If You Had Only Five Clubs to Play With…

[3Putt]

Using my home course as a guide I'd go with Driver, 4 iron, 8 iron, SW and putter. Two of the par three's I could hit with the 4 iron, the other two with the 8. I can set up good 3rd shots on the par 5s with Driver/4 iron and the lone uphill par 5 I could go Driver-Driver.

BigDog, SW and putter are the scoring clubs so you have to bring them.

[Shooter McGavin]

Also judging from my home course, I would go with: driver, 5 iron, 7 iron, 56 degree and putter. At least if I wanted to go for broke. If I wanted to play conservative, I might switch out my driver for my 19 degree hybrid.

[ks8829]

Driver 230-270 yards and long par 3s about 230 yards,
3 wood par 5's and If I need anything around 180-230 yards
8 Iron 100-150 yards
56 wedge 90 and around the green
putter also use around the green, texas wedge

My buddy can play half shots by choking up on his clubs including his driver. He usually chokes up a inch or two and sometimes more. I trying to learn to do the same.

I am going to challenge my buddy with a five club 18 hole round after reading your post. I think It makes you appreciate your 14 clubs and forces you to be creative around the course with the 5 clubs you have. I will have to practice my distance control and make sure I still accelerate through the swing.

it should be fun!

[albatroz]

Have had the chance to play for money with scratch players evry now and then . We have the 5 or less club format . I play with Three clubs . 3 iron , 7 and a putter . Usually i end up even for the round and the others make plus 2 or 3 and end up paying me almost all the time . When i was a kid i only used one club which was a five iron . I learned to make all the shots in golf . This training has help me understand the fundamentals involved in a golf swing .

[donkba]

driver - tee shots
9i - 150yrds
60* - 100yrds
56* - bunker shots
putter - putt

[shnielsen]

3 wood, 6 & 9 iron, sw & putter. I think I could lower my hcp if I left the other clubs at home...

[Matt M]

Great question, the thing I think we see is how quick everyone jumps away from driver. There would probably an improvement in some scores right there for many people. I also think that after a round or two you would be suprised how close your scores would be with just 5 clubs or 14. We all would benefit with the extra feel and shot making it would force us to learn an use.

[reid]

Driver, utility wood, 7 iron, sand wedge, and putter. I did it yesterday and shot 75 (about 3 strokes higher than my average). I didn't play that well. It didn't affect my game at all , really.

[lamebums]

Great question, the thing I think we see is how quick everyone jumps away from driver. There would probably an improvement in some scores right there for many people. I also think that after a round or two you would be suprised how close your scores would be with just 5 clubs or 14. We all would benefit with the extra feel and shot making it would force us to learn an use.

Well, I don't know about the others but in my case the 3 wood is good for distance as well as off the fairway. I can't hit a driver off the fairway (although I have seen people attempt it, with varying but usually poor degrees of success).

I'd probably lose just as many shots off the tee as usual when I try to cut that corner with a 3 wood instead of my usual driver though.

[hipcheck4u]

Putter (duh)
Sand wedge (need it for bunkers, pitching, and chipping with little green to work with)
8 iron (middle range and chipping)
5 iron (middle-long range)
5 wood (long range and tee shots, and I trust this club more than my 3 wood)

This sounds like a fun challenge to take sometime!

[reid]

All of us should do this every once in a while. I tried it yesterday with a driver, utility wood, 7 iron SW and putter and sho 3 strokes higher than my average. I had to use my brain a little. It was a good exercise.

[eirvev]

Putter, 3-wood, SW, 5iron and a 9 iron.

Played an 3-club tournamnet, selected: putter, PW and a 5iron. I actually played better then my hcp!!!! 1 point better:=) ( 9 hols)

[stevestrike]

3-w, 5-i, 7-i, PW, Putter

Game on!

[Hacksaw]

5 wood
6 iron
8 iron
GW
Putter

[MasterOfTheBogey]

This is a pretty good question to ask.

I chose:

3H 21* - If I want to I can swing for the fences with this club
6I - Second strongest club in my bag - all about confidence
8I - Strongest club in my bag - Anything within 180 and could probably reach with 8I
LW - 100 and in, its a lifesaver
Putter - I can putt with my lob wedge but I needed another club so I choose the putter.

[choran]

Driver
5
7
PW
putter

[CPHoya]

I've actually played my home course with only irons a couple of times, and you can score just fine without any woods - you're in the fairway all day . It's super great practice.

Still, I'd go with:

2i Hybrid - tee shots, par 5 second shots, and long approaches
5i - par 3s and closer approaches (would be a lot of 2iH,5i going on on par 4s)
8i - approaches, short par 3
GW (52º) - everything else
Putter - duh, this will still be at least 30 strokes

Cool thread.

[Crafty]

3 wood
5 iron
8 iron
54* Wedge
Putter