It’s a well-known fact that seven out of 10 doctors agree that quarterly golf trips are mandatory for long, happy and healthy lives.
Those other three quacks? Calling Dr. Howard, Dr. Fine, Dr. Howard …
Once you’ve sold your better half on the obvious quality of life benefits of a late fall golf trip, you’re going to have to gear up. Your summer stuff is fine if you’re heading to Streamsong, Scottsdale or Palm Springs, but you’ll need to bundle up if you’re heading anywhere north of the Mason-Dixon line.
In that spirit, we’ve put together some recommendations to help you stay warm, dry and comfortable as you make your way to Pebble Beach or any other less-than-tropical golf destination.
#1: You’ll need to stay warm
Northern California is a dandy spot for a fall golf trip. The crown jewel, of course, is Pebble Beach, but there are plenty of other great destinations between the Napa Valley and the Monterey Peninsula. Daytime temperatures are typically in the low-to-mid 60s, while nighttime lows can dip into the mid-40s.
That means layers, my friends.
If you hit up Amazon, you can find a ton of low-priced base layers, long sleeve polos and quarter-zips from brands you’ve never heard of, like Lujengefa, Coofandy, MoFiz and Yousify. All appear to be serviceable and, for lack of a better word, cheap.
I’ve become a big fan of Original Penguin for shirts and light outerwear. Galvin Green’s Del golf vest is on sale right now, offering dandy value and some sweet colors to choose from.
#2: You’ll want to stay dry
If you’re on a bucket list trip, there’s no substitute for good rain gear. You scrimped and saved to make it to Pebble, Pinehurst or St Andrews, so there’s no way you’re going to let that bucket-list round get rained out. And you sure won’t want to play that bucket-list round uncomfortably wet.
A golf gear truism says that good rain gear isn’t cheap and cheap rain gear isn’t good. KJUS is about as good as rain gear gets but be prepared to open up the ol’ wallet. The KJUS Pro 3L 3.0 rain jacket is $540, while the Pro 3L 3.0 rain pants run $499. Galvin Green’s rain gear is also top-tier and a tad less expensive. We like the ASTON jacket ($389) and ARON pants ($349).
Galway Bay is another solid choice. Their Claddagh rain pants run $229, while the Corrib rain jacket is $449. If you really want to go budget (but remember, wet sucks when you’re on a bucket-list trip), we found this two-piece rain suit on Amazon for $45.
Your golf bag most likely came with a rain hood. If you know where it is, you’re one up on me. If you need one, we can highly recommend what is certainly the most value-priced item in the entire Vessel catalog, the Tour Rain Hood by Seaforth. There are different models for cart and stand bags and, at $39, it’s a no-brainer.
A final word about rain gear: Unless I’m traveling, I get more wear out of my rain gear when I’m out walking the dog than on the golf course. If it’s raining during a regular Saturday round, I usually just stay home. If you’re not a traveling golfer, there’s no real reason to invest in top-shelf rain gear.
#3: You’ll want to treat your feet
If you read our article on Heathlander golf shoes, you’ll remember what has become one of my favorite mottos.
Proper golfers walk.
If you’re hitting up Pebble, Bandon, Pinehurst or St Andrews, the walk is a huge part of the experience, so comfy shoes are essential. There are a ton of great options out there but my favorites include the aforementioned Heathlander. The Heathlander combines walking comfort with plenty of stability and adequate traction.
The adidas Tour 360 spikeless is also a favorite for walking while the Asics Gel-Ace Pro M is a magnificently comfortable spiked shoe.
I just bought a pair of Sqairz Pro S2 limited edition Nick Faldo golf shoes that will also make the traveling team. They honor Faldo’s 1990 season when he won both the Masters and Open Championship. The knock on Sqairz, aside from the square toe, has been that they’re heavy. We’ve found the 2025 models to be surprisingly light without sacrificing the stability Sqairz is known for.
As a recently christened member of Club Medicare, I’ve found that a good pair of aftermarket insoles help immensely. We can give two thumbs up to Blumaka Foamlock insoles. The company has a low-profile option that works nicely with golf shoes and keeps your feet from slipping inside your shoes.
After 65 years of downforce, I’m a fan of the high arch support model.
The Blumaka website has a P.F. Flyer vibe (you’ll run faster and jump higher), but I was sold once I found that Kansas City Royal outfielder Mike Yastrzemski wears them. Hey, if they’re good enough for the grandson of the man they call Yaz (we luv him), they’re good enough for me.
If you know, you know.
#4: Take care of the inner man
Writing for MyGolfSpy has been a blessing. I’ve been able to go places and do things I would have never imagined in a million years. What I’m about to write, however, is a sentence I never in my life thought I’d even say out loud, never mind write for publication.
I want to talk to you about men’s underwear.
And I promise I won’t model anything. No one wants to see that.
While a cheap six-pack of tightie-whities does the job, there’s a brave, new world of boxer-briefs out there to make you feel alive. 2UNDR may be the Cadillac of boxer briefs, but I’ve also added a boxer-and-T-shirt bundle from a Canadian company called Manmade. The company touts something any man can appreciate: an “ergonomic anti-chafe pouch” called the Mansack.
Really.
Calling the Manmade T-shirt just a T-shirt is kind of like calling Torrey Pines a nice little muni. It doesn’t do it justice. It’s made from Pima cotton and Manmade says it’s snug in the chest and arms but relaxed in the midsection. It works as a base layer or underneath a sport coat. It’s that nice.
Hey, they had me at “relaxed in the midsection.”
Depending on temps, some compression long johns go a long way. I have a couple of el-cheapo pairs of adidas from Amazon for $20. If you want to go upscale, we sing the comfort and warmth praise of the Elof from Galvin Green ($99).
Hey, at my age, I’ve earned the right to spoil the inner man.
#5: WITB, or What IS The Bag?
Choosing a golf bag for your trip is pretty simple. If you have one golf bag, that’s the one you’re bringing. If that’s you, feel free to skip ahead to the next section.
However, if you’re shopping for a new bag for your trip, there are some things to consider. Light, of course, is good. I like minimalist bags that don’t tempt me to load up with stuff just for the hell of it. The Penfold Sunday stand bag, at five pounds, is a tad heavier than others, but it’s designed to carry only the essentials, including an outer layer and just enough golf balls.
Not for nothing, it also carries the Old Course caddy seal of approval.
If you want even lighter weight with more storage, check out the Sun Mountain Eclipse 3.5. Mine is a few years old, but it has served me well.
If you travel often, then it’s certainly worth investing in a top-quality travel bag. You can’t go wrong with anything from Club Glove, and the Sum Mountain Clubglider Journey, at $289.99, might be one of golf’s best deals.
One cool travel hack I saw recently was to protect your clubs by covering them with a five-gallon bucket inside your travel bag. Gotta admit, that one never occurred to me. For about $30 on Amazon, you can pick up a generic version of the Stiff Arm with a protective pad included.
If you want to go all in, we stumbled upon this gem a few weeks ago.
It’s called Oxybag, a five-layer inflatable cushion that fits inside a standard golf travel bag. The idea is that it gives hard case-level protection without the bulk. We’ll be diving more into this interesting little product in the coming weeks but it’s intriguing enough to include here.
Odds and ends …
I’ve been to Scotland four times and brought an umbrella each time. Never did use it, though. I left one in the locker room at St Andrews but I never did actually open it up on the golf course. Not a bad thing to skip.
They sell waterproof golf caps but I’ve found spraying a couple of your favorites with Scotchgard Outdoor Water Shield does the trick.
Always bring two pairs of golf shoes, just in case one gets soaked. Same with gloves: bring two or three plus a good set of rain gloves. Red Rooster’s Rain Rooster is a particular favorite. Also, pack extra golf balls in your suitcase. It’ll be cheaper than buying extras at the resort.
Ship Sticks is a no-brainer, unless you have airline status and get your luggage checked for free. You’ll need that money for souvenirs.
We hope you enjoyed this little packing primer for your fall getaway. What are some of your go-to travel items for less-than-spectacular weather?
The post Packing For Pebble: A Traveler’s Guide For Your Next Golf Trip appeared first on MyGolfSpy.
