If you’re playing in an open tournament or match play competition, knowing how many clubs you’re allowed to carry is essential.
A number of state and local golf associations adhere to the rules that are set by the United States Golf Association (USGA) regarding the number of clubs allowed in a player’s bag.
There may be penalties incurred if you bring too many clubs on the course, making a quality round of golf a lot less enjoyable.
This guide aims to explain everything you need to know about carrying golf clubs and all the regulations surrounding the rules with it.
In the sections of the article, it will be explained why you might not have access to a full bag of clubs, however, it will also be explained why you should try to use the maximum amount as much as possible.
How Many Golf Clubs Are Allowed?
A golfer is allowed to carry up to 14 clubs at a time, according to the USGA. Among these may be three woods (driver, 3-wood, and 5-wood), eight irons (3-6 iron and pitching wedge), and a putter. That’s the standard 12 clubs that many golfers carry around with them.
Adding to the number of clubs in your bag until you reach 14 is an option you have if you start with fewer than 14 in your bag.
A Standard Set Of Clubs
A typical set of golf clubs offered by golf retailers will typically include a driver, two fairway woods, three irons through nine irons, a pitching wedge, and a sand wedge.
A golfer would pick the putter that you feel is the most comfortable for yourself, to complete the 14. Hybrids are often included in sets instead of 3-irons and 4-irons.
It has been found that some golfers can score just as well with as few as nine or ten clubs. When the player walks the course instead of taking a golf cart, the bag will be lighter and easier to carry.
First Time Investing In Clubs?
If you’re playing in an open tournament or match play competition, knowing how many clubs you’re allowed to carry is essential.
A number of state and local golf associations adhere to the rules that are set by the United States Golf Association (USGA) regarding the number of clubs allowed in a player’s bag.
There may be penalties incurred if you bring too many clubs on the course, making a quality round of golf a lot less enjoyable.
This guide aims to explain everything you need to know about carrying golf clubs and all the regulations surrounding the rules with it.
In the sections of the article, it will be explained why a person might not have access to a full bag of clubs, however, it will also be explained why they should try to use the maximum amount as much as possible.
How Many Golf Clubs Are Allowed?
A golfer is allowed to carry up to 14 clubs at a time, according to the USGA. Among these may be three woods (driver, 3-wood, and 5-wood), eight irons (3-6 iron and pitching wedge), and a putter. That’s the standard 12 clubs that many golfers carry around with them.
Adding to the number of clubs in your bag until you reach 14 is an option the golfer has if you start with fewer than 14 in your bag.
Choosing The Right Number Of Clubs
Before one invests in a full set of golf clubs, you might want to consider whether you like the sport. There are only a few types of clubs you would need to learn how to hit the various shots in golf if you would like to have the minimum number of clubs possible.
To begin with, you would need either a wood club, such as a driver or 3-wood to learn how to hit the ball further. You would also need to learn how to hit accurate iron shots. A 6-iron would be a good choice if you have trouble hitting a 3-iron as it’s a bit easier to hit compared to it.
The pitching wedge would be the best tool to use when practicing short shots around the green. It goes without saying that a putter would be required as well.
It really does depend on the level of experience you have in the sport and how serious you want to take it. The more experience you have the better you will be with more clubs as it will help your performance in competitions.
However, if you are a casual player the best option would be to just limit yourself to the standard amount and not make things too complex.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is no secret that Tiger Woods is the most famous golfer of all time. Nike created its golf division for the purpose of wooing the legendary golfer, and, upon signing Tiger, started designing clubs in the portfolio.
Tiger Woods has 14 golf clubs in his collection, most notably his Scotty Cameron GSS Newport 2 putter, which won him numerous championships.
Each extra club used by the golfer will incur a two-stroke penalty, with a maximum penalty of four strokes per round, for every hole where an extra club was used.
Golfers with match play penalties deduct one hole from their score for each penalty, up to a maximum of two holes per round.
It is generally accepted that the two most important factors for high handicappers are forgiveness and distance. It is advised that golfers with high handicaps do not carry long irons in their bags and they should rely on their fairway woods as much as possible off the tee.
You won’t be able to succeed if all you have in your bag is a pitching wedge. Players with high handicaps need a wide variety of wedges. Start with the basics before you try to go extreme with more clubs.
Believe it or not you can have as many putters as you would like in your bag as long as it doesn’t exceed 14 in the bag in total. It all comes down to personal preference and you finding out what clubs you need in the bag.
Some golfers tend to have two putters in their bag depending on the green they are on and the distance. Having more experience will help you decide.
Conclusion
On a typical day, there are a lot of options that you can pick from when it comes to choosing how many clubs you are going to play with.
Just remember that 14 different clubs are the maximum number of clubs that you are allowed to carry in your bag. Anymore than this and you could receive a penalty for not following the rules of the sport in a tournament.
As long as you are playing for leisurely pleasure, then go ahead and do what you want but this is just a good guide to follow.
As you can see, you don’t have to have all 14 if you don’t want to, and hopefully after reading this you now understand what you need if you want to acquire a complete golf set.
After failing to hit a curveball, Ryan turned to golf more seriously as a teen. He played in high school in and around Scottsdale, Arizona before taking a break through college and his 20s. Today, Ryan spends his weekends playing Torrey Pines as a San Diego resident, working to chip away at his single-digit handicap.
While he's had great mentors along the way, much of Ryan's game improvement has been from study of the game itself. Ryan hopes to give these keys to success to other golfers through his work here at Better Golf Online.
- Mental Fitness for Better Golf: Master Your Mind through the GRIP Framework - April 4, 2023
- Intellectual Golf: Better Golf through Strategy - January 17, 2023
- Implement Your Game: Equipment for Better Golf - January 11, 2023