Duffy Waldorf carries colored golf balls in his bag — the decorating trend started by his family's nanny and continued by his wife, kids and nanny.

A.E. Araiza / Arizona Daily Star

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It's easy to chalk up the golf bag as just another suitcase. A proverbial barrel for transporting golf clubs from one hole to the next.

But little does the typical on-looker know what's hidden in the zippered pockets and un-seen pouches that make up this barrel. For the player on tour, the golf bag is not only a means for transporting clubs. It is a medicine cabinet, refrigerator and humidor.

"You always have something to eat in there," said six-year caddy John Finn. "Plus, you need stuff like Advil, snacks, sunscreen, Band-Aids and rain gear."

Such items are as common as tees and golf balls at this week's Chrysler Classic of Tucson.

In Duffy Waldorf's case, it's colored golf balls.

Since 1992, Waldorf has used golf balls with designs or drawings on them courtesy of family members or loved ones.

"I used to mark my golf balls with seven dots," Waldorf said. "But one tournament we had a nanny with us and she drew designs on them.

"Ever since then, my wife, kids or our nanny has done it."

Throughout his bag, Waldorf can find a variety of Titleist golf balls that have been drawn on from previous tournaments. One has a blue wave on it, another a rainbow, and this week he'll be using one with what could be described as a multi-colored sun.

According to the 21-year professional, his 12-year-old daughter, Kelli, enjoys designing them the most.

"She understands that it's a way to get a message to dad," Waldorf said.

For some players, the food can be just as important as tees and golf balls.

Vance Veazey makes sure to have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich made for his 18-hole trek. The 16-year professional might have some superstitions, but eating a choke sandwich is not one of them.

"With the blood-sugar problems I have, I won't start my round without one," Veazey said of his need for the sandwich. "It's like a trusty driver."

Veazey suffers from hypoglycemia, a condition when the body's glucose level falls abnormally low, making it imperative for him to watch what he eats in the context of a round.

His caddie, Mercer Leftwich, added that Veazey also enjoys a pinch of chew during rounds.

"He's got to have his dip — Skoal," Leftwich said.

Tobacco — smokeless or otherwise — has long been a staple of a tour player's bag. Ben Hogan and Arnold Palmer are a few former pros who spent their 18 holes taking drags and hitting balls.

Jesper Parnevik took this to a new level. In each of his three victories on the PGA tour, Parnevik pulled cigars out of his bag and smoked them just prior to finishing his final round.

It might not be out of the realm to fathom such items could be used during or to get ready for a round.

But what about rocks? Or a hockey stick?

Willie Wood uses a bladeless hockey stick for alignment. Normally, players use another golf club, but he said that the hockey stick serves as a better punching bag than his set of irons.

"It's durable," Wood said.

"When I get mad I can hit it and it takes a beating."

Greg Chalmers carries rocks with him during each tournament.

Reaching into a black pouch, Chalmers gladly brandishes a pair of shiny, black stones; one with a white frog on it and the other with a white bear's paw. Chalmers figures that since they came from his wife, it's best that he keep them with him all of the time.

"They're lucky rocks," Chalmers said in his Australian accent. "One is for peace and the other determination.

"And they're not as heavy as my caddie would have you believe."