Yes, you can. No MTA rule bans golf clubs. The rules on what you may carry are about size, wheels and safety, and a golf bag on your shoulder clears all three.
What the rule says
The subway's rules of conduct are a state regulation, 21 NYCRR §1050.9. Part (g) bans three things: a wheeled cart more than 30 inches long or wide, an item long enough to stick out of a car's door or window, and anything that is a hazard or gets in other riders' way.
What that means for a golf bag
- A carry bag or stand bag on your shoulder is fine. It is not a cart, and it fits through a car door.
- A travel case on wheels is our one caution. Most are longer than 30 inches, so the wheeled-cart limit may cover one. That is our reading of the rule, not an MTA ruling. If you are going to a simulator, you rarely need the case.
- Keep the bag out of the doorway and off the seats. Blocking doors, stairs and passageways is what the MTA asks riders not to do.
When to ride
The MTA's own advice for anything big is to avoid rush hour and not to carry more than you can manage yourself.
Where to take it
The map shows every place we list by the train that gets you there.