2012 Hot List: Travel Covers

Our top-10 travel covers give you more reasons to bring your sticks with you

By Ashley Mayo

Lugging a cumbersome golf bag to and through an airport isn't without its grief and peril, so why bother? One reason: Today's travel bags are designed to simplify the process. In the 10 Gold and Silver picks on our Hot List, you'll find smarter handles, sturdier wheels and lighter but tougher fabrics.
So how do you best use these bags? Golf Digest Fashion Director Marty Hackel travels more than most ordinary golfers, and he has five tips all golfers should consider before checking their golf bags:
(1) Avoid an all-black cover. It'll look like everyone else's.
(2) Stick your business card on the outside and inside, in case the outside card comes off.
(3) Take a picture of the contents of your bag so that if it gets lost, you can make a complete claim of your belongings.
(4) Empty your water bottles and bring only as many balls as you need -- every ounce helps.
(5) It's the perfect place for shoes and dirty laundry.
With these tips and one of our favorite travel covers in tow, the question isn't "Why bother?" It's "Why not?"

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10 of 10

Sun Mountain ClubGlider Journey

A smaller version of the Meridian, this cover has a more tapered design and is made from a thick polyester fabric.

$209/10.6 pounds

CHECK IN VS. SHIP OUT
Only two airlines—JetBlue and Southwest—accept one checked piece of luggage for free. Other carriers charge as much as $35 for the first bag, $45 for the second and $150 for bags thereafter. (These figures increase for international travel.) However, shipping your bag via FedEx ground delivery costs about $45 to the same coast (including the box and packing), or about $65 if you're shipping across the country. Just know it'll take the bag three to five business days to arrive. Would we rather keep our clubs close? Yes. But not if it means a thinner wallet.