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Golf bag shipping can be easy and inexpensive
if you don't wait until the last minute.
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Of all the questions we get about golf vacations, the one that we're hearing most frequently concerns golf bag shipping. With airport security requiring that golf travel cases be unlocked (or locked only with TSA-approved locks) and airlines imposing stricter baggage allowances and weight limits, it's really no surprise.
Here's the lowdown on golf bag shipping: if you don't need someone to help pack your clubs and delivery speed is not a major concern, the least expensive method for shipping golf clubs is by using one of the large package delivery companies: FedEx, UPS or DHL. This is what the specialized luggage and golf bag shipping companies ultimately use, anyway.
Some carriers may require that your clubs be in a box, but otherwise, just pack your clubs in your golf travel case the way you would if you were taking them on the airplane and affix the shipping label that the carrier will provide. If possible, plan ahead as expedited delivery is much more expensive.
The least expensive service level is ground service. Unlike FedEx, UPS and DHL offer ground service pickups from residential and business addresses without requiring you to open a special account that hits you with weekly charges. (You can, however, use FedEx Ground without incurring any additional charges by dropping your bag off at a FedEx-Kinkos location.)
We called all three carriers (online shipping is also available) to find out what it would cost to ship a standard golf bag one way from New Jersey to California via ground service. A "standard" bag is usually defined as approximately 50"x12"x11" and weighing no more than 35-40 pounds. Each carrier said it would take about four business days, but FedEx and DHL were the least expensive, at around $35. UPS was about $10 more.
Each company also asked us the "declared value" of our golf clubs to calculate an optional insurance charge. You know what? Pay it. It was only about $6-$8 more to insure a $1,000 set of sticks.
The specialized luggage and golf bag shipping services charge about $100 for their least expensive and "slowest" service level, but they start to get a little bit more price competitive when you're looking for expedited delivery.
For example, FedEx and UPS quoted us about $105 for three-day service. Specialized shipper Sports Express, which has acquired similar companies Luggage Express and Virtual Bellhop, quoted $155 for the same speed. (The Luggage Express link above may offer a 10 percent discount.) Overnight delivery can cost from $185 to $270, depending if you need next day or next morning service.
Sports Express' website is very easy to use and you can get a quote in seconds. The same goes for The Luggage Club, Luggage Forward, and Golf Bag Shipping. Sports Express, for one, says their personalized service and shipment shepherding from start to finish is an advantage over the big boys, especially when shipping internationally.
Keep in mind that shipping golf clubs roundtrip is not like buying an airline ticket, where the cost of each segment works out to be less than if you purchased them individually. With golf bag shipping, you are buying each segment individually, so the price you pay to send them out will likely be the same to send them back.
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