How to Organize Golf Bag for Easy Retrieval/Return of Golf Clubs
Do you know what professional golfers have that beginners and even amateur players don’t? It’s organization, among many other things obviously. But, in this article, you and I both are more concerned with how to organize golf bag, and nothing else.
You may think it’s okay to stack your golf club in the wrong place. But when the time comes to use that particular club, it’s not only embarrassing to not know its location but it also seems like a waste of time. So why give your opponent an edge over you!
No matter the golf bag type, every bag features separate compartments for golf clubs. Likewise, every golfer organizes his/her clubs their own way. There are some lazy ones who simply just place their golf clubs in the various compartments. And when the time comes, they grab any club that is the most accessible at that point.
Needless to say, an organized golf bag makes things easier for you during your long, harrowing round of golf. And it also makes you look and feel like a professional, which boosts confidence on the turf.
Table of Contents
7 Basic Steps for Organizing Your Golf Bag
Organization brings into the picture the safety of your expensive golf clubs, quick retrieval as well as return of clubs plus accessories, and more. So it’s nothing but beneficial for you to understand how to properly organize the golf bag.
Keep in mind that there’s no one way right way of going about this. But the general idea, based on the standard design of golf bags, remains the same.
1. Empty Your Golf Bag First
The first and foremost step is to empty the bag of all its contents. Because it’s highly likely that the current state of your golf bag consists of things you simply don’t require on the course. Too much gear tends to clutter up your bag. And that makes the bag more difficult to carry with comfort and ease.
Empty even the bag’s side pockets. You don’t want any extra things to add unnecessary weight to the bag. For example, an extra pair of golf gloves, extra balls, extra towels, and the like.
2. Gather the Necessary Equipment
Now it’s time to gather all the necessities. The list, needless to say, includes your drivers, putters, and irons. Keep them all in one place prior to placing them into your golf bag.
What this does is help you decide what you really need and don’t. There’s nothing more important than your golf irons, drivers, wedges, and putters.
3. Take Into Account Factors Like the Weather
Is your next round of golf going to be played on a sunny day? In that case, why not leave your raincoat behind. And maybe even carry some extra refreshments to keep yourself hydrated during the game.
It’s crucial to take the environment and setting of the golf course into account when organizing your golf bag.
4. Arrange Your Putter
Organizing the putter comes next. Every golf bag is built with 3 individual sections, correct? The backside part of your bag is the nearest to its strap while the front part is farther away. So the putter goes into the backside section that’s the closest to those straps.
There are a few golf bags equipped with a putter sleeve at the back. So if you own that kind of a bag, then place the putter there. And if not, then the putter goes in the back.
5. Organize Your Drivers and Woods
Just like the putters, even the woods and drivers are to be placed at the back. Unless your golf bag is built with a separate putter compartment. Otherwise, the back section is the best place for stacking woods and drivers. Put the woods toward the right and the drivers toward the left.
The goal here is to organize your golf clubs from the longest to the shortest. That means your 1-3 irons remain at the back in order to keep away confusion with your smaller golf clubs.
As is evident, it’s the back part of the bag that has to be the most organized. This, no doubt, paves the way for better, easier organization in the front.
6. Organize Your Middle Irons and Short Clubs
Now, what about your mid-range and long irons? These are your 3-7 irons, right? Place them under/after the driver. Once again, you start from the longest to the shortest. Meaning your mid-range irons go to the right and the long ones to the left. This, unquestionably, creates a balanced weight ideal for carrying your golf bag easily and comfortably.
When you sort your golf clubs in this manner, you’re also making the process of picking out the club you need easier and quicker. That’s the benefit of organizing your much-needed golf irons.
As for the front section of the bag, it’s for your wedges and short game. Let this part store your extra wedges, along with 8-9 other items. And in case your golfing arsenal includes pitching or sand wedges, then place those toward the right side of these irons.
7. Organize Your Golf Accessories
And last, but certainly not the least, is the proper placement of the accessories, so you can make your round of golf an enjoyable experience too.
The side pockets of every golf bag are crafted for holding commonly used accessories. If you’re carrying spare golf balls, tees, ball markers, etc., then place it all in the top and front pockets for easier access. As for the items you’re less likely to use, such as gloves, sunglasses, rule books, etc., these go into the side pockets.
It goes without saying that the pockets that are the most difficult to reach should be filled with rarely used items (keys, first-aid kit, valuables, etc.)
How to Organize 14-Divider Cart Golf Bag
There are plenty of practically designed, back strain-reducing golf stand bags available these days. In spite of that, if you own a 14-divider cart bag, here’s how to organize it the right way.
1. Empty the Bag
This means taking out all the golf clubs and lining them all up in an ascending or descending manner. Keep the necessary stuff while eliminating things you don’t need. Also remove the golf balls, tees, and retrievers from your current bag. Check everything, including the side pockets. And if you see any extra gloves and towels lying around inside, then take them out as well.
This is done to make sure you carry only the important things in order to keep your golf bag from feeling heavy.
2. Store the Woods
Place your woods in the top section that’s nearer to the bag’s strap. If the bag is built with slots, then place your golf clubs in descending order. Start with your driver and stack the other clubs from the left to the right. Meaning the longest club goes in the back.
But what if the golf bag has just one top pocket? Then place all your woods in that single pocket. In here, also store your standard ball retrievers for easy access. And if the golf bag features 15 dividers instead of 14, the extra one is for storing the ball retriever. That’s the only difference.
3. Store the Short Irons
Next comes adding the short irons into the pockets placed toward the right or below the bag. As for the long irons, these too go in the same place or in the slots allotted for them.
Keep in mind to organize your irons from the left side of the bag. For example, your 2-5 irons should be placed in the ideal-sized slots or pockets.
4. Store the Wedges and Putter
These golf clubs are perfect to place into the bottom slots or pockets. Although some golfers store them in the bottommost slot for easier access.
You can also use the golf bag’s external hanging attachment for easy putter access. This is known as the putter sleeve, which is specifically designed for proper organization.
What about the wedges? Based on the standard layout of golf bags, you might as well carry your 8-iron too if you’re carrying just 2 wedges.
5. Store the Accessories
You can fit some of your golf accessories inside the pockets. Just remember to include inside the most accessible ones the most frequently used items. And the most difficult to reach pockets are for valuables and things you rarely use.
The majority of 14-divider cart bags feature side pockets. In here, you can store your ball markers, retrievers, rain gear, and the like. Feel free to also clip some of the other stuff outside the cart bag.
Frequently Asked Questions
The dividers in golf bags are the number of openings at the top. And just so you know, not all of them are full-length. So it’s important to take that into account as well. It’s crucial for the dividers to be full-length, so they prevent your expensive golf clubs from getting tangled up inside the bag.
And lastly, more dividers are often preferred by experienced or professional golfers. On the other hand, casual and beginner golfers choose fewer dividers to make their experience more convenient.
Here is the list of the different types of golf bags in terms of dividers:
- 4-way golf bags
- 5-way golf bags
- 6-way golf bags
- 10-way golf bags
- 14-way golf bags
- 15-way golf bags
With 4 sections, you get 2 middle sections, correct? So place half of the middle and long irons (3-5 irons) in a single section. And the remaining half in the other middle section. Then the short irons (wedges and 9-iron) are stored inside the bottom part of your bag.
You start by placing your driver, 3-wood, 5-wood, and putter at the top. After that, divide your irons into 3 per slot. These go in the center. And in the golf bag’s bottom slots, you store your two wedges and irons.
What golf clubs do beginners need to carry? Golf club sets for beginners consist of one driver, two fairway woods, one putter, one hybrid, seven irons, and two wedges. For the most basic level, you need a driver, putter, irons, and 1-2 wedges.
Golf tees and balls go inside the zippered pocket found at the bottom of every standard golf bag.
The official number of maximum golf clubs allowed is 14. You cannot carry over 14 clubs in your golf bag during your round of golf.
A trolley bag is the cart golf bag, right? So you organize your golf clubs inside this particular bag by number and type.
Most trolley or cart bags feature four different sections. One in the front, one at the back, and two in the middle. The longest golf clubs go in the back while the shortest ones in the front. This way you can easily see all your golf clubs when facing the bag.
Conclusion
So here’s what you get when you organize your golf bag properly. You end up saving time during your long round of golf. You end up using the right golf club for your shot, instead of just grabbing any club that’s the most easily accessible. Quick retrieval and return. Plus, a well-organized golf bag also makes you look like a pro on the course.
So don’t be lazy and store your expensive golf clubs the right way to keep them from getting tangled up inside the bag. In a way, you’re also increasing the shelf life of your golf equipment by keeping your bag organized.
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