Travelling With Golf Clubs: Getting the Bag in the Car

What to know before booking a car for a golf trip, from bag length to how many sets will realistically fit.

Length is the constraint, not weight

A golf bag is long, rigid and difficult to angle. That combination is what makes it awkward, not its weight. Many saloon boots will take one bag diagonally with the rear seats up, but the second bag rarely goes in alongside without folding a seat, which then removes a passenger position. This is the trade that catches golf groups out.

A hard travel case for flying is longer and stiffer again, with no give at all. Two hard cases plus passenger luggage is a genuine load, and it points firmly towards a vehicle with a tall square loadspace rather than a saloon boot. Declaring the case type as well as the number is what makes the answer reliable.

Working out what a group actually needs

The arithmetic for a golf trip is simple once written down: one bag per player, plus a case per player if it is an overnight or flying trip, plus shoes and outerwear, plus anything the group is carrying jointly. Four players heading to a course in Surrey for the day is easy. Four players flying from Gatwick for a week is a substantially bigger load.

Trolleys are the item people forget. A folding push trolley is bulky, and an electric trolley with a battery bulkier still. If trolleys are travelling, they need declaring at booking alongside the bags. They also need securing, since a trolley loose in a load bay will find something to lean on.

  • One bag per player, plus a suitcase each if travelling onward
  • Hard flight cases are longer and less forgiving than soft bags
  • Push or electric trolleys add significant volume
  • Shoes, waterproofs and outerwear are usually a separate bag

Course arrivals and airport departures

Golf clubs generally make arrival easy: a bag drop near the entrance, a clear turning area and parking that is not tight. The chauffeur can usually set players and bags down at the clubhouse door and then park, which is a good deal more civilised than dragging bags across a car park.

Airport departures are the tighter operation. Oversized baggage goes to a separate desk, so building a few extra minutes into the plan is sensible, and a vehicle that lets bags come out cleanly rather than being wrestled from a boot makes a real difference at a busy forecourt.

Protecting equipment in transit

Clubs are valuable and heads are vulnerable. A bag lying loose in a large loadspace can slide on a roundabout and knock against a case, so bags are positioned and, where necessary, secured rather than simply dropped in. Passengers who use head covers should leave them on for the journey.

If a set is particularly valuable, say so. It changes nothing dramatic about the handling but it does mean the loading plan puts the bag where nothing else can shift onto it. Bags are positioned so nothing can shift onto them once the vehicle is moving.

Plan your chauffeur journey

London Chauffeurs provides itinerary-led private travel for airport transfers, executive travel, private aviation, events and long-distance UK journeys. Availability and pricing are confirmed for the requested itinerary.

Frequently asked questions

Will two golf bags fit in an executive saloon?

Usually only by folding a rear seat, which removes a passenger position. For two or more players with bags, an SUV or people carrier is the practical choice, particularly if suitcases are travelling as well. Tell us the player count and bag count when booking.

Can electric trolleys and batteries be carried?

Trolleys travel routinely, but they are bulky and need to be declared with the rest of the equipment so the loadspace is planned properly. Batteries should be secured and, where they are being flown, checked against the airline's current requirements before travel.

Is there room for clubs and luggage on an airport run?

It depends on the number of players and cases, which is why both are confirmed at booking. A group flying with a set each plus suitcases is a substantial load and normally needs a people carrier rather than any saloon or SUV.