What to Pack for a Golf Trip: The No-Nonsense Guide

Most guys overpack the wrong stuff and forget the right stuff. I have shown up to a golf trip with four pairs of shorts with temps never getting above 70. I have watched a buddy realize his rain jacket was hanging on a hook at home as we stood on the first tee of a Scottish links with a sideways gale coming off the North Sea. And yes, I have seen a guy show up to meet the group and forget his clubs entirely. It happens. Just do not be that guy. Double-check the clubs are in the car before you leave the driveway.

Start With Your Golf Bag - Then Strip It Down

Before you pack a single thing, clean out your golf bag. Pull out the half-eaten granola bars, the extra balls you have been carrying since March, the divot tool from a course you played three years ago, and anything else that has been living in there since the last administration. You are not hauling all of that through an airport or stuffing it into a buddy's trunk.

Your clubs go in a travel bag or hard case. A stiff arm or club protector inside a soft travel bag will protect your shafts without adding serious bulk. If the destination is far enough and the budget allows it, look into shipping your clubs ahead - arriving at the resort with your sticks already in the bag room is one of the small luxuries that separates a great trip from a stressful one.

Golf Gear Checklist:

* Travel bag or hard case with club protection (Sun Mountain Club Glider is the best you can buy and has expandable wheels)
* Clubs - confirm they are in the car before you pull out of the driveway
* Golf balls - 2-3 balls per round is the working number; you can buy more on the trip
* Rain jacket - compact and packable, non-negotiable regardless of forecast. A rain jacket and pants can always be added to protect from wind.
* Golf shoes (more on this in a moment)
* Tees, ball markers, divot tool
* Golf glove - pack a spare
* Rangefinder or GPS watch

Shoes and Belt: Details That Matter

Here is the tip that buys you back the most room in your bag. Bring golf shoes that work off the course too. A pair of modern spikeless shoes in a neutral colorway is nearly impossible to distinguish from a decent casual sneaker. You wear them on the course, you wear them to dinner, you wear them walking around whatever town you are in. One fewer pair of shoes to pack, one more outfit that fits in the bag.

Match your belt to your shoes. Brown shoes, brown belt. Black shoes, black belt. It takes thirty seconds to think about before you pack and saves you from looking like you got dressed in the dark after a late night at the hotel bar.

Your footwear plan for the whole trip: the golf shoes that do double duty, one backup pair for travel days, and a belt that matches each. That is it.

Shirts: One a Day, Plus the One You Are Going to Buy
If you are a golf shirt collector, and most serious golfers are, plan on one shirt per day and accept upfront that you are going to buy at least one more on the trip. A bucket list course demands a bucket list shirt. The pro shop at Bandon or Pebble or wherever you are headed is not just a retail transaction, it is a souvenir with a collar. Budget the bag space and the luggage weight for it before you leave home, not on the way back when you are sitting on your suitcase trying to get it zipped.

If you are not a collector, one shirt per round plus one extra still applies. Either way, plan the shirts before you pack, not after.

Clothing checklist:

* Golf shirts/polos - one per round, plus room for the shirt you will buy on the trip
* Golf pants or shorts
* Pullover or midlayer -- morning rounds are cold even in summer
* Casual evening clothes
* Belt matched to your shoes
* Hat or visor
* Sunglasses
* One extra day of socks and underwear beyond what you think you need -- this is not optional, this is experience

Cords, Tech, and the Speaker

The bag of cords is where good intentions go to die. Keep it simple, but do not forget the speaker. Whether it is setting the mood in the hotel room the night before a big round, running music on the cart, or providing the soundtrack for the back patio after everyone has made it in from 18, a compact Bluetooth speaker earns its spot in the bag every single time.

* Phone charger
* Portable power bank - you will drain your phone on the course
* Compact Bluetooth speaker
* Universal travel adapter for international trips
* Watch charger if you wear a GPS or smartwatch
* Earbuds for the flight

The best travel investment I have made in years is a compact extension cord with built-in USB and USB-C ports. Hotels are notorious for outlets that are either scarce, inconveniently placed, or both. One extension cord on the nightstand handles your phone, watch, earbuds, and whatever else needs juice overnight - and cuts the number of power blocks you need to pack in half.

One more thing worth noting on the tech front. More and more hotels and rental houses are ditching cable and going all-in on smart TVs with a handful of provided channels and a row of app icons staring back at you. You can log in to your streaming accounts, and it works fine -- just do not forget to log out before you check out. Leaving your Netflix credentials on a hotel TV for the next guest is not ideal.

If there is a game you cannot miss, it is worth traveling with a small streaming device like an Apple TV or Roku. Plug it in, log in the wifi and stream away with your own device. The alternative is finding a sports bar and parking on a barstool, which honestly is not the worst backup plan depending on the night.

Travel Docs: Get This Right Before You Get to the Airport

Check your passport expiration date right now, before you finish reading this. Many countries require six months of remaining validity beyond your travel dates. Finding this out at the check-in counter is a trip-ending experience.

Print your itinerary. Screenshot your tee time confirmations and hotel bookings. You will end up somewhere with no signal at some point during the trip, and that paper backup will be the smartest thing you did all week.

Travel Docs Checklist:

* Passport (check expiration now, not at the airport)
* Printed itinerary
* Hotel and tee time confirmations - screenshot them too
* Driver license or ID
* Credit cards
* Travel insurance docs if applicable

Cash: The Wad That Pays for Everything

Go to the bank before you leave and pull out a wad of small bills. Seriously. The guy hauling your luggage from the car to the lobby deserves a tip. The cart attendant who cleans your clubs at the end of the round deserves a tip. The side bet on 18 gets settled in cash. The $5 Nassau at the turn gets settled in cash. Cards are great until you are standing on the first tee and someone says five dollars a side and you have nothing smaller than a hundred.

A fat wallet of small bills is one of the most underrated items on any golf trip packing list.

If You Are Driving: The Cooler

Road trips to golf destinations are their own category and they deserve their own checklist item. If you are loading up the car and driving to the resort, throw a cooler in the back. Stock it the night before with drinks, Gatorade, and water. Pack peanuts, protein bars, or whatever snacks keep your group from getting stupid between breakfast and the turn. You will not always have time for a sit-down meal on travel days, and convenience store food is a tax you do not have to pay.

* Cooler with drinks and Gatorade
* Snacks - peanuts, protein bars, something that travels well
* Ice or ice packs

If you are the driver, tank your car up the night before. You will thank me later and keep you on schedule.

A Few More Things Worth Throwing In

Sunscreen is not a suggestion, it is a requirement. (Or protective sleeves) You are outside for six hours a day. SPF 50, apply it before you leave the room, reapply at the turn. Pack pain reliever and something for blisters (like band aids) - walking 72 holes over four days catches up with everyone eventually. Any daily medications go in your carry-on, not your checked bag.

Pack like you are going there to play golf, not to cover every hypothetical. You are going to play great courses, eat well, drink something appropriate to the region, tip well, win a few bucks, and come home with a story. You do not need much more than that.