The Best Golf Travel Bags for 2020

Golf Course and Clubhouse of St Andrews

Travel and golf go together like peanut butter and jelly; it’s as perfect a combo as you can find. Gearing up for a golf vacation can be absolutely thrilling; picking out a destination, setting tee times and sealing the deal to play some world class golf is always exciting. Maybe you’re ticking a few courses off your golf bucket list, or maybe you found a deal too good to pass up. 

Once you’ve booked your trip, you then need to worry about getting your clubs there safely. Renting isn’t an option. The reality is, traveling with clubs can be a nightmare. I’ve had a brand-name travel bag break just days before a trip, rendering an important handle absolutely useless. I was stuck awkwardly dragging a 30 pound bag around JFK. Not ideal. 

Luckily, I’ve since upgraded to a new bag, and the difference is astounding. As with most golf products, there’s a big pool of options, and some stand the test of time (and baggage handlers) much better than others.   

Traveling with a well made golf travel bag is an absolute necessity, and I’m happy to help you choose the right one. 

Our Top Picks:

Best Overall: Sun Mountain ClubGlider Meridian

Best Budget Pick: AmazonBasics Soft Sided Golf Club Travel Bag 

Best Value Pick: CaddyDaddy Golf Constrictor 2

Buying Criteria: How to Choose Your Golf Travel Bag

When you’re buying a stand bag, design is probably a criteria you’ll value as you use that bag a ton. Here, function reigns supreme. Use these criteria when picking out your next travel bag and it will pay dividends. 

Durability

The durability of a good travel bag is paramount. These bags can get beat up during travel coming in and off planes, and poor quality bags will wear out fairly quickly. There’s nothing worse than buying a bag and having it break after 1 or 2 trips. 

Mobility 

You don’t want the act of transporting your bag to be a full workout, which I’ve unfortunately experienced. You want the bag to roll easily, and have well placed handles to get it around as easily as possible. 

Protection

This is the most important aspect of the purchase; you need to keep your clubs well protected. A good travel bag will have ample padding top to bottom to protect the bag and clubs inside. Typically bags will have more padding at the top to compensate for how fragile club heads can be. Great straps inside the travel case are also important, so the clubs stay put during transit. 

Storage Capacity

The best travel golf bags will have both external and internal pockets, in addition to storing your clubs. This storage comes in handy for things like golf shoes, outerwear, towels, etc. Being able to have all your golf equipment in the same bag makes it much easier to stay organized when you arrive at your destination. 

Price

These travel golf bags can range from just under $50 to more than $500 for a high end bag. There are some well made bags at very reasonable prices, and there are a handful that are overpriced. Generally speaking, the cheaper bags will not be as durable and will not last as long.  

The Best Golf Travel Bags: Our Picks

Best Overall: Sun Mountain ClubGlider Meridian

Sun Mountain outdid themselves on this travel bag by innovating on the design of the bag itself. The ClubGlider Meridian has an extendable leg mechanism that makes this bag much more maneuverable, and much easier to pull or push. The padding on this bag provides plenty of protection, and the bag has internal and external straps to secure your bag completely. There are 2 external pockets, however they are a bit small compared to other bags. 

If you’re looking for a bag that will make your life easier with all the necessary features, this is a good bet. 

Pros
  • Highest quality travel bag on the market
  • Extendable Legs with pivoting wheels offer excellent mobility and reduce strain while carrying the bag
  • Made with dense foam padding for maximum protection
  • Comes in 8 colors
  • 
Cons
  • Main zipper not designed for a lock
  • Can be difficult to extend and retract the legs
  • Side pockets are a bit small

Best Budget Pick: AmazonBasics Soft Sided Golf Club Travel Bag 

Try saying the name of this bag 3 times fast, it’s a mouth full. I bought this bag last year, and for the price I’m really impressed with the quality. The nylon fabric feels durable, and the external pockets can fit much more than just golf shoes. The bag has a few well placed handles for carrying or loading from any angle. This bag rolls really easily, but rolls at a shallow angle that can produce a bit of stress on your shoulders. 

If you’re looking for a cheap but well made option, I think this ticks the box. 

Pros
  • Very affordable given the quality
  • Conveniently placed handles make it easy to grab in any situation
  • Inline-skate style wheels feel smooth and work well over long distances
  • Collapses easily for convenient storage
  • External straps ensure stability of clubs
  • Padding is thick on all sides
Cons
  • External straps don’t secure the base of the bag
  • Bags rolls at a shallow angle, can be slightly uncomfortable
  • Doesn’t stand up on it’s own most of the time

Best Value Pick: CaddyDaddy Golf Constrictor 2

CaddyDaddy broke into the premium golf market about 6 years ago, and has since produced some very popular products. The Golf Constrictor 2 is one of the most popular travel bags on the market right now thanks to the nylon material being about 3x thicker than industry standard, offered at a mid-market price. 

This bag is equipped with extra padding at the top of the bag to protect club heads, and features internal and external straps to secure your golf bag in place. The zippers are lockable, and the 2 side pockets offer plenty of room. I’d opt for the North Pole protector, which is an insert that is an optional purchase that protects your woods. 

If you’re looking for the best bang for buck option, this is probably a good bag for you. 

Pros
  • Features premium thickness nylon material at an affordable price
  • Plenty of storage room for golf shoes and apparel
  • External and Internal straps are sturdy and hold bag tightly in place
  • Optional North Pole club protector helps protect woods during travel
  • CaddyDaddy offers a 1 year warranty on both the bag and the pole, covering any damages by airlines
  • Excellent Customer Service
Cons
  • Without North Pole insert, woods may be put under unnecessary stress in transit
  • It would be nice if the bag could stand on its own
  • Questionable long term durability

Best Value Runner Up: Founders Club Golf Travel Bag Cover

The Founders Club Travel Cover features a hard shell top designed to prevent woods from getting crushed, while the bottom is made with soft sided all weather polyester. This design is unique among travel bags, and provides peace of mind to those who don’t fully trust the soft sided bags. This bag also stands on its own well, and has smooth inline skate wheels making it easy to travel with. This bag also has spacious external pockets, and has just an internal strap to hold the bag in place. Overall, this is a well made travel bag, and comes with a 1 year full replacement warranty. 

Pros
  • Features a durable hard shell top billed as “crush-proof”
  • Collapses easily for storage while not in use
  • Convenient handle locations for maximum maneuverability
  • Stands up on its own
Cons
  • May have trouble fitting tour sized bags in; the sit is snug fitting a cart bag

OGIO 2018 Mutant Travel Cover

OGIO, a brand focused purely on bags, delivers another high quality golf product. The OGIO Mutant Travel Cover is a relatively large travel bag that can fit tour sized golf bags easily. The Mutant stands up well on its own and features oversized wheels that allow it to roll without much effort. The bag collapses easily for quick storage, and has 2 large external pockets. This is a perfect bag if you want something a bit bigger.

Pros
  • Stands up on its own, which is a rare feature among travel bags
  • Well padded, and features an oversize top without sacrificing protection
  • Eco Friendly, made from recycled plastic materials
  • 100 Day Full Satisfaction Warranty
Cons
  • If you don’t have a big golf bag, this may be too big and roomy

The Bottom Line

After considering many travel golf bags that are on the market right now, the Sun Mountain ClubGlider Meridian is my top pick. The extendable legs are an innovating feature that makes golf travel much easier, and the bag provides excellent protection overall to the clubs inside. If I were looking for the value pick, I’d go for the CaddyDaddy Golf Constrictor 2

Thanks for reading! Did you like this article? Check out our post on the best golf bags!

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