How to Organize a 4-Way Golf Bag

Don't treat your golf bag like your grandmother does her purse—as an unorganized receptacle for everything you need and don't need. A golf bag should not only be clean and well appointed but also organized according to a sensible logic that promotes better playing.

There's a logic to the fact that there are 4-slot, 6-slot, 10, 12, 14 slot golf bags, and so on. The four-slot golf bag is designed in a specific way to accommodate certain items in a particular order.

This kind of bag may not work well as an everyday bag, in which the room is somewhat limited. But if you're traveling or going on tour, it's the perfect bag for you to transport your 14 clubs. Here's how we'd organize it. 

How Do You Organize a 4-Way Golf Bag?

The four slots in your golf bag each hold different types of clubs. But that’s not all you’ll need to carry with you on the course. Learn how to arrange the clubs and still fit your other golfing accessories and essentials.

Clubs

The best place to start is with the clubs. Golf bags have their recognizable long, cylindrical shape because of the clubs, and they are the items that call for precise organization. When it comes to balls, tees, apparel, water, and all other accessories, you can place those more or less in any random order in their compartments. But clubs have a specific order in which you should sort them.

First comes woods at the top of the bag and a long iron if you're using one. You want these at the top because they are the longest clubs in your set. The top slot goes furthest into the bag so that it can offer your long clubs the most protection. 

Next, come your irons and short irons. Short irons can go a little bit lower if you have enough slots. 

Last are your wedges, which are the shortest clubs in your set. The subsequent placement is up to you. The putter is one of the shortest clubs in the set, which means it makes sense in the bottom slot with your wedges. But some golfers like to put it at the top with the longer clubs, only because it's a critical club—one you'll reach for often—and you may want it as close to the top as possible.

It's all up to you. Organizing a golf bag is as much about protecting your clubs as it is making it easier for you to play. You don't want to be reaching for your driver on the 18th hole and pull out the wrong club. And you'll want to avoid the embarrassment of pulling everything out so that you can find the right thing!

Cleanliness and tidy organization have links to improved mental health. So organizing your golf bag isn't just good sense—it's good for your health.

Balls

You'll want to store the golf balls in their own pocket. If you are running out of space and must store the balls with another item, it's alright to store them with the apparel, which won't scuff them. 

Golf balls are sturdy little things designed to incur some damage after strike upon strike and fly through the air at sharp velocities. But don't assume that golf balls are indestructible.

Once a golf ball is chipped or dented, the damage will increase exponentially from there. Don't store them with your clubs, tees, or accessories because those hard objects will dent and chip them.

Apparel

Even if you're toting around a smaller golf bag, bringing extra apparel is a great idea. A summer shower could suddenly burst out, you might sweat through a polo before you even make it to the divisive final round, or you might want to change your socks for a dry pair. 

Keep extra threads in a pocket in your golf bag. Any bag with four slots will have enough capacity to hold a golf towel and other essential apparel.

Accessories

Keep your tees, gloves, markers, pitchforks, and even your sunglasses case on you—you know you'll need them!

It's All in the Bag

Do you want to win game after game? It starts with bag organization. Play smoother, faster, and smarter with a well-organized golf bag. Grab the right clubs when you need them, know where your tees are, and have your golf towel at hand. It's all in the bag.

Are you looking for a new four-way golf bag to improve your performance? Shop the STITCH SL2 four-way golf bags and experience what it feels like to play and look like a pro.