[Brian_Ewen]

What a shambles!


These are pictures taken earlier this week at the Edinburgh Airport in Scotland following the Open. Yes, those are piles and piles of golf club bags that are waiting to get to their destination.

Mackenzie Hughes was one of the players whose clubs (and other bags) didn’t follow him on a flight to Dublin after the event concluded. Justin Harding’s clubs were also lost.

Getting sticks to Scotland wasn’t easy either. PING had to create new clubs for Viktor Hovland for the Genesis Scottish Open, and Jhonattan Vegas played the first two rounds of that event without his clubs. Fortunately for him, he still made the cut!

It appears that the issue boils down to the airport not being able to handle the huge volume of clubs that arrived into the country—despite knowing these two tournaments were happening.

The airport said in a statement:

“Although large amounts of baggage had been anticipated, the volume of golf clubs which required processing was far higher than forecast. This caused a delay in the baggage system yesterday, and teams worked with handling agents to resolve the issue.”

[Tommy Williamsen]

I wonder if more players are flying private since all the trouble with cancellations and baggage have become more prevalent. I just returned from three weeks in Norway. On three scheduled trips (one to Oslo, one to the Lofoten Islands, and one home from Stockholm) I had two cancellations. On the second leg of the trip to Lofoten we had to take a ferry or we wouldn’t have gotten there.

[Tony_Muldoon]

I've been speaking with our friends in USA and they say similar problems over there. Just not enough staff coming forward for rehire.






A friend of mine flew to the Open via Edinburgh.  Spent 45 mins after landing waiting for the mobile stairs.




Lesson is allow Lots of time. lots of time,

[Mark Chaplin]

A friend was on the EDI-IAD United flight on Monday, Cam Smith was also on board. Over 70 sets of golf clubs were left behind from that one flight alone, Smith then had a 2 hour wait at immigration in Washington. Travel sucks at the moment.

[Thomas Dai]

No surprise given the staffing issues that airlines and airport terminals etc have been highlighting for a while now and how airport security protocols have increased over the last few years plus the number of players, media folk, influencers, vacation golfers and their various families and friends all travelling with clubs around the time of The Open and Seniors Open and mostly all heading for the same airports? Whether we like it or not the World has changed over the last couple of years.
Atb

[JohnVDB]

In 2019 I went to the Bahamas to work one of the early Korn Ferry tour tournaments. On Monday the flight to Miami was loaded with players hustling to get back for other events and qualifiers.  Because the plane was smaller, they left most of their clubs behind for weight issues.


Needless to say there were a lot of unhappy players in Miami airport.

[Mike Sweeney]

In 1984, I took PeopleExpress to Fort Lauderdale for Spring Break:





I shot 87 at Pembroke Lakes Golf and Racquet Club:



That was my first "boys golf trip" but my golf bag got buried near Jimmy Hoffa somewhere in Jersey on the trip back to Newark!!

[Tommy Williamsen]

There were a bunch of airlines trying to get off the ground in there 80's. I don't remember People Express though.

[Lou_Duran]

I'm off to Inverness in a couple of weeks with a scheduled 5 hour layover at LHR.  Besides prayer, what advice should I follow to maximize my chances for my clubs getting to the airport when I arrive?  Someone mentioned a tracker of some type.  I am told that shipping the clubs separately is not a better strategy.  Of course, the way I'm playing, an excuse could be  useful.

[JohnVDB]

I'm off to Inverness in a couple of weeks with a scheduled 5 hour layover at LHR.  Besides prayer, what advice should I follow to maximize my chances for my clubs getting to the airport when I arrive?  Someone mentioned a tracker of some type.  I am told that shipping the clubs separately is not a better strategy.  Of course, the way I'm playing, an excuse could be  useful.

ShipSticks to the club.


The AirTag is great, but all it will do is let you know where your clubs are which can help or just add to your frustration when you see it.


Last year my GF and I went to Iceland,  when we arrived, my bags came off, but hers was out yet.  We looked up the Air Tag on her phone and her bag was still in Newark.


It did help with dealing with the lady at lost luggage. It also meant that we didn’t spend an extra 30 minutes waiting to see if the bag came out on the carousel.  It was funny the next day when it did arrive in Iceland as we watched it travel all over Reykjavik as the company delivered other lost luggage before hers.

[Paul Jones]

Most mobile airline apps can now track your luggage, I always check to see if my luggage made the flight. 

[Daryl David]

Shipsticks is your answer. If you are going thru LHR, they are as good as misplaced. Good luck ever getting them.


An airline executive once told me he always ships his clubs if it is important that they be there when he gets there. I asked why. He said that the airline’s job is to get the passengers to their destination alive and hopefully on time. Luggage is not their priority. They could care less. Shipping companies live and die based on getting freight from point A to point B on time.  Why would you trust an airline with the success of your golf trip?


I always ship my clubs unless it’s ok if I don’t have my clubs for 3 days after I arrive . That means I always ship. 

[Sean_A]

If folks want insurance which is a damn sight cheaper than Shipsticks, try renting clubs for a few days. Some companies drop off and pick up.

Ciao

[Thomas Dai]

If your clubs never arrive what’s the best recourse or way of ensuring some financial recourse? Claim again the airline, against travel insurance, against the credit card you made the payment with, other?
Atb

[Alan FitzGerald CGCS MG]

DUB is a disaster at the moment, especially T1. Leona McGuire ran into issues getting her bag to the Evian...


https://twitter.com/leona_maguire/status/1548947120484487170?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

[Mike Bodo]

Most of the LPGA golfers don't have the financial wherewithal to fly private. I can definitely see them having problems having their checked luggage and clubs arriving to France for the Evian Championship.

[Michael Whitaker]

Lou - I usually ShipSticks my clubs from US to UK, then check them with the airline for the trip home. That’s worked very well so far. It’s a bit pricey (compared to checking) but it saves on stress and disappointment.


As Sean says, you can rent a premium set of clubs for about £150 a week, which is not bad considering the cost of ShipSticks… if you are on a one or two week trip. A Google search will show you the various rental companies.

[Kalen Braley]

Sage advice gentleman.

It almost seems you want to front load all the touristy sight-seeing and/or visiting family/friends to allow for this! 

P.S.  How well was that mountain of clubs secured in that first post?  Seems like it was ripe for 5 finger discounts for those into that business.

[Mark Smolens]

If your clubs never arrive what’s the best recourse or way of ensuring some financial recourse? Claim again the airline, against travel insurance, against the credit card you made the payment with, other?
Atb

Shipped my clubs via FedEx to Phoenix about 20 years ago for my brother's bachelor party. They made it to Memphis, but then gone. Then FedEx denied my claim, saying that I had not declared the value. My renter's insurance covered the loss (except that I had shipped the clubs in my Dad's Ping staff bag that he won in a better ball with his pro at Scottsdale CC, which obviously couldn't be replaced). I wrote to State Farm's subrogation department offering to sue FedEx for them for free so long as they paid the filing fee. About six weeks later got a tx call from a lady at State Farm -- they'd sent my letter on to FedEx and received a check for the full amount of my claim!

[William_G]

https://www.oregonlive.com/oregon22/2022/07/oregon22-volunteer-team-helps-international-athletes-recover-lost-luggage.html


welcome to Oregon!

[John Handley]

I have an Apple AirTag in my golf bag so even if the airlines doesn't know where it is, I do.

[David Kelly]

I've only used ShipSticks 5 times but that is because 2 of the 5 times have been disasters.

[JohnVDB]

If your clubs never arrive what’s the best recourse or way of ensuring some financial recourse? Claim again the airline, against travel insurance, against the credit card you made the payment with, other?
Atb

If you were on the plane, your credit card won’t help you. You paid for the flight,  it your clubs.  If you paid a separate baggage fee, they might cover that.


Claim against the airline unless you have some wording in the travel insurance regarding luggage.

[Dan_Callahan]

I’m in Ireland right now. My clubs made it over from Boston … but it was a direct flight so I’m not sure it’s possible to mess that up. However, Dublin airport was an absolute mess. Huge piles of luggage all over the place. Lots of panicked people running around trying to locate various items.

[Jim Sherma]

I wonder if any of that luggage piled in Dublin is still there from my trip through 5 weeks ago. Is it continuously flowing in then dripping out, or does some just get stuck there? My clubs missed the connection in Heathrow. They (airport or BA, not sure) had them at my B&B in Moville by 8:00 that evening.

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