The 14 club rule

[inthehole]

I have a bag that accomodates 15 clubs and am occasionally tempted, but when it comes down to it, I always get a major guilt trip & don't do it.      Just think how different the game would be if we could carry just one more club (I'd love to have a chipper, driving iron, left handed 7 iron to get out from near trees, etc - just can't afford the room for one)

[Mr. Desmond]

Drop the 50 or 3H, depending on the course and conditions. You could also drop an iron depending on the course 9i or PW for example.

For me, I would go over the course map or card beforehand and map out your round.

I'd be inclined to move the 3 wood and 3H out of the bag and go to a 4 wood.

[purple drank]

Now a 232 degree hybrid would be a very interesting club !!!:~(. Can't quite picture it :-)

22° typo.... #fail

[TedBinNJ]

I've tried the four-wedge system, but for the course-conditions here a XLob(64) is just too-shallow.

My typical league-play set-up is Putter plus Driver, 3w, 5w, 4h, 5i - 9i, PW(46), GW(50), SW(56) and LW(60).  The modern 3-iron fairly useless and has about as much loft as my 2-iron used to have, or even an old 1-iron blade.  If I really want to add another trouble-wood or the XLob, I'll pull the 6-iron.

What I do find is I have two sets of wedges; one with little-bounce for tight, sparse grass and hard South Jersey sand.  The other set has "modern" bounces for lush condition and resort-play when traveling.  Sometimes I don't even bother carrying the SW(56) since it still has WAAAAY too-much bounce for the unraked, heavy wet-sand bunkers at our local course.

[RickK]

My casual round playing partners could care less what I carry in my bag.  Most of them play in the same tournaments I do.  So, they know if I carry an extra club (15th) and become used to having it I will be at a distinct disadvantage come tournament time.

When I was experimenting with different hybrids, I had more than 14 club in my bag.  Same goes for putters.  But, when it came time for another tournament, I had already decided what 14 clubs would remain in the bag.

[weavej2]

i am surprised a 7.4 handicap has to ask.

[Fourputt]

i am surprised a 7.4 handicap has to ask.

I would be more surprised that anyone who carries more than 14 clubs on a regular basis would think that his handicap has any meaning.

[rehmwa]

I have 16 in my bag right now -

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but it's winter, and I'm using them for indoor range practice......

Added the 4i to work on my swing for long irons - it helps me dial in my contact better.  When I remove it again in the spring, I'm hoping it'll improve my consistency with my 5 and 6i.  Seems to be working - even now my 5i is a lot more consistent - but that could just be all the practice too.

Added the 5w in for practice also - I'm thinking it'll also come back out.  The 2h still seems to be the better choice of the two.  (this is the really hard choice because I just "like" hitting both those clubs)

14 during play.  just because.  Frankly, I should play a lot more with half that just to train in some flexibility and shot control.

for the OP - adding 60 is a big decision for someone that states they use "all they clubs every round" (paraphrased, but that's unusual) - surely there is a tradeoff decision where you think the 60 will give some advantage that is "worth" deleting another club.  If not, then that 60 isn't worth it.  If I deleted my 60, I'm not sure what I'd add back in......so, for me, the 60 is worth it...  But, the 60 is the least used club in my bag.  So that indicates to me that I have 14 that I like just fine.

If I was really fancy, I'd have alternate wedges for different course conditions, and maybe a couple of intermediate woods for courses of various lengths.  But I can afford that and it's just a lot of extra decisions for a hack like me.

Unless your friends are rules nazis, I doubt they care one way or the other and unless it's a tournament, or you guys use your handicaps for ranking or betting, etc or you are betting,.... if not, it's not their business anyway - the person that should care is you....

[liquor box]

I use social rounds for practice so I think using/taking more than the allowable clubs is ok, but not in competition. I often try different tactic for attacking a hole and require extra clubs to decide if it is worthwhile in competitions

[David in FL]

I use social rounds for practice so I think using/taking more than the allowable clubs is ok, but not in competition. I often try different tactic for attacking a hole and require extra clubs to decide if it is worthwhile in competitions

You don't play against any buddies in your "social" rounds?

[Fourputt]

Quote:

Originally Posted by liquor box

I use social rounds for practice so I think using/taking more than the allowable clubs is ok, but not in competition. I often try different tactic for attacking a hole and require extra clubs to decide if it is worthwhile in competitions

You don't play against any buddies in your "social" rounds?

I think I may have played a true "practice" round about 3 times in my life.  Social rounds are still competitions in my groups.

[David in FL]

I think I may have played a true "practice" round about 3 times in my life.  Social rounds are still competitions in my groups.

That's 3 more than I have!

[mazzamouth]

Why do you carry a 4H and a 4 iron?

[Fourputt]

Why do you carry a 4H and a 4 iron?

What makes you think that they are the same?  My 5H replaces my 4 iron, and my 4H replaces my 3 iron.  The longest iron I carry is a 5.

[robrey85]

I only have 13 clubs in my bag right now.

D, 3H 4-AW, 55, 60 & Putter. I can fill all, if not most, yardages except length beyond my hybrid. The way I look at it is, as a 17 handicapper, I have no business going for the green in two so a 3W isn't a huge deal. The only real reason I want a 3W is so I can use it off the tee rather than my 3H. Typically, holes less than 380 I use my 3H, but would rather it be my 3W.

I was considering getting some Cleveland TT/MT combos and leaving out the 3W to have a D, 3H, 4-AW 52, 56, 60 & Putter. That would make from my 9i to 60, 4 degrees difference over my current 5 degree difference. Not sure if I want to do that yet. I'm going to buy a 3W in May and test it out and if I don't like it, switch it out.

[hacker101]

I only have 13 clubs in my bag right now.

D, 3H 4-AW, 55, 60 & Putter. I can fill all, if not most, yardages except length beyond my hybrid. The way I look at it is, as a 17 handicapper, I have no business going for the green in two so a 3W isn't a huge deal. The only real reason I want a 3W is so I can use it off the tee rather than my 3H. Typically, holes less than 380 I use my 3H, but would rather it be my 3W.

I was considering getting some Cleveland TT/MT combos and leaving out the 3W to have a D, 3H, 4-AW 52, 56, 60 & Putter. That would make from my 9i to 60, 4 degrees difference over my current 5 degree difference. Not sure if I want to do that yet. I'm going to buy a 3W in May and test it out and if I don't like it, switch it out.

Try a 4w while you are looking at it, if you can get on a monitor you may find you get more out of it then a 3w.

I found that I can hit a 4w (16.5*) longer then a 3w just from the height and carry I get from it. JMO

[joekelly]

What if i carried in my hand, as a cane, my old 7iron but never put that club in my bag?  I also carry, in my bag, 14 golf clubs.  A violation?

[iacas]

What if i carried in my hand, as a cane, my old 7iron but never put that club in my bag?  I also carry, in my bag, 14 golf clubs.  A violation?

If it's a legitimate "club" then yes.