Whether you’re an experienced traveler whose golf clubs are almost an extension of your body, or a relatively new player who’s just planning your first getaway to Florida next year with some friends, getting your equipment to a desired destination on time and undamaged can sometimes be an enormous headache.
Golf clubs aren’t a carry-on item (in case you didn’t know) and short of driving to your destination spot with everything in your trunk, you have two options; check your bags at the airport and leave your clubs at the mercy of the airline or pack them securely and ship them to your hotel (or wherever you may be staying). Why you should choose the shipping option is rather obvious.
Damage to Equipment – Once you check your golf bag at the airport you have no idea how it’s going to be handled. It’s not that airline employees don’t care (some probably don’t), but their job is to get luggage onto the plane as fast as humanly possible. Whether it’s a bag of clothes or your $1200 set of clubs, it’s going to get tossed around, whether you like it or not.
Sure, you can pack it well and use a hard case but that’s just going to add weight and cost more money. When shipping your golf clubs, you don’t have to worry about getting charged an over-weight penalty. You can secure your clubs in the comfort of your own home and then ship them out. They’re much less likely to get damaged.
Lost Clubs – If you’ve ever had the airline lose your luggage on vacation, you know how frustrating it can be. Imagine showing up in Florida ready for a week of golf only to discover that your golf clubs accidentally ended up in Minnesota.
If you ship your golf clubs you know exactly where they are going and you can track when they’ll be there. Packages don’t get lost.
Convenience – If you’re going to the airport to catch a flight, you already have enough to worry about. Did I pack everything? Are my bags over 50 pounds? Is the flight delayed? More bags means more space and more space means more work. No one wants to lug an enormous hard case to and from the airport.
Save yourself the trouble. Ship your clubs and focus on all the other aspects of traveling that can make your trip less hectic.
Cost – Depending on which airline you use, traveling with your clubs is going to cost anywhere from $80 to $140 (round trip). In comparison, the cost of shipping your clubs from New York to California and then California back to New York can be as low as $120 (depending on your carrier), and with the added security and convenience you receive from shipping your clubs, paying a couple extra dollars is simply a no brainer.