What Your Summer Golf Bag Should Look Like... Including These 6 Additions

Playing the game in the summer months, when the course becomes a lot drier, presents many different challenges. Faster-running fairways, tighter lies, firmer greens and thicker rough turn the course into an altogether different beast. With this in mind, you might benefit from making a few changes to your bag.

We're not going to suggest anything too radical, but some subtle tweaks and additions to your summer golf bag can help you to master the changing conditions and, importantly, keep you nice and comfortable.

LOW BOUNCE WEDGES

In firmer conditions, you might want to consider playing with low bounce wedges, which work best on hard fairways and tight lies. With less bounce, the leading edge sits closer to the tight turf and makes it a little easier to slide the ball under the club.

Bounce typically ranges from 2°-18°, with low bounce considered to be anything up to around 6°. Higher bounce wedges - which is what you might currently have in the bag - excel in softer conditions.

You might find you end up with a few different options which you swap and change according to the time of year you play and the type of course. However, we'd always recommend getting advice from your club pro because there are other factors to consider here, such as angle of attack.

A HIGHER-SPINNING BALL

Hitting a lovely approach shot straight at the pin only to see it bounce through the green can be very frustrating. However, you can't always blame it on bad luck or greens that are too firm - judging distance and playing the conditions is part of the game.

So too is choosing the right equipment, and if you're constantly seeing the ball bounce through the green after a well-struck shot, maybe you would benefit from switching to a higher-spinning golf ball.

The best premium golf balls, which include balls like the Titleist Pro V1, Srixon Z-Star and TaylorMade TP5, might cost in excess of $50 a dozen, but these balls offer superior levels of spin and can help you to hold firmer greens in the summer months. Maybe switch to playing a yellow ball, too, because they're a lot easier to spot in the long rough!

ULTRA LIGHTWEIGHT BAG

Every golfer should have one of these - an ultra lightweight bag with just the one or two pockets, perfect for a quick nine holes on a warm, sunny evening. When the weather is nice, you don't need to carry an awful lot - and it can actually be very good fun to go out with just a half set of clubs. Today's best golf stand bags are a lot lighter, but then you have these ultra lightweight offerings, which are even more practical for the summer.

AN EXTRA/DIFFERENT GLOVE

There's only one part of your body that comes into contact with the golf club at all times - your hands - so you don't want to ever find yourself in a situation where your feel is compromised.

Although the best golf gloves are designed to deal with sweat, there are some golf gloves that are especially good in warm conditions. Those gloves that feature specific fabrics to help wick away moisture and improve grip in humid conditions, feature on our list of the best golf gloves for sweaty hands.

If you're particularly fond of a certain golf glove, just pack an extra pair so that you can swap over should you start to feel your grip slipping.

A PUTTER WITH LESS LOFT

We're not suggesting that you immediately go out and buy a new flat stick for the summer, but using a putter with less loft might be something you experiment with or ask your pro about.

The standard loft on a putter is around 3.5°. Playing with a model that has a touch more loft can help on greens that are 'fluffy' or a little bumpy, as it gets the ball moving quicker across the grass.

Come the summer, however, we'll often play on more tightly cut, faster greens, which is when having less loft - something around 2.5°-3° - can produce better results.

SPIKELESS SHOES

The firm fairways and harder ground in the summer definitely calls for a change of footwear. You rack up thousands of steps over the course of a four-hour round, and in these types of conditions your feet can start to feel sore.

Get yourself a spikeless pair for the summer to better deal with these conditions and a spiked (preferably black) pair for the winter. A white pair isn't going to get as dirty in the drier conditions, either, while a black spiked pair will be perfect for the winter when the ground gets softer and muddier.

ALSO PACK...

Tick removal kit, sunscreen & insect repellent

It's that time of year when you start hearing stories about nasty insects, with golfers sharing pictures of swollen limbs and gruesome bites.

Most bites can be treated with over-the-counter medicines, but some creepy crawlies can leave people feeling very poorly. Lyme disease, for example, which is carried by ticks, can lead to all sorts of complications. With the rough up, and with lots of golfers wearing shorts, this is bite season.

If you don't already carry a tick removal kit in your golf bag, make sure you get one - and keep it there along with your insect repellent and sunscreen.

Water bottle

Obviously this is an essential piece of golf kit full stop. However, you'll often find yourself dry after a few holes in the summer - which is why you need a decent golf water bottle, one that holds at least 32 ounces and keeps its contents cold for hours.

Suitable headwear

If you're going to play a lot of golf in the summer, a golf cap that offers the best UV protection is a must. A lot of golfers have a tatty old favorite in the bag, and wearing one of these is obviously a lot better than not wearing one at all. However, the best golf caps are designed to offer maximum protection and comfort.

Sunglasses

This is another must have. As well as protecting your eyes from the sun's rays and providing a shield against pollen, the best golf sunglasses can actually help with your game. It's easy to lose track of your ball when the sun is out, which is especially annoying when you know you haven't hit it too far off line.

Have we missed anything? Less us know below down in the comments.