Caddy Towel Vs Clip Towel — (Which Is Better?)

caddy towel vs clip towel and what are golf towels used for in tell me more golf ideas

Although often neglected, using a towel when playing golf can both improve your game and act as a confidence booster. Whether it’s your irons or golf balls, golf gear tends to get very dirty after a while, which has all sorts of negative effects on your game. 

An excellent way of cleaning your equipment is by using a golf towel, but choosing which towel to go for can be a challenge considering all the options out there. That’s why we’ve put together this article where we will cover which types of golf towels there are, what they’re used for, and ultimately help you decide which towel to add to your bag by showing some of the best golf towels available.

caddy towel vs clip towel and what are golf towels used for in tell me more golf ideas

What Are Golf Towels Used For?


As one might think, golf towels are used for cleaning golf gear. Golf is a sport where you can get very dirty on occasion, and when you do it’s awesome to have a nice towel to clean yourself with. 

Golf clubs, golf grips, and golf balls must be clean for optimal performance. A dirty clubface will lead to worse impact and make it harder to control the golf ball, as the ball doesn’t make contact with the grooves. Dirty grips will make the club less grippy and make it harder to control the club.

Although you aren’t allowed to pick up and clean a golf ball on the fairway, you can always clean your golf ball on the green.

A perfectly clean and dry golf ball will ensure predictable rollouts and speeds, making putting slightly easier.

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how to use a caddy towel and benefits of using both towels

Golf towels can be used for various instances, and there are two leading contenders: the caddy towel and the clip towel. The caddy towel and the clip towel are usually used for different things, and many golfers have them both in the bag…

but what are the main differences? 

Caddy towels are huge and often twice a clip towel’s size. Their extra size makes caddy towels suitable for cleaning down dirty golf clubs and grips, which is a must when playing golf. Dirt on the face means the contact will be less solid and less consistent. Dirty grooves result in lower spin rates, making it very difficult to stop the ball on the green

On the other hand, clip towels are much smaller and have different suitabilities. Because of its smaller size, it makes more sense to bring the clip towel over to the green to clean and dry the golf ball before putting. Dirty and wet golf balls are less reliable when putting, so always make sure to clean the ball.

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Benefits Of Using Both Towels


caddy towel or clip towel which is more useful

Because caddy towels and clip towels are good at different things, many golfers choose to carry them both. Caddy towels are bigger and are therefore better at wiping down golf clubs, as it takes longer for them to get dirty. In contrast to the clip towel, the caddy towel doesn’t need to be reclipped, making it easier to clean your clubs after every shot. 

Clip towels are smaller, making them easier to bring to the green before putting. Because of their smaller size, you can dunk the towel into the water and ensure a perfectly clean golf ball, giving yourself a chance to make more putts.

How To Use A Caddy Towel


Unlike the clip towel, the caddy towel has an opening in the middle so that you can drape it over a club head. This makes the towel stay in the bag with virtually no risk of falling off. 

So instead of having to deal with an annoying clip or towel loop, you can easily just pull the towel over a club. This is much more comfortable when walking around with your bag, especially on muddy days where you have to wipe down your club after every shot. 

Because of the caddy towel’s bigger size, it takes longer to get dirty. This means that you can often get away with playing multiple rounds before having to clean it. When the towel, at last, does need a cleaning, you can almost always do so with a standard machine wash, but make sure to check the washing labels.

How To Use A Clip Towel


The clip towel is attached to the bag with a clip to a ring. This prevents the towel from falling off the bag, but it can sometimes be tedious unclipping and reclipping all the time.

Because of a clip towel’s smaller size, it’s easy to bring to the green. As previously mentioned, you want to avoid putting with a dirty golf ball at all costs, as the roll will be less predictable. Another great thing about the clip towel is that you can soak it and clean your gear very effectively.

Frequently Asked Questions:


What is a caddy towel used for?

A caddy towel can be used for everything any golf towel can be used for. This includes cleaning golf clubs and their grips, golf balls, and yourself. What makes the caddy towel stand out compared to other golf towels is its size and design.

With a very big design, a caddy towel is perfectly suited for cleaning tons of golf gear. A bigger size also means that you have to wash it less, as it takes longer to get dirty. The hole in the middle design makes it easy to remove and attach to the bag, making it more enjoyable to use. 

What kind of golf towel should I use?

What kind of golf towel you should use depends on what you’re looking for in a golf towel. A caddy towel is very big and easily removed and attached to the bag. This makes it great for cleaning your irons and other golf gear.

On the other hand, clip towels are much smaller and better suited for taking up to the green to clean the ball before putting. Usually, it’s not a bad idea to carry both of the different towels, as they are useful in different ways.  

What towel do PGA caddies use?

Although caddies use various brands for their towels, they all use the caddy towel design. Since the pros on tour need the ultimate performance and reliability at all times, the caddies always do a thorough work of cleaning the gear. 

Because they clean the clubs so frequently, the size and accessibility of the caddy towel makes it the perfect choice. However, many caddies also use a smaller towel like the clip towel around the greens, as it’s more suited for that. 

Why do golf towels have a hole in the middle?

Caddy towels feature a hole or a slip in the middle of the towel. This is done to make removing and attaching the towel to the golf bag easier, as you only have to slide it over any golf club. When it’s muddy out on the golf course or if you just like perfectly clean clubs, a caddy towel’s design will certainly make your golf more enjoyable. 

Which golf towel should I buy? 

Deciding which golf towel to buy is no easy task, as there are plenty to choose from. But to make your decision a little bit easier, the team at TellMeMoreGolf has put together a list of a few choices to consider.

  • Club Glove Golf Towel

The Club Glove Towel is a towel you will find many of golf’s best players rocking. This golf towel features a smooth waffle texture and absorbent microfiber material. Perhaps the best part about Club Glove’s towel is getting two towels in the same package.

One of the towels is a standard caddy towel to clean your gear with, and the other is a smaller pocket towel that you can bring to the green. Club Glove’s golf towel uses a standard caddy towel design with a slip in the middle for easy use and can be found in a wide range of different colors.

  • StickIt Magnetic Golf Towel

Also with a waffle texture, the StickIt Magnetic Golf Towel is a magnetic towel and one of the most popular golf towels out there. The reason for this towel’s immense popularity is because of its magnetic design.

The StickIt caddy towel attaches to all clubs in the bag, including your putter and woods. With probably the easiest to handle design, this microfiber golf towel is super absorbent, machine washable, and high quality.

  • Callaway Golf Uptown Golf Towel (Callaway Tri-Fold Towel)

This Callaway towel uses the clip towel design, meaning that you clip the towel to your bag. Since it’s a clip towel, it’s relatively small, coming in at only 16 x 21 inches. Because of its small size, this towel is perfect for taking with you to the green. 

As a bonus, the towel features a discrete yet always fashionable Callaway logo while also being made out of 100% cotton. Also coming in a wide range of color options, this quality towel is perfect to combine with a caddy towel.

Conclusion: Research by Tellmemoregolf.com

black tell me more golf compressed logo with mottled background information for golfers

While golf towels aren’t exactly the most exciting part of golf, they have a lot going for them. Using golf towels ensures clean golf equipment, which is a must for optimal performance out on the course. 

There are mainly two different golf towel designs, with the caddy towel being the bigger with a center slit, and the clip towel being the smaller with a clip to attach to the bag. Because of their different strengths, many golfers choose to carry them both, but that decision is up to you. Thank you for reading this article from TellMeMoreGolf.com – your golf comparison site.

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Patrick Corley Tell Me More Golf Instructor and Coach
Patrick Corley
From a golf scholarship to a Southern California University, to a private golf coaching career and an instructor position at a nonprofit organization, I’m here to help you get better at golf! With my 50+ years of golf experience; I bring you Tell Me More Golf. A golf coaching website that helps your game with instructional golfing content that’s ultimately geared toward making you a better golfer and having more fun!
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