If you are a casual golf player then you already know about the maximum limit of golf clubs that you can carry in your golf bag. But for the new golfers, they might not know the number. So, how many clubs are allowed in a golf bag?
This is a question that is common among new golfers as there are penalties if you use more than the set amount. So, the simple answer is that you can only carry 14 golf clubs in your golf bag.
The thing in golf is that you are allowed to carry a few clubs as you want but the number can’t exceed more than 14. The number of golf clubs that you are carrying varies depending upon your way of transportation around the golf course.
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How Many Can You Carry?
To be precise, the USGA said that a golfer is not allowed to carry more than 14 golf clubs in his bag. You can carry any variation of clubs in the bag but the limit is fixed and you can’t exceed it. In later times, golfers used to carry about 25 golf clubs in their bags and this was possible due to the construction of the golf clubs. Now, that the shafts of the golf clubs are built very differently so the limit has now changed. The rules of golf have also seen a change in recent times.
Carrying Different Golf Clubs:
In golf, you are not limited to any single golf club. This is not possible as you can’t use a single club in every type of situation. When playing golf, you come across different types of situations in which you are required to use the specific golf clubs for that particular situation. You are also not limited in carrying only a limited number of a particular type of club. An example of this would be that you can carry two drivers if you feel like it. Phil Mickelson has also carried two drivers to hit both fade and draw shots.
Using a Partner’s Club:
If you take a golf club from your partner in between around then you are not allowed to do that according to the rules set by USGA. So, you can’t use a partner’s golf club that will count towards your score. The only time when you are allowed it before and after the game. During a round, you just can’t use one of your partner’s clubs. But if you are keen on using a partner’s club then the best time is to use that club on the range before and after playing your game.
In the midst of a game, it isn’t allowed. You should also know that you and your friend can carry both of your golf clubs in a single bag. Although you are carrying the bags in a single bag, you still aren’t able to use each other’s clubs. It is mandatory to identify both your and your partner’s golf clubs. Nobody in a golf game is permitted to carry more than 14 clubs in a bag.
Carrying Less Golf Clubs:
If you want to carry less than 14 golf clubs then you can absolutely do that. You aren’t limited to carry a minimum number of clubs. There is no limit here and the limit is only applied to the maximum number of clubs that you can carry. If you think that you will be good only with 5 clubs that you can carry 5 clubs in your golf bag. There isn’t any problem in carrying fewer clubs. You can even play the whole game by only using a single club.
14 Clubs in a Golf Bag:
There is no requirement for the clubs present in a golf bag. The number of clubs that you will carry in your golf bag also depends on the level of your golf game. You don’t need to carry a driver if you won’t be using it in the game. It is also really foolish to carry say like 3 putters because you can only get the job done using a single one. There are a lot of beginners that carry every type of club with them but can become tiring to carry those 14 golf clubs around.
You should be careful in choosing the type of clubs that you use. There are a lot of times when you can play really well by even using less than 10 golf clubs. But as a recommendation, we would advise you to carry at least 12 golf clubs.
Typical Golf Clubs:
For beginners, it is important to know the typical golf clubs that should be present in a golf bag. The 4-irons present in a golf bag is commonly replaced with a hybrid nowadays. The most common type of clubs present in the golf bags of amateur golfers are:
- 1 Driver
- 2 Hybrids
- 5 – 9 Irons
- 1 Fairway Wood
- Putter
- Sand Wedge
- Pitching Wedge
Which Clubs Should You Carry?
If you as a beginner are finding it hard to hit consistent shots with your driver and fairway wood then you can leave them out of your golf bag. It is necessary to first good at hitting your shots. When you’ve become consistent in your shots then you should start using them. As you play more games and get more experience, you can keep adding more clubs to your bag. If you are playing within 100-yards then you can use wedges to play your shots.
As no two golf courses are the same. So, most golfers change their clubs also based upon the course that they are going to play. You should also change your wedges according to the bounce and grind required by that particular golf course.
The Penalty:
As there is a limit on the number of clubs that you can carry so there is also a penalty present. If you are carrying more than 14 clubs in your golf bag then you will get penalized. So, when entering into a professional golf match, you should always count the number of clubs in advance. The type of penalty that you will get due to exceeding the club limit is affected by the type of game that you’re playing.
- Match Play
In a match play if you carry more than 14 golf clubs in your golf bag then you will get penalized. The penalty will be that one hole will be deducted off from your scoreboard. This is only applied if you use the 15th club to play the shot. The maximum number of holes that will be deducted in match play is two.
- Stroke Play
When in a stroke play, the penalty for violation would be two strokes for each hole in which you use the 15th club. If you have 15 golf clubs in your golf bag and don’t know that but start to play the second hole, then you will be getting a four-stroke penalty. However, you should know that the maximum penalty that you get is only four strokes. There is no possibility of getting penalized higher than this.
Removing the Extra Clubs:
If you have more than 14 clubs in your golf bag then you shouldn’t be worried as there are two things that you can do to avoid getting penalized. It is pretty simple and you shouldn’t be worried. If you don’t want to get penalized then you need an action that shows that you are taking the clubs out of the game. There are two ways in which you can go about it.
The first thing that you can do is simply alert the other player of the violation. While the second one is to put the extra club upside-down in your golf bag. Using these two simple methods, you can easily avoid getting penalized even if there are more than 14 clubs present in your golf bag.
Conclusion:
It is necessary for every golfer to have knowledge about the rules of golf. Golf has really strict rules and you get penalized. You should have information about the number of clubs that you can carry in your golf bag. It is better to only use those golf clubs that you need in a match. If you feel that you can play the match with 10 clubs then you should only carry 10 clubs in your golf bag. This will be a lot easier on your back if you are carrying the clubs on your shoulder.
So how many clubs are allowed in a golf bag are only 14. This is a fixed number and you can’t carry more golf clubs. One thing that you should keep in mind is that you aren’t limited in carrying two or more of the same clubs. The only limit only applies to the total number of clubs being carried. In the end, you should be careful about the bags that you are carrying in your bag and should immediately turn them upside-down to avoid any penalties.
