How Many Clubs? (continued)

[Tom_Doak]

Picked up Scotland's Gift GOLF tonight to look up something for Chicago Golf Club, and stumbled upon this passage from C.B.:


When I left St Andrews (in 1874) my clubs were tge driver, the grass club, the long spoon, the midfle spoon, the short spoon or baffy, tge wooden niblick, the cleek, the midiron, the lofter, the iron niblick, and the wooden putter - seven wooden clubs to four of iron.


To-day (1927) these wooden clubs are practically discarded.  I now play with a cross between a driver and a brassy . . . I have a driving iron, a light iron, a mashie, a niblick, and a putter - six clubs, only one of yhem wooden.  If you carry more clubs, you are always in doubt which to take, and while you are musing and trying to determine the right club, you have begun to lose your confidence as well as your concentration.

[Steve Lang]

   Seems fairly right,,,


grew up playing 3-5-7-9, D, 3 W, putter, &  didn't have wedges till college.... sub-bogey no problem..


Hiked Memorial recently with my 4, 6, 8, 10, D, 2W, 5W, & P... nice light bag makes for an easy  walk in the Park, and very quick shot selection....half bogey, no problem..  Just matriculate down the fairway, get it in the hole,.. 

[John Emerson]

12 year old Srixon D, Ping 3w, titleist PT hybrid. 5,7,9, pw (mizuno mp32) (15 yr old Cleveland) 56 wedge, odyssey straight shaft blade putter.  9 clubs.  Occasionally I’ll throw in a 60 to make 10 if the bunkers are super deep. Without fail I get the jokes immediately as my buddies see my bag and it’s contents.  I never ever use a range finder!! Ever!  That’s Like cheating to me.  Depth perception imho is an integral part of the game. 

[Thomas Dai]

An old chestnut -https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php?action=post;topic=68463.0;last_msg=1641023


Apparently there's a chap called Bryson. Good player. His caddy carries a big bag containing 14 clubs but Bryson only ever needs 3 - a Driver, a wedge and a putter. Likes to know his exact yardages though and takes a while to figure them out.


Isn't there a passage in Wethered & Simpsons book where they mention the growth of automated golfers? And of course Dr Alister wanted the max permitted to be 6.


atb

[Sean_A]

For elite golfers there needs to four pronged approach.

1. 8 clubs
2. Lofts between 15 and 50 degrees
3. Ball rollback of 15%
4. Smaller driver head

I think we still see low scoring, but the hope is the entertainment value sky rockets.

Ciao

[Jay Mickle]

I generally carry 9 clubs. 4,6,8,P. 54* hybrid, 4 wood, driver and putter.  Carrying more clubs just complicates selection and creates indecision and uncertainty over the ball. Plus I am old and wouldn't have 30 yard gaps between clubs.

[David_Tepper]

Lawson Little won 2 U.S. Am's, 2 British Am's and a U.S. Open with 20+ clubs in his bag (which he likely did not carry himself ). There are a lot of ways to play this game!

[Brett Wiesley]

Pushed by back problems and a desire to keep walking I have my bag down to 10 clubs.


Driver
19 degree hybrid
24 degree hybrid
7-PW Taylormade p790s - which are spaced 5 degrees
50 degree wedge
56 degree wedge
Putter


The TM p790s are spaced 5 degrees, no bending needed and this eliminated a club or two.

[Ira Fishman]

I switch it up. The four club challenge on occasion: D, 22 hybrid, 7 iron, 56d wedge. Last week I played with 8 clubs. Today I had 13 (most I carry). I am pretty mediocre and consistently find that number of clubs does not affect my score all that much.


Ira

[David_Tepper]

By the way, this is the 3rd thread on playing with fewer clubs started so far this year:

https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,68314.0.html

https://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,67941.0.html

[Tom_Doak]

By the way, this is the 3rd thread on playing with fewer clubs started so far this year:

Yes, that's why I put the (continued) in the title.


I just wanted to include CBM's observation because most think that the 14-club rule is tradition, but it really isn't.  It was enacted to stop Lawson Little and others of that day from carrying a club for every situation - like a 60-degree wedge.  But the Overton window had moved so far to the left at the time, that 14 was seen as a major reduction.  If the rule had been made ten or twenty years earlier, the number would likely have been lower.

[Ronald Montesano]

I don't lose confidence ever. I know that I often pick the incorrect club, but I don't concentrate (read: care) enough to shoot lights out. I love golf for the photos, the courses, the camaraderie, and the exercise. Score long ago ceased to matter. I do appreciate the use of fewer clubs, and I'm looking for an affordable wee bag, to house precisely 7 clubs.

[Tommy Williamsen]

For as much money as clubs cost I use all 14.

[John Kavanaugh]

I play 20% of my golf with just 1 club. A 5 wood that I can hit flops shots with left handed. I am seriously considering establishing a separate handicap. I'd play for money as a 14 with one club but need some documentation to play in events.

[Jim_Coleman]

   It seems that many here play golf for the zen experience.  All the more power to them.  I play because I enjoy competing.  I want to beat the person with whom I’m playing. So, if I’m allowed to use 14 clubs, I will.  If the rules only allowed me 10, or 5, or 1, I’d have fun doing that.  As for what the right number is, 14 works well enough, I’d say.

[Bernie Bell]

Virtually any person who can push a trolley with 7 clubs can push a trolley with 14 clubs.  If your jam is carrying fewer clubs, great.  If you're competing, you probably have 14 clubs. 

[Thomas Dai]

These guys are good - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsNxHSvkL1A - recommend you watch to the end - imagination! - "put it in a divot and knife it"!


atb

[Niall C]

Tom

Thanks for posting that quote from CBM. I've read the book but can't remember that quote. If CBM left St Andrews in the mid 70's then I'd have thought that many clubs would have been quite a lot. Presumably CBM was better heeled than the average punter ?

From a reining in technology POV, I've long thought that it was the stopping power of the modern ball rather than any added distance that made the difference, and of course part of the equation in stopping a golf ball is the firmness of the ground and the loft/grooves of the club. So to reduce the risk of expensive court cases, maybe a simple way of putting the brakes on the effects of technology would be to limit the number of clubs in the bag. Not having a club for every eventuality might make golfers think more and be more creative.

From the manufacturers POV, players could choose to buy the whole set or cherry pick which clubs they want. Yes, they can do that now but with limited numbers only allowed there would likely be a move towards smaller sets which would cost less, and I'd guess lead to more people buying new sets and more often, therefore increase in turnover. It could prove a boon to the manufacturers while making the game more interesting for the golfer.

Anyone agree ?

Niall   

[John Kavanaugh]

I love the look of these irons. https://linksoul.com/collections/gear/products/ls90030

[Carl Rogers]

For me it is 10 clubs;
1. Putter
2.  Driver(Titleist d917)
3. 7 Metal (Titleist d917)
4. 23 degree hybrid (ping g410)
5. 27 degree hybrid (ping g410)
6. thru 9. 8 iron thru Gap Wedge w/ 6 degree loft separation (ping g410)
10. 58 degree wedge (ping glide)


Some times leave out the 23 degree hybrid

[John Kavanaugh]

For me it is 10 clubs;
Putter
Driver (Titleist d917)
7 Metal (Titleist d917)
23 degree hybrid (ping g410)
27 degree hybrid (ping g410)
8 iron thru Gap Wedge w/ 6 degree loft separation (ping g410)
58 degree wedge (ping glide)


Some time leave out the 23 degree hybrid

Carl,


Do you ever play in events where winning is important to you? If so, do you carry more cubs?

[Joe_Tucholski]

I play 20% of my golf with just 1 club. A 5 wood that I can hit flops shots with left handed. I am seriously considering establishing a separate handicap. I'd play for money as a 14 with one club but need some documentation to play in events.

John hope you come up with a better logo than this guys when you start playing in events.


https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2020/05/10/watch-this-using-only-a-putter-man-wins-arizona-amateur-event/

[Carl Rogers]

No, at age 66.5, I have lost overall distance  and there is less of a distance gap between clubs.
On a tight driving hole, I choke down on the driver and tee the ball lower.  I do not hit lower lofted fairway metals off the deck well.  I have learned to manipulate the low bounce 58 degree wedge.
Finally, I want to carry and walk when ever possible, so fewer clubs help.

[Ian Mackenzie]

When courses opened up in May and we were all carrying our bags (as i do not own a trolley and they are on back order globally), I used 8 clubs and really did not see a HUGE difference in score from 6550 yards.


Driver
21 degree hybrid
5 iron
7 iron
9 iron
50 degree gap
56 degree
putter

[Lou_Duran]

I wonder if those who regularly play with a short set and establish a handicap continue to use the same number of clubs in competitions.  If you truly believe that it doesn't make a difference in scoring, then you wouldn't be adding clubs, right?  Could this be a form of cheating?


When I carry, I take between 9-11 clubs.  When I am pushing a cart, all 14.  I play better with a full set, though I can't say I have more fun.  My handicap play is insignificant and never for more than a few drinks and laughs.