How To Organize A Golf Bag

The way I look at it, you have two priorities when you organize your golf bag. The first is to get the clubs in the right positions. The second is to organize the rest of your gear. I’ll give you a few tips that have worked for me and a few things to look for in a new golf bag that can help with organization. 

How To Organize My Clubs In A Golf Bag 

The first step in this process is to look at the dividers that you have. An excellent cart bag will probably have 14 individual full-length dividers for keeping shafts and grips protected. 

With a lightweight stand bag, you may only have three or five dividers. 

• Driver and fairway woods at the top
• Hybrids and irons in the next row down
• Wedges at the bottom of the bag

The putter can go in an individual compartment or it can go near the top where the driver and fairway woods are (as long as you have a cover on the putter). 

Tips To Organize Golf Clubs Correctly

Does golf club organization really matter? Yes. It helps you quickly spot a club you accidentally may have left on the previous hole and it protects graphite shafts.

• Leave the wedges at the bottom of the bag. They are pretty durable and more likely to have dirt and sand on them that you don’t want to be dumped into your bag. 
• The putter stays at the top as long as it has a head cover. If you don’t have a head cover, put it down at the bottom because it can damage your 3-wood and driver shafts. 
• Put hybrids and irons in descending order of loft from left to right. It’s quicker to grab the club you need and keeps the bag organized. 
• When using a push cart, keep the bag organized the same way you would with a carry bag with your long clubs on top to minimize the chance of damage. 

How To Organize My Gear In A Golf Bag 

Once your golf clubs are in place, it’s time to start organizing the rest. The balls, tees, training aids, pullover, umbrella, etc. Golf bags come with multiple pockets but most golfers don’t utilize them properly. 

Find a small pocket that you can dedicate to tees. Putting tees in a pocket with gloves and balls leaves you risking a painful poke when you reach in blindly.

The pocket with the easiest access on the bottom front of the bag is your golf ball pocket. Put your balls here so that they are easy to find. Also, clean this out every once in a while. Nine balls should be enough!

Use the longer side pockets for apparel. Reserve the valuables pocket for your phone, rings, watch, wallet, money clip, etc.. Look for a golf bag that has a specific golf rangefinder pocket so you don’t have to worry about rangefinder damage over time. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are a few of the most common questions about how to organize a golf bag. 

Is there a correct way to set up a golf bag?

The best way to set up a golf bag is to start in the top left corner with the longest club and work your way over and down until you get to the wedges. The only exception is a putter, which should be kept at the top, along with other clubs that have a head cover. 

How do you organize a 14-way golf bag?

A golf bag with 14 dividers is the easiest to set up as every club has its own spot. Start at the top left with your driver and work your way over and down. The bottom row will be your wedges. 

How do you arrange golf clubs in a five-divider bag?

The five-divider bag usually has two spots at the top—one for the driver and a fairway wood, the other for a putter. The second row has two more sections for irons. The bottom of the bag is one larger section where you can put wedges. 

Final Thoughts

In the end, experiment a bit about how you like your clubs located in the bag but remember you can cause damage if you aren’t careful. Putting a driver down low doesn’t protect the shaft enough and allows wedges and irons to hit the graphite shaft.