Thanks for taking your time to check out our useful information on the best golf travel bags. Many male and female golfers from the United Kingdom like to visit Ireland and Europe to play golf. Although you can hire clubs when you arrive, the vast majority of golfers prefer to have their own clubs with them.
Normally most golfers will have a standard golf bag which they will either carry around, put it on a golf trolley, or place it in the back of a cart when playing at their club or on a short trip. When travelling by boat or plane that really doesn't work due to airline restrictions.
That is when it is a good idea to have some type of golf travel bag designed to meet airline requirements, and also to help protect your expensive clubs from any damage from baggage handlers.
If you have a look around UK airports, you will see quite a few golfing parties leaving on flights to popular destinations such as Spain, The Canary Islands, Portugal and other European destinations. Most of them will have a travel golf bag that meets airline restrictions.
The important thing to remember is that you can never take golf clubs on board an aircraft, so they must go in the hold. You should invest in a good quality travel bag that will protect your clubs and make sure they arrive at your destination without getting any damage.
There are really just two choices, a soft sided bag or a hard sided case. The harder case will offer more protection but it will be more expensive. For that reason most people will buy the soft sided option which is still good enough to protect your clubs.
My Top 5 Travel Golf Bag List
Just below we show what is typically available on the UK market for this type of golf travel bag.
1. Amazon Basics Soft-Sided Golf Club Travel Bag Case With Wheels
This golf travel bag from Amazon basics is the best seller as it offers very good value for money and does a very good job of protecting your clubs.
It is made from lightweight but tough nylon and the stress points have been fully reinforced so as it stands up on its own.
It has in line skate style wheels for nice smooth and easy movement, especially useful when getting around the airport and check-in process.
Straps keep the clubs secure and a padded top section gives very good protection to the golf club heads.
75% of online buyers rate this bag as a 5 star product and only 2% of all buyers gave this bag a bad review.
These bags tend to cost around £100 and the people who bought this one said this golf bag was much better value for money.
Many buyers said they also packed their clothes in easily. The side pockets held all their golfing accessories as well as this is a big bag.
Check Amazon UK. - Average UK Price £54
2. MacGregor Golf Deluxe Wheeled Golf Travel Cover Bag
This MacGregor branded golf travel bag is also at a very good price point, and gets really good reviews. You can buy this one in black with a grey trim, or black with a blue trim.
It is similar to the bag above with inline skate wheels and padding to protect the club heads. There is a large front pocket and the carrying handles are strong and well placed.
The bag is made from a tough nylon which is strong and also easy to keep clean.
68% of online buyers rate this bag as a 5 star product and only 4% of all buyers gave this bag a bad review. Most buyers were pleased with their purchase and thought it looked stylish and yet remained very practical.
Check Amazon UK. - Average UK Price £50
3. Woodworm Golf Deluxe Travel Cover With Wheels
This bag is closer to the average price for this type of bag. The reason you pay more for this style of bag is that the shell is layered with a high density foam which offers overall better protection.
There is also internal padding for extra protection around club heads and the mouth of the bag.
There is also a hard casing at the base and an internal strap to hold the clubs in place.
There are 5 large pockets on either side of the main bag.
69% of online buyers rate this bag as a 5 star product and 7% of all buyers gave this bag a bad review.
Most buyers put their main golf bag inside this and then use the padding to create more protection. It is big enough to do that and also hold your clothes and shoes, so this is a big bag. A few buyers did complain about the seams stretching, but mainly the damage done to this bag was as a result of bad treatment by baggage handlers at airports.
Check Amazon UK. - Average UK Price £60
4. Longridge Hardcase Travel Cover
We mentioned earlier that the hard case option is more expensive and you can expect to pay around £200 for that type of product.
This has a heavy duty construction with a foam padded top, EZ glide wheels, retractable handles and protective bumpers.
It also has 3 heavy duty locks which are standard locks with keys
This is a high quality case.
71% of online buyers rate this bag as a 5 star product and 6% of all buyers gave this bag a bad review. The majority of buyers were very happy with their purchase. The main complaint was really about the weight of it at around 7 Kg. Some golf cart bags may not fit inside.
Check Amazon UK. - Average UK Price £180
5. OutdoorMaster Padded Golf Travel Bag with Reinforced Wheels
This is a soft extra padded bag option with wheels that seems to be a very popular choice at Amazon UK.
It's available in 4 colours, black, black/grey, blue and a coffee colour.
It is classed as a waterproof golf travel bag with fully enclosed reinforced inline wheels and a sturdy rubber base.
Travel golf bags for airlines are ideally 52.76 inches (134 cm) long. This one ticks that box and has enough room for a full set of golf clubs, and two separate pockets for golf shoes, towels or other golf accessories.
74% of online buyers rate this bag as a 5 star product and 2% of all buyers gave this bag a bad review.
The majority of buyers were very happy with their purchase.
Check Amazon UK. - Average UK Price £76
Golf Travel Bag Buying Guide
It is a good idea to have one of these if you are travelling with your own clubs. If you have decided that you need one then, you need to decide how much you are willing to spend. £50-£100 will get you a good quality soft sided one, but be prepared to pay around £200 for a hard sided travel bag.
Normal Golf Bags and Golf Cart Bags
Check with your airline for their rules on carrying golf clubs as they do vary. Most airlines allow up to 20Kg. An average set of golf clubs weighs around 10-11Kg. So when you take that weight and then add the weight of the golf travel bag the allowance gets quickly eaten away. If you want to add in shoes and other clothes just be careful with the weight.
- A normal golf bag weighs around 2 Kg and has an average size of 37 x 26 x 90 cm
- A golf cart bag weighs around 3 Kg and has an average size of 40 x 26 x 90 cm
It doesn't sound like a big difference but many soft sided bags are not big enough to cater for a cart size bag, and they do weigh more.
Best Protection & Security
The main reason golfers buy these is to protect their clubs. Straps and padding are the two main things that do that. Soft sided bags don't have locks as they use zippers. Some of these are suitable for small locks, but not all of them. Just be aware of that if you want to be sure.
The outer pockets on soft sided bags will not be able to be locked and pilfering does happen at airports sadly.
Travel Bag Wheels
Most of these bags use what are called inline skate wheels. Inline skates typically have two to five wheels arranged in a single line. They run on small bearings to make movement smooth and easy.
Most luggage uses spinner wheels to make them easier to rotate. Skate wheels are however tougher and less likely to break, especially with heavier objects and that is why they are preferred on golf travel bags.
Golf Travel Bag FAQ
What is the best golf travel case?
The best golf travel case is one with a hard shell such as the Longridge we have shown above. Hard cases will offer more protection than a soft sided option. The issue is that the hard case is always going to be more expensive.
How do you take golf clubs on a plane?
All airlines allow you to take your own golf clubs on a plane. Most airlines class golf clubs as "Sports Equipment." Each airline will have its own rules. For example Easyjet allow one piece of sports equipment (20Kg) per person. Jet2 allow you up to 22Kg per person etc.
Airlines will usually have a one-off charge for carrying golf clubs.
Are golf bags considered oversized luggage?
Oversized luggage will always go in the hold. So any bag larger than the airlines hold bag restriction is classed as oversized luggage. Golf bags are always going to be larger than the standard bag size.
How much does it cost to bring golf clubs on a plane?
The price to bring golf clubs on a plane will vary depending on which airline you are using. For example Easyjet have a charge of around £45 for a golf bag. Airlines will have full charging detail on their websites.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully we have provided you with enough information on golf travel bags. It really comes down to how much you are willing or can afford to spend. Hard cases are going to offer more protection that soft sided cases, so that is worth considering.
Ideally you want a travel bag with good padded protection, good zippers for opening and closing and wheels that roll easily and will not break.
