Packing for your freshman year of college is an exciting but overwhelming time, especially for college golfers heading into their first season. There’s a fine balance between packing too much golf gear and too little – especially on top of normal college needs. Junior Golf Hub is here to give you some pointers.
We’re going to start our college golf packing list based on the golf equipment basics and then venture out into some options depending on the size of the college, its location and the resources you may already have available on campus.
College Golf Packing List Basics
When you’re playing golf in college, there are some essential items you’ll need no matter where you go; it is possible for golf coaches to provide some of this gear once you’re on campus, but these are the items that Junior Golf Hub considers foundational:
- Golf clubs
- Golf bag
- Golf clothes and hats
- Golf shoes
- Golf balls
- Golf tees, ball markers and other personal accessories
Golf Bag
One of the first items your golf coach will likely give you is a team golf bag. Whether it’s a golf bag you return at the end of each season or it’s a personalized bag you get to keep forever, you’ll still need to bring your golf clubs to college in a golf bag, so you may end up with two your freshman year; you can later bring your original golf bag home with you over winter break.
Golf Apparel
You will also likely receive team uniforms and hats for college golf tournaments, but you’ll still need golf clothing for your practices; over the years, you may be able to keep your college golf uniforms and recycle them into your practice attire as you accumulate them.
Golf Clubs, Golf Shoes and Golf Balls
Some men’s college golf and women’s college golf programs also have partnerships with different companies and can offer you golf clubs, golf balls, golf shoes and more. Again, these are offerings that can last you throughout your four years; however, you’ll still likely need and want your own gear at first so you can immediately start playing in what you feel comfortable in.
What to Pack as a Traveling College Golfer
When we say “traveling” in reference to college golfers, we usually mean those competing in college golf tournaments, but we also mean this in a more literal sense. There are several situations in which you may have to travel with your golf clubs, from getting to a golf tournament to even getting to college in the first place.
With these traveling needs in mind, here are some items you may want to bring after getting more details from your college golf coach:
- Golf travel bag
- Backpack and/or duffel bag
- Car
Golf Travel Bags
Let’s start with the golf travel bag. It may be a no-brainer if your move-in day includes a flight from home with your golf clubs; however, it may be an easy item to forget if you’re driving to campus. Having access to your own trusty golf travel bag will make it much easier to travel home and to other destinations over school breaks.
Golf travel bags are also necessary for college golf programs who travel by plane to tournaments. If you don’t own a travel bag, you can ask your golf coach if they have team ones they can provide in the case of a faraway event.
Backpack and/or Duffel Bag
You need something to pack all your gear into for college golf tournaments, from uniforms to golf shoes to snacks to homework; you’ll usually have three bags with you when you travel to events, and how you pack them depends on if you’re driving or flying. Either way, these are a must-have if you’re traveling!
Car
Bringing a car to college for golf practice and beyond is a very personal decision. Aside from the financial factors like car payments, insurance, parking fees and gas, there are few other points to consider when making this decision.
Are you allowed to have a car on campus? Some colleges don’t allow freshmen to have cars, though some freshmen student-athletes may be allowed due to practice locations; asking your coach about where you practice and how you can get there will get you thinking about if you even want to bring a car; then you can start thinking about getting clearance.
Some colleges leave it to you to get to practice, which could be on or near campus or a 20-minute drive away; this is the more common scenario depending on the golf course location and the team’s class schedules. Some college golf programs also use a bus or van to get to practice as a team, especially when golf courses are even further away.
Talking to your college golf coach around transportation expectations will help you figure out if you need a car or if you can carpool with older teammates. If you have other reasons to want a car on your campus freshman year (e.g., access to a grocery store for food allergies), your coach can direct you to the right people to help you get that parking pass.
Junior Golf Hub hopes this list eases any stress around packing for your freshman year of college golf; when in doubt, you can always ask your college coach or teammates for direction and recommendations.