This is a fun topic! Golf bag pockets, there are so many pockets, How To Organize Golf Bag Pockets you ask? The possibilities are endless you tell yourself as you shop through all the bags on amazon. You say I can fit this blank in that pocket, and this blank thing in that one and oh, if I get this bag I’ll finally have a spot for this blank.
The answer to this question can be really quick and simple for some people. And other people have a harder time answering it. If you think about it, you can literally fit a lot of things in these bags nowadays. Nobody is going to tell a new golfer not to put an $800 camera in your bag.
Been There!
Yep, been there and done that for sure. But what do you really need to put in your golf bag without feeling like a hoarder of golf stuff? And or feeling like you will be playing 72 holes in one day.
This is a tough question because every golfer needs the basics to play the game. But not every golfer thinks it’s important to fill your bag with the newest greatest gadgets or a pocket full of pennies. So hopefully we can solve this problem of what to put in golf bag pockets and create a nice balance of those necessary items and the wanted items.
Check out Amazon and their endless supply of golf bags!
How Many Pockets Do You Have?
This is a very important question because you need to know what your bags capabilities are before you can start shoving crap into it.
My bag has 14 pockets, well 15 if you count the pocket that holds my pen or pencil. To me, this is plenty of pockets, the more pockets you have, the more crap you need to purchase.
This is a very important question because you need to know what your bags capabilities are before you can start shoving crap into it. My bag has 14 pockets, well 15 if you count the pocket that holds my pen or pencil. To me, this is plenty of pockets, the more pockets you have, the more crap you need to purchase.
Do This First
- Lay out all the items you want to put into your golf bag (put them on the floor or table).
- Organize and group all the items based on size and commonly used items.
- Take the most used items and start with these.
- Put those items in the most convenient pockets.
You’re not going to put your golf jacket in the same pocket as your golf balls, this wouldn’t make sense. This would get in the way of you taking any golf balls out, especially if your jacket was bulky.
Some things need their own pockets, like tees, and golf balls. I can’t stand it when someone is looking through a pile of tees because they dumped the whole bag in with the mound of golf balls. So when you’re compartmentalizing, make sure there’s a good flow to things and try not to fit your water bottle in the pocket that’s meant for your cell phone and wallet.
My Bag
I purchased my bag because I knew exactly what I wanted that related to every part of the golf bag. I had a checklist of requirements that my bag needed to fulfill, so I searched and I found.
My Checklist
First Requirement – the bag needed to be a cart bag. This was important because I was at a point in my life where I didn’t want to carry my bag. I still walked but I had a pushcart, but the bag I was using with the cart was a stand bag. This was extremely annoying to me, the part that kicks the stand out when you put it on the ground would always interfere with how the bag was positioned on the pushcart. It was just annoying to me and this was an excuse to get a new bag all by itself.
The second Requirement – was the pocket that holds my golf balls needed to be a larger pocket and with a zipper. My previous bag had some kind of spring-loaded retraction system that made it somewhat difficult to enter the pockets.
The third Requirement – was the bag needed a designated pocket for my wallet, cell phone and keys. This was very important as well, my cell phone is the iPhone 6+, so it’s pretty big. This pocket is really nice to have for a couple of reasons, first is when I’m riding in a golf cart and need to find my phone (not to accept calls) it’s right at there in front of me. Second reasons, if the food cart person comes driving by you can take your money out in a jiffy.
Fourth Requirement – the pockets that my golf clubs sit in, individually divided is a must. I’ve had many rounds and many days at the driving range where I couldn’t get a club out because it was tangled up with another club. Also, trying to put the golf club back into the bag, have you ever had a round of golf with half the club sticking out because you couldn’t get the damn thing all the way in.
Fifth Requirement – A pocket for cold drinks, this is a nice addition to the bag because it’s lined on the inside of the pocket with reflective material to keep the cold in. I can fit a 32 oz water and a sandwich and maybe one other snack.
Sixth Requirement – Large side pockets for large, bulky items like winter gear or rain gear. When it’s cold in the morning time and you show up to the course with a nice golf sweater but you start to get too hot after the fourth hole, throw it in the big pockets. I also use these big side pockets for extra water or beer, whatever your drink of choice is. My brother purchased a six pack of beer and filled the side pocket with ice. He played the entire round of golf with a leaking golf bag of water : )
Everything Else
Most of the other pockets on the bag I’m good with and not too picky about. There are not many more pockets left though so I guess I’m pretty picky. Although a glove holder isn’t a pocket, I would highly recommend you get a bag with this on there.
So, What To Put In Golf Bag Pockets?
Put whatever you think you need in your golf bag pockets, nothing more, nothing less. If you were allergic to bee’s, you would probably need to carry an EpiPen. If you had diabetes, you would probably need to carry an insulin needle. You should eat an apple during every round if it makes your body need it.
What you put in your golf bag is definitely relative to the individual based on the examples I just mentioned, aside from the basics. The stuff you put in your bag are things that you should want to keep there permanently, at least that’s what I do. Plan for the season, don’t keep rain gear in your bag if it’s summertime, remember, everything in your bag should serve a purpose.
What’s In My Bag?
Golf Balls – This is an obvious item but you would be surprised by the number of people forget to buy golf balls before a round of golf.
Tee’s – Same thing for tee’s, it’s one of those things that you need to keep stocked up in your bag.
Golf Divot Fixer – I generally lose these due to me forgetting to put it back into my golf bag after the round of golf.
Ball Markers – I use change for my ball marker, pennies, dimes, nickels and quarters. Why pay $1 for 5 plastic ball markers when you can use change.
Glove – This is an item you don’t want to forget and as you can see on my golf bag, my glove sticks to my bag.
Game Golf – I purchased this through the Game Golf website a couple of years ago, I love this idea but I find myself forgetting to put the grip of my club to my hip while playing.
Nike Golf Glasses – I’m not sure if these are the exact Nike glasses I have but they’re definitely around the same price.
Rain Suit – This is one of those seasonal things, my rain suit is Nike but I put an Under Armor rain suit because this looks so much better than what I have.
Nike Golf Umbrella – This is another seasonal item you only want to keep in your bag if you feel you need it.
Water Bottle – I love these vacuum insulated thermoses, they keep water cold for the entire round, I wish they had a 64 oz thermos.
Snacks or lunch
Cell Phone, wallet, and keys
Toe and Hand warmers – I love these things, they make those really cold mornings so much better to play. Those toe warmers have made my round glorious. My toes go numb if the temp drops below a certain level, highly recommended.
Some Ideas of What You Could Put in Your Bag Pockets
Rangefinder – I plan to purchase one of these one day, but I can’t decide if I want to get the one that you wear around your wrist or the handheld one.
Portable Power Bank – I know what you’re thinking, why would I be using my cell phone while out on the course? Well, you could be using your phone to find out your yardage on a particular hole. These apps drain your battery pretty fast and you don’t want that.
There you have it, things you could, should and need in your golf bag. I hope you enjoyed!