How to Pack Golf Clubs for Moving: Putting Safety First

In golf, every stroke is counted so every stroke counts.

One poor shot may ruin your chances of winning as easily as one great shot can make you a happy winner.

Undoubtedly, golfing skills and golf equipment go hand in hand, and every avid golfer understands how monumentally important it is to have reliable high-quality golf gear.

Playing on various golf courses often means constant relocation.

Regardless of the mode of transportation you’ve chosen for your golf bag and clubs – shipping them via a freight carrier such as UPS or FedEx, placing them in the trailer of a moving truck, taking them with you on your flight to your destination, or simply transporting them in your own vehicle – the difference between having a trouble-free move and ending up with a broken club (or clubs!) lies in the way you pack your golf equipment.

Follow the steps below to learn the best way to pack golf clubs for moving.

Stage 1. Prepare the packing supplies

Here is what you will need for a good tight packing of your golf clubs:

1. Travel golf bag

Although such bags come in all shapes, sizes, and materials, basically there are two options here: soft cases and hard cases.

Soft cases

Their main advantage is that they are lightweight – something that becomes a huge factor when you fly with your golf equipment.

Also, they take up much less space and can even fit under most seats.

And last but not least, they are relatively inexpensive.

However, since their protection level is lower than that of hard-shelled cases, airlines will not insure them. Therefore, if something unpleasant happens to any of your clubs, then all you can do is blame it on your bad luck.

It’s fair to say though that the majority of soft travel golf bags do have extra padding for improved protection, plus additional compartments for golf accessories, and therefore may actually be the best choice for you.

Hard cases

These travel cases offer the ultimate protection for your precious golf clubs.

Their bodies usually break away into 3 main pieces which facilitates the process of packing.

Despite the tendency to be rather pricey, most people who own them swear by them and state that the investment pays off in the end.

The drawbacks are their large size and considerable weight – don’t forget that airline companies will charge you for overweight luggage of 50+ pounds.

2. Custom shipping boxes or individual tube boxes

If your soft travel bag is not too big, you can place it inside a custom shipping box. These boxes are specifically designed for accommodating an entire set of golf clubs and may well be your safest option.

On the other hand, if you’re planning on transporting your clubs separately, then individual tube boxes for each type of club are your best bet.

Ask your mover whether they can provide you with such convenient custom boxes.

3. Bubble wrap

If you’re shipping your golf clubs together, the usage of plenty of bubble wrap is highly recommended.

Out of the entire golf stick, the most fragile element is the club head. So, make sure you wrap each head with at least 2 layers of bubble wrapping and then secure it with packing tape.

4. Towels

If you run short of bubble wrap, towels may be used as an alternative method of protecting your clubs against scratches or even breaks.

Also, they are great space fillers – no matter which transportation method you have selected, your golf accessories should not be moving inside the bag.

It’s best if the towels are clean, thick, and most importantly – dry.

5. Head covers

Your club heads should be well-protected at all times.

If you own neoprene head covers for your drivers, woods, irons, wedges, and putters, then make sure you put them on before bubble-wrapping the heads. 

If you don’t, any thick socks will do just fine.

6. Rain cover

These covers are inexpensive and do a great job of protecting your golf equipment against moisture of any kind.

7. Stiff arm

The weakest point of any golf club is the tiny spot where the shaft meets the head. And since these heads stick out, they bear the weight of anything that is placed on top of them.

That point is the Achilles’ heel of every golf stick – almost all breaks during transit occur there. And the usual victims? The tallest clubs in any golf bag – the drivers and the woods.

This is why many golfers prefer to have a device called Stiff Arm which basically is a telescoping rod with a small cup on one end. When placed in the center of your golf bag and extended up to the top, it practically becomes the “tallest club” and takes the pressure off any item(s) that may be weighing down on your accessories.

Don’t worry if you’re not in possession of such a gadget – it may be easily substituted by a PVC pipe, a broomstick, or even an old tennis racket – all of them appropriately sized, of course.

8. Packing tape

There’s no need to use packing tape excessively.

On the contrary, it should be used for securing purposes only, only over bubble wrap, and never directly on the clubs themselves.

Packing Timeline: What to Pack When for Moving

Stage 2. Pack your golf clubs like a pro packer: 10 steps

Remember, packing your golf clubs is just like playing a game of Tetris.

After all, the ultimate purpose is to fit everything with minimal space in between.

Pay attention to the packing steps below to have the best chance of keeping your favorite golf clubs perfectly fine throughout the relocation.

You shouldn’t underestimate the situation in any way – yes, golf clubs do look sturdy and unbreakable but that’s surely not the case during a house move when too many variables play a role at the same time.

Ready to protect your golf clubs when moving?

• Step 1: Decide whether you will use a hard travel bag or a soft one. More expensive heavier and bulkier optimal protection versus cheaper lightweight moderate protection. The right choice under the circumstances will depend on your specific preferences and requirements, transportation mode, taste, and budget.
• Step 2: Lay out all of your golf gear on one side of the floor – your golf bag (the one you haul around golf courses), the whole set of clubs, your golf shoes, balls, tees, gloves, or any other accessory you might have. Place all the packing supplies you’re about to use on another side – the travel golf bag you’ve selected in Step 1, bubble wrap, towels, head covers, the rain cover, the stiff arm (if you have such a thingie), and packing tape.
• Step 3: Place the neoprene head covers (socks) over each club head for better protection.
• Step 4: Secure the club heads by bubble wrapping the head covers twice and taping them. The heads of some modern drivers and woods are adjustable and can be unscrewed. If you possess such hi-tech golf clubs, good for you – take them out, bubble wrap them, tape them, and hide them in a secure place inside the bag.
• Step 5: Bundle the shafts of similar clubs together, use bubble wrapping along the entire shaft length and finally lock the groups in place with tape. Remember: strength comes with numbers.
• Step 6: Place your already grouped clubs in the golf bag. Carefully insert the stiff arm (or its substitution) as well. Then use up as much bubble wrap and towels as possible to fill in any remaining spaces in the bag. This is the perfect time to show your Tetris skills! Also, you are free to utilize the rest of the golf accessories as fillers, especially the soft shoe bag, together with its content. Your clubs mustn’t bang against one another during transportation.
• Step 7: Place any remaining golf accessories into the bag and zip it up.
• Step 8: Put the rain cover over the entire golf bag. This is a simple step that shouldn’t be skipped – you know what wise people say, right? Better safe than sorry.
• Step 9: Slide the entire golf bag into the travel golf bag and you’re ready. If you don’t have a golf bag, then you can follow the same packing steps by pretending that the golf bag is your travel bag.
• Step 10: Mark your travel bag with a unique identifier – it may be a colored string or ribbon, a badge, a label, or any other marking sign that will remind others that it is not their bag.

Bonus step: If possible, start packing ahead of time to avoid panicking at the last minute.

When people panic, they tend to overpack. And when people overpack, they usually end up paying more.

There’s a good chance that you’ve spent quite a lot of money on your set of golf clubs. And needless to say, like every investment in life, you should protect it as best as you possibly can.

Safely packing and relocating your golf gear is not something overly complicated. And yet, should you feel uneasy about it, you can always count on professional moving companies for timely help and customized shipping solutions.