What's In your Golf Bag? Need Recommendations

[BeautifulLie]

Hello, I just started golfing this season regularly, mainly practicing at the golf range to work on my swing, with a few rounds of golf. Now, I do not have a full bag of golf clubs as of yet, so I need to decide what clubs I should have in my golf bag.

At the moment i have:
Cleveland Hibore XL Tour Driver 9.5°
5-PW Adams Idea(improvement clubs)


This is what I was thinking my golf bag would look like;
13 Clubs in it at the moment.


Driver
3Wood
5Wood
3Iron
~23° Hybrid
5-PW Irons
Sand Wedge
Lob Wedge
Putter

I'm not exactly sure what else I should include, other then maybe a gap wedge, but I don't really think it's necessary. Also, what clubs do you prefer to get out of light rough, and heavy rough while not around the green? Alot of the pros seem to be using 5 woods to get out of rough, as well as hybrids. But i'm not sure what hybrids they use to get out of tough rough.
Any recommendations for me :P? I'm a high-mid handicapper at the moment.

Oh, as well I have no preferences on club manufacturers other than I seem to enjoy cleveland products when I have a chance to use them.

[dbuck]

Without knowing anything about your swing, strength, etc., I would suggest the following:

A fairway wood with 15-18* of loft -

A couple of hybrids 20-26* (I must admit I am no guru on hybrids, but something that covers the distance between the fairway wood and your 5-iron)

A wedge of about 50-54 loft that has some bounce but not so much that you can't use it from tighter lies.

A dedicated sand wedge of about 55-56 degrees.

Don't know how you are hitting your driver, but if you are having difficulty with getting it in the air or keeping it straight, try something like 10-11* and a shaft that matches your ability and swing speed.

As for hitting out of the rough, it depends on the lie. Short rough and ball sitting up, anything you feel confident with and can get on the ball and get up. Heavy rough and ball sitting down, forced carry over hazard, obstacles in way, etc.- usually better to wedge it out to the fairway and reset.

[ghalfaire]

Probably a +1.7 handicap should be advising me and not the other way around. But since you ask here is my thoughts. I for sure would dump the 3I and get a 19 or 20 degree hybrid. There isn't one formula for getting out of the rough. You need to look at the lie and then decide what club you need based on you abilities. Sometimes you need a wedge and just be happy to reach the short grass and other times going for the green is a good idea. I personally carry a gap wedge and find it very useful for those awkward distances between the sand and pitching wedge.

[kpaulhus]

Probably a +1.7 handicap should be advising me and not the other way around.

Yeah.....thats gotta be a typo.

[BeautifulLie]

Yeah.....thats gotta be a typo.

aw yes, when i first signed up i was unsure of my handicap and i forgot to change it since