more than 14 clubs

[wedgeman]

I just want to clarify if I'm correct on this or not. If i have more than 14 clubs in my bag at the beginning of a round (before teeing off on the first hole) i can declare that one of my clubs will not be used, and i will not be penalized. Am i correct on this?

[SCfanatic35]

Not to my understanding. 14 is the max regardless of how many of those you use.

Question is, why would you have 15 if you weren't going to use them?

[SCfanatic35]

Decision 4-4c/1, says that you cannot knowingly start a round with more than 14 clubs and declare one of them out of bounds.

Penalty is 2 strokes per hole, and a maximum of 4 strokes.  If you noticed the 15th club after starting the round then you would still be penalized and that's when you can declare the club out of bounds and you couldn't use it the rest of the day.

[wedgeman]

Thanks! And i don't do this, i was just wondering for future reference.

[SCfanatic35]

I'm wondering which club would you have to get rid of if you had more than 14? Is it any club you choose to get down to 14? Does it have to be clubs you haven't used yet?

[wedgeman]

Hmm, that's a good question. You would be penalized for it. but im not sure if you would have to declare clubs to not be used or do you continue with more than 14 since you have already been penalized.

[SCfanatic35]

Yes you do have to declare one of them out once you discover the breach of 14 clubs. That is in rule 4-4c

[SCfanatic35]

It says in the rules that if you do not declare the club out of play you will be disqualified.

[Rulesman]

Originally Posted by SCfanatic35

I'm wondering which club would you have to get rid of if you had more than 14? Is it any club you choose to get down to 14? Does it have to be clubs you haven't used yet?

4-4c says - The player must not use the club or clubs for the remainder of the stipulated round .

This implies that the club may have been used before the discovery.

[SCfanatic35]

Originally Posted by Rulesman

4-4c says - The player must not use the club or clubs for the remainder of the stipulated round.

This implies that the club may have been used before the discovery.

So if you do have 15 in your bag, you realize it on hole 3, which club must be the one you declare out of play? The one the guy accidentally added to the bag? Or does he just choose 1 of the 15 and it's out?

I have never seen anyone have more than 14 in there bag for a tournament, but just curious.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by SCfanatic35

Decision 4-4c/1, says that you cannot knowingly start a round with more than 14 clubs and declare one of them out of bounds.

Penalty is 2 strokes per hole, and a maximum of 4 strokes.  If you noticed the 15th club after starting the round then you would still be penalized and that's when you can declare the club out of bounds and you couldn't use it the rest of the day.

You can't even unknowingly start the round with more than 14 clubs.  The only time you can get away with it is if it happens after you arrive on the first tee and the excess club is placed in your bag accidentally by a member of your group.  New in 2012, Decision 4-4a/6 covers this (follow link).

[Dormie1360]

Originally Posted by SCfanatic35

So if you do have 15 in your bag, you realize it on hole 3, which club must be the one you declare out of play? The one the guy accidentally added to the bag? Or does he just choose 1 of the 15 and it's out?

I have never seen anyone have more than 14 in there bag for a tournament, but just curious.

I think you're asking if the 15th club was added before the round?  In that case you can declare any club out of play when you discover the infraction.  The rules don't care which 14 clubs you keep.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by Dormie1360

Quote:

Originally Posted by SCfanatic35

So if you do have 15 in your bag, you realize it on hole 3, which club must be the one you declare out of play? The one the guy accidentally added to the bag? Or does he just choose 1 of the 15 and it's out?

I have never seen anyone have more than 14 in there bag for a tournament, but just curious.

I think you're asking if the 15th club was added before the round?  In that case you can declare any club out of play when you discover the infraction.  The rules don't care which 14 clubs you keep.

But keep in mind that by hole 3, you have incurred 4 penalty strokes (stroke play), or lost the first 2 holes (match play).

[phan52]

A couple of years ago, we had one of our big money two day events, when a bag room boy was cleaning the clubs of the guy who was the leader in the clubhouse. He noticed there were 16 clubs in the bag and he told the outside operations manager. He went over to the grille and asked the guy if he had played the round with 16 clubs and the guy said, "Yeah, what's the problem?"

Signed scorecard, so he was disqualified. Cost him and his partner a boatload of money. How can you pay dues and belong to a private golf club and not know the most rudimentary rules?

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by phan52

A couple of years ago, we had one of our big money two day events, when a bag room boy was cleaning the clubs of the guy who was the leader in the clubhouse. He noticed there were 16 clubs in the bag and he told the outside operations manager. He went over to the grille and asked the guy if he had played the round with 16 clubs and the guy said, "Yeah, what's the problem?"

Signed scorecard, so he was disqualified. Cost him and his partner a boatload of money. How can you pay dues and belong to a private golf club and not know the most rudimentary rules?

Unreal!  You have to really wonder sometimes.

[SCfanatic35]

I dont think I have ever had more than 14 clubs in my bag ever. Not in my house, car, and definitely not when I'm near large grassy areas.

[phan52]

Originally Posted by SCfanatic35

I dont think I have ever had more than 14 clubs in my bag ever. Not in my house, car, and definitely not when I'm near large grassy areas.

I did tee off one day with 15 because I was down on the range with a number of wedges, trying to figure out which ones I was going to use that day (I have about 7-8 wedges). It was just a friendly match and I noticed it before I got to the first green. I just declared I wasn't using my 54 that day (which was the decision I had made on the range). I wasn't going to take it out of the bag and leave it out there.

[Wansteadimp]

Apparently if you do this on tour you put the club in a tree/bush: -

Woosie launched it at the tree in front of everyone - actually pretty much the whole golfing world as he was in the last group of The Open at the time.

The caddie last year tried to do it on the sly, got his man DQ'd and got himself banned from the Euro tour.