How to Organize a Golf Bag

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I don’t golf. I know almost nothing about the sport or the equipment you need, let alone the most effective way to organize it. Not an impressive start to a blog post about golf bag organization, is it? Don’t worry. I didn’t write a post about something I know nothing about. I asked my father-in-law, an avid golfer and all around nice guy, for help. He gave me some golf equipment insight; I applied organizational concepts and together, we give you… how to organize a golf bag!

Benefits of Golfing

Golf is a great form of exercise, whether you’re walking, carrying your bag, or swinging a club. It’s also good for your mind. Golfers also have substantially lower rates of anxiety and depression (source) than non-golfers. It’s also a great opportunity to socialize and spend some time outdoors.

General Golf Bag Organization

As with any organization project, every space (in this case, bag) will be slightly different. You’re going to have to adapt this advice to your specific bag. Not everyone may benefit from these recommendations, but use them as general organizing tips for your golf bag.

Keep scrolling for specific recommendations of what to put in each pocket, as well as a list of basic supplies you need to be a prepared golfer.

1. Use your space wisely.

When I organize homes, I always talk about high real estate areas. These are the areas that are easiest to reach, they’re front and center. In homes, items used very frequently should be in “high real estate” areas so things are convenient to get to and to put away.

The same concept applies to organizing a golf bag.

Analyze where your pockets are. Use the pockets that are easy to access to store items you need to access frequently. Clubs, balls, and tees should be front and center in your high real estate areas.

Place items you use less frequently in hard-to-access pockets.

2. Match the size of the pocket to the size of the item.

Another concept taken from home organization to golf bag organization is putting your items in pockets that match the size of your item.

Put smaller items in smaller pockets and larger items in larger pockets. While this may be obvious with large items (there’s no jamming a large towel in a tiny pocket), it’s not always so apparent with smaller items that may get lost in the bottom of a large pocket. How much time to do you waste hunting through a big pocket for that tiny tee you dropped in there last week?

Some golf bags even have specialty pockets that might be labeled or shaped for specific items. Use these, if possible.

3. Assign each item a home and put it back home when you’re done with it.

Give each item an assigned pocket based on the factors above. Take it out when you need it, put it back when you’re done.

I cannot emphasize this enough. Adding this routine to your golfing habits will save you so much time on the course.

If you have a hard time remembering where items go after you take them out, a small label inside the pocket might be helpful. Small fabric labels stick inside the pocket nicely and are unobtrusive.

4. Don’t cram your bag with too many items.

As with any space, jamming too many things in makes everything hard to access and messy.

Have what you need to play golf, plus a few backup or emergency items, but not too much more. Keeping your equipment simple will enable you to find what you need when you need it and access it quickly and simply.

Golf Bag Essentials

Most people know you should stretch a little before you start any sport, but usually give little thought to what they need to play the game. How you organize your golf bag will depend a lot on what you’re keeping in your bag. Here are some recommended items:

• golf clubs (more on this later)
• tees (these are eco-friendly)
• 10-12 golf balls
• 1-2 golf gloves
• divot repair tool (like this one)
• ball marks (or a coin will work if you’re a minimalist)
• small towel (this one clips on)
• extra clothing (light jacket, rain gear, warm hat)
• extra box of golf balls
• suntan lotion
• bug spray
• hand sanitizer
• first aid kit (bandages, ointment)
• a protein or granola bar

Basic Golf Clubs

If you’re a beginner golfer, there’s no sense in spending a fortune on a set of clubs until you’re sure you enjoy the sport. If you’re grabbing a basic set of clubs, make sure they include enough clubs to hit from different distances.

At a minimum, you’ll probably need a driver, 3 wood, 1 hybrid, and 9 through 5 irons. You’ll also need a putter and one or two wedges.

Now that you’ve got what you need, you can arrange your golf clubs in your golf bag.

Arranging Golf Clubs in a Golf Bag

How you arrange your golf clubs comes down to personal preference and golf bag design. Some golf bags have individual slots for storing clubs, some just have larger sections for putting clubs together.

You want to put your taller clubs, the driver and fairway woods, in the back of the bag.

Medium-sized clubs, your irons, should go in the middle. The irons and woods are numbered, so if you want to be particular about club arrangement, you can put them in numerical order. Less particular players, or players with larger openings for multiple clubs, just stick their clubs in the slots and call it a day.

Finally, shorter clubs, such as putters and wedges, go in the front of your golf bag.

Where to Put Items in your Golf Bag

It is always smart to be prepared and organized when golfing. It is out in the fresh air, an easy way to maintain social relationships, and is challenging. You can also get some decent exercise. My father-in-law averages 6000-7000 steps per round, even when driving a golf cart.

Slots & Pockets

All golf bags come with many pockets. Where the golf clubs go will be quite obvious, as you will not get them to fit in any pockets.

Other than slots for the clubs, you will have three pockets in the bag’s front, one on the back of the bag, and 2 long pockets (one on each side of the bag). Each pocket is designed for a particular purpose. While you can organize your bag in a way that suits you best, there are certain items that make sense in each place.

Filling The Pockets

First, the two long pockets on the sides are usually meant for extra clothing that might be required if the weather gets cold and rainy. You should have a light jacket, a set of light rain gear, maybe a knit cap, and an extra golf glove if you wear one. You may want extra towel also to dry your club grips or clean your ball.

The pocket in the back is usually at the bottom of the bag and for any odds and ends that you may want but rarely need. It’s also a good place to keep new boxed golf balls.

Finally, we come to the three front pockets. They are designed for easy access to those things we need often. One will be for your tees, ball marks, and divot repair tool. This is usually the smallest pocket.

One is used for your golf balls that are used or unboxed. You only need to keep 10-12 golf balls in this pocket as your bag will get quite heavy if you keep the pocket full. Finally, the last pocket, the one at the bottom, should hold sunscreen, bug spray, hand sanitizer, and a small first aid kit, which should hold a few bandaids and antiseptic in case of a blister or a cut.

How to Organize a Golf Bag

Sometimes, people think, “What’s the big deal about what I have in my bag or where I put it?” but nothing can be more aggravating than to know you have something you or your friends need but can’t find which pocket it’s in. Regardless, like anything in life, if you are prepared in the end and have little stress in your life. If you play, I hope this helps and remember, it’s a game, have fun!

As with any space, how to organize a golf bag comes down to assessing what you have and the best places to put it all. It also comes down to what makes sense for you.

Questions? Comments? Drop them down below!!

Special shout out to my father-in-law, Bill, without whom I could not have written this post! Thank you!!