Best Golf Travel Bags: Here’s The Best Ones To Protect Your Clubs

The AmazonBasics bag features durable handles for carrying and moving, an excellent two-wheel system that is smooth for easy rolling and a heavily padded top that secures your clubs in the instance of hard impact.

Also assisting the handling of the bag is the heavy-duty rails that rest above the wheels, making it easy to pull up on a curb or stairs.

For protection, the AmazonBasics bag has two features that help lock your clubs in for a long trip. The first is two straps that secure the top of the bag, so your clubs don’t rattle around. The next is a thick layer of padding along the area where your club heads rest so that they stay intact if they should, unfortunately, encounter a hard impact collision during travel.

This golf travel bag does have a soft cover, and the lack of a hard shell does make it vulnerable to traveling on airplanes where high impact crashes can happen. If the AmazonBasics bag has a preferred use, it is inside a vehicle where you control the transportation and luggage that surrounds it during travel.

The AmazonBasics bag, measuring 50 inches tall, has a deep interior that will carry your tallest clubs and umbrellas plus allow you the room to store heavy clothing and larger accessories. Great for a car, even better for a golfer on a budget, this bag is solid performer worth a look.

Featuring in-line skate wheels that provide exceptional mobility, a series of lockable zippers that accommodate your standard luggage lock and compression straps that secure the interior of the cover as well as the exterior, the Constrictor 2 delivers a well-rounded package.

Although this is a soft cover bag, CaddyDaddy has given the Constrictor 2 a full one-year replacement warranty that covers any damage incurred while flying.

While we usually wouldn’t recommend that you fly with a soft cover travel bag, the warranty does help assure you that you’ll be covered if flying with this cover.

Another feature that caught our eye was the heavy-duty zipper system that provided plenty of security once we utilized our luggage locks.

If you are worried about clubs sliding around, two durable wide straps lock in the middle and top of the bag to reduce movement and offer additional stabilization.

In our testing, we appreciated the outside pockets but wished they were better integrated with the interior of the bag because we hung them against corners and other luggage when trying to move the bag around.

Also, this is a better soft cover option, but it still does not rate well when potentially reducing high impact occurrences.

A high-quality softcover golf travel bag, the CaddyDaddy Constrictor 2 offers several high performing functions that will make your travels more comfortable and give you a better peace of mind knowing your clubs are safe and sound. r a golfer on a budget, this bag is a solid performer worth a look.

Starting with the High Impact EVA Plastic Mold top that wraps around the area of your club heads, the Phoenix does a phenomenal job of making sure you’re not picking up a set of broken clubs after your flight.

The clubs are held in place by an internal compression strap that locks your clubs securely against the frame of the Phoenix, while an external strap makes sure that the bag will not open during travel.

If you want to carry additional shoes, clothes and golf accessories, then the Phoenix has three external wide and deep pockets to accommodate your needs.
In addition to the pockets, the bag measures 53-inches in height for plenty of room for your driver and other long clubs.

We loved the full, sturdy foundation of the bag which kept the bag upright and when it came time to move, the two wheels at the bottom rear of the Phoenix were seamlessly smooth for effortless motion.

If there is a complaint about the Phoenix, and we didn’t have one, we could see where smaller golfers might have a beef with the bulk of the bag as it is one of the taller and broader bags we tested.

For a dependable bag that checks all the boxes, including being very affordable for the value, the CaddyDaddy Phoenix is at the top of our list for best in show.

This soft-sided bag has several features that make it a reliable option for golfers looking to get an affordable golf travel bag.

The first highlight is a two-wheel system that rolls well on hard surfaces. The mobility of the Himal bag is aided by a sturdy strap system that gives the golfers plenty of help when lifting the bag.

The Himal measures around 50 inches from the bottom to the top of the bag, so you’ll have a lot of room on the interior for additional storage. Rounding out the features is a premium zipper that is always smooth, a solid handle at the top assists the rolling and a business card holder that allows you to place some identification in the pocket for anyone to see.

If there is a significant complaint about the Himal travel bag, it will deal with the construction of the bag. This bag is not one to take on a long flight, especially if you have a few connections to make because there isn’t much protection between the outside world and your clubs.

Ideal for the car, the Himal Soft-Sided travel bag is incredibly spacious with an additional pocket in the front. Although the wheel system is a bit small, you’ll never worry about becoming stuck or having an issue with getting the bag to its ultimate destination.

Boasting a four wheelbase that always keeps your clubs off the ground, the Meridian is a sizeable protective cylinder for your clubs that has a hard shell bottom half on the rear that holds the other two wheels for incredible stability.

If you are worried about someone getting into your bag while it goes through security, two large hefty zippers can be locked for your peace of mind in knowing your bag won’t be messed with by thieves.

Moving back to the wheel system, the bottom two wheels are locked in place but the extended mid-wheels pivot making the Meridian the best handling bag we tested on the list. The Meridian was indeed a dream when piloting tight corners, large crowds, and parking garages.

Weighing just under 12 pounds, the Meridian offers a luxury travel bag that provides a dense foam cover for the top of your golf bag, protecting those precious club heads from impact while flying.

Yes, the Meridian is expensive, but for your money, you are getting a bag that will last for many years and provide a convenience that very few bags can offer in the golf travel bag market.

Features we love on the Journey include the two expansive interior pockets that allow for plenty of storage for shoes and rain gear. We had complaints with other bags that provided pockets on the exterior of the bag, but the Journey does it right by keeping them hidden.

The four-wheel system is aided by two legs that extend outward, propping the Journey up at an angle, so you will never have to let the bag lay on wet ground or dirty floors.
Sun Mountain has carved out a niche for creating high-quality bags that will take a bite out of your wallet but for your money you get one of the best and most dependable golf bags available to the traveling golfer.

With a dynamic four-wheel system, two large interior pockets, and a sturdy internal strap that keeps your bag snug inside the Journey, this golf travel bag is a wonderful helper for any golfer’s upcoming golf vacation.

Starting with the cover made from a durable combination of nylon and polyester, the Mutant weighs just 8.2 pounds making it stunningly lightweight for all the storage that it provides the golfer.

We adored the oversized wheels that allow it to move easily when turning for terrific mobility. The wheels, with an assist from the front two pegs, let the Mutant stand upright so you can place your golf bag in the closet when traveling in hotels.

Two of the largest exterior pockets that we’ve seen in a bag provide external storage for everything you’ll need on the course. When we put our golf shoes in the Mutant, we were pleasantly surprised that the shoes did not cause a bulge in the travel cover but rather stayed internally for a pleasing appearance.

The Mutant has a soft cover, and despite the protection around the club heads, hard case seekers will be disappointed by the lack of strength in the exterior of this golf travel bag.

For incredible storage that accommodates golf bags of any size but allows the traveling golfer tons of room for anything else they’ll need, the Mutant is a dynamite innovation that earns its stripes as one of the largest travel covers we’ve ever tested that is worth our seal of approval.

You get what you pay for

Some golfers may balk at the price of a Club Glove travel bag, as it’s definitely in the high end of price tiers. But in this case, you do get what you pay for: an elite-performing travel bag that does its job better than any other.

The durable and waterproof Cordura 1000 D waterproof nylon material it’s built with is lighter, stronger, and longer-lasting than typical polyester travel bags. The heavy-duty zipper and rugged plastic buckles keep your clubs snugly protected through the worst than an airline baggage handler can throw at it.

The essential Stiff Arm

No matter what bag you wind up buying, if you’re using a soft-sided travel bag, you should always have a Club Glove Stiff Arm in there protecting your pricey graphite shafts.

If your bag is tossed around, lands upside down, or has other baggage slammed into the top, the tallest item in the bag is going to take the brunt of the blow.

For most people, that’s a driver, one of the priciest clubs in the bag. And drivers aren’t built for top-down impacts, so they’re prone to breaking during travel.

The stiff arm extends just beyond the length of your driver and has a protective plastic cap that ensures it absorbs the punishing impact, not your pricey driver.

Club Glove compatibility

When you’re already lugging a big golf bag through an airport, the hassle of wrangling numerous other bags for luggage becomes an even bigger pain. With Club Glove’s Train Reaction attachment system, you can attach their Rolling Duffle or Carry-On to make navigating the airport that much easier. 

The small details

Little touches like integrated wheels, two handles for easy loading, individual shoe pockets for easy storage of your golf shoes cap off an impressive package from Club Glove. 

While most weekend warrior bags will fit just fine into the Medium size, if you have a large cart bag, you may want to look into the XL size. 

The ATA is capable of storing drivers up to 48 inches long and bags that are around one foot in diameter. This hard case won’t provide a lot of additional storage capability, but you can rest assured that your clubs aren’t going anywhere and won’t be damaged during travel.

This case is sculpted to hug your golf bag for security that no other bag on this list can offer. In addition to the custom fit, the three-latch seal system keeps out dirt plus moisture for exceptional water resistance.

The two-wheel system on the ATA, when coupled with the tow handle, makes for a pleasant rolling experience that will help get you to your destination without stress or strain on the body.

Another assurance with the ATA that STB provides is an unconditional lifetime warranty that covers all cracks and breaks, while also giving a $1,500 club guarantee if your clubs are damaged by the airlines during your trip.

Our recommended bag for flying golfers, the ATA is an exceptional case that doesn’t allow for much extra storage but does offer excellent protection.

Featuring an interior 5mm pad protecting your clubs, the Athletico may not give you a tremendous amount of protection, but it will provide you with enough padding to make a car trip safe for your clubs.

Other highlights for the Athletico included a long shoulder strap that makes it possible to carry along your back without getting your clubs exposed. The bag is also built using a durable polyester that will prevent interior scuffs and scratches if impacted along your trip.

There are several negative aspects of the Athletico that are worth noting. The first is the complete lack of a wheel system. This cover surrounds your bag enough to offer it a mild amount of protection from outside elements, but it is not convenient.

Another complaint we had is that although there is padding along the top of the bag, it is soft and you’ll need to prepare to wrap your clubheads in heavy clothing or blankets to prevent rattling.

An entry-level bag that misses some critical elements but will provide adequate cover for little money, the Athletico Padded Travel Bag is available to golfers.