We are by nature hunter-gatherers. We hunt for performance, the next best thing, and the big deal. The result is generally that junior golf gear is bought, used for a season and even less - discarded because it's not quite right, or the junior golfer grows quickly out of it. It piles up and your garage could well be mistaken for a golf storage room at the back of the PGA Superstore.
Even with the best intentions of leading a minimalist, uncluttered existence you still manage to collect a ridiculous amount of golf hats, balls, tees, towels, umbrellas, beanies, golf bags, used clubs, push carts and travel bags. Many of which are even used on a regular basis because they are buried in a box or boxes marked (maybe) "Golf Stuff" that take up space in an already over-extended garage. The tee-gifts and "free" hats alone can easily overwhelm a garage or closet!
It's time to take back your garage and deal with all the "stuff" that gives you anxiety every time you look at it (even more anxiety than following your junior golfer around the course while he wears the same hat every time be plays because no-one wants to rummage around in the misplaced mess finding another).
As golf is not a game of perfect, so being organized is not about being perfect - it's about customizing whatever it is you want organized to work for you.
Due Diligence
Junior golf storage issues can be mitigated by being diligent in buying the correct equipment for your junior golfer upfront. Due diligence can include reading the extensive reviews on this site including how to select junior golf drivers, irons for teens/advanced juniors, girls golf clubs, golf balls for juniors, junior golf gloves, junior golf shoes, best push carts, golf club travel bags etc.
We also highly recommend passing on used junior clubs to your local junior program or the The First Tee program. You can even send in adult clubs to Second Swing (with free shipping) and they will credit The First Tee with the value of the clubs.
Golf Hats
Our junior golfers have way too many hats. I have had to be pretty ruthless and override my own feelings of sentiment to get the number down. Honestly they still don't wear many of them (organization is not about being perfect) but nowadays they are at least easily accessible, vaguely color-co-ordinated and take up a relatively small section of the garage wall.
Typical hat racks and storage can be expensive and not very space efficient. The three options below are what we have found to be the most effective golf hat storage solutions.
Cap holders that fit on the back of a door (or they can be attached to a wall), like the CapRack, are popular, cheap and easy to install. The downside of these is that they are relatively limited in the number of hats that can be stored (typically 8 to 10 per rack).
If you have too many hats for something like the CapRack, you may want to consider an alternative. We made the hat rack below with a ClosetMaid Shelf Track Hook Storage Rack. A 60 inch tall Shelf Track rail is the perfect height for 4 of the 8-hook racks. This solution neatly accommodates 96 hats! The hats can also be color coded (e.g. all white hats on one rack) or you can assign racks to different family members.
As for warm, woolen, winter golf hats a Sterilite transparent storage tote is a good option for storage.
Golf Balls
Like typical hunter-gatherers we enjoy finding golf balls on the golf course. If we're playing for fun on our home course and waiting on play, we will sometimes poke around in the high grass around the creeks or in the pine straw in the woods.
We have found a lot of balls over the years that go into large plastic containers in the garage.
The question of course arises - just what to do with this large collection of golf balls and recently we came across a solution. We donated it to our local The First Tee Chapter. For more information read: Interview with The First Tee Atlanta.
Even if you are not close to a The First Tee Chapter, I imagine any club with a junior golf academy would be happy to receive a collection of golf balls.
Golf Equipment and Accessories
It took a long time before we bought a golf storage organizer (actually we bought two - for mom and dad and the boys) and even longer before our boys were disciplined enough to put their bags in it - and not just in any free space once out of the car trunk. But our Suncast GO3216 Organizers have made a big difference in our golf storage woes.
The Suncast GO3216 Golf Organizer easily stores two golf bags with shelving for golf shoes, towels, balls and smaller accessories like gloves and tees. It is easily assembled and the ultimate answer to the dark hole of golf equipment chaos that used to be our garage.
As far as storing accessories like golf tees, markers, divot repair tools - ziploc bags will do the trick. If you want something a little more durable we also recommend a See Through Tool Pouch.
We seem to collect golf umbrellas - largely because we often don't remember to take a couple with us and find it pouring with rain at our tournament destination and resort to buying another in the pro-shop. There are fancy umbrella stands that might look very nice in your garage but probably don't hold very many and cost more than necessary. We find a 5-gallon bucket does the trick very nicely. In addition to our golf umbrella collection, we also store alignment sticks and the Orange Whip in the buckets. See more about the benefits of these in Best Golf Training Aids for Juniors.
Golf Storage for the Car
I invariably find myself sitting on a golf tee, or being driven crazy by a couple of golf balls rolling to and fro - clunk, clunk, clunk - as I drive. And don't let me get started on the golf hats, windbreakers and shoes removed and left in the car after practice. I swear it sometimes looks like we live in our car!
The Athletico Golf Trunk Organizer Storage is hardcore organization for the golfer, golfing parent (or non-golfer - it can be used to store anything really!)
It can hold hats, spare clothes, shoes (in well ventilated compartments), golf balls, gloves, towels and other golf accessories. It is durably made with dividers as well as mesh pockets. I just really need to remind my boys to take tees and balls out of their pockets before they get in the car!
Conclusion
In my experience it is great to have a goal of a fully organized garage with all the golf equipment arranged as in a PGA Superstore showroom as opposed to back room storage area. In reality organization is more of a habit than a weekend pursuit. Start small and focus on one thing at a time. Success builds on success as a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. Go ahead and find a Home Depot bucket and stick those ten golf umbrellas you have lying around into it.