Why do we carry 13 or 14 clubs?

SVonhof

I played in a 3 clubs and putter event last night. 9-holes, normal length course and I picked driver, 7-iron and gap wedge.
I shot a 42, net 34 for a team event (85% handicap). I tied my low round for the twilight season (I played 10x). I had 2 putts that came 2 inches short of dropping in and I missed one from 3 feet that I should never miss so it could have been even better.

Why can't I do that regularly with a full set?

Par4QC

SVonhof Why can't I do that regularly with a full set?

What you may not realize, you are doing the same thing even when your bag is full. I carry 5 irons always, but sometimes only use 2 of them in a round. Same with the other clubs in the bag; may use 1 or 2 of the hybrids, but seldom all 3 or even 2. Take note next time out with the full bag.

scotts33

https://golfbuzz.com/d/5241-minimalist-golf/229

I normally carry and walk with 8. I haven't played a 14 club set in 7 years or more.

SVonhof

If I was going to carry, I would drop to 7 or 8 clubs. I do have a push cart and it would likely roll better if the bag wasn't as loaded. I may do that for one of my upcoming rounds.

Weirfan

Because we can

LBlack14

Weirfan is that the same as "why not"?

johnnydoom

The rules of the game allow it and I'd hate to hit a good drive and then find I don't have a club that can effectively reach and hold the green. I'm not a good player, but that means two things. If my drives only go 230 yards then I could be hitting anywhere from sand wedge on a 300 yard hole or a 4 iron on a 410 yard hole, both of which are part of the yardage mix on the courses I play at the length I like to play them. Second, my drives often only go 210 instead of 230 which can mean I now need a 3 hybrid or 4 wood to reach that 410 yard hole. And this doesn't even take into account that there are a few holes in my area with sharp doglegs at around the 180 - 220 distance or risk reward obstacles right at my usual driver distance from the tee.

Does it make any difference to my score? Not really, except for those rare occasions when my driver is pretty good and my iron contact is very good. I do realize that there is more than one way to skin a cat and do not think it is a bad idea to carry a lesser number of clubs. It's just not something I'm interested in doing as I don't generally carry my clubs, but either use a trolley to pull them or play from a riding cart. But I do use almost all of the clubs in my bag in almost every round. The 4 wood, 3 hybrid, or 4 iron do sometimes go a round without being touched and even if they do get used my odds of sticking a green with them off the turf is pretty low.

garyt1957

johnnydoom It seems like a badge of honor to some people and I don't really get it. I definitely don't use every club in my bag every round but I never know what 10 or 11 I might want to use. I carry 13, I used to carry two drivers for fun but since I got the G400 Max there's nothing to improve on that. I could add a wedge, but I'm not a multiple wedge guy. If I carried I could drop two hybrids and just choke down on my 5 wood to get those distances, I've done that before.

mikeintopeka

At the other end of the spectrum, I have made the conscientious effort on occasion to play all 14 clubs in my bag when on my home course 'back in the day'. It was fun and kept my head in the game vs going through the motions. Examples: Par 5 sometimes reachable with driver and 3 wood. I would use a 5 wood to lay up to tick that box. Or, use a long iron off the tee on par 4's and then have to use a long iron for the approach. I generally scored the same or better. Once, I had to place my approach in the sand trap on #18 to tick the box on my SW. That was kind of counterproductive but normally I don't have trouble finding sand during a typical round.

Oh, the head games we play during this great game of golf.

Spuzz

Played 18 yesterday on a 6000 yard course, soggy, some rain, windy, chilly and warm.
Used all 16 clubs in my bag at least twice each.
:/

ode

I carry 12.....used everyone yesterday at my home course. This year I added a 5w which has been a good addition. Hit higher than my 3w and it fits the gap between 3h and 3w nicely. Also replaced 4 or 5h with a 5 driving iron, which fits in well 3h is 20 * and 5di is 25 *. I stop at SW which does all I need around the green, can flop if needed. I suppose I could learn how to use a 58-60 * wedge but at this time just don't see a need for it! Probably the most functional bag I've ever had.

Plus it leaves me two options for test clubs😉

Weirfan

At Desert Storm, if you don't have MORE than 14 clubs you would be ridiculed 😉
Greater than 14 is encouraged

A few years ago when I arrived in Phoenix for my first round and and Baab brought me my clubs it had 27 clubs ......and no putter. True dat ! There is a backstory and I have since paired it down to 18/19.

fatshot

I played Thursday and, in thinking back, I think I used every club in the bag except for my PW. I carry all 14
(actually use a push cart when I play), but may drop 1 of my fairway woods next year, b/c it's become less
reliable. It just seems to make more sense to me that IF the rules allow it, I should take advantage of. it.

sdandrea1

8 or 9 is all I ever need.

Typhoon

Early in the season while we were Covid-closed I played our front 9 with ONLY a 7 iron and shot even par. Hit all 9 greens in regulation too. Normally its 6 clubs.

Back 9 it’s a lot of different clubs

Spartan

I only carry 12 and there's one club I haven't been willing to risk using all year.

hobbit

I think its about eliminating indecision - in this case, by eliminating choices. Same goes for pin seeking. Our old pro always claimed we would all shoot better scores if he removed the flags from the holes so we didn't know where the hole was until reaching the green. For the majority of golfers - he's right!

Case in point was today - a very heavy fog in the morning. We could not see the fairway or the flag for 8 holes. When the fog cleared, our scores declined. Each team scored better on the front than on the back. All due to us thinking we have more accuracy than we truly do.

'How much to clear that bunker?'
'I'm between clubs, what do I hit?'
'What is it to the front of the green?' Etc.

Just hit the Fn' fairway!
Just hit the Fn' green!
...and we all shoot better.

rsvman2

I usually carry 14. I went to the trouble of buying a big-ass bag that had a separate holder for each club..... it would be insulting to not fill the darn thing up, wouldn't it?

golf_bhoy

Usually 13 in my bag but more recently 14 as I trial my "reserve" hybrids and 3 woods. That's in a cart bag so it doesn't matter whether some of them go unused or not, and that would depend on how I'm hitting it off the tee . On a good driver day the hybrids/longer irons only come out on 3 or 4 holes, but it's good to know they're there if I need them.

If I'm carrying it's a pencil bag with 7 or 8, no more, for a quick 9. I can play 9 in about 70 minutes if there's room to cut in at certain points on the course, that includes playing 2 balls occasionally or rehits when I'm working on something.