Here’s a few tips on things you need to look for in a golf travel case just to make sure you buy a travel case that works for you.

Make sure you get a golf travel case that fits your clubs. If you’re particularly tall, for example, you may well find that some golf travel bags aren’t long enough for your drivers. You can get travel cases that fit different lengths of driver, so if you use drivers that are a little longer than the norm make sure any travel case you buy for your golf clubs fits your longest driver – before you buy it.

Wheels. Most golf travel cases come with wheels built in. If you’ve never flown before you may not think about it but it’s a real drag getting all your luggage around an airport, and a simple set of small wheels on your travel bag can make a big difference. And elsewhere too, wheels are a big bonus.

Protection. We’ve talked about soft golf travel cases and hard cases, so make sure that you determine what degree of protection you need before you buy your travel bag. If it’s just to take your clubs with you in the car from time to time you may not need as much protection as you would if you fly with golf clubs regularly. And a simple soft travel case is cheaper. So work out your protection requirements.

If you think you need the highest protection possible, for example because you have very expensive golf clubs, look for a golf travel case that meets or exceeds the ATA (Airline Transportation Association) specifications for protection.

Weight. Many golf travel bags can be heavy, and this can be a problem if you’re going to be carrying it around a lot. Or you’re not very strong, or have an injury. Weight often equals strength. But if you’re going to do yourself an injury carrying it around then find out about the different weights before you buy a travel bag for your golf clubs.

Believe it or not some golf travel cases, the more expensive ones, can come with insurance for your clubs. If this would be useful to you then check it out before you buy.

Good locks. You need good quality locks on any travel case. And lockable compartments for those other knick knacks you always need to carry. TSA accepted locks are the standard.

Look for good padding for your club heads inside the travel case, and preferably padding right through the travel bag.

If you’re buying a hard golf travel bag look for strong riveting.

If you’re flying look for a plastic window for your id details so it can get back to you if it’s lost.

And in all cases look for a good warranty period, poor quality travel cases offer a short – or no – warranty.

That’s a good start if you’re looking for tips on buying golf travel cases. There’s more of course, and we’ll cover that elsewhere, but that’s certainly a good place to start when you’re buying a golf travel bag.

And if you’re going to travel why not find out a little more about around the world tickets?

You’ve bought your golf travel case and you’re ready to go on your first golfing holiday. You’ve got your golf clubs and bag all ready to go, along with other things you need to take.

Packing time comes. How to pack those golf clubs in your golf travel bag?

First question. Do you put your golf bag into the travel bag? Well we’ve been asked that several times so we’ve got to answer that first.

Yes your golf travel bag should take your golf bag as well as your golf clubs. If it doesn’t then you’ve bought the wrong one. Plenty of people have just put their golf clubs loose into their travel case.

If you put them in loose then they rattle around and defeat the purpose of the travel bag. They are liable to damage. They need to be packed in nice and tight so they don’t rattle and bang into each oher.

And of course when you arrive you don’t want to find that you have your clubs but you don’t have a golf bag to head out onto the course with.

So leave your clubs in your golf bag and pack your golf bag into your golf travel case.

Now we do recommend doing more to protect your clubs. You could wrap each club head in a piece of cloth like a tea towel to protect it more, and maybe wrap some tape around the cloth to keep it in place. And we would put some cloth around the handles to pack them all together firmly and tape them up too for the same reason, if your golf bag allows for this. And do anything else to keep your clubs from moving and banging around, you’d be surprised how much punishment a travel case can get in baggage handling.

If you’ve got some spare room pack some of your clothes in too, to take up the spare space and to keep down the amount of bags that you need to take.

Oh, remember to zip up all those pockets on your golf bag too before you put it in the travel case.

A golf travel case is a great idea to protect your clubs, but you need to put some thought into packing it.

And if you’re going away don’t forget to do your vacation planning