Attach a golf towel by its fitting. A centre slit goes over the bag's top handle or a club, a loop or eyelet goes on the towel ring or a D-ring (with a carabiner if needed), and a magnetic towel goes on any steel frame. Anchor it at the middle so both ends hang clear of the grass.
The fittings on a golf towel
Every towel hangs from one of five things, or from nothing at all. Knowing which one yours has tells you where it belongs on the bag.
| Fitting | How it attaches | Best on |
|---|---|---|
| Centre slit (a hole in the middle) | Push the towel through its own slit around a ring or handle, or slide the slit over a club head | Towel rings, top carry handles, the clubs themselves |
| Hanging loop | Slips over a ring or D-ring, or clips on with a carabiner | Towel rings, D-rings, strap rings |
| Grommet (metal eyelet) | A clip or carabiner goes through the eyelet | Any ring or D-ring you can clip to |
| Clip or carabiner | Gates onto a ring, D-ring or handle and holds the towel by one point | Bags with a ring but no good way to thread a towel |
| Built-in magnet | Snaps onto steel with no fiddling | Trolley and buggy frames, steel hardware |
| No fitting at all | Drapes or folds over something | The top of the bag, the carry handle |
Where you anchor matters as much as what you use. A towel fixed at its middle hangs as two equal lengths and does not swing. A towel clipped by one corner swings with every step and drags its far end through whatever you are walking over.
The attachment points on a golf bag
Bags give you the same handful of places to hang a towel. The towel ring sits near the top cuff on many bags. D-rings sit on the sides and the strap. There are zip pulls on the pockets, the top carry handle, rings and clips on the straps, and, on a trolley or buggy, the steel frame.
What separates them is height. On a wet UK fairway, a towel hanging low from a zip pull is in the soaked grass by the third hole, and a wet towel cannot dry anything. The ring, the top handle and the strap sit at hand height and well clear of the ground. Zip pulls and low side rings do not.
Anchor a towel high and in the middle, and it stays dry enough to be useful on the last hole.
It also helps to know where each thing goes in the bag itself, which is covered in what goes where in a golf bag.
On a stand bag
A stand bag is carried, then set down on its legs, so the towel needs to be somewhere you can reach with one hand and that the legs do not trap. The best fixing points are the towel ring and the top handle.
If your towel has a centre slit, push the towel through its own slit around the ring or handle. It then hangs as two lengths, one either side, and stays put when you swing the bag onto your shoulder. If it has a hanging loop, put the loop on a D-ring instead. Hang it on the side away from your hip so it does not swing against you as you walk, and avoid the low zip pulls.
A towel with both a slit and a loop gives you both options on a stand bag. The Tour Golf Towel is 40 × 100cm with a reinforced centre slit and a hanging loop, and folded once over a bag ring it hangs as two 50cm lengths.
On a cart bag, trolley or buggy
A cart bag is strapped in, and the top straps can sit right across the towel ring. Use a ring or handle that faces you when the bag is strapped on, or move the towel off the bag altogether and onto the frame.
On a trolley or buggy there is often steel on the frame, and where there is, it makes the easiest anchor of all. A magnetic towel snaps straight onto it and comes off one-handed when you need it. If the frame is not steel, a carabiner on the trolley handle does the same job, and the towel hangs where you can reach it without leaning.
The Magnetic Golf Towel has an N52 magnet with 48kg of pull force, and a heavy-duty carabiner for bags with no steel. Whether a magnet or a clip holds better is a bigger question, answered in clip or magnet: which holds better.
On a pencil bag or Sunday bag
Light carry bags often have no towel ring at all, so you work with what is there. Use the strap D-ring with a carabiner, hang a slit towel from the carry handle, or tuck a short towel under the strap.
A short bag also changes how long the towel can be. A long towel drags on a short bag, so fold it once more before you hang it. The ends should finish well above the ground, not brush it.
Towels with no hole, loop or clip
Plenty of towels have nothing to attach, and that still works. You have three options.
- Drape it over the top of the bag and through the club necks, so the clubs anchor it. This is the traditional caddy drape, and how to set up a caddy golf towel walks through it step by step.
- Fold it over the top carry handle so it hangs in two halves.
- Add a separate clip-on towel holder, which gives any plain towel a point to hang from.
Each of these anchors the towel near the middle, which is the whole point. If you wash it between rounds, how to wash a golf towel covers the method.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do you put your golf towel on your bag?
On the towel ring or the top handle, anchored at the middle so it hangs as two lengths. Both spots sit at hand height and clear of the ground. Avoid low zip pulls, where a towel ends up in wet grass and swings against your leg as you walk.
How do you use a golf towel with a hole in the middle?
Push the towel through its own slit around the towel ring or the top handle, so it hangs as two equal lengths. You can also slide the slit over a club head, or drape it through the clubs so they hold it in place. Either way it stays centred and clear of the ground.
How do you attach a golf towel to a bag with no towel ring?
Clip it to a D-ring with a carabiner, fold it over the top handle, or tuck it under the strap. On a trolley or buggy, use the frame: a magnetic towel snaps onto steel, and a carabiner works on the handle if the frame is not steel.
How do you wash a golf towel with a magnet?
Read the maker's label first. If the magnet does not come out, wash the towel with the magnet in at 30°C, with no fabric softener, then air dry it. Avoid heat, because it weakens a magnet. Check the label before you wash, as makers differ in how their towels are built.
If you are still choosing a towel, the golf towel guide matches the format to the bag.
