Going AWOL
We’ve all seen the posts on social media.
Videos of airline workers carelessly heaving golf bags as the helpless owner of said gear hopes and prays their clubs aren’t being damaged. Photos of bags ripped to shreds or somehow burned, with the expected damage to clubheads and shafts.
If you travel with your golf gear, nothing is more important than a quality travel bag. I was getting set to depart on my first trip with my golf clubs and was looking for an option to keep my equipment free from harm.
Enter GHOST Golf’s AWOL, a feature-rich, premium option. I put this bag to the test on a recent trip from Wisconsin to Florida. As the owner of both the Anyday stand bag and GT-14 cart bag from GHOST Golf, my expectations were high given the quality of those products. Would it live up to the hype?
AWOL Features and specs
Above all else, a travel bag needs to provide ample protection for your gear. The AWOL from GHOST Golf delivers in this department. It is constructed of heavy-duty ballistic 1680D polyester. Upon initial inspection, this bag feels tough. I had zero concerns of it puncturing or ripping from rough handling at the airport.
When it comes to size, the AWOL comes in at the specs listed below.
- Dimensions: 53″ L x 13.8″ W x 13.8″ H
- Weight: 8.5 pounds
Other features:
- Equipped with top-quality YKK zippers
- Smooth-glide wheels
- Water-resistant
- Wrap-around foam padding at the top to provide superior protection for your clubs
- Internal strap to minimize bag movement during transit
- Six ergonomic handles and three external webbing compression straps
- Lockable exterior zippers
- Included stiff arm
Standout features for me included the smooth-glide wheels, handles and compression straps. Getting through the airport was a breeze and the bag rolled great. Handles are conveniently located so that pulling the bag is comfortable. Loading it into and out of a vehicle is an easy process while the compression straps added another level of security for the contents. The additional internal padding at the top end was another added bonus as it gave me some extra comfort knowing everything was packed securely.
AWOL versus the competition
Compared to some popular competitors, the AWOL falls right in line in dimensions, weight and price. What’s also great is that it is designed to fit both cart and stand bags. As I primarily use a cart bag, this was appealing to me as some travel bags will not fit larger cart bags.
With the cart bag, 14 clubs, a pair of shoes, a dozen golf balls, rangefinder and extra towels to provide additional security for my clubs, I checked in at 38 pounds; well below the 50-pound limit you need to stay under to avoid extra fees at baggage check-in.
Stand out in the crowd
When it comes to overall product design, GHOST relies on classic colorways within their product line. Their golf bags have a clean and distinct aesthetic which is carried over into the AWOL bag. The bright-red compression straps marked with bold GHOST lettering add a splash of color, helping it to stand out in the crowd, while a single black stitched GHOST logo adorns the top of the bag. This is, in my opinion, a perfect blend.
The red compression straps made our bags easily identifiable while waiting for them at baggage claim. There were numerous golfers traveling on our flight and it was easy to pick out which ones were ours mixed in with a sea of plain black bags on the carousel. AWOL stands out in a crowd of bland and boring travel bags and they turned more than one head as we trekked through the airport.
Go AWOL on your next adventure
With a host of great features, the AWOL travel bag from GHOST Golf deserves a long look when you’re ready to make your next travel bag purchase. Its heavy-duty design, ease of transport, additional padding to protect your clubs, excellent security and bold accent colors are just a few of the features that stood out to me in what, in my opinion, is a fantastic product for the money.
The next time you’re getting ready to head out for that golf trip, don’t just travel. Go AWOL
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