Shipping golf clubs to US golf resorts: fly, ship or rent?
Delta and Southwest golf bag fees, Luggage Forward prices and transit days, how Pinehurst and Sand Valley take in shipped clubs, and when renting costs less.
Fly or ship? The short answer.
Take the clubs on the plane when one direct flight gets you to the resort and your fare already includes a checked bag. On Delta a golf bag counts as one standard checked bag, and the first checked bag on a domestic trip costs US$45 each way in Main and Comfort, so US$90 for the round trip if you have no card or status exemption. Luggage Forward starts at US$129 for a small golf bag each way, so on price alone shipping only wins when the bag would be overweight or your fare charges more. It wins on convenience more often. Bandon Dunes, Sand Valley and Pinehurst all sit behind a regional airport or an hour or more from a hub, which usually means a connection, and a long golf case is the bag most likely to miss the second flight. Scottsdale is the opposite case: Phoenix Sky Harbor has direct flights from London, and the courses are about half an hour away by road.
What Delta and Southwest charge for a golf bag.
Delta and Southwest both take a golf bag as checked baggage, so what matters is your fare’s allowance and the scales. On Delta, one golf bag per passenger goes as a standard checked item, and it may hold a set of clubs plus balls, tees and a pair of golf shoes. Above 50 lb it charges the excess-weight fee, it refuses anything over 115 linear inches, and it wants a hard case or a signed limited release for a soft travel bag. Southwest charges US$45 for the first bag and US$55 for the second on Basic, Choice and Choice Preferred fares, and both are free on Choice Extra. On top of the bag fee it adds US$100 at 51 to 70 lb or US$200 at 71 to 100 lb, and it waives the oversize fee for the sports equipment on its list, up to 115 inches. If you fly United, American or Alaska, read that airline’s own sporting-equipment page against your fare, because this guide does not cover their rules.
Luggage Forward to US golf resorts: prices and timing.
In US measures, Luggage Forward’s small golf category covers bags to 45 lb and 50 × 12 × 10 in, from US$129, and the large category bags to 55 lb and 52 × 15 × 12 in, from US$149. Weigh the clubs in their travel case before you book, because a bag over its category is charged at the next one. Within the US, Luggage Forward says many trips take two business days. Faster speeds cost more, and the quote gives several pickup dates and prices for the delivery date you choose. Time it so the clubs land a day or two before your first tee time. Bookings open 180 days ahead of the pickup date. The tags come in a packet posted up to seven days before pickup, or by email if you book late. Pack in the travel case you would take on a plane, with no box. Each bag carries up to US$500 of value protection, and a late bag earns back double the shipping charge.
How resort bag rooms receive shipped clubs.
Use the receiving address the resort gives, not the hotel’s postal address. Pinehurst gives Pinehurst Country Club, 1 Carolina Vista, Pinehurst, NC 28374 as its shipping address. There the Resort Club front-door team receives Ship Sticks deliveries and passes them to golf operations, which tags and routes each bag. Pinehurst partners with Ship Sticks and Sand Valley recommends it, so if you use another shipper, ask the resort to confirm the address. Luggage Forward says it delivers to the pro shop or bag room, and its golf page names Bandon Dunes, Pinehurst and Scottsdale. Put your name, arrival date and the name on the room booking on the label so the bag room can match it. Before you leave home, tell the shipper whether the return pickup should be from the course or your hotel. On a domestic trip, lock the bag: Luggage Forward says an unlocked domestic bag voids any claim for lost contents.
Regional airports and the last miles, resort by resort.
Bandon Dunes is about 35 minutes from Southwest Oregon Regional (OTH) in North Bend, and its shuttle runs on property only, so book a hire car or local transfer. Sand Valley gives 1 hour 5 minutes from Central Wisconsin (CWA), served by American, Delta and United, and 1 hour 40 from Madison (MSN); it offers private group shuttles from the airports and a 24-hour shuttle around the property. Whistling Straits is about an hour from Milwaukee (MKE) or Green Bay (GRB). Pinehurst runs a top-of-the-hour shuttle from Raleigh-Durham (RDU), 7am to 9pm, at US$100 per person one way, booked 72 hours ahead at peak times, and a shared shuttle from Moore County (SOP) at US$25 for one or two people. The Kiawah Ocean Course is a 45 to 50-minute drive from Charleston (CHS), Pebble Beach about 20 minutes from Monterey (MRY), and Scottsdale’s courses about 30 minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor. Each extra connection is another transfer for a long bag; shipping takes that worry out of the trip.
Flying in from the UK: customs and soil.
From the UK you can fly with the clubs on your long-haul ticket and clear US customs at your first airport, or ship them. Luggage Forward prepares the customs forms for international shipments, but these need more lead time than a domestic trip, and duties and taxes can apply. International bags must travel unlocked because they may be opened for inspection; a locked bag can be delayed and loses the on-time guarantee. Either way, clean the clubheads, grooves, bag base and golf shoes before you pack. US Customs and Border Protection says no soil of any kind may enter without a permit issued in advance by the USDA, and if you have visited a farm or ranch abroad, an agriculture specialist may check your shoes or luggage for traces of it. Declare agricultural items on the customs form. Keep rangefinders, watches and bag trackers out of a shipped bag: lithium batteries are banned from Luggage Forward shipments, along with pressurised cans, medication and most electronics.
Renting clubs instead.
Renting suits a short trip, a single round on the way through, or a partner who plays occasionally. Pinehurst rents the latest Titleist sets for US$80 a day, which is less than the round-trip bag fee only for a one-day visit. For three days at Pinehurst, rental costs US$240, more than either flying with your own bag or shipping it one way. Sand Valley rents sets for US$60 a day, with two sleeves of balls included, and recommends reserving ahead through its golf shop rather than relying on what is left on the day. A rental set will not match your lofts, shafts or putter, which matters more over a week of rounds than over one. The sums change with the group, too: four golfers renting for two days at Pinehurst pay US$640 between them, against four round-trip bag fees of US$90 each on a Delta Main fare.
A checklist before you choose.
Check the bag allowance on every leg of your fare, including any regional partner flight into OTH, CWA or MRY. Weigh the clubs in their travel case at home: 50 lb is the overweight line on Delta and Southwest, and 45 lb or 55 lb sets your Luggage Forward category. Compare the round-trip bag fees with two one-way shipping quotes. If you ship, book once flights are fixed, set delivery a day or two before the first round and use the resort’s receiving address. Lock a domestic bag; leave an international bag unlocked. Take out batteries, rangefinders and trackers. If you are flying in from abroad, clean soil off clubs and shoes. Note the return pickup point, course or hotel, before you leave home, and keep the return tag with your passport or wallet.
Get a quote for your route.
Enter your home address and the resort’s bag-room or hotel address, from Bandon Dunes to Pinehurst, and Luggage Forward shows the price and delivery dates before you book.
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