How many clubs should I have in my golf bag?
William Rodriguez
Published Jan 17, 2026
Which Golf Clubs Should You Have In Your Bag: A Quick Guide to Ensure You're Carrying The Right Equipment For Your Game. As a golfer reading this, you are likely aware that the rules of golf permit each player to carry no-more than 14 clubs in their bag for any given round.
What clubs should an average golfer have in their bag?
The two must-have golf clubs for a golfer are a driver and a putter. Of course, it's up to the golfer to have those clubs catered to their needs and specifications, but every common golfer needs a driver and a putter.
How many clubs should a high handicapper carry?
Highly skilled golfers are capable of playing more specialized clubs and playing a wider variety of shots. The rules of golf allow you to carry a maximum of 14 clubs in your bag. That doesn't mean you have to carry 14, however, as you can carry fewer if you wish.
Should I have a 3 iron in my bag?
Should You Carry A 3 Iron? For mid to high handicap golfers, having a 3 iron in the bag is not recommended. The low amount of loft and thin face makes a 3 iron hard to hit and is why you'd be better off playing a 4 hybrid. Just like with a 2 iron, most of the golfers you'll see on your local course won't have a 3 iron.
What club should I add to my bag?
Beginners should start out with some kind of a club to tee off, something for long shots from the fairway (hybrid preferably), three irons, a wedge, and a putter. This is plenty to work with until their game starts to improve.
36 related questions foundHow many clubs should a beginner carry?
If you're a beginner golfer you should start with 10 golf clubs. You can golf with a fairway wood, iron, and putter but you're going to want to learn how to use more clubs if you want to be able to handle every situation.
What golf clubs do I really need?
The Basic Clubs You'll Need
There are several clubs you'll need including the putter, the pitching wedge, the sand wedge, the driver, the three, five, seven, and nine irons, and the three wood. These are the minimum that most golfers need to play the game.
Do pros carry 3 iron?
Hell, only 20 percent of PGA Tour players carry a 3-iron that's not a utility iron. That number fades to almost nonexistent on the LPGA Tour.
Is a 4 iron necessary?
For hitting into greens, the 4-hybrid is the best play for most. Golfers across the board hit more fairways with a 4-iron. The 0-5 handicap bracket is more effective with the 4-iron than any other bracket. Almost every other bracket hits it longer and records more GIRs with the 4-hybrid.
What 14 clubs do pros carry?
Professional golfers generally carry: a driver, 3 wood, 5 wood, 4-PW, gap wedge, sand wedge, lob wedge, and a putter. Depending on the pro, these setups may change slightly, including the use of a driving iron, hybrid, or other longer club in place of one of the woods.
When should I use 3 wood or 3 hybrid?
It is better to use a 3-wood when the grass is cut or mown and the ground is hard which helps the ball to roll. The 3-hybrid is used majorly for off the fairway or out of the rough (where the ground is damp or soft.) This makes the 3-wood more suitable for pro-golfers and the 3-hybrid for amateurs.
What clubs should a high handicapper use?
Best Golf Clubs For High Handicappers
- TaylorMade SIM2 Max D Driver. Reasons to buy. ...
- Callaway Big Bertha B21 Driver. Reasons to buy. ...
- Tour Edge Hot Launch E521 Driver. Reasons to buy. ...
- Ping G425 SFT Fairway Wood. ...
- Cobra Radspeed Draw Fairway Wood. ...
- Cleveland Launcher Halo Hybrid. ...
- Wilson Staff D9 Irons. ...
- TaylorMade SIM2 Max OS Irons.
Does a putter count as one of the 14 clubs?
As per USGA, the answer to how many clubs in golf bag including putter is 14. This can be made up of the standard 12 clubs, which includes the putter, eight irons (3-9 iron and pitching wedge), and three woods (driver, 5-wood, 3-wood).
How many hybrids should I carry?
How many hybrids should you carry? It's most common for players to carry one or two. Golfers normally throw them in the bag to replace the 3-5 iron. If you struggle with your irons, you can thrown as many in as you want, though.
Which club should go the furthest most distance?
Basically though, whatever set of irons you're using (4-iron to 9-iron) – The 4-iron has the least loft so will travel the furthest with the 5-iron next furthest, and so on through the numbers.
Do golfers still use 4 irons?
All the major golf companies now manufacture hybrids, so leave your 3 and 4-iron in the garage and join the revolution in golf clubs.
Do hybrids go further than irons?
Do Hybrids And Irons Go The Same Distance? On average, hybrids will hit the ball 7 yards further than the corresponding iron, but the distance could range between 5 and 12 yards. As an example, my 5 hybrid typically hit the ball 188 yards while my 5 iron hits the ball closer to 182 yards.
What's the average distance for a 7 iron?
The average distance golfers hit each club varies widely. A PGA Tour player hits a 7-iron between 172-215 yards.
How far can a 1 iron go?
Naturally, there are lots of factors that influence how far you can hit a 1 iron, but men can reasonably expect to hit it between 180 – 220 yards, providing they execute the shot perfectly. Women tend to hit the 1 iron slightly shorter, but could still hope for 160+ yards from a good shot.
Who uses a 2 iron?
Many low-handicap golfers consider a standard 2 iron to be a “driving iron” because of its distance off the tee. Golfers with a high swing speed and who can easily make contact with the ball are ideal candidates for a driving iron. If facing tight fairways, a driving iron will be ideal because it will go straighter.
What golf club should a beginner start with?
Instead, start with a driver, a putter, a sand wedge (it's the club that has an "S" on the sole or a loft of 54 to 56 degrees) and supplement those with a 6-iron, an 8-iron, a pitching wedge, and a fairway wood or hybrid with 18-21 degrees of loft.
What is the first basic etiquette rule in golf?
Whatever your groups' unique rules are, make them clear and make sure everyone understands before you begin. There are several golf etiquette practices that are universal: Lowest score on the previous hole tees off first. Player furthest from the hole goes first.
What clubs should a beginner use on a par 3 course?
Any number of these courses can be played with any number of clubs. In many cases, three or four will do: putter, wedge, perhaps a pair of mid-irons. You can clutch them in one hand like a quiver of arrows, and play creative shots when you don't have the just-right stick for the distance.