50 pounds is the maximum you can carry as part of your checked luggage without paying extra fees.  So yesterday Doug got his gear together and put it all on the bathroom scale.  Seems his clubs, bag, shoes and 12 golf balls weighed 27 pounds.

When you add his golf travel case at 13 pounds Doug is carrying 40 pounds.  Now Doug will also have his carry-on and laptop. He makes it under the excess baggage charge.

Golf Telebag: His Choice For Golf Travel Case

Golf Telebag also known as the collapsible hard case travel bag is the golf travel case Doug uses. It's a hard sided golf travel bag without the storage problems of most hard sided golf travel cases.

Because it collapses to just 24", it's really an easy bag to use and store. Doug keeps his in his garage on a shelf. Now most hard side golf travel cases would never fit on a shelf. In fact most hard side golf travel cases take over the closet or wherever they are.  Named Best New Product at PGA Tour Show in 2005 the Golf Telebag  has been pleasing customers since then.

Golf Telebag has roller blade wheels so it moves easily through airports or hotel lobbies. The top has an easy to hold and control handle so you can grab the case and go. The telebag meets FAA regulations so you're covered when flying with your clubs.

From the maker:

If like most of us today your storage space is limited then Golf Telebag  could be the golf travel case for you.

Just click on the photo above to find out more.

Thanks for reading. Keep playing
Phil

The ultimate goal is still preventing nicks and scratches on some very pricey clubs. These are the clubs you've hand picked because they deliver the performance you want. And every time you haul one out of the case and drop it back in your bag..well it can hit, bang, jostle and get little nicks and scratches. Think about the jostling your clubs go through when riding in your trunk or even when flying. There's still some motion when the clubs are in their travel case.

So what's the solution? Golf head covers. They've evolved into stylish fun displays of a golfer's hobbies, interests and even political beliefs. Functionality has been joined by fashion and style. So if you want to step up to the next level of golf head covers you can personalize your bag in any number of ways. There are the plain or basic neoprene covers you pull on over the club head. There are zipper closures, Velcro and magnets. But the news is in the forms.

The Animals Have Landed

Click on the photos below to find out more.
Animals are one of the most popular designs or characters in golf covers today. Lions, tigers-even Tiger Woods has one he named Frank. There are bears, gorillas, birds, koala bears and more.  Even a frog holding onto a bottle of Tabasco sauce. You can choose to have the head of one of these creatures peeking from your bag or the nether end. That's right, you show off the rear end of a baboon, a cow, a cat and even a plumber down to his crack

Feel like celebrating? You can raise a bottle of your favorite brew or even a keg if you're so inclined.

Take A Movie Or Cartoon Character Along On Your Round

You can choose from the Hulk, Shrek, Betty Boop, the Pink Panther and even Mikey and Minnie Mouse.  And if you think you need the power of the Force or The Dark Side from Star Wars, both Darth Vader and Yoda are ready to help. With this assistance who knows what your score will be.

Click on the photos above to find out more.
You can even celebrate with a beer bottle or  keg golf headcover.

For the Traditionalist

If your style is a little more subdued then you can choose a basic black, navy blue or hunter green.  Some brands like Club Glove and Ping have developed golf headcovers with the brand name on the head cover. For those wanting to express their patriotic tendencies there are national flags or colors avalable for the United States, Canada, England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy and many others on your club covers.

Sports Fans

If you’re a supportive alum of a college team or a professional team fan, you’re not left out. You can show your team spirit with golf club head covers to showcase your favorite team. World Cup Soccer is there as well!

Join The Tour Pros

You’ll be in good company when you are using the newer style of head covers. Many of the Tour Pros are using character head covers on their clubs during tournaments. Tiger Woods has his Frank the Tiger, Chris DiMarco has his gator, Sergio Garcia has his bull and Ian Poulter used himself as the model for his head cover.'

Golf head covers offer you the opportunity to personalize your golf bag and clubs for protection and style. Click on any of the photos above to find out more.

Thanks for reading. Keep on playing,

Phil

Answering these questions will make it easier for you to choose the best golf travel bag you need before your next trip or golf vacation.

Golf travel cases come in two basic types-hard and soft. The soft case is made of a reinforced material like canvas with extra top to bottom padding on the inside. Soft golf travel cases have wheels so you can easily move from car to hotel room to course.

Soft Golf Travel Cases

Soft golf travel cases usually have extra pockets inside so you can pack your shoes, a set of golf clothes, a hat and other necessities. The big advantage of the soft golf case is they fold easily so you can store them under the hotel bed or at home in between trips.

Many of the Tour professionals use a Club Glove Travel case. The Club Glove is a soft golf travel bag which is heavily padded. The company also sells a stiff arm, a metal extension absorbs the shock  when the case is dropped or thrown. The Club Glove Last Bag is an easy to move travel bag which lets you quickly wheel through airports to your car.

Hard Golf Travel Cases

Hard golf travel cases have rigid exteriors. Think of it as seat belting your clubs into a secure carrier. Because of the construction hard golf cases offer the most protection for your clubs. The trade-off is a heavy case which when you are hurrying to catch a shuttle can be a problem. But if you are flying for most of your travel then a hard golf travel case has become the standard of protection.

If you have limited storage space when traveling or at home, the hard golf cases can be a challenge. Where you can fold and easily store a soft golf travel case, a hard case is more of a challenge to store in a hotel room. Some hard golf travel cases will not fit in the trunks of many rental cars. So measure your golf travel case before you book your car reservation for your next trip. One exception to this is a telescoping hard travel case.

The pieces slide together to store in a compact area. Named golf product of the year for 2005 it is a great solution for golfers with minimal storage space.

When your travel time is mostly by car you might want to consider the protection of a soft travel case. Your clubs will be protected from the elements. And the golf travel case will fit in your trunk and easily store in your hotel room.

When it comes to storage at home or on the road, hard cases take up more room than the soft golf travel cases. But the choice comes down to whether you are an auto driving road warrior or an airline flying road warrior. Just remember to protect your golf clubs so you can enjoy your game.

Thanks for reading, Keep on playing,

Phil

The conversation turned to golf, I know, "No surprise." We discussed golf courses we've enjoyed and finally the topic came to traveling with your clubs. My traveling companion told me about his experience that changed his mind about using golf travel case or a golf travel bag. Seems he had a last minute chance to play at a course he always dreamed of playing. A friend of his had a person drop out of a foursome.

After finding a great airfare deal, he told his friend he'd complete the foursome. The traveling companion didn't have a golf travel case or the time to buy a golf travel bag. He grabbed his clubs, packed his clothes and headed to airport.

At the airport he got one of the airline boxes and found he'd have to sign a waiver. Basically the waiver said, "if anything happens to your clubs, we're not responsible." Actually my new friend's comment was a bit more colorful, but you get the idea.

As he told the story, I already knew the ending as I suppose you do. On arriving at his destination airport, one end of the box was smashed. He described how his stomach just sunk to below ground level. Seems in the course of transferring bags, the box with his clubs had been dropped. His new driver with the graphite shaft had broken.

Not wanting to spend several hundred dollars reshafting the driver at the pro shop he made do with borrowed driver. He went on to tell me how before he returned home he went to a golf store and bought a hard sided golf travel case.

That was enough for me. I started investigating golf travel cases.

Talking with other golfers, reading reviews online, you name it, I checked it out. As the result of my meeting a fellow golfer at the airport, I made up my mind I wouldn't be in the same situation. I've written up what I found out. Let me know if it helps you or some suggestions you might have.

Thanks for reading. Keep on playing.

Phil

PS I was sharing this with a golf buddy of mine who is real handy and he told me about a tool which can help you reshaft your clubs. Now I haven't tried it, but it does have some good reviews from people who have used it. Just click on the photo to find out more.

Photo by Evert-Jan van Scherpenzeel