How Many Clubs Can You Have in Your Bag & What’s the Optimal Setup?

When it comes to golf, there are many different decisions that can affect your game. Many players agonize over which golf accessories or golf tees to purchase. However, some golfers – especially those new to the game – often don’t thing a lot about their clubs. Many of us just buy a set of clubs and head off to the course. However, picking a specific setup of clubs can improve your game.

How Many Clubs Can I Have in My Bag?

You may be surprised to know that there are rules around the number of clubs that you are allowed to have in your bag. However, there is a maximum number that you are allowed to carry. Golfers are only allowed to have up to 14 clubs in their bag.

You are allowed to have fewer clubs than that. However, you can not have more. If you do have more than 14 clubs, rules state that you should receive a two stroke penalty (up to 4 strokes per round) each time you use the extra club.

What Are the Typical Golf Clubs

There are a wide variety of golf clubs that you may have in your bag. These include your driver, putter, woods, irons, hybrids, and wedges. In fact, you will find that there are far more options than the 14 clubs you are allowed.

A typical golf bag will have the following clubs:

• Driver
• 3 Wood
• 5 Wood
• 3 Iron through 9 Iron (7 clubs total)
• Pitching wedge
• Sand wedge
• Putter

What’s the Optimal Golf Club Setup?

You’ll notice that the typical golf bag has only 13 clubs. Thus, you have room to add one more. What is the best setup? The reality is that this is a very personal decision. It varies from person to person based on your preferences and which areas of the game you do best. Here are things to consider.

Add a Third Wedge

There are many different types of wedges, each with different lofts and sizes. In many ways, wedges are the most difficult clubs to decide which to use. You will almost certainly want to have a pitching wedge and a sand wedge. However, many golfers prefer to add a third wedge. Gap wedges are good to use for balls lying in that middle ground between your pitching and sand wedge. Lob wedges are great for situations where you want to quickly get the ball into the air, allowing for a soft landing on the green.

Remove Irons You Don’t Use

Once you’ve played golf for a while, you are likely to find that there are simply irons that you rarely use. In fact, there may be irons that you never touch at all. If this is the case, feel free to toss them out of your golf bag. They are about as much use to you as a broken golf tee. This will free up space to add more useful clubs.

Experiment with Hybrids

Hybrid clubs are becoming incredibly popular. These clubs serve as a blend between a driver and an iron. Many golfers find clubs like the 3 Iron and 4 Iron to be among the most difficult to use effectively. Hybrids help improve this problem by making the experience similar to swinging a driver. Hybrids are typically most effective when replacing 2 Irons through 5 Irons.

Consider Grips and Shafts

Club type is not the only thing that matters when it comes to selection. There are a number of factors to consider when it comes to clubs. Grips and shafts are one of the more important ones. This is also quite a personal thing that varies from golfer to golfer. Some players like softer shafts and smaller grips for feel. Others prefer the opposite. Play around and see what you like.

Does Golf Tee Height Affect Driving Distance?

Another common question that we hear often is whether golf tees are a factor in club selection. Golf tees are not a factor in which clubs you select. However, golf tee height does play an important role when it comes to the distance you can drive.

Specifically, a higher tee typically results in more distance. This is because a higher tee will allow you to have a more positive angle of attack and greater impact on the face of the driver. This is useful for improving your drive distance. Of course, there are many other factors that are important as well such as accuracy and club speed. However, with all else held constant, higher tees generally improve driving distance. If you are wanting to hit from a consistent height, using bamboo castle golf tees is recommended.

Which Castle Tees Should I Use for Which Club?

Since many golfers love castle tees because they guarantee that the ball is teed at the same height each time, a common question we get is which castle tees you should carry for use with your clubs. Like many things, this tends to be more of a personal decision that can vary based on preference and swing. However, there are some guidelines to go by.

When using a driver, most people tend to prefer to use either pink golf tees or orange golf tees. This makes sense as these are the two highest castle tees and you’ll typically want to use the most height with a driver. Meanwhile, hybrids typically use smaller tees, often yellow, white, or blue castle tees depending on preference. You would then want to go a bit shorter for irons. For a golfer new to castle tees, a great idea is to order a mixed set of bamboo castle golf tees and try different heights out.