A Beginner’s Guide to Packing for a Golfing Holiday

Packing correctly is key for anyone who wants to make their golfing holiday a success. While packing for trips is never the best part of a holiday experience, doing it accurately can often mean the difference between disaster and triumph. This is especially the case for golfing, where key concerns such as equipment and weather up the ante.

Choosing the Right Bag

It’s amazing how much weight can be effectively stolen from your baggage allowance if you’re using a heavy bag for air travel. This is why it is absolutely crucial to find yourself solid but light suitcases for both cabin and hold. Make sure that the bag you settle on has ample room for larger items such as golf shoes which will take up much-needed space. To avoid this issue entirely consider wearing street golf shoes to the airport and straight on to the plane. 

Travel Light

It is all too tempting to bring just about all your playing paraphernalia with you on a golfing holiday. After all, isn’t this exactly the kind of occasion you bought it for? Nevertheless, the golden rule for any traveller is to pack as light as possible. Undoubtedly this may result in some heart-breaking trade-offs at the packing stage, but by the time you’re on route to your destination, you’ll thank yourself for the saved heartache. 

Protect Your Golf Gear 

Regardless of the monetary cost of your golf equipment, the sentimental value of your personal clubs is immense. This is why it is so important to invest in extra supportive packaging to make sure your clubs make it to the fairway of your destination in the same condition as you use them at home. 

Bring Extra Balls

You’ve invested time and effort in the details of your golf trip, so the last thing you want to discover on arrival on the green is a lack of actual golf balls. The standard quantity to see you through a week's golfing holiday should be around 24 quality balls. Don’t be the one to be caught out on the resort with shoddy teeing equipment!

Weather: The Great Unknown

With mountainous and coastal areas the predominant home of golf courses, weather can change quickly and dramatically at short notice, even in the usually sunny areas of Portugal and Spain. It is therefore essential to pack with all scenarios in mind. This means rain gear and sunscreen packed and ready to go.

First Aid to the Rescue

It is likely that over the course of your golfing getaway you will be playing more frequently than usual. With increased activity comes increased risk so it is crucial to bring medications with you to relieve possible minor injuries. Pain relief ointments and capsules, although only small, will feel like a massive relief if strain begins to edge into your muscles. 

Taking time to think about the items you need for your golfing holiday may seem like an unnecessary hassle at first. Yet with a bit of creativity, this task can become a fun and engaging way to get you in the holiday spirit. A failure to plan is a plan to fail, so be sure to put your mind at ease.

Steve Frewin is the Managing Director of A Golfing Experience, a company with more than 29 years experience organising bespoke golf holidays and escapes throughout Europe for individuals, societies and groups. If you're looking for a truly great golfing holiday we operate in all the major European golf destinations, and if you'd like to explore options further afield, we can arrange holidays to the world's greatest golf courses in The Caribbean, Mauritius, Bermuda and USA.