Organizing a golf bag can be complicated if you don’t take the time to think about where your essential accessories need to be for easy access on the course.
Also, you’ll need to know how many clubs you can comfortably carry and how to keep the longest and shortest clubs off each other to reduce the odds of acquiring possible damage while playing.
While organizing a golf bag can take a little extra time, here’s a guide to help you properly organize your clubs and accessories in the bag to get you to the course faster.
How to Organize Your Golf Clubs
Golf club organization remains one of the most preventative measures you can take before playing a round to help you find a golf ball quickly and keep your clubs from getting damaged while riding or pushing a golf cart.
14-Way Golf Bag
Easily the most organized golf bag on the market for golfers is the 14-way bag. With 14 openings along the top of the bag, golfers can arrange golf clubs in various ways.
But while it might seem easy how to organize a golf bag with this setup, players can actually make mistakes and damage their most expensive clubs.
If you’ve played golf enough, chances are you know that a bag usually has a spot for these clubs:
- putter
- pitching wedge
- lob wedge
- gap wedge
- sand wedge
- long irons
- mid irons
- short irons
Carry Bag
When it comes to the carry bag, you need to really plan how to organize your golf bag before beginning to put each golf club in a specific spot. With only 4 to 6 compartments for clubs, the longer clubs go in the compartment next to the handle.
Your driver, fairway woods, driving irons, and even your putter goes in the top slot next to the handle. You need to place your mid- irons and shorter clubs along the two to four mid-range slots.
At the bottom slot, usually as wide as the top pocket, you can place shorter clubs such as wedges.
Cart Bag
The cart bag’s design emphasizes easy access to pockets for quick retrieval of extra golf balls, tees, towels, and other accessories for the course.
Since cart bags are larger, they have far more storage, including small pockets that hold your valuables and other accessories such as balls and tees.
Typically the longest club in your bag, the driver needs the clearance from the other clubs to prevent dings and dents occurring along the crown.
Similar clubs, such as fairway woods and hybrids, also need room to maneuver in the bag while riding to keep the clubs safe from possible damage.
Push Cart Bag
When walking the course with a push cart, bags can force you to properly organize your accessories and golf clubs so you can easily access pockets while you play your round.
You can place a cart bag or carry bag on a push cart, and either may have a 14-way opening for your golf clubs with storage that rivals a carry bag.
Since bags need to sit differently on the push cart, it’s important to place short clubs next to the cart’s handle, while mid-range irons sit along the middle slot, and longer clubs are furthest away from you as you pull or push along the hole.
Why Your Golf Bag Should Have Backup Accessories
Let’s talk about accessories for a bit. Every golf bag needs a variety of accessories to help improve your golfing experience.
You need storage space to pack items such as a range finder, water bottle, sunscreen, and other essential accessories to help you play your round without any hiccups.
Protect Your Accessories to Prevent Hassles
One of the biggest mistakes casual golfers make when carrying accessories is they don’t properly organize or protect these essential items.
For example, if you are bringing sunscreen, make sure to seal it in a plastic Ziploc bag before storing it. I’ve seen too many bags ruined by sunscreen bottles that leaked or came apart on a hot day.
Most golf bags also have a specific valuables pocket to protect your cell phone, wallet, and car keys. This lined pocket protects these valuables from scratches, dents, and dings and can come in very handy during a round.
Why Climate Dictates Your Golf Bag Accessories
If you play in rainy weather, you must utilize your large apparel pocket on the side of the bag to bring a waterproof jacket and pants, as they qualify as essential gear for this type of climate.
Also, bringing extra towels alongside the rain gear, no matter whether it’s hot outside or cold and rainy, can come in handy to help you protect your clubs or wipe them dry after a short rain storm.
Check Your Golf Bag Before Leaving the House
An organized golfer will do one last check before heading to the golf course.
They’ll run down a checklist to ensure they have all the clubs, extra balls, and essential golf accessories such as sunscreen, snacks, and tees so they don’t have to ask their playing partners whenever they head to the tee box.
How Many Golf Balls Should You Take For Your Round
One of the biggest questions amateurs ask me is how many balls they should carry when playing golf. If you are a scratch golfer, you should only need six balls in your ball pocket, while higher handicaps could need 12 or more balls in their bag’s side pockets.
Why Insulated Pockets Are a Gift and a Curse
A golf bag can come equipped with an insulated pocket along the front to quickly dispense beverages or keep food or snacks cold.
After each round, the pocket must be cleaned and dried so it does not grow mold. Once you have cleaned the pocket, leave it open, so it can fully dry out to prevent bacteria from growing within the same compartment.