You are packing for two trips at once. That is the whole problem.
Every golf trip I have planned has the same moment: I get to my room, suitcase open, holding a dress in one hand and a rain jacket in the other, wondering how both fit.
A tournament week is not a golf trip and it is not a resort holiday. It is both, back to back, for four days.
Here is how I pack for it now, after getting it wrong plenty of times.
The golf half
Your clubs travel in a hard case or a padded travel bag, and I always put a strip of tape or a bright ribbon on my case, because at baggage claim every black golf bag looks identical.
Two pairs of golf shoes
This is the one piece of advice I would carry through fire. Shoes get wet from dew, rain, or the sprinkler nobody turned off, and wet golf shoes do not dry overnight. Playing three rounds in damp shoes will ruin a week faster than a case of the yips.
More gloves than you think
They wear out, they get soaked, they stiffen. Three, minimum.
Layers, not a coat
Mornings on the coast are cold and by eleven you are in short sleeves. A quarter-zip and a light vest beat one warm jacket every time.
Rain gear you have actually worn
Not the set still in its packaging. I swear by my Abacus Bounce rain jacket. It keeps me warm and dry while still being flattering.
More balls than seems reasonable
Water comes into play at resort courses far more than at your home club.
The rest of the week
This is where people either overpack wildly or arrive with nothing to wear to dinner.
Group dinners are relaxed but not shorts-and-a-t-shirt relaxed. Two dinner outfits, one of which could handle the awards night. A swimsuit, plus a cover-up you can walk through a lobby in. Flip-flops for the pool and something comfortable for the evening, because after eighteen holes your feet will appreciate comfort over fashion.
And leave room in the bag. There is swag, and there is the shopping.
The things everyone forgets
- Sunscreen, and more than one bottle — you will be in direct sun for four days
- Blister plasters, before you need them
- A hat that stays on in windy conditions
- A portable charger, since scoring apps drain a phone
- A laundry bag, so wet gear is not in with your dresses
- Any medication, in your carry-on rather than the checked bag
What to leave at home
Your whole wardrobe. It is four days, and there is laundry. And the range finder, because all the resort golf carts now have GPS screens that give you the distances.
The one thing I always take on a tournament trip
My golf seat cover is non-negotiable for me. If it is chilly in the morning it keeps my legs off the cold plastic of the seat, and when it is hot out, we all know how that hot seat feels on the backs of our legs. The golf seat cover fixes both of those problems.
The short version
Two pairs of shoes. Three gloves. Layers. Rain gear that works. Two dinner outfits. Sunscreen. Seat cover. Room in the bag for the swag.
Come with me!
Wendy
The 2027 GIR Club Classic at Hammock Beach runs April 11–15. Fields are capped, so join the waitlist and you will hear the day registration opens.