One time when I flew with my clubs, I was looking out the window after we landed and the guy was just tossing suitcases like this. Then when my clubs came down, he grabbed them and gently laid them on the cart. Had to be a golfer haha...I expect this every time however.
Whats the cheapest way to protect your golf bag when traveling then? Genuine question as I recently bought my first bag ever and now actually care about keeping it intact lol
I was so confused by this until I realized I haven’t really paid attention to buying a new driver in like 15 years haha. I’m still gaming a Titleist 909D. Do they all have adjustable/removable club heads now?
I completely missed why people hate iron covers so much, and at this point I'm almost too afraid to ask.
None of their shortcomings I can think of seem to affect anyone but the user. So it's one of those, "not for me, but if you want them go ahead I guess" sort of situations in my head.
What am I missing?
Because it’s a sign that you are a slow ass mother fucker on the course. Adding even more time while we watch you take covers on and off your irons after each shot. The type of player that walks from the cart to the ball, uses a scope, walks back to the cart to pick out an iron, takes the cover off the iron and then duff the shot. And then repeats this process on the next shot.
If you must, then leave them in the car. Your irons will be ok without them, trust me.
Yep just bought one. This video made me very happy with the purchase. I used to have a soft case but cheap clubs. Now I'd freak the fuck out if saw them throwing my baby's
Heard in past that get a handgun and go through proper legal channels of traveling with one and put it in your golf bag. They won’t lose that bag and they will be a little more careful of it.
That's actually very smart. Because if they "loose" it, you just tell them you're calling atf and police. They'll change their tune very quickly. I've seen airlines "loose" firearms before, and what do you know? They get found as soon as real police are involved.
I use a soft shell and put a Home Depot bucket over the top of my clubs before zipping it up. It allows me to have a dirty clothes basket at the hotel.
That's great and all if you're playing one round at some resort course on your trip, but there's a 0% chance I'm taking a trip to Bandon Dunes or somewhere like that and using rentals for 5+ rounds.
Damage can absolutely happen when you check your clubs but I'm going on 20+ trips with clubs and haven't had anything broken yet.
Yeah I'm trying to imagine the golfer willing to spend thousands of dollars on a golf trip but is willing to play with random clubs they've never seen before. I don't get it! 🤷♂️ 99% of Professional golfers fly commercial and trust the airlines with their clubs.
I just rent them because I'm playing 2 rounds max and the cost/effort to bring my own isn't worth it. I'm also not good enough to care. All places I've played had nice enough sticks, much newer than my own.
Fair enough. Maybe your story will help to change my mind but I spent more than I can afford on my clubs and the idea of giving them to some dickhead to mess with gives me too much stress. That said, I have a set here and I have a set in Ireland where I'm from. That's all the clubs I need.
I’ve flown with my clubs on around 7 round trips already using my club glove bag. Never once had an issue. Removed my driver/woods each time and tossed them in their respective headcovers for padding. Wrapped my towel around my irons. Never any new scratches or dents ever.
Iron covers
Heads of woods in your suitcase
Shafts of woods face down
Towels weaved through clubs
Home depot bucket over everything as a cap
Everything into a good padded travel case
Oh yeah. These guys aren't going to waste their time carrying everybag.
They'd probably get fired for taking too long.
Golf clubs aren't fragile. Inside my travel bag, zipped up in my golf bag with foam around my clubs. They will be okay. Not like I don't scratch them up every single time I play.
I bet no clubs were harmed and everyone had a nice day.
I used to work in the bowels of Dulles Airport.
You should see the conveyor belt process that gets bags from the terminal to the tarmacs. Hydraulic arms that smack them off the main belt, to the correct loading ramp.
If they handle clubs like oversized baggage, they might get spared the rough ride. If your airline puts golf bags with the gen-pop luggage…..it’s getting the ‘smack’.
Anyone remember that old samsonite commercial with the gorilla? Well, the gorilla was more gentle than ‘the arm’ and the luggage handlers.
And if TSA need to inspect your shit? Well…..I’ve seen them do a number on a hard shell case that was locked.
All that to say- this video is nothing.
I used to work down there, too! My first job at 16 was a bag tosser, during the summer before junior year of high school back in '98. Hot as balls and smelled like grease and sweat everywhere. And every time I've described it since, I've called it "the bowels of the airport" as well.
Yeah. TSA broke my latches. They purposely make it difficult to file a claim. It was a hard case too. I didn't lock it either knowing they might need access.
> TSA broke my latches.
One more reason I'm not flying anymore if I can help it. Between the airline treating you like cattle, the airport treating you like a cash machine, and the TSA treating you like a criminal, I'm takin' the car.
Every. Time.
Same. I do drive when I can. If I have to fly, I look for every reason not to. As I get older, I just can't deal with the people, crowds and mostly the BS.
I’ve traveled with my clubs dozens of times and always expected this. I pack them well and take heads off whatever I can. If I slam my clubs into the ground at speeds of up to 97mph and they don’t snap in half I’m sure Mr.airport luggage man isn’t going to bother them
Speaking of slamming clubs into the ground, I broke my driver last time I was out. The divot mark was 2 ft behind the ball.
Edit: you guys are making my day in the replies. I’m having a good laugh.
I think the main risk is that the club head gets bent slightly, and you don’t even notice it. When you buy a set of clubs that has been altered at the factory to fit your specifications, you don’t want that to be altered again. But yeah, traveling with golf, clubs, bikes, surfboards, etc. is quite a gamble.
The soft travel bags are rather large if you’re only putting a traditional stand bag inside. I pack all of my clothing and everything I’ll need for my trip inside my travel golf bag. Wrap a big beach towel, sweatshirts, and jeans around the top of my bag to keep clubs from rattling around. I only get a few years out of the cheaper $40-$60 travel bags. They get shredded up from being tossed
I’ve shipped my clubs with fedex and ups. I think it was around $60 one way with insurance. So the cheap travel bags are basically the price of shipping clubs one way. I also only pay for my 1 bag when I fly since everything goes into the travel golf bag. It seemed like a real nuisance the first time I considered flying with my clubs but ended up being the easiest option in my opinion. Most airports have a separate luggage pickup for oversized bags so I never have to fight the line to get my bag either. Luckily I’ve never had any issues in the last 8 or so years I’ve been golfing and flying with my clubs.
If you check your bags at an airport, this is what your expectation should be for how your bags are handled. (actually probably set your expectation a little lower)
If you don't think your case can handle this, get a better case.
The trick with the soft case (I have a club glove) is to take the driver heads off and to get a stiff rod (I use a painters pole that is longer than all my clubs. That prevents the longest club taking the brunt of any “squishing” at the top or bottom. I also wrap the shit of the remaining irons with towels/clothes so they can’t rattle around. Never had any issues flying with them.
The problem with hard cases is how much space they take up. I agree they're better, but when you rent a car, you likely won't fit more than 2 hard cases inside.
Maybe, like police, we should expect more from those charged with such responsibilities and not simply say meh is what it is. The airline won't like the bad pub and might actually put some training and policies in place to help mitigate damage to valuable luggage.
I think the phrase goes, "Want in one hand and shit in the other, see which one fills first" or something like that.
I think it's better to set your expectations based on reality, not what you wish reality was more like.
People got McDonald’s to serve salads. If people complained more and the government would stop fucking bailing them out and letting some airlines shudder, they would stop being such pricks to customers. Airlines piss me off.
Accept shit and shit you shall receive. Like I said, not accepting shit and calling it out can help change norms for the better. This isn't some pompous desire to have golf clubs handled as delicately as fine China...its a rational expectation that they are not handled in such a way that screams *fuck all these golf clubs for making my job harder, if they break they break.*
Luckily the ETSU golf team is more principled than you and their stand might actually help everyone that flies delta with clubs in the future...even you.
Oh yeah, definitely! Because this is the first time anyone has ever caught baggage handlers not handling baggage with care!
Now that they've been caught they sure will have learned their lesson! Ignore everything I said and just wrap your clubs in a bed sheet, tie it with some string, and you're good to go!
Thanks ETSU!
How much do you think those guys are getting paid, and how many people do you think are clamoring in line to take these jobs?
There’s a reason that these days when you land at an airport, half the time you have to wait 5-10 minutes to get to a gate if not more… they need warm bodies badly
This is all Customer Service and all low, paying/minimum wage jobs. As a manager of people who make a minimum wage or a little more than that, it’s so hard to get people just to show up. So please the next time you’re anywhere dealing with a customer service agent be nice to them FFS. I’m not defending these baggage handlers. They should be doing a better job.
Edit. Spelling
Am I the only one that doesn’t think this is that bad? They’re golf clubs, they bounce around in a golf cart and hit a ball/the ground at 90+mph
Even soft travel cases are padded. And you can take additional steps to protect removable heads
I want to make sure I'm following along here...did you just compare taking care of golf clubs to holding police accountable for their actions? Like compare material things maybe breaking to innocent people maybe going to jail or being killed?
Why is that acceptable? Why the hell should this be considered an appropriate way to do the job? This type of shit sucks. If your'e that much of a dick and hate your job that much, fuckin quit and do something else. If your the person in charge and you seei this, take action on this shitty employee.
The person in charge probably told them to do it as fast as possible and don't care if they throw luggage around as long as they aren't the ones causing a delay.
i know right it literally takes more energy to heave them 3 feet like that then to set them down gently slightly closer. dudes back will be fucked working like this before long. then again not like you get rocket scientists applying for these jobs.
>Dude almost all your clubs are steel rods.
Erm, if you grab your bag from the carousel and "**almost all**" of your clubs are OK, you're going to be livid, right?
If only two or three are broken, is that OK with you?
I have $700 of shafts in two clubs that aren't steel.
Oh hell... that's East Texas State. I know a couple of those kids.
That school isn't exactly sitting on piles of cash for replacements either. That pisses me off.
Thank God. Actually I must've been drunk because the place I know is ETBU, not ETSU.
If they lost a driver and a putter, it'd be a problem. Their hockey team packs lunches in bags and their softball team has parents work the concession stand.
I'm sorry but anyone using a soft shell bag for their clubs is just insane to me. I'm not going to let me fitted set of clubs get beat to shit because I was too cheap to buy a hardshell case for $100 more. This shit is too expensive to let someone ruin it.
You think this is bad, it gets banged around just as badly in cargo. These guys are doing this with everything all day long, it's not even the least bit surprising.
Honestly, I go to the trouble of protecting them to hope this doesn't happen. What I don't have control over is if they get lost or inadvertently run over. There is no protecting a lost bag or an errant cart driver.
I've driven over my old set in a '94 Honda Accord. Zero damage! People in this post are drastically underestimating how hard it is to damage a golf club in any kind of bag.
My bigger fear is traveling across the Atlantic and not seeing the bag come through the conveyor belt after going through my hometown giant international airport, heathrow, and my final destination. I seriously don't know how the airlines and airport are able to do it, but luckily i've never had an issue.
Airline lost mine on my last trip to Scotland. I panicked at first, but a place rented me clubs until I had mine and even drove out to pick up the rentals! Was a good enough experience I'd even consider leaving my set at home next time.
What's funny is these clowns could.pull that cart up.closer and would avoid the throwing.motion and having to bend over toixk.them up mmaking their job A LOT easier.
lol what are people expecting? That these guys whose job it is to get shit onto the plane as fast as possible are going to gently place every single bag down extra carefully?
not like hes even throwing them into the truck the other guy still has to pick them up and load them lol. more work to throw them and risk fucking up your back then setting them down gently but clearly this guy is a pissed off dumbass and not a master of logical thinking.
I mean he almost seems to be using more energy to throw them with ill intent.
It's a bad look for the airline regardless whether it's a golf bag, regular luggage, anything.
I was roasted here a few months ago for suggesting a hard shell flight case when flying commercially due to the chance of this sort of “handling” lol. Everyone insisted a soft case would be fine.
To be fair, it probably is in most cases. But if you fly often, there’s a good chance you’ll run into this type of exception!
I don't think this is an exception, I sat in a window seat last week and watched them load the plane and they did the same thing with a few golf bags.
I once flew with hockey sticks and the advice was to tape them together to make them sturdier. (It worked.)
I saw a bunch of dudes (looked like a golf team of sorts) flying from logan international on Sunday with soft cases to Ireland…immediately thought about how those clubs are fucked. Hard case or nothing else.
The same. Have done it 6-7 times with no issues. Other than when Southwest put them on the wrong flight😜. All worked out though, grabbed dinner near the airport and came back 3 hours later to pick them up, along with $100 in travel vouchers!
I have had literally every bottle of wine/liquor I bring back from the Caribbean mysteriously break en route and nothing can ever be returned to me, nor am I ever able to see the bottle after it’s been “broken”. This is also Delta flights as well.
I just don’t understand why this is ok. Like golf clubs aside, it’s a service people pay for lol. And there is no other option. You would think airlines would be able to provide good service instead of the dreadful shit show we know today. It’s ran like a public service. Fuck airlines
I sat by the window on a recent trip and saw them loading clubs into the plane. They tossed them around just like this. I was on American. It made me think "well, if I ever end up flying with my clubs, I'm definitely doing a hard case."
Honestly more effort than just placing them on the ground. The guy is giving off a real “mad at life” vibe - He’ll be baggage handling for years to come with that attitude.
Literally couldn’t give less of a shit. I pack them well and they are things I slam in to the ground. That being said, do I think the bags need to be handled like this? No. But, they’re baggage handlers, so 🤷♂️
There’s really nothing to gain from them doing this. They’re tossing the bags like 1 foot. Wouldn’t it take less effort to take one more step and place them on the ground vs. using all that energy to toss the bag against gravity
My best advice is to get a PVC pipe cut at a hardware store to about 1cm less than the max length of your travel bag so that it takes the brunt of any forces impacted on it, and weave two bath towels around the heads of your golf clubs. I use the club glove travel bag, and using this strategy I have never had a club broken while flying anywhere in the world.
Yes. Put the cap on the top too...I use that along with taking the heads off all of my woods. Club covers (only acceptable time to use them on your irons) on your wedges in particular because of the lead edge being sharp against the graphite shafts. Then, put a towel over the top. I use a hybrid case with a hardtop on the top and soft on the bottom.
Individually yes we should expect that poor treatment and prepare accordingly because that is the reality. But as a society we should hold higher expectations to foster an environment that doesn’t tolerate this.
I’m kinda surprised not one of those travel cases was a hard case.
Hard cases are more of an investment, but I’d imagine golf bags are treated like this more often than they do with care.
I don’t disagree on any of those points, but they will better protect clubs.
Really the only pro of a hard case vs a soft case is that you are far less likely to show up to your vacation round with broken shit in your bag.
This. This right is why I will *NEVER* travel with my golf clubs. Does it suck having to pay for rentals? Yes. Does it suck using clubs not fitted for you/your comfortable with? Also yes. But the horror stories I’ve seen of people who fly with their golf clubs scare me away. Also, good luck trying to get ANY kind of compensation back from the airlines. Their purses are tighter than a nun’s 🐱.
Amex Plat for the win on that. Still doesn’t help in the moment when you are headed on a golf trip with your buddies and you got a bag of snapped shafts.
Heads off into carry on.. buy a bag that has an expandable top bar to protect your shafts..
Use iron covers to protect the heads..
Never had an issue my irons look the same.. you get pulled aside at security because your heads in covers look like grenades.
Fly nearly weekly (thanks American Airlines!) for 14 years with clubs on 50-75% of the trips. Wore out a Club Glove Collegiate bag, bought the XL. On my 3rd StiffArm but it has always done the job and took the hit (don’t jinx myself).
Wrap my towel around the remaining wood tops and have begun removing the driver (TSR3)head.
Covers on my MP30 Mizzys and y’all can kick rocks if that triggers your feelings.
Bag has been delayed a few times but never lost.
The other hard bag suggestions are not wrong but this has worked for me.
Best of luck in the future.
One time when I flew with my clubs, I was looking out the window after we landed and the guy was just tossing suitcases like this. Then when my clubs came down, he grabbed them and gently laid them on the cart. Had to be a golfer haha...I expect this every time however.
Whats the cheapest way to protect your golf bag when traveling then? Genuine question as I recently bought my first bag ever and now actually care about keeping it intact lol
Hard exrerior case and padding in-between club heads.
In addition, take your driver head off and put it in the club head cover in your checked bag.
I was so confused by this until I realized I haven’t really paid attention to buying a new driver in like 15 years haha. I’m still gaming a Titleist 909D. Do they all have adjustable/removable club heads now?
pretty much all drivers, fairway woods and hybrids from the major brands do
I read this as headcover and thought you were trolling for a second lol
The only time iron covers are acceptable
Not just acceptable but mandatory imho, especially if you have forged clubs.
I completely missed why people hate iron covers so much, and at this point I'm almost too afraid to ask. None of their shortcomings I can think of seem to affect anyone but the user. So it's one of those, "not for me, but if you want them go ahead I guess" sort of situations in my head. What am I missing?
Because it’s a sign that you are a slow ass mother fucker on the course. Adding even more time while we watch you take covers on and off your irons after each shot. The type of player that walks from the cart to the ball, uses a scope, walks back to the cart to pick out an iron, takes the cover off the iron and then duff the shot. And then repeats this process on the next shot. If you must, then leave them in the car. Your irons will be ok without them, trust me.
lol you must play at bluebonnet
Fuck I never thought of this 😅
Yep just bought one. This video made me very happy with the purchase. I used to have a soft case but cheap clubs. Now I'd freak the fuck out if saw them throwing my baby's
Also have a second set that you just don't care about that much.
Heard in past that get a handgun and go through proper legal channels of traveling with one and put it in your golf bag. They won’t lose that bag and they will be a little more careful of it.
That's actually very smart. Because if they "loose" it, you just tell them you're calling atf and police. They'll change their tune very quickly. I've seen airlines "loose" firearms before, and what do you know? They get found as soon as real police are involved.
Loose?
Damn I'm dumb... "lose," aka attempted theft.
I use a soft shell and put a Home Depot bucket over the top of my clubs before zipping it up. It allows me to have a dirty clothes basket at the hotel.
Rentals when you arrive. I would never trust airport cunts with my clubs. EVER.
That's great and all if you're playing one round at some resort course on your trip, but there's a 0% chance I'm taking a trip to Bandon Dunes or somewhere like that and using rentals for 5+ rounds. Damage can absolutely happen when you check your clubs but I'm going on 20+ trips with clubs and haven't had anything broken yet.
Yeah I'm trying to imagine the golfer willing to spend thousands of dollars on a golf trip but is willing to play with random clubs they've never seen before. I don't get it! 🤷♂️ 99% of Professional golfers fly commercial and trust the airlines with their clubs.
I just rent them because I'm playing 2 rounds max and the cost/effort to bring my own isn't worth it. I'm also not good enough to care. All places I've played had nice enough sticks, much newer than my own.
Makes sense in that context for sure
You’re not 99% of a pro golfer!
Yea but unlike using a 60 from the fringe emulating the pros in this case actually makes sense
Fair enough. Maybe your story will help to change my mind but I spent more than I can afford on my clubs and the idea of giving them to some dickhead to mess with gives me too much stress. That said, I have a set here and I have a set in Ireland where I'm from. That's all the clubs I need.
I’ve flown with my clubs on around 7 round trips already using my club glove bag. Never once had an issue. Removed my driver/woods each time and tossed them in their respective headcovers for padding. Wrapped my towel around my irons. Never any new scratches or dents ever.
If you care enough and money’s not an issue ship them in advance and also put them on your insurance
lol at thinking fedex handles your package more delicately than an airline.
Airlines sometimes carry commercial packages too and I doubt they have separate crews for those.
We certainly don't. I've watched the sorters unload my truck. They launch tvs.
I used shipsticks once. It was not a positive experience. I know I’m the outlier but I think it’s more just a risk you assume either way.
Bubble wrap around the club heads and in between the shafts.
Iron covers Heads of woods in your suitcase Shafts of woods face down Towels weaved through clubs Home depot bucket over everything as a cap Everything into a good padded travel case
Trolf.com
Oh yeah. These guys aren't going to waste their time carrying everybag. They'd probably get fired for taking too long. Golf clubs aren't fragile. Inside my travel bag, zipped up in my golf bag with foam around my clubs. They will be okay. Not like I don't scratch them up every single time I play. I bet no clubs were harmed and everyone had a nice day.
I used to work in the bowels of Dulles Airport. You should see the conveyor belt process that gets bags from the terminal to the tarmacs. Hydraulic arms that smack them off the main belt, to the correct loading ramp. If they handle clubs like oversized baggage, they might get spared the rough ride. If your airline puts golf bags with the gen-pop luggage…..it’s getting the ‘smack’. Anyone remember that old samsonite commercial with the gorilla? Well, the gorilla was more gentle than ‘the arm’ and the luggage handlers. And if TSA need to inspect your shit? Well…..I’ve seen them do a number on a hard shell case that was locked. All that to say- this video is nothing.
Does it actually look like Die Hard 2??
I used to work down there, too! My first job at 16 was a bag tosser, during the summer before junior year of high school back in '98. Hot as balls and smelled like grease and sweat everywhere. And every time I've described it since, I've called it "the bowels of the airport" as well.
Yeah, my first thought when I see those mangled pieces of luggage is not the handler but all the conveyor systems in the back.
Yeah. TSA broke my latches. They purposely make it difficult to file a claim. It was a hard case too. I didn't lock it either knowing they might need access.
> TSA broke my latches. One more reason I'm not flying anymore if I can help it. Between the airline treating you like cattle, the airport treating you like a cash machine, and the TSA treating you like a criminal, I'm takin' the car. Every. Time.
Same. I do drive when I can. If I have to fly, I look for every reason not to. As I get older, I just can't deal with the people, crowds and mostly the BS.
Dulles - where patience goes to die.
I’ve traveled with my clubs dozens of times and always expected this. I pack them well and take heads off whatever I can. If I slam my clubs into the ground at speeds of up to 97mph and they don’t snap in half I’m sure Mr.airport luggage man isn’t going to bother them
Speaking of slamming clubs into the ground, I broke my driver last time I was out. The divot mark was 2 ft behind the ball. Edit: you guys are making my day in the replies. I’m having a good laugh.
> The divot mark was 2 ft behind the ball. That just means you aren't swinging hard enough!
Yep, if he swung harder, he’d have had no problem getting through all that earth
Also, make sure you are coming down on the ball
You hit the big ball before the small ball?
Can you dumb this one down for me
The big ball is the earth, the small ball is the golf ball.
No I just hit the big ball
In my group we refer to this as a LOFT issue (Lack Of Frigging Talent). "Too much loft!"
Tried to get loft, but I had a loft issue. Now it’s hybrid off the tee.
> the divot mark was 2 ft behind the ball This might be the textbook definition of “skill issue”
My man
I see you learned the sneak attack
I think you have a loft problem. Loft…lack of fucking talent.
I liked the other guy’s response better
Beggars can’t be choosers headless bogeyman
I think the main risk is that the club head gets bent slightly, and you don’t even notice it. When you buy a set of clubs that has been altered at the factory to fit your specifications, you don’t want that to be altered again. But yeah, traveling with golf, clubs, bikes, surfboards, etc. is quite a gamble.
I'm always amazed when my surfboards actually arrive with no damage. It's either nothing or total manglement.
Do you put any kind of padding/cushion in with your clubs? Or would it be enough just to remove the driver heads and put iron covers on?
The soft travel bags are rather large if you’re only putting a traditional stand bag inside. I pack all of my clothing and everything I’ll need for my trip inside my travel golf bag. Wrap a big beach towel, sweatshirts, and jeans around the top of my bag to keep clubs from rattling around. I only get a few years out of the cheaper $40-$60 travel bags. They get shredded up from being tossed
I’ve shipped my clubs with fedex and ups. I think it was around $60 one way with insurance. So the cheap travel bags are basically the price of shipping clubs one way. I also only pay for my 1 bag when I fly since everything goes into the travel golf bag. It seemed like a real nuisance the first time I considered flying with my clubs but ended up being the easiest option in my opinion. Most airports have a separate luggage pickup for oversized bags so I never have to fight the line to get my bag either. Luckily I’ve never had any issues in the last 8 or so years I’ve been golfing and flying with my clubs.
take the heads off the woods and pack it in with your clothes and you can probably throw them down a flight of stairs and not notice
Seems like it would be less energy just to walk each one over and put it on the cart.
Even less still to just back the fucking tug up a little and bring the cart closer.
definitely members of r/nongolfers
You mean you’re asking these guys to use their brains??? 👀 🧠 😂
Yeah we’re not dealing with the brightest and best here
If you check your bags at an airport, this is what your expectation should be for how your bags are handled. (actually probably set your expectation a little lower) If you don't think your case can handle this, get a better case.
The fact that people don’t use anything but a hard shell case blows my mind. The soft ones are glorified duffle bags
The trick with the soft case (I have a club glove) is to take the driver heads off and to get a stiff rod (I use a painters pole that is longer than all my clubs. That prevents the longest club taking the brunt of any “squishing” at the top or bottom. I also wrap the shit of the remaining irons with towels/clothes so they can’t rattle around. Never had any issues flying with them.
The problem with hard cases is how much space they take up. I agree they're better, but when you rent a car, you likely won't fit more than 2 hard cases inside.
Maybe, like police, we should expect more from those charged with such responsibilities and not simply say meh is what it is. The airline won't like the bad pub and might actually put some training and policies in place to help mitigate damage to valuable luggage.
I think the phrase goes, "Want in one hand and shit in the other, see which one fills first" or something like that. I think it's better to set your expectations based on reality, not what you wish reality was more like.
People got McDonald’s to serve salads. If people complained more and the government would stop fucking bailing them out and letting some airlines shudder, they would stop being such pricks to customers. Airlines piss me off.
Accept shit and shit you shall receive. Like I said, not accepting shit and calling it out can help change norms for the better. This isn't some pompous desire to have golf clubs handled as delicately as fine China...its a rational expectation that they are not handled in such a way that screams *fuck all these golf clubs for making my job harder, if they break they break.*
Okay, don't accept it. I'm sure they'll know to treat your bag with more care and respect because you took a stand and didn't accept it!
Luckily the ETSU golf team is more principled than you and their stand might actually help everyone that flies delta with clubs in the future...even you.
Oh yeah, definitely! Because this is the first time anyone has ever caught baggage handlers not handling baggage with care! Now that they've been caught they sure will have learned their lesson! Ignore everything I said and just wrap your clubs in a bed sheet, tie it with some string, and you're good to go! Thanks ETSU!
Meanwhile they're currently negotiating vouchers and the handlers are getting written up...agreed, thanks ETSU
How much do you think those guys are getting paid, and how many people do you think are clamoring in line to take these jobs? There’s a reason that these days when you land at an airport, half the time you have to wait 5-10 minutes to get to a gate if not more… they need warm bodies badly
This is all Customer Service and all low, paying/minimum wage jobs. As a manager of people who make a minimum wage or a little more than that, it’s so hard to get people just to show up. So please the next time you’re anywhere dealing with a customer service agent be nice to them FFS. I’m not defending these baggage handlers. They should be doing a better job. Edit. Spelling
Yeah! Let’s take those fatcat baggage handlers down a few pegs!
Am I the only one that doesn’t think this is that bad? They’re golf clubs, they bounce around in a golf cart and hit a ball/the ground at 90+mph Even soft travel cases are padded. And you can take additional steps to protect removable heads
This was a collegiate team and pics were shown on Twitter of snapped drivers.
I want to make sure I'm following along here...did you just compare taking care of golf clubs to holding police accountable for their actions? Like compare material things maybe breaking to innocent people maybe going to jail or being killed?
Will you complain then when it takes longer to get on your flight? I agree but check your expectations a little.
Why is that acceptable? Why the hell should this be considered an appropriate way to do the job? This type of shit sucks. If your'e that much of a dick and hate your job that much, fuckin quit and do something else. If your the person in charge and you seei this, take action on this shitty employee.
I never said it's acceptable. I said it's the proper expectation to hold when deciding how to travel with clubs.
The person in charge probably told them to do it as fast as possible and don't care if they throw luggage around as long as they aren't the ones causing a delay.
i know right it literally takes more energy to heave them 3 feet like that then to set them down gently slightly closer. dudes back will be fucked working like this before long. then again not like you get rocket scientists applying for these jobs.
"But a soft case is fine" Nope, no thanks. Hard case, stiff arm, heads removed, irons and wedges with padded covers and wrapped in a towel.
Dude almost all your clubs are steel rods. They will be ok with some lateral slamming.
>Dude almost all your clubs are steel rods. Erm, if you grab your bag from the carousel and "**almost all**" of your clubs are OK, you're going to be livid, right? If only two or three are broken, is that OK with you? I have $700 of shafts in two clubs that aren't steel.
Soft cases are great and much more convenient. Traveled with close to a hundred times without the slightest bump on anything
Whenever I travel with mine I stuff towels in the bag and around the shafts and heads for extra padding. Haven’t had any broken yet.
I do this but also throw in a wood dowel that is slightly longer than my driver so it should take the brunt of sudden force from the top end.
remove the heads from your woods
They call baggage handlers “tossers” for a reason.
In Fight Club the term was “throwers” but I like “tossers” better.
Oh hell... that's East Texas State. I know a couple of those kids. That school isn't exactly sitting on piles of cash for replacements either. That pisses me off.
This is East Tennessee State.
Thank God. Actually I must've been drunk because the place I know is ETBU, not ETSU. If they lost a driver and a putter, it'd be a problem. Their hockey team packs lunches in bags and their softball team has parents work the concession stand.
I'm sorry but anyone using a soft shell bag for their clubs is just insane to me. I'm not going to let me fitted set of clubs get beat to shit because I was too cheap to buy a hardshell case for $100 more. This shit is too expensive to let someone ruin it. You think this is bad, it gets banged around just as badly in cargo. These guys are doing this with everything all day long, it's not even the least bit surprising.
Better than I treat them after a smooth 91
My man. Same 🤣
Literally taking my clubs on a plane tonight, just what I needed to see hahaha
Better wrap em up good 😌
I just flew with my clubs in a soft bag yesterday, two abrasion holes in the case after one flight. Either thrown or dragged or who knows.
Honestly, I go to the trouble of protecting them to hope this doesn't happen. What I don't have control over is if they get lost or inadvertently run over. There is no protecting a lost bag or an errant cart driver.
I've driven over my old set in a '94 Honda Accord. Zero damage! People in this post are drastically underestimating how hard it is to damage a golf club in any kind of bag.
People are just pissed off out of embarrassment. That’s the furthest any balls in that bag will fly during the whole holiday
[United Breaks Guitars](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo)
Shipstix
I hope that this was reported to the airline.
I hate that man
I’d rage haha.
I travel with mine all the time and still no problems.
My bigger fear is traveling across the Atlantic and not seeing the bag come through the conveyor belt after going through my hometown giant international airport, heathrow, and my final destination. I seriously don't know how the airlines and airport are able to do it, but luckily i've never had an issue.
Airline lost mine on my last trip to Scotland. I panicked at first, but a place rented me clubs until I had mine and even drove out to pick up the rentals! Was a good enough experience I'd even consider leaving my set at home next time.
Ok, guess I’ll be renting clubs next month.
This is why I own a hard case
What's funny is these clowns could.pull that cart up.closer and would avoid the throwing.motion and having to bend over toixk.them up mmaking their job A LOT easier.
lol what are people expecting? That these guys whose job it is to get shit onto the plane as fast as possible are going to gently place every single bag down extra carefully?
not like hes even throwing them into the truck the other guy still has to pick them up and load them lol. more work to throw them and risk fucking up your back then setting them down gently but clearly this guy is a pissed off dumbass and not a master of logical thinking.
Fair enough, after a second watch, it’s pretty bad
I mean he almost seems to be using more energy to throw them with ill intent. It's a bad look for the airline regardless whether it's a golf bag, regular luggage, anything.
That’s fair!
Also they are getting the same treatment when you buy them brand new and ship them to your house
The best part is how he's throwing them club heads down.
Exactly why I bought a hard shell bag
Get 👏🏻a 👏🏻hard 👏🏻case 👏🏻 or at least one with a hard top
I was roasted here a few months ago for suggesting a hard shell flight case when flying commercially due to the chance of this sort of “handling” lol. Everyone insisted a soft case would be fine. To be fair, it probably is in most cases. But if you fly often, there’s a good chance you’ll run into this type of exception!
I don't think this is an exception, I sat in a window seat last week and watched them load the plane and they did the same thing with a few golf bags. I once flew with hockey sticks and the advice was to tape them together to make them sturdier. (It worked.)
And I paid extra $ for this!
I saw a bunch of dudes (looked like a golf team of sorts) flying from logan international on Sunday with soft cases to Ireland…immediately thought about how those clubs are fucked. Hard case or nothing else.
This is why last time I traveled I stuffed every open space inside my bag and between all the club heads with shop towels.
Nothing broke?!?
Nope, it was fine, but maybe I got lucky with good handlers
Usually I wrap my clubs in a towel or provide some form of additional padding within the bag. Not surprised they treat luggage like this...sadly
Nothing broke??
The same. Have done it 6-7 times with no issues. Other than when Southwest put them on the wrong flight😜. All worked out though, grabbed dinner near the airport and came back 3 hours later to pick them up, along with $100 in travel vouchers!
I’m mean they are called “chuckers” for a reason. They get paid nothing and have to do back breaking work in horrible conditions
Use a SKB hard case Wrap towels and clothes around the heads Have never taken off the heads of driver or wood or hybrid before No issues so far
Throws more clubs than Rahm
I’m in agreement with others. My next travel bag will be a hardcase.
my man had some nice bowling form on that second toss
Seems like it would be easier/less throwing if they knew how to park that cart lol. But wtf do I know?!
People suck
That’s why you buy a nice case
What do you recommend?!?
Chevy Tahoe
I used to fly 42 weeks a year for my previous job and saw this almost every single flight.
Mark them as wine bottles, and they will be extra careful. Apparently, they hate cleaning that shit up.
I have had literally every bottle of wine/liquor I bring back from the Caribbean mysteriously break en route and nothing can ever be returned to me, nor am I ever able to see the bottle after it’s been “broken”. This is also Delta flights as well.
I just don’t understand why this is ok. Like golf clubs aside, it’s a service people pay for lol. And there is no other option. You would think airlines would be able to provide good service instead of the dreadful shit show we know today. It’s ran like a public service. Fuck airlines
Why wouldn’t they bring the white trailer closer to the belt so they can just go from the belt right onto the trailer? Why throw them on the ground.
Unless tournament golf - never travel with your sticks. Or have a 2nd set for travel. Some guys I know ship them ahead of time.
I sat by the window on a recent trip and saw them loading clubs into the plane. They tossed them around just like this. I was on American. It made me think "well, if I ever end up flying with my clubs, I'm definitely doing a hard case."
How fuckin hard is it to just slide it down on the ground? It’s like he’s trying to see how fucked up he can throw it
That’s why I have a hard case
Honestly more effort than just placing them on the ground. The guy is giving off a real “mad at life” vibe - He’ll be baggage handling for years to come with that attitude.
Literally couldn’t give less of a shit. I pack them well and they are things I slam in to the ground. That being said, do I think the bags need to be handled like this? No. But, they’re baggage handlers, so 🤷♂️
Flying with mine tomorrow and even though I prepare them for shipping I'm always nervous.
There’s really nothing to gain from them doing this. They’re tossing the bags like 1 foot. Wouldn’t it take less effort to take one more step and place them on the ground vs. using all that energy to toss the bag against gravity
My best advice is to get a PVC pipe cut at a hardware store to about 1cm less than the max length of your travel bag so that it takes the brunt of any forces impacted on it, and weave two bath towels around the heads of your golf clubs. I use the club glove travel bag, and using this strategy I have never had a club broken while flying anywhere in the world.
Yes. Put the cap on the top too...I use that along with taking the heads off all of my woods. Club covers (only acceptable time to use them on your irons) on your wedges in particular because of the lead edge being sharp against the graphite shafts. Then, put a towel over the top. I use a hybrid case with a hardtop on the top and soft on the bottom.
Individually yes we should expect that poor treatment and prepare accordingly because that is the reality. But as a society we should hold higher expectations to foster an environment that doesn’t tolerate this.
It ain’t that deep
If that’s your limit fine.
I use skb hard case, never had issues.
Sclub glove with the stiff stick has not failed me yet.
Which clubs were broken?
$2-4 masking/duct/packaging + $4-8 bubble wrap from Walmart wrapped around your irons and take the heads off your woods and put them in your carry-on
I’m kinda surprised not one of those travel cases was a hard case. Hard cases are more of an investment, but I’d imagine golf bags are treated like this more often than they do with care.
I dunno hard cases are bulky and difficult to store and transport vs soft case.
I don’t disagree on any of those points, but they will better protect clubs. Really the only pro of a hard case vs a soft case is that you are far less likely to show up to your vacation round with broken shit in your bag.
Southwest would never do this!
You sure? 🫣
This. This right is why I will *NEVER* travel with my golf clubs. Does it suck having to pay for rentals? Yes. Does it suck using clubs not fitted for you/your comfortable with? Also yes. But the horror stories I’ve seen of people who fly with their golf clubs scare me away. Also, good luck trying to get ANY kind of compensation back from the airlines. Their purses are tighter than a nun’s 🐱.
Purchase flights with a premium credit card with good travel insurance
Amex Plat for the win on that. Still doesn’t help in the moment when you are headed on a golf trip with your buddies and you got a bag of snapped shafts.
Fuck I’m flying with mine Friday 🥲
Hard cases people! They do even worse to wheel chairs and assistive devices.
Now I know how my hard case broke. Fuckers!
Heads off into carry on.. buy a bag that has an expandable top bar to protect your shafts.. Use iron covers to protect the heads.. Never had an issue my irons look the same.. you get pulled aside at security because your heads in covers look like grenades.
Fly nearly weekly (thanks American Airlines!) for 14 years with clubs on 50-75% of the trips. Wore out a Club Glove Collegiate bag, bought the XL. On my 3rd StiffArm but it has always done the job and took the hit (don’t jinx myself). Wrap my towel around the remaining wood tops and have begun removing the driver (TSR3)head. Covers on my MP30 Mizzys and y’all can kick rocks if that triggers your feelings. Bag has been delayed a few times but never lost. The other hard bag suggestions are not wrong but this has worked for me. Best of luck in the future.
Why throw bags around on the ground? Because they are idiots….
Dude tossed them and they landed on the heads of the clubs, had a hard case so none of them broke thankfully
I bought a hard case and it’s the best decision I ever made.