Having a well-organized golf bag can truly transform your time on the course. Regardless of whether you're a beginner or a seasoned golfer, understanding the art of arranging your golf bag can greatly enhance your overall golfing experience, resulting in a more enjoyable game. If your golf bag's current organization is lacking or if you've recently gotten a new one and wish to set it up correctly, consider following these valuable tips to achieve a flawlessly organized golf bag.
Why Should You Organize Your Golf Bag?
From the layout of the course to what club you should use, you have enough to think about without trying to figure out which club is where in your bag. An organized golf bag allows you to focus on your game and enjoy the course to the fullest. With everything neatly arranged and easily accessible, you can fully immerse yourself in the game, free from unnecessary distractions or frustrations.
6 Tips for Organizing Your Golf Bag
Need some help organizing your golf bag? Follow these tips to boost your efficiency on the course, protect your clubs, and ultimately increase your enjoyment as you play.
1. Empty Your Golf Bag
To efficiently organize a messy golf bag, the simplest approach is to begin with a clean slate. Empty out the bag completely, including the clubs. Unless it’s brand new, your bag might be a bit dirty, so take the opportunity to clean it out first. Dispose of any garbage or outdated accessories that no longer serve a purpose. While you're at it, give your clubs a thorough scrub to eliminate any dirt or scuff marks present on the club heads.
2. Arrange Your Golf Clubs
Since a golf bag is ultimately intended for storing your golf clubs, the main compartment of the bag is where you’ll arrange your clubs. As we mentioned before, keeping your clubs organized makes your life easier because you’ll know where each club is located at any given time. You won’t have to think about grabbing your putter to clinch the bogey–you’ll automatically know where it is.
Organized golf clubs also make your bag a little easier to carry due to even weight distribution. If you’re trying to save money playing golf by foregoing a golf cart rental, an organized golf bag can be a lifesaver for your back.
Drivers and Fairway Woods
Start by arranging your driver, 3-wood, and 5-wood at the back of the golf bag nearest to the straps. You can arrange these clubs left to right or place the driver in the middle with the woods on either side. Since these clubs are typically longer and heavier than the others, placing these clubs here creates a more balanced golf bag.
Some golfers who only carry one fairway wood may opt to put the putter in this section as well. It ultimately depends on how many clubs you carry in your bag.
Golf Irons
Next, fill in the middle compartment with all your golf irons. We recommend arranging your irons in ascending order as you move toward the front of the bag, so your 4-iron first all the way to your pitching wedge. This again follows the strategy of placing your longer clubs closer to the straps for more even weight distribution.
Learn more: Ultimate Golf Iron Buying Guide
Wedges and Putter
As you may have guessed, the shortest clubs should go in the front compartments of your bag. This includes your wedges and your putter (if you didn’t already store it towards the back).
Learn more: What Wedges Should a Beginner Carry
3. Carry the Right Number of Golf Balls, Tees, and Markers
Playing golf is pretty difficult without golf balls and tees, so make sure you pack plenty in your golf bag. Balls, tees, and ball markers typically have a specific storage compartment, usually on the lower half of your bag to help keep it balanced.
Professional golfers typically carry around 9-10 golf balls for an 18-hole course. If you’re a new or high-handicap golfer who tends to lose golf balls frequently, you may need to carry a few extra–around twelve or thirteen for good measure. Though you may be tempted to pack your bag full with more, keep in mind that golf balls can seriously weigh your bag down.
Golf tees are a lot lighter than golf balls, so you can easily carry more tees than you need at a time. That doesn’t mean you necessarily should, however. Ten tees should be plenty for a full 18 holes. Don't forget the ball markers. Two or three ball markers should be plenty for a full round of golf.
4. Store Your Golf Accessories
Most golf bags include a large apparel pocket (or two). As the name suggests, you can store golf apparel here for easy access while on the course. You should avoid storing food or beverages in the apparel pocket to prevent wet or dirty clothing.
We recommend storing rain gear and jackets here in case the weather takes a turn. The apparel pocket is also a great place for club headcovers while you play. Some bags have a dedicated pocket for golf gloves, but they can also be stored in the apparel pocket if not, along with spare towels and other accessories.
5. Put Personal Items in the Proper Place
Don’t just toss your keys or wallet in any old pocket on the golf bag; personal items and valuables should be stored in the valuables pocket. The valuables pocket is a small pocket that’s lined with fleece or another scratch-resistant material and is designed to protect your personal items from the elements.
6. Don’t Forget the Beverages and Snacks
What’s golf without a few beers and tasty snacks along the way? If your bag has an insulated cooler pocket, that’s the perfect place to store your beverages of choice. We always recommend packing water or sports drinks with electrolytes in your golf bag to help avoid dehydration and overheating.
Always remember to pack only as much as you can carry, and remember to dispose of trash accordingly! Either toss empty bottles and cans in trash receptacles along the course or pack them out in your golf bag.
Start With the Right Golf Bag
A neat and tidy golf bag is a must for golfers of any level because it helps boost efficiency, keeps your golf gear in great shape, and ultimately improves your golf experience. With these tips, you’ll feel like a pro-golfer the next time you’re on the course.
Still looking for the right golf bag? Check out the sleek, modern stand golf bag from Stix.
Shop the Stand Golf Bag from Stix →
You might also like:
