What to Pack for a Golf Trip: The 2026 Checklist
Everything to throw in the bag for a golf trip, plus what to add (and skip) if that trip lands in Scottsdale. Written by the team that packs clients into private houses here every week.
What to Pack for a Golf Trip (Quick Answer)
At minimum, pack golf shoes, 2-3 collared shirts, golf shorts or pants, a glove, sunglasses, sunscreen, and a rangefinder for the course, plus casual dinner clothes, walking shoes, and a swimsuit off the course. Golf clubs fly as checked baggage only, never carry-on. If your trip is in Scottsdale, add extra sun protection for summer (98-107 degrees, May through September) or a light layer for cool mornings in peak season (November through May, mornings in the 40s and 50s).
- On-course: shoes, collared shirts, shorts, glove, sunglasses, sunscreen, rangefinder
- Off-course: dinner outfit, walking shoes, swimsuit, light jacket
- Scottsdale-specific: wide-brim hat and cooling towel in summer, quarter-zip layer in winter
- What to leave home: beach towels, coolers, metal spikes, a second suitcase of dress clothes
Marcus has this packing speech he gives every group before they land. It is short. Bring a speaker, bring light and white clothing because the desert sun does not care about your travel wardrobe, bring a swimsuit because the pool and the hot tub are getting used whether you planned on it or not, and bring a great attitude because the golf will humble you at least once a round.
That is the fun version. This is the complete one. So what actually belongs in the bag? Below is a packing list that works for any golf trip anywhere, followed by what changes if that trip is happening in Scottsdale specifically: what the heat does to your gear choices, when the summer storms roll in, how cold the mornings actually get in January, and what you can leave home entirely because the house already has it.
Golf Trip Packing List: The Core Gear
This is the list that applies no matter where the trip is. Print it, screenshot it, or just skim it the night before you pack. No fluff, just what actually goes in the bag.
On the Course
- Golf shoes (soft spikes, metal spikes are banned almost everywhere now)
- 2-3 collared shirts (most courses enforce a dress code)
- Golf shorts or pants (tailored, not cargo, for stricter clubs)
- Golf glove, and pack 2 if you are playing more than one round a day
- Polarized sunglasses
- Sunscreen, SPF 30 minimum, SPF 50+ if you burn easily
- Rangefinder or GPS watch
- A hat or visor
- Clubs, or arrange rentals in advance so you are not stuck at the pro shop
Off the Course
- One nice outfit per planned dinner (collared shirt, no jeans at steakhouses)
- Comfortable walking shoes for the evenings
- Swimsuit
- A light jacket or pullover for cool mornings or evenings
- Chapstick with SPF (dry air cracks lips faster than you expect)
- A reusable water bottle
- Phone charger and a portable battery pack for long travel days
- A speaker, if your group likes music on the patio
Tech & Extras
- GPS or rangefinder app downloaded and tested before you fly
- A dry bag or ziplock for your phone if storms are in the forecast
- Extra golf balls (courses in the desert will eat a few in the rough)
- Tees, a divot tool, and a ball marker
- A small first-aid kit: blister pads, ibuprofen, electrolyte tablets
What to Leave Home
- Metal spikes (almost no course allows them anymore)
- A second suitcase of dress clothes you will not wear
- Beach towels and coolers if your lodging already has them
- Umbrellas the size of a golf bag; pack a compact one instead
- Anything you are not confident will survive a checked bag
The whole on-course kit fits in one carry-on. Clubs are the only piece that has to be checked.
What’s In for 2026
Golf apparel has quietly gotten a lot more technical over the last few years, and 2026 is leaning further into it. Here is what is actually worth packing if you are updating your golf bag before the trip.
- Moisture-wicking with built-in UPF 50+: sun protection is baked into the fabric now instead of relying on sunscreen alone, which matters a lot in a place like Scottsdale.
- Athletic 4-way stretch fit: polos and shorts cut closer to the body without restricting your swing, replacing the boxier fit that used to be standard.
- Engineered mesh ventilation: panels under the arms and across the back on newer polos and hoodies, built specifically for hot-weather rounds.
- Performance fabric hoodies and tailored joggers: layering pieces that work for early tee times and travel days alike, not just the clubhouse.
- Spikeless, sneaker-style golf shoes: now common enough that you can wear the same pair from the airport to the first tee without looking out of place.
- Heritage-inspired, muted color palettes: think sandy yellows, muted greens and blues, and richer earth tones layered over a white-and-neutral base, a shift away from the louder neon golf wear of a few years ago.
Pro Tip
You do not need to rebuy your whole wardrobe for one trip. If you are only upgrading one item before a Scottsdale round, make it a UPF 50+ polo. It does more for your comfort on a 100-degree afternoon than any other single piece of gear on this list.
Flying With Golf Clubs
Golf clubs cannot go in a carry-on. The TSA treats them as blunt-force items, so they have to travel in checked baggage, packed in a golf travel bag or a hard-shell case. Most airlines will let you check one golf bag with up to 14 clubs, balls, and shoes as a single item, which is more forgiving than it sounds.
Weight is where it gets expensive. A full set in a padded travel bag typically runs 30-40 pounds, and most airlines cap standard checked bags at 50 pounds, so you are usually fine on weight but not always on size. Oversized or specialty sports equipment fees on major U.S. carriers run roughly $150-250 per direction as of early 2026, on top of your normal bag fee. Not cheap. Factor that into the trip budget before you decide to bring your own set instead of renting.
| Option | Typical Cost | Worth It When |
|---|---|---|
| Check your own clubs | $150-250/direction oversized fee | You are picky about your equipment or playing 3+ rounds |
| Rent premium clubs locally | Arranged as part of your trip or through the course | One round, or you would rather not deal with an airline |
Either way, buy a hard-shell travel case with real internal padding if you are flying with your own set. Soft travel bags are cheaper, but ramp handlers are not gentle, and a bent shaft ruins the first round of the trip.
Packing for Scottsdale Heat (May-September)
This is the part most packing lists get wrong, because most packing lists are not written for 107-degree fairways. How hot are we talking? Summer highs in Scottsdale regularly clear 100 degrees from June through August, and tee times start at 5:30 or 6 AM specifically to get groups off the course before the worst of it.
Pack light, breathable fabrics only. Nothing heavy, nothing dark if you can help it. A wide-brim hat does more than a cap since it covers your ears and neck. A cooling towel earns its space in the bag by round two. And bring more sunscreen than feels reasonable, because reapplying every two hours is not optional out here, it is the only thing standing between you and a sunburn that ruins the rest of the trip.
Pro Tip
Freeze a few water bottles the night before a summer round. They stay cold through the front nine and you get a drink of actual cold water instead of lukewarm tap water by hole 12.
Monsoon season runs mid-July through September and brings sudden, dramatic afternoon thunderstorms that can roll in fast even on a morning that started clear. Mornings are usually safe to play, but pack a compact rain layer anyway, and if you hear thunder, get off the course. Arizona leads the country in lightning-related golf course evacuations for a reason.
Light and white beats dark and heavy every time in a Scottsdale summer.
Packing for Cool Desert Mornings (November-May)
Peak season is also the season most visitors underpack for, because they hear “Arizona” and picture summer heat year-round. It is not. January and February mornings start in the mid-40s, and December mornings can dip into the low 40s before the day warms up into the 60s and 70s by early afternoon.
The move is layers you can shed, not one heavy jacket you carry all day. Pack a light pullover or quarter-zip for the first few holes, long pants or joggers if you run cold, and a beanie or ear cover if you are teeing off before 8 AM in December or January. Most groups are back in a polo and shorts by the turn once the sun gets high enough.
| Season | Morning Low | Afternoon High | Pack |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peak (Nov-May) | 44-59°F | 66-89°F | Quarter-zip, long pants for early tee times, sunscreen |
| Summer (May-Sep) | 68-83°F | 98-107°F | Wide-brim hat, cooling towel, UPF shirts, extra water |
Course Dress Codes
Scottsdale and Phoenix-area courses take dress codes seriously, more so than a lot of first-time visitors expect. The rules are fairly consistent across the valley:
- Collared shirts required, no plain t-shirts
- No denim, of any color or wash, at nearly every club
- Soft spikes only, metal spikes are banned almost everywhere
- Tailored golf shorts or pants, cargo shorts are hit or miss depending on the course
- Some private-feel clubs require shirts tucked in
When in doubt, dress conservatively. A tucked-in collared shirt and tailored shorts get you onto every course we book. Bright colors and modern cuts are welcome. Sloppy is not.
What You Do Not Need to Pack in Scottsdale
Book through a concierge trip and the packing list gets shorter, not longer. Every house in our hand-picked collection is stocked before your group arrives, so a few categories come off your list entirely.
- Pool and hot tub towels, every house has them
- A cooler and ice, the fridge is stocked before you land
- Basic kitchen items, coffee maker, cookware
- Ground transportation apps, our driver handles tee-time transport on The Full Send and The Scottsdale Experience
- Tee sheet research, your itinerary is built before you land
That leaves your bag for the parts you actually want to carry: golf gear, dinner clothes, and whatever you are bringing home in the headcovers as a souvenir.
What to Pack for a Scottsdale Golf Trip (30-Second Version)
Marcus runs through his own version of this list, speaker, light clothes, swimsuit, and a great attitude included.
Plan the Rest of the Trip
Packing is the easy part. For the rest of the trip, our Scottsdale golf trip planning guide covers when to go and what to budget, and our best golf courses guide breaks down which courses fit your group. When you are ready to hand off the logistics entirely, plan your trip and Marcus will build the itinerary around your dates.
Golf Trip Packing FAQ
What should I pack for a golf trip?
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What should I pack for a Scottsdale golf trip in summer?
What should I pack for a Scottsdale golf trip in winter?
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What should I NOT pack for a golf trip?
Bag Packed. Now Plan the Trip.
Send us your dates and group size. Marcus builds the itinerary, you show up with the bag above.