Organising your golf bag: which club goes where, and what else belongs in it

Almost nobody thinks about how their golf bag is arranged, and it shows on the course: players pulling out three clubs to reach a wedge, tangled headcovers, and the discovery on the seventeenth that the spare ball is at the bottom under a wet towel.

In short: long clubs at the top, short clubs at the bottom, putter in its own slot. Always set the bag down the same way and you will eventually reach for the right club without looking.

Why arrangement matters

Pace: hunting for clubs is one of the quiet time-wasters on a course. Wear: clubs rubbing against each other damage heads and shafts, graphite more than steel. Balance: all the weight on one side and the bag tips on the trolley or hangs crooked on your back.

The standard layout

The bag's opening faces forward when it sits on a trolley, and the longest clubs live on that side.

In a cart bag with fourteen individual wells, the same logic applies club by club, sorted by length. The real benefit: an empty well on the green is the best reminder that your wedge is still by the bunker. And the ceiling stands: a maximum of fourteen clubs.

The side pockets

In the fastest pocket: balls, tees, marker, pitchfork, glove. In the insulated pocket: food and drink. In the big bottom pocket: rain gear and an extra layer, because heavy things belong low. In the waterproof pocket: phone, wallet, keys.

What is always in there

At least six balls (a dozen as a beginner), tees in two lengths, two markers, a pitchfork, a spare glove, two towels, a pen for the scorecard, plasters and insect repellent, sunscreen and a cap in summer, and the rain hood that usually comes with the bag and is usually forgotten.

Headcovers

Yes on driver, woods and hybrids, whose heads are large and hollow. Usually not on irons. Yes on the putter. Choose covers you can pull off in one movement.

Four habits

Set the bag down the same way every time. Count your clubs on the first tee and after the eighteenth: the cheapest way never to lose a wedge. Empty the bag at season's end, because wet towels in a closed bag mean mould. And store it dry and not too cold, since rubber and grips harden in a cold shed.

Frequently asked questions

May I carry more than fourteen clubs? No, fourteen is the maximum; carrying more brings penalty strokes.

Where do I keep my phone? In a waterproof pocket, on silent.

Should the bag go on the green? No, place it to the side towards the next tee, never on the green itself.

At Zalm Golf, the Handicap 54 course provides loan clubs in a properly kept bag, so you can see straightaway what a workable layout looks like.