your golf buddies to flood with pictures of greens overlooking the blue sea. Whether it is a fun in the sun golf trip with the golf crew or squeezing in some rounds on a family trip, the winter golf trip is always a highlight of the golf year.
For most of us a real golf escape requires getting on a flight. And if you have done much golf travel then you already know this is where the problems begin. I have had more than my fair share of woes when it comes to having my bag in hand when leaving the airport arrivals. The time my gear was sent to a completely different country/airport when travelling to play a Pro-AM. Or when my bag was hanging out of the travel case with significantly damaged clubs are just some examples of the many.
Even with such experiences I am not a proponent of renting clubs. We tend to play challenging courses when we do our travels. Limiting the number of variables makes the round that much more enjoyable. It is enough to not know that course without also not knowing your clubs.
You can’t do much to prevent the airline from randomly sending your gear somewhere else. Unfortunately, here you are reduced to praying or crossing your fingers. If lucky or your prayers are answered your gear makes the next flight and arrives in time for tee off. Instead, you can significantly reduce the chances of damage and content loss. Selecting a proper golf travel bag for airlines will save you having a horrible start to your golf holiday.
Remember you are not the one who is gently placing the bag in the cargo hold. The guy that if freezing out on the tarmac. The guy that has been lifting overpacked bags all day. You know, the guy that wants to go home. That is the guy that you are trusting with your golf clubs. And just to let you know, he really does not care if your 4 iron is bent like a banana when you pull it from your bag. He also will not be the one waiting in the line at the airport damage claim writing down the contents of the bag.
Save yourself the risk and frustration. Take a look at the rankings and find yourself a good travel bag that will have you on the course and not collecting your bags contents receipts.
SKB Deluxe Staff Travel Case
I have already mentioned some of the travel woes I have experienced in the past when flying with my golf kit. I would have saved myself a lot of troubles if after the first incident I had purchased SKB’s Deluxe Staff Travel Case. Instead, I chose to think that the lightning would not strike twice, well I was wrong. But my eventual choice to resolve the problem was not.
I have spent about the last 5 years without incident while traveling on short and long-haul flights to various golf destinations around the globe. It has racked up hundreds of thousands in frequent flyer miles and always arrived intact. And it will be with me in a couple of weeks when I head to the Dominican Republic for my rounds at Punta Espada and Teeth of the Dog.
If my recommendation is not enough to convince you then consider SKB stands behind the travel case to the point of giving it a lifetime guarantee and insuring its contents for USD 1500. Yes, I understand your clubs are worth more but good luck getting better somewhere else.
The key is not only does is have a sleek body without needless external pockets and straps to get caught and damaged it is also molded from ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene. This is the stuff used by the U.S. military for cases and containers.
There is sample room inside and can accommodate a 49-inch driver and also comes with the following features and specifications:
- Fits most popular cart bags.
- Patented industrial strength latches for superior valance closure and overall latched security.
- TSA Locking System for ease of airline travel.
- SKB’s exclusive Perfect-Match valance bending system, provides tight, secure fits to prevent dirt, dust & moisture exposure
- SKB’s Unconditional Lifetime Warranty.
- SKB’s $1,500 Club Coverage.
- Interior Length: 49.00″
- Interior Width: 16.00″
- Interior Depth: 12.00″
- Carton Length: 52.00″
- Carton Width: 15.00″
- Carton Depth: 17.00″
- Product Weight: 18.16 lbs
- Shipping Weight: 22.00 lbs
There are many golf travel bag options on the market today but when know I will not be handling my luggage and I need my bag to be intact on arrival there is only one bag I turn to, the SKB Deluxe Staff Travel Case.
- Keep your golf club safe when traveling with this durable wheeled travel case that is contoured to fit cart bags, carry bags, and drivers up to 49 inches long ensuring a snug and secure fit
- Molded from ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene is made to prevent dirt, dust, and moisture from getting in the case and offers unparalleled durability and protection for your golf equipment
- Includes a TSA locking system for ease of travel and exclusive ideal match balance bending system of SKB, ensuring a secure fit to keep out dirt, dust, and moisture during travel
- Patent-pending industrial-strength latches for superior valence closure and overall latch security; Lightweight case features a curved handle and wheels, ensuring easy transportation
- Travel bag to support golf clubs measures 52 inches long, 15 inches wide, and 17 inches tall; Interior measures 49 inches long, 16 inches wide, and 12 inches deep; Weight: 22 pounds
Bag Boy T-10 Hard Top Travel Cover
The T-10 Hard Top Travel Cover is a new to market golf traveling solution from Bag Boy. We had the chance the other day to get our hands on one and gave it a thorough going over. It was a pretty unanimous decision and all of our group had positive feedback.
Being a relatively new bag, we have not had the hands-on experience in dragging it from golf destination to golf destination quite yet. But there still there is a lot of obvious positives in the construction of the T-10 and it seems to have been very well thought out.
While it is not a full-bodied hard case it does find a good balance in delivering the best of both worlds. Since many golfers do like the outer pockets their needs are met while still minimizing the number of straps and awkward edges that tend to get snagged during air travel. The zippers and straps are all heavy duty built so it should take quite a pounding and the body padding should minimize any chance of internal damage to club shafts or other contents of the bag.
The hard top ABS cover supplies the maximum protection to where the clubs need it the most and are the most exposed. With the top fitting snug and secure on the top of the bag your driver heads are not at risk of any unpleasant travel surprises. It weighs about 12 lbs. so it is also lighter than many of the top travel bag options available on the market.
Some additional features and specifications:
- Crush-resistant ABS top for maximum club protection
- Larger, premium in-line skate wheels
- All-weather 600D polyester fabric body stores inside hard top for compact storage
- Main handle integrated into bag top
- StandGuard™ A uniquely designed internal high density foam padding to protect the stand bag mechanism while traveling Lockable, full wrap-around zipper simplifies access and packing
- Heavy duty anti-burst strap
- Two external oversized pockets
- Two internal organization mesh pockets
- Durable, skid-resistant ABS base
- Internal compression strap stabilizes bag during travel
- Oversized shoe/garment pocket
So, if you are looking for a golf travel case option that is durable and also a little easier to manage then the Bag Boy T-10 Hard Top Travel Cover could be a great option for you.
- Newly designed slim-fitting, crush-resistant ABS top for maximum club protection
- Large, premium in-line skate wheels
- Featuring StandGuard high density foam padding to protect the stand bag mechanism while traveling
- Lockable, full wrap-around zipper simplifies access and packing
- Main handle integrated into bag top
