Review: Ship Sticks Golf Club Shipping Services

The Easiest Way to Travel With Golf Clubs..Is Without Them!

Lugging golf clubs through an airport can be a real pain. You have to get them all packed up in your travel bag, hope that they don’t weigh too much, drag them through the terminal, figure out a way to balance or carry your other luggage too and with many airlines pay extra to get them to and from your destination. There has to be a better way. There is, it is called Ship Sticks. They are a company that will ship your clubs to and from your destination. You might be thinking, I can do that on my own, and yes you can, but you will pay more if you use your personal Fed-ex or UPS account than you do through Ship Sticks. They have worked out a bulk rate with the shipping companies and can ship your clubs cheaper than you can on your own. Going through Ship Sticks can save you anywere from $20 to $50 each way in shipping costs verses shipping it yourself.

It initially started as a service for touring professionals until some regular golfers inquired about using the service and they figured out a way to offer it to the general public. They have been growing rapidly since. While they are still a new company, they already have a long client list and are becoming more and more popular. Their services include packaging if needed, regular ground shipping, or overnight shipping if needed. You can drop your clubs off at a partnering golf course, a shipping store or even have them picked up from your home and have them returned in the same fashion. You can box them yourself, just put them in your ClubGlove travel bag or use a Ship Sticks box. The service is designed to make traveling with your clubs as easy as possible.

So how does it work? It really is about as simple as it gets. Go to www.Shipsticks.com and begin the process by either selecting a “quick quote” or “shipping now” if you are ready. You start by picking the pick up location and then the golf course that you will be playing first when you arrive at your destination. If you prefer to have it shipped to your hotel or condo you can do that too. It is all about convenience. You can set up your round trip right way too, so you can have everything ready to go well in advance of your travel. I was headed to Disney World in Florida to golf this winter. I decided to package up my own box for the way down. I really loaded up my bag for the trip down there, with extra clothes and the like to see how it worked. It was heavier than the standard weight, so it went as a Staff/XL bag. It costs a little bit more, but was really nice only having a small carry-on bag to go through the airport. It was as simple as boxing them up, throwing a label on the box and dropping it off at the UPS store on my way to work. I sent my clubs a week ahead of time, just to be certain they arrived prior to my round. Also, there had been some winter weather so I wanted to be safe rather than sorry. When I arrived at Disney Golf, I just asked for my box and they brought it right out. I pulled my clubs out of the box, put them on the cart and was ready to play. The rest of my clothes in the bottom of the box I just dropped in my rental car. I can’t think of an easier way to travel across the country with(without) your own golf clubs. The airport was faster and easier as was the arrival and even rental car to the course. Nothing but a little bag from home all the way to the course.

The return trip I packed a little differently. I put all my clothes in a duffle bag to check them in at the airport with me this time and only put my clubs in a Ship Sticks box. Actually I didn’t put them in the box, I just left them at the pro shop at PGA National in W. Palm Beach when I got done playing my final round of my vacation. I handed them the shipping label and my clubs and away I went. I’ll admit I was slightly nervous at first just leaving my whole bag of clubs sit there, would I ever see them again? But honestly what pro shop would need to steal your clubs? They boxed them up and shipped them off the next day. I had them back in my possession in 3 days. It was fast and easy coming home too.

I can’t think of an easier way to travel. This trip I was just flying solo so it probably wouldn’t have been a big deal to drag them through the airport myself, but when I travel with my whole family, my two boys and my wife, this would be awesome. It s a huge space, time and hassle saver. It is so easy and convenient. I also felt much better about my clubs being boxed and shipped than having to be handled by baggage at the airport. Although as you’ll note from the pictures UPS isn’t exactly gentle either, the boxing does offer a certain level of added protection, especially if you use your travel bag inside of the box. This is my recommended way to pack and ship.

Ship Sticks is a great value and an awesome convenience, I just wish they would use Fed-ex instead of UPS. While they might have some flexibility, it seems that UPS is their preferred shipping partner. Insurance and tracking is included, but for whatever reason, UPS is very hard on packages. If you look at the picture at the bottom you will see what my box looked like when I arrived at Disney World Golf. To be fair, nothing was missing or damaged at all, except for the box. The return Ship Sticks box was also dented pretty well and had seen some good wear and tear. I even saw a foot print on the box. I’m not out to get UPS, I have a brother-in-law who works for them, but I just wish they were a little gentler on packages, like Fed-ex. I receive and send many golf packages of my own and UPS is just hard on boxes. So make sure you pack your clubs well.

In all honestly I wouldn’t hesitate one bit to use Ship Sticks again. The basic rate is $39 each way. Which is really only $10/$15 more than most airlines charge to check your clubs at the airport. Ship Sticks has partnered (or is partnering) with many golf courses and resorts in the US. Use their boxes for the best protection and your clubs will arrive quickly, safely and ready to go at their destination. It is the easiest way to travel with your clubs, that is, without them.

For more information: www.shipsticks.com

Quick Hits
+Convenient
+Easy to set-up
+Makes airport travel less stressful
+Economical

–UPS is hard on packages.