Outfit Your Golf Bag the Right Way

When it comes to outfitting your golf bag, it’s best to follow the old Boy Scout motto: “Be Prepared.” As anyone who has played the game knows, golfers can encounter a wide variety of situations on the course, some of which are normal and can be anticipated in almost every round, while others are less common and even unexpected. Unless you have the proper accessories to address all of them, small issues can become big problems. Having the right items in your bag can often make or break your round.

This article is intended to help you better prepare for all those situations. We’ll provide you with a list of the most important accessories that you should include in your bag, ensuring you’ll be ready for any occurrence. To do that, we’ve organized the accessories into six main categories:

• Basics/Essentials
• Hydration
• First Aid Items
• Electronics
• Weather Items
• Miscellaneous Items

Basics/Essentials

There are certain accessories that are essential for every golfer to carry in their bag all the time:

• Golf clubs, golf balls, golf gloves, tees: These are the most basic items that really don’t require further explanation. Although there is a minority of players who may choose to play without using a golf glove, it goes without saying that no one can play without clubs, balls, and tees. If you’re missing anything from your required arsenal, Greystone’s golf shop has you covered!

Golfer’s Resource: Custom Fitting Golf Clubs at Greystone

For the majority of golfers who do prefer to play using a golf glove, it’s always a good idea to carry one or two additional gloves in your bag. It’s not uncommon for your primary glove to tear or wear out in places, or to get wet in rainy conditions, and you’ll be glad that you packed a backup when those situations arise.

• Ball markers: Ball markers are used on a putting green when you need to mark the position of your ball so that you can temporarily remove it from the putting surface, allowing other golfers on a similar line to putt without obstruction or distraction. Golfers should make sure that they have markers in their bag to use for this purpose.
  
• Divot repair tool: When your ball lands on the green, it often creates a small indentation in the putting surface. Proper golf etiquette suggests repairing these indentations, for two main reasons. First, it ensures golfers who are playing in groups behind you will have a smooth putting surface. The second reason has to do with golf course maintenance. It’s an unfortunate fact that unrepaired ball marks on a green can take several weeks to repair naturally. By using a divot repair tool to fix those indentations, the green surface will heal with a smooth surface within two to three days.
  
• Sharpies: It’s a good practice to use a Sharpie to mark your golf ball in a distinctive way that will allow you to identify it as yours. So, make sure to pack one or two Sharpies in your bag for this purpose. The Rules of Golf don’t stipulate that you must mark your ball, but they do suggest that it’s a good idea. Rule 6.3a states that “the player should put an identifying mark on the ball to be played.”
  But there’s another way to mark a golf ball that has become increasingly popular. Many players use their Sharpie to place a line on their ball to serve as an alignment aid when they putt. By aiming this line at the hole as you prepare to putt, you’ll have confidence that you’re in fact aligned properly, and you’ll make more putts as a result.
  
• Club brush: Over the course of your round, your clubs can accumulate dirt and debris as you take divots with each shot, which can eventually clog up the grooves on the face of the club. For your clubs to perform as intended, it’s important to keep these grooves clean. This will allow them to impart the necessary spin on the ball so that you get the proper shot trajectories and so that your ball will stop after landing on the green. It’s a good idea to pack a club brush in your bag so that you can perform this important function.
  
• Valuables pouch: Carrying a valuables pouch allows you to keep all your loose items organized in one place (car keys, watch, phone, etc.).
  
• Driver wrench: If you decide to make an adjustment to your driver’s loft, you’ll need to have the wrench that came with your driver in your bag.
  

Hydration

Staying hydrated on the course is an important part of playing your best golf. As a Greystone Member, you can arrange for your cart cooler to be stocked with all your favorite drinks. Otherwise, you can order from the beverage cart while out on the course or pop into the plaza bar!

• Water bottle: To make sure that you stay hydrated throughout the round (especially during our hot Alabama summers), it’s a good idea to carry a water bottle in your bag, which is available for purchase at the Club. It’s extremely important to replenish the fluids you lose from sweating. Dehydration decreases your brain’s ability to function properly during your round and to maintain focus, so it’s important to have water with you when you play, and to drink it frequently throughout the round.
• Sports drinks/Electrolyte supplements: Sometimes, plain water alone may not be sufficient. On really hot, humid days, where you may sweat profusely, you will lose vital electrolytes. Electrolytes are essential because they perform important biological functions. Sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium aid with fluid balance, energy levels, and muscle activity, so it’s critical to replace any of those lost elements.
• Energy bars or snacks: It’s also important to stay fueled on the course, and consuming protein bars or other appropriate snacks will keep you going. But be careful about the type of snacks you choose. It’s usually best to stick to fruit and light snacks like nuts, trail mix, granola, veggie sticks, peanut butter, etc. 

First Aid Items

There are a wide variety of first aid items that are important to have in your bag:

• Sunscreen: Dermatologists recommend using an SPF 30 or higher. Available at the golf shop.
• Ibuprofen: NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, like ibuprofen) can help relieve swelling and minor pain.
• Band-Aids/Adhesive Tape: Small cuts, abrasions, and blisters are commonplace on the golf course. Having these accessories in your bag is a great safeguard when this happens to you.
• Lip Balm: Sun exposure can take a serious toll on your lips. Having a tube of lip balm in your bag will help you keep them from getting chapped and dry. Available at the golf shop.

Electronics

• Laser Rangefinder or GPS Devices: Many players already own and use either a laser rangefinder or a GPS device. If you don’t, it would be a good idea to consider getting one. They can make a difference in your game. 

Essentially, these devices utilize technology that accurately measures the yardage between you and other objects on the course. They’ve become indispensable to golfers because of their ability to provide precise yardages, help to determine which club to use, and in speeding up your game.

Weather Items

Here at Greystone, like it or not, there will be times when we have to play in less-than-ideal conditions. Unless you have the right clothing and accessories, it becomes much harder to perform. 

• Water-repellent jacket (and, depending on the severity of the conditions, possibly water-repellent pants as well).
• Rain gloves: Standard leather golf gloves feel great and perform well in dry conditions. However, in rain they tend to lose their tacky qualities. That’s where a good pair of rain gloves come in. Rain gloves are made of material that reacts to the rainwater by allowing a secure and firm grip even in very wet weather. Make sure to include rain gloves in your bag for use on those bad-weather days.
• Umbrella: Keeping yourself as dry as possible is obviously the best formula for success in the rain.
• Golf bag rain hood: Most golf bags come equipped with a separate attachable rain cover that shields the golf clubs in your bag from the rain. This will help to keep your clubs and, more importantly, your grips dry when it’s raining.

Miscellaneous Items

There are some miscellaneous accessory items that can be considered as “good to have,” but not as necessities. Each golfer can determine which of these to include in the bag setup:

• Golf ball retriever
• Bug Spray
• Extra pair of socks (if your primary pair gets wet)
• Alignment sticks or other swing practice aids
• USGA Golf Rule Book

Need Any Accessories?

If you find that you need any accessories to outfit your bag properly, stop in to see Head Golf Professional Jon Gibbons in the Founders Course pro shop. Jon will be happy to help you set up your bag the right way. Of course we have a separate pro shop at the Legacy Course as well!

When you are ready to outfit your important clients and business colleagues, don’t forget to Reach out to Jennifer Tran-Reno, our Corporate Merchandise Director. She can order your Company logo on all your favorite brands at a discount with no minimum order. Click here to view our Look Book!