Because pace of play is so important, you should organize your golf club bag to facilitate quick retrieval and return of all clubs and accessories that you use on the course. There are two kinds of golf club bags: carry (which you hold while walking) and cart (carried by the golf cart when you ride). These instructions explain how to organize a cart bag.
A cart bag features a front and a rear, where the hand-carry handle is located. When placed on a cart, the front is positioned facing you as you stand behind the cart.
Step 1
Sort the clubs according to their kind and quantity. Most cart bags are separated into four sections: one in the rear, two in the middle, and one at the front. Place the tallest clubs at the back and the shortest at the front so that the club heads waterfall toward you, making it is easy to see all club heads as you face your bag.
Step 2
Woods and long irons (1–3), as well as a ball retriever (if you have one), should be kept in the rear compartment, middle irons (4–6) in the left-center portion, and short irons (7–9) in the right-center section.
Keep the wedges and putter in the front portion (unless the bag has a separate sleeve for the putter). The rules allow a maximum of 14 clubs, so you won’t have all the available clubs in your bag and may need to adjust this advice accordingly.
Step 3
Check the setup of your bag. Some cart bags are set up with 15 individual sections for 14 clubs and a ball retriever.
If this is your bag’s design, start at the back with the longest club (your driver or 3-wood) and place the rest of your clubs in the remaining slots in descending order, using the left and right halves of the bag for the odd- and even-numbered clubs. Put your putter in the front (unless a separate sleeve is supplied) and your ball retriever (if you have one) in the middle.
Step 4
Place your umbrella (if you have one) in the sleeve supplied on the side of the bag for this purpose. The sleeve is open at top and bottom (for drainage) with a loop at the bottom to receive the umbrella tip and secure it in place.
Step 5
Store the most often used goods in the top and front (most accessible) side compartments (tees, spare balls, ball markers and divot repair tools).
Store goods for infrequent usage in the less-accessible pockets (rules book, spare golf gloves, sunglasses, suntan lotion, insect repellent, snacks, mints, cough drops). Use the least accessible pockets for the least used items (bag top cover, rain parka, first-aid kit, car keys, valuables).
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