Often, I get questions from clients of my golf travel company firstly as to whether to bring their golf clubs with them or to hire when they are here; and secondly, if they bring their clubs with them, what sort of golf travel or carry bag should they use? I have dealt in a previous posting with the question of rent or bring your own clubs.

Actually, I too wrestle with the second question. When I pack to leave on a golf trip, the main conundrum is always which travel bag should I use for my clubs? Should I take the hard case, the one that looks like a portable coffin, the soft sided case which runs the risk of club damage from the gorillas that seem to work in airport baggage handling, or the soft-sided hybrid?  The problem with these options is that they each require that I pack my clubs into a travel bag that I will have to later remove and store after reaching my destination. 

At times like these I think, wouldn’t it be great to just slip my clubs into a bag that was designed for both travel and play. Recently, I noticed at Thai Country Club that one visiting golfer had the perfect answer. He was carrying his clubs in a a Sky Explorer by Porterline. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. There it was, a beautiful, fully functioning golf bag, with space for everything you would normally put in your carry bag, but with travel accessories like wheels, a telescopic handle for easy transport and a hard top to protect your clubs from damage. I never thought I would find a golf travel bag that could be so easy.

What makes the Sky Explorer tower over and above other hybrid travel/playing bags is that it looks and functions exactly like a real golf bag. In fact, it’s hard to tell the difference, even when you are standing right next to it. When you arrive at Bangkok International Airport, you lift the bag off the carousel, pull the telescopic handle and walk away. The skate wheels are smooth as silk and the center of gravity is surprisingly balanced.

Once you check-in at your Bangkok, Phuket or Pattaya hotel, you remove the hard top, replace it with the padded soft cover, clip on the detachable shoulder strap and you’re good to go, no bulky travel bag to store. When it’s time to hit the Thailand golf course, the Sky Explorer is as easy to handle by your caddie as most carry bags.

Come the dreaded the time when your Thailand golf trip is at an end and you have to put your clubs away, you put the protective covers on your clubs, replace the soft top with the hard top and continued packing your suitcase. There are ten compartments, including a "dry zone" weather proof pouch for things you want to keep dry in case your bag is left outside during inclement weather.

Upon closer inspection, I saw the visiting golfer even lock the zippers, which would come in handy if the bag was left in hotel or airport bag storage. The Sky Explorer is one of the simplest and most functional golf travel bags I have ever seen. I am going to get my Thai wife to buy me one this Father’s Day even if I have to drive her to Thaniya Plaza!

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