How do you pick your club in a one-club round?

[Pete Buczkowski]

Let's assume that you can carry your putter & one club with you on the course.  It may be a whiskey loop, 9 holes, or the whole 18.  Which club do you choose and how do you decide?  How does the tees that you play, and the architecture, factor in your decision?  It would help if you stated what kind of shots you can hit with your chosen club (shape, distance, short game, etc.).

I seek any and all advice just in case I have to defend my BBGE bag tag this weekend.    Thanks.

[Jason Mandel]

bill,
how about out of a bunker (deep greenside), just puch it out sideways?

[A.G._Crockett]

Let's assume that you can carry your putter & one club with you on the course.  It may be a whiskey loop, 9 holes, or the whole 18.  Which club do you choose and how do you decide?  How does the tees that you play, and the architecture, factor in your decision?  It would help if you stated what kind of shots you can hit with your chosen club (shape, distance, short game, etc.).

I seek any and all advice just in case I have to defend my BBGE bag tag this weekend.    Thanks.

Pete,
For what it is worth, the four-time world one-club champion is a guy from Durham named Thad Daber.  He played at N.C. State, then on mini-tours for a couple of years before going in to business in the Triangle area.  He used a 6 iron both years, and shot 70 one year, which was the world one-club record at that time. Check out the link below:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/golf/plus/news/1999/06/29/my_shot/

Best,
A.G.

[Brent Hutto]

My Rescue Mid 4 is about a half-inch longer than my 4-iron and the same as my 3-iron. Compared the advantage of of the clubhead design for chipping and putting the slight extra length is no problem at all. I agree that it would be tough to use in bunkers.

I've played nine holes with a 5-wood and that was probably pretty much like playing with the Rescue. I played bogey golf plus one blowup hole which is my usual game but that day I didn't hit into any bunkers and the course was playing so firm and fast that the 5-wood was going driver distance.

I also played a round with a 4-iron and a lob wedge and that was ugly. I just cannot control my distance putting with that 4-iron. For the last couple holes I borrowed a righty putter from a guy I was playing with an it was an enormous relief.

[Brent Hutto]

If I could ever smash a 4-iron 215 yards I wouldn't care if it was over the green and lost in the woods. Hell, if I could ever hit a shot with any club that could be described as "smashed" I'd be ecstatic.

[Pete Buczkowski]

I wonder how this depends on the skill level of the player?  I usually went out with a 7 iron on these loops, but I wasn't competing with anybody and didn't really give it much thought...it is just the club I feel most comfortable controlling distance and shape.  

A 4 or 5 iron seems like a good choice, but I doubt I could hit any decent shots over bunkers or have any touch on 30-40 yard shots.  I imagine you have to be a low marker to make a low iron work, but you would gain a nice advantage.

AG - thanks for the link.  We'll miss you this weekend.

[mike_malone]

 We used to play one-club freethrow. On each hole one gets a free throw that does not count as a stroke. A 4 hdcper I played with shot a 27 using his 4-iron .

[Pete Buczkowski]

Part of a one-club tone-a-mint is strategy.

An example:

Try really hard to play away from deep bunkers

Play safer, more strategic balanced shots

These things (T-a-m's) can do a lot for you teaching you to play the game with 5, 7 or all 14 clubs more strategically.........

D-oh!

Bill,

Clearly strategy is key in a 1-club round.  This includes choice of club...which club helps you follow your strategy the most?  That's the main reason why I shy away from a rescue club or long iron - I just don't have as much control with those clubs and can cause a big # quickly.  For me the key is not making doubles, hence my choice of 7 iron; but then again I am not a good player...

[Mike Benham]

4 or 5 iron, depending on your ability to hit what are basically flop shots with it (if you've got really good hands, you can go with 4, otherwise 5).  I've done this a million times.  

Wait - is this the same guy who won't use a 4 iron for position on a short par-4?

Why not driver ...  

[Lloyd_Cole]

If you can have one club and a putter, isn't that 2 clubs?? I'd putt, drive and hit long fairway shots with my driver and take a 7 iron for everything else. All the more reason to have a driver you can hit off the deck.

[Scott_Burroughs]

If you can have one club and a putter, isn't that 2 clubs?? I'd putt, drive and hit long fairway shots with my driver and take a 7 iron for everything else. All the more reason to have a driver you can hit off the deck.

Lloyd,

Pete explained in the original post that it was specifically "one club & a putter".  Most courses don't want people to putt with irons.

My club had this tournament for 2002 and 2003.  Used 6 iron both years, but now I know 7 iron is better.  First year, 6 was the right club, but now, either I'm longer, or the ball is longer, or the turf was firmer, because in 2003 I had far fewer full swing shots, as several of the par 4's from the white tees were similar distance.