Ever wonder how many clubs in a golf bag? Good question, in this post, I will reveal the legal number of golf clubs you can have in your golf bag.
When you are just starting out with golf you are not necessarily ofay with all the rules, and the number of clubs in a golf bag often can get overlooked. Here’s what you need to know about how many golf clubs you can carry.
First up, there is no minimum, however unless you are a magician you would find it very difficult to play a great round of golf with limited equipment.
Golf’s governing bodies have strict rules regarding almost every aspect of golf equipment, including the number of golf clubs you’re allowed to have in your bag. So, what’s the number?
The official maximum number of clubs allowed in a golf bag is 14. This can be made up of any configuration of the types of clubs – woods, irons, putter, you are just limited to 14 in your bag while you are playing.
What’s the penalty for carrying too many clubs?
The rules of golf set out the penalty for carrying too many clubs in your bag which is a two-stroke penalty for each hole where a breach of the rule happened. That means if you have 15 clubs in your bag but don’t realize until you’re playing the second hole, you will receive a four-stroke penalty. Fortunately, the maximum penalty for breaking this rules is four strokes, so it won’t get any worse than that.
If you realize you are over the legal number of golf clubs and are breaching the rule while playing a hole, the penalty is assessed at the end of the hole. If instead you notice the violation in between holes, the penalty is applied to the hole you just completed.
A 1-hole penalty applies when playing match play. This means if you break the rule the total match score is changed, instead of you just losing the hole you’re playing.
What’s the procedure for taking clubs out of play?
The procedure for removing an extra club from play is straightforward. Once you realize the violation, you must “immediately take an action that clearly indicates each club that you are taking out of play.” You can do this by alerting another player to the violation or by turning the offending club upside down in your golf bag.
Can I replace a damaged golf club during a round of golf?
The short answer is no, if you damage a club during a round, it can not be replaced. It can however be repaired to make it playable as long as you do not hold up play and are not using new parts, for example, if you have bent the club shaft on a tree on your club follow through, you may try to straighten the shaft out. Once you have finished your round you can replace the golf club. An exception to this is where local rules are in place and they make allowances for a replacement club to be sourced
What are the typical golf clubs in a bag?
A standard set of golf clubs usually has three woods – a driver, 3 wood and 5 wood, eight irons typically 3-9 iron and pitching wedge, and a putter. This leaves 2 additional clubs where the player can include clubs that may suit their style or preference, such as lob wedge or sand wedge, or hybrid driver or fairway wood.
Conclusion
Starting out in golf there are so many rules to learn and rules around equipment can sometimes be overlooked. It is not uncommon for a golfer to add to their golf club range and forget that there is an upper limit to how many clubs can be in the golf bag. Just remember, there is a legal number of golf clubs that you can carry for your round.
Don’t forget to check your clubs often, remember to cycle out your least used clubs when you hit the upper limit of 14 otherwise you may be hit with some penalty shots when you are playing your next round.