Field Notes
The Complete Golf Trip Packing List (What You Always Forget)
A complete golf trip packing checklist — bag gear, apparel, travel protection, and the five items most golfers forget until they are already at the first tee.
The Bag Gear List
What goes in and on the bag: 3 gloves (one per round), 2 dozen balls (more for water-heavy courses), 100 bamboo tees, divot repair tool, ball marker set, groove brush, microfiber towel (clips to bag), rain hood (bag cover), 4 head covers (driver, 3W, hybrid, putter). Most forgotten: the rain hood. Courses do not loan them. A downpour without one soaks bag pockets and dampens every remaining round.
The Apparel List
Trip apparel math: 4 polos (one per round + one backup), 2 golf pants, 2 shorts, 4 pairs golf socks, 1 rain jacket (waterproof, packable), 1 wind shirt, 1 hat, 1 visor. Shoes: wear one pair, pack a second. A post-round downpour in non-waterproof shoes sets up the next morning poorly. Rain jacket weight: under 12oz for the best packable golf rain jackets.
The Tech List
Rangefinder or GPS watch (a new course means unfamiliar yardages — this is where a rangefinder pays for itself fastest), spare phone charging cable, charging block for the GPS watch, extra batteries for the rangefinder. Forgotten tech item: the rangefinder battery. A dead rangefinder battery on the first hole of a new course is a frustrating start. Pack two CR2s.
The 5 Things Most Golfers Forget
1. Spike wrench — one round in soft turf and soft spikes loosen. 2. Rain glove — a cabretta glove is useless in heavy rain; a rain glove grips better the wetter it gets. 3. Extra ball markers — they fall off the hat clip and are gone. 4. Sunscreen — pro shops charge $22 for SPF 30. Pack your own. 5. A small first aid kit — blisters are common on trips with 4 consecutive rounds. Pack moleskin.
The WYX Pre-Trip Gear Check
Use WYX10 for 10% off the pre-trip gear haul at wyxgolfsupply.com. Priority order: rain hood ($24) → fresh gloves ($32 for 3-pack) → bamboo tees ($8) → groove brush ($16) → ball markers ($28). Under $110 for the complete missing-gear fix before any golf trip.
Continue with WYX golf essentials or read The Long Game.