5 Things I Never Play Golf Without: Jason Lusk
5 Things I Never Play Golf Without: Jason Lusk Our scratch handicap travel editor loves a minimalist golf bag, but there are a few things he always takes with him, for rain and for shine.
Five things I always take with me on the course? Hmm. I'm a bit of a minimalist, and I walk a lot of courses, 63 of them in 2024. For me it's all about weight, or better said, the lack of it. I normally have about five golf balls in my bag, a handful of plastic tees that last longer than wood tees on a road trip, two Sharpies and one of those little plastic cups to help put a straight line on a golf ball. There's an ancient rangefinder that's on about its 20th battery, and that's pretty much it for my tech. The heaviest part of my bag is the bouquet of headcovers that have sprung up as I've gotten older – Freddie Couples is on to something with all his hybrids.
But there are a few things I take along on any trip that always bring a smile to my face, and a few other items that I won't leave home without that help me deal with any weather, rain and shine.
A (sometimes) lucky Irish coin, $6
I used foreign coins as ball markers for decades, but in recent years I have kept this touristy Irish coin in my pocket. It has part of a traditional Irish blessing on the back – the way I putt, I could use all the help I can get. My favorite part: This coin is dense and easy to grab in my pocket, no fiddling around in a rain suit to find what I need. My young daughter bought it for me in Galway shop, and I bought three backups on my most recent trip to the Emerald Isle. It's about the same size as an American quarter.
St. Andrews pitchmark repair tool, free
As soon as I fished this repair tool out of the starter's box on the first tee of the Old Course, I had a new favorite. Every time I pull it out of my pocket, it reminds of the Home of Golf. The positive memories it evokes are always welcome. It's in keeping with my minimalist approach – effective, sturdy and beautiful in its simplicity. Call me crazy, its shape reminds me of the Starship Enterprise. I wrote that it was free in the heading above, but of course you do have to get yourself to St. Andrews to pick up your own – it's a trip every golfer should make at least once.
Play St. Andrews in 2026
Little Donkey Andy insulated pants, around $50-$60
I've become the Pied Piper of Little Donkey Andy, telling anyone who asks all about these fleece-lined weather pants. Found on Amazon, the brand offers several styles, most of them under the label of hiking pants, all of them with belt loops. I have two water resistant pairs (they've never soaked through) for simply cold, damp and windy days, when temps drops into the high 30s and low 40s. I also have two pairs that are even heartier for truly nasty days, when rain and sometimes ice blows in sideways. Unlike normal rain paints, you wear these all day, never having to pull rain pants on and off. Several high-end manufacturers make beautiful and branded pants that do the same thing, but they tend to run into the hundreds of dollars. With Little Donkey Andy priced so low and with warm pants this good, it's all smiles for me on even the most blustery days on any links course. The brand makes several models with various temperature ratings for men and women.
Shop Little Donkey Andy golf pants
An ultra lightweight golf bag from Titleist, Ping or Sun Mountain, $200-290
Sometimes walking more than 15 miles in a day, I want a carry bag that's effortless to throw across my old-man shoulders. Every pound matters. In recent years, I've used a Titleist Players 4 Carbon bag, a Ping Hoofer Lite and most recently a Sun Mountain 2.5, and each of these has been great – ultra light and still sturdy. This year's model of the Sun Mountain 2.5 weighs in at a featherweight 2.9 pounds and holds a full set with ease. I've used my blue 2.5 for more than 300 rounds and have taken it on at least 100 flights – all the zippers still work, the legs still pop out and it still weighs next to nothing.
Save 20% on Sun Mountain 2.5 golf bag
Oakley Radar EV Path sunglasses, $231
I wear contacts, and breezes can dry out my eyes to the point of distraction. I've used non-polarized Oakleys for years on the course, ever since my eye doctor told me to avoid polarization that can effect a player's greens reading. I bought this latest model last year and have worn them for some 100 rounds. The Prizm lenses were designed for golf, never too dark but still providing dry-eye relief.
Shop Oakley Radar EV Path sunglasses
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