11 Golf Bag Essentials For Autumn And Winter That Every Golfer Needs

The perfect golf bag setup in autumn/winter is very different to the spring/summer configuration.

It’s much heavier, packed with more clothing and accessories, and sometimes - quite literally when you start jamming all your layers into the side pocket - bursting at the seams.

So, what’s essential and what can you leave out? Only the 11 most important autumn/winter golf accessories make it onto the list below. So, if you’re short of one or two of these items, you best get shopping… fast!

WINTER MITTENS

Ones that have that pouch in which you can place those little hand warmers are particularly good. Extra toasty for those who lose the feeling in their fingers pretty quickly.

The best golf mitts have a lovely soft feel, usually thanks to a fleece lining. Remember to pop them back in your golf bag if you've been using them on dog walks.

FLASK

Come the winter you absolutely must have a flask - an insulating one that will keep your tea/coffee/soup hot for 18 holes. Lovely.

There is another kind of drinking vessel that some golfers have been known to carry in the colder months - just for the occasional sip, of course, to help with circulation and all that.

Umbrella

Golf umbrellas are a lot different to the type you might use on the commute to work, especially tour ones. For those extremely wet and windy days on the course, you need one that can cope with sideways rain and very strong gusts.

Scorecard holder

It’s not just that wicked hook of yours that can ruin a scorecard - so does the rain. What you really need is a nice leather scorecard holder, which will offer a lot more protection than your back pocket.

A sodden scorecard is no good to anyone, and will only irritate the person who has to try and make sense of your score.

Thermal hat

It’s actually a myth that you lose most of your body heat through your head, but a thermal hat is still crucial.

It’s the ears that go - and once they do, it’s painful! A bobble hat should never leave your golf bag during the winter months. Never.

If bobble hats aren’t your thing, how about a bucket hat? These are back in fashion (I think), and are very effective at keeping distracting droplets of water out of your face.

Snood

Now, if you really do feel the cold - especially in your top half - you’ll definitely benefit from getting yourself a golf snood.

No one will laugh at you; in fact, lots of clothing brands have a snood in their autumn/winter collection, and you’ll even see the pros wearing them on the odd occasion when they aren’t playing somewhere warm and sunny.

If you play a lot of links, where a cold sea wind whips across your course, there’s no better garment for keeping out the cold.

Winter/waterproof gloves (And Spare)

Have you ever reached into your golf bag when the heavens have opened and realized you haven’t packed your winter/waterproof golf rain gloves? It’s not a good feeling.

It doesn’t matter how heavy the rain gets, the best rain gloves provide exceptional grip. Always have one of these stored in your bag.

Waterproofs

Well, yeah, of course. If you play a lot of winter golf, it’s worth investing in a premium set of waterproofs - so trousers and a jacket, and maybe a waterproof/repellent layer or two.

The beauty of the best golf waterproofs is that they are now so lightweight, and they can easily to folded up and stored away in your bag.

Spare Towel

Golf in the autumn and winter months can get pretty messy, what with muddy fairways and wet sand.

It helps to have an extra towel packed away, which is handy out on the course and also when you want to clean yourself up before stepping foot in the clubhouse afterwards.

Gilet

A gilet really comes into its own in the autumn, when there’s just a bit of a chill in the air.

Pretty much all of the clothing brands now have golf gilets (or vests) in the range - it ticks so many boxes: decent warmth, quick to pull on and off in changeable conditions, and without sleeves it has the advantage of not restricting your swing.

Bright golf balls

Yellow, red, purple, green, orange…there are plenty of high visibility golf balls on the market these days.

Even if you’re a player who never strays away from playing with the best premium golf balls, most brands offer their top models in yellow.

There’s now less of a stigma attached to playing with a yellow golf ball, which is far easier to find if you stray off line, especially in gloomy conditions.