14 Club Rule

[Good.Shepherd]

Good or bad for extra clubs I don't really know. But one thing we can say based on your post above is that having a limit creates strategy and decisions. Creates an interest other than just the play itself. Its really in a big way is part of the game and ones management decisions. Adds another element to the golf itself does it not? Take that away and it takes a tiny bit away from the game. No? Just a speculation.

I get the point, but there's still strategy element of which club to choose for a shot, and having more tools could--in your example--lead to very interesting strategy choices.

I don't know that we see much different in strategy, however, from 14 to 16 clubs.

Now to go from 14 to 10 I think would be a radical change. Once you can't help but to have more major gaps, then it becomes a place where those choices mean a lot.

 

[jhstew1]

I have to say I am surprised how many people don't seem to care about the rules of golf.

 

[deuce]

14 Club Rule

Playing 15 clubs, as opposed to 14, isn't going to sound the death knell of golf. 99% of the time I carry 14, but if I am testing out a club and keep it in my bag and maybe even pull it out to play once or twice in my round doesn't mean I think the rules suck or should be wholesale ignored.

We worry about golf waning in popularity but then turn up our nose at people who say they play more than 14 clubs?

I don't care how many clubs my playing partners are carrying around with them. I am just happy to have the company and a fun round. How many people have actually counted the number of clubs in their playing partners bag anyways?

 

[mancest]

I could see the use for another club or two (I would probably add an additional FW and a hybrid) but don't know that it would help my score at all.

I carry 14 because that is the standard, but my father in law used to carry at least 18 clubs. I didn't notice it until we rode to the course together and I pulled his bag out of the trunk and almost threw out my back... 2 drivers, 2 chippers (yup, 2!), 5 wedges, 3 hybrids... it was a heavy!

 

[blugold]

I have to say I am surprised how many people don't seem to care about the rules of golf.

There's a lot of care. But there is no real punishment for not following those rules and a lot to gain by not following them.

No harm no foul really.

 

[rtparty]

I don't see the "longer courses" argument at all in this.

I regularly play courses that range from 6800-7200 yards because I have distance to play them. In no scenario have I ever needed a 5 or 7 wood in my bag. I also do NOT need another wedge to confuse me further.

My current setup is:
Driver
3 wood
4-9 irons
46/51/56/61 wedges
Putter

My 4 iron is good for 240 and up to 250+ if I have no trouble to worry about. If I have an approach longer than that, I shouldn't be going for it. I probably hit a poor drive or it's just a super long hole that should be reached in 3 shots.

As for my wedges, I actually find it a burden to choose which shot to hit. My old coach taught me when you get to your scoring clubs you basically should have 3 shots in mind when you approach your ball. Go high, go low and the last is your choice. So take a look at what the situation calls for and choose your shot. Grab the club for that shot and execute. For this reason my next wedge setup will be 46/52/58 with the option of a 64 (rarely is this ever needed. Like very rarely!)

I can execute any shot with a 52/58 combo that I can now.

I find less clubs a better choice than more and I've done it both ways. I used to play a par 3 course with only my 7i, 9i, a wedge and putter. Two of the holes called for more than my 7i so I went wedge, wedge into those greens and learned those shots on purpose. It did wonders for my game overall.

Just my thoughts and experience. Neither answer is right or wrong in this.

 

[nogophers]

I don't play tournament golf so this rule isn't an issue to me.

Yet you keep a handicap? hmmm.

 

[e1iterate]

I wouldn't mind seeing 15, basically 14 + a putter

This was my first thought as well.

 

[Thechosen1]

I'm neither for the rule change or against it. Ive never really felt limited to my 14 clubs.

 

[Scrap Iron]

14 clubs is plenty, I have a club for everything I need on the course and still don't use each one every round. If a course is to long for someone move up a set of tee's.

 

[Brianbigoats]

An extra club would be nice i like to carry an extra long club so i only go with 3 wedges sometimes i wish i could have one more

 

[Thechosen1]

Yet you keep a handicap? hmmm.

Well, how do you measure yourself with other golfers?



By height?

 

[Smallville]

Actually you raise a good point here.

What if it's not about having to play every club in the bag every round. For example, there's no rule that says, "You must play all of your clubs at least one time".

What if it's about having more options available. For example, I use one club slot to carry the Cleveland Smart Sole Sand wedge. Do I use it every round? Nope. But I view it as a "defensive club" for when my swing is off and I get in the sand. My biggest blowup holes used to be sand, but I haven't had one since I got the club and I can feel if my sand game is on or off with my 58.

Or with wedges: my 60 has an 8 bounce for tight lies. But I'd love to have one in a 14 as well. When you really know how to use the bounce, it becomes an important characteristic of the tool. I also don't see how carrying variant wedges somehow violates the heart of the game (the Bobby Jones rule)

Further, I only keep one wood--3W. And that's an important club. But having the option for other woods opens up more possibilities for playing these longer courses. I'd probably carry something like a 5w or 7w for longer courses, or a 2 Hybrid (on very windy or stormy days).

It's not that I'd have to use these every time. It's the availability of having the tools to use to be applied under the skill of the golfer.

But I've also played rounds with a single club, and it was fun as hell, so I'm not saying it's critical. Only that I don't see why it is disallowed. The rule seems pretty arbitrary, especially considering that any rule that was tailored for play on pre-WWII courses is probably not the most relevant rule for 2014.

Rounds are long enough with the 14 clubs option. No need for more clubs. If you change the rule to allow 15 or 16, then there will be people thinking it should be 17 or 18.

 

[malemotives]

Sure... raise it to 16 or 18... or even 20. Then we could spend another $1000 on more clubs and a new, bigger golf bag to hold them. OEMs would love you. Seriously... I think the current 14 is just fine. Course changes and technology are, IMHO, running parallel. I doubt that serious golfers who work hard at their game, want or need more clubs. Recreational golfers, playing just for fun, already carry however many they want. I see it all the time. There are times, during training sessions, when I carry xtra clubs for comparison purposes, but never in a game I am scoring. My time is better spent working on my swing, and learning course management, than wanting more clubs in my bag.

 

[Germerican]

Is there also a rule that in an official round you need to play all 14 at one point or another? I have heard this a while back but never bothered to validate it.

I do have 14 clubs, but during a typical round I will only use about 10-11 of them. My last outing I played a short course and the only iron I used was a nine, rest was big stick, wedge, and putter.

 

[deuce]

Is there also a rule that in an official round you need to play all 14 at one point or another? I have heard this a while back but never bothered to validate it.

If there is, this is the first I have ever heard of it.

 

[iSukGolf]

Is there also a rule that in an official round you need to play all 14 at one point or another? I have heard this a while back but never bothered to validate it.

No ...

 

[malemotives]

Is there also a rule that in an official round you need to play all 14 at one point or another? I have heard this a while back but never bothered to validate it.

I do have 14 clubs, but during a typical round I will only use about 10-11 of them. My last outing I played a short course and the only iron I used was a nine, rest was big stick, wedge, and putter.

[h=3]4-4. Maximum Of Fourteen Clubs[/h][h=4]a. Selection and Addition of Clubs[/h]The player must not start a stipulated round with more than fourteen clubs. He is limited to the clubs thus selected for that round, except that if he started with fewer than fourteen clubs, he may add any number, provided his total number does not exceed fourteen.
The addition of a club or clubs must not unduly delay play (Rule 6-7) and the player must not add or borrow any club selected for play by any other person playing on the course or by assembling components carried by or for the player during the stipulated round.


There is no stipulation that all clubs carried must be used.

 

[Fourputt]

Had a great conversation today on XM radio's PGA station about the 14 club rule. What struck me is how little is really understood about the origin of the rule (the USGA website tells a different story than other sites that track golf history) and why 14 was the magic number. .

Now I know it's possible to play with fewer. I often find I only have 13 in my bag.

But I actually think there's an argument to made to allow for MORE clubs in the bag. I'd like to see 16 allowed. Here's why:

1. Golf courses are very different today than in times past. At 7K yards on some courses, I think there's room for an extra distance club (5w or 7w?) or a variation in loft. Further, recent research suggests that approach shots from 100+ yards have a greater contribution to scoring than either driving or putting.

2. Courses are also allowing for much faster greens, and I think most players don't carry enough wedges for their approach and short game. This is also a big issue for Pelz as he recommends using more club slots for wedges than for distance.

3. It's not THAT historic of a rule. Bobby Jones usually carrier more than 14 and no one puts an asterisk by his victories because of it.

If they allowed 16, I'd add in an additional wood, probably something easy to de-loft in case of wind and weather, and I'd add another lob-class wedge.

Basically, if 14 clubs was a great rule for 1940, I think there is room to look at it in 2014 when we have more available technology, much different (and longer) courses, and much faster and more demanding greens.

I can refute most of your points simply by saying that golf isn't about always having the right club, it's about knowing the clubs you do have and being able to make the right shot with them when needed. In my opinion, real golf is about learning to adjust your swing when you have to, not just pulling another club out of the bag. At least 90% of us don't play 7500 yard courses. In the polls I've seen here and elsewhere, most men still seem to prefer a course in the 6200 to 6600 yard range. For that, no rule change is needed.

If the pros are actually as good as their press, then they should be able to compensate when they are in between clubs. When I have to take something off a shot, I choke down a half inch or an inch and make my normal swing. If I can do it, then it should be that much easier for a better player.

 

[rollin]

I don't play tournament golf so this rule isn't an issue to me.

Yet you keep a handicap? hmmm.

Well, how do you measure yourself with other golfers? By height?

I know you guys are conversing but I had to copy the talk because the "by height?" part is just too funny LOL

But truth is, if one wants to measure themselves with other players than it only really works if all follow the same rules and are as honest with themselves as possible. The 14 club rule is one in which is about as easy simple as it can get for a rule to follow. Not every one has to do it of course. But if one is truly looking to measure themself vs others players yet you have the advantage of extra clubs that others dont have its not really an even playing field. One may not like it and may wish we had amateur rules that allow it, but till that time would ever come it is what it is.

 

[cpljohnst]

I find 14 to be just fine. I honestly don't have a gap in my bag that would require a 15th club.

 

[rollin]

Good or bad for extra clubs I don't really know. But one thing we can say based on your post above is that having a limit creates strategy and decisions. Creates an interest other than just the play itself. Its really in a big way is part of the game and ones management decisions. Adds another element to the golf itself does it not? Take that away and it takes a tiny bit away from the game. No? Just a speculation.

I get the point, but there's still strategy element of which club to choose for a shot, and having more tools could--in your example--lead to very interesting strategy choices.

I don't know that we see much different in strategy, however, from 14 to 16 clubs.

Now to go from 14 to 10 I think would be a radical change. Once you can't help but to have more major gaps, then it becomes a place where those choices mean a lot.

But imo every club counts. Its very easy to just have a club for any yardage and not have to worry about it. The less you have, the more decision you have to make You mention the siginficance of going from 14 down to 10 vs not seeing any big significance to go from 14 to 16. Look at it backwards where as if 16 was always allowed and they now made it 14. people woukld be like "holy crap what should I do" "I'm going to have gaps" "I'l have to rearange my bag to try to make it work". etc...

We have had threads before about club choices and decisions that we make. Filling gaps best we can. etc....Most find that stuff important to thier game. Its the lessor amount of clubs which creates the strategy and not the greater amount. Its the lessor amount that adds decsisons, not the greater, causes one to have to be creative at times during play. For any club thats added, those things get easier, not harder the other way around imo. Less clubs add some more element to ones game, more clubs takes some away. I'm not to say whats right or wrong, good or bad, or whether or not they should change it but imo the above is how allowed club amounts affect the game regardless.

 

[Sanzabar]

I could see this being a benefit to some, but personally... I have no use for an additional club.

It would just make me think harder and that leads to worse decisions. I think 14 is just about perfect.

 

[Harvmp28]

It's part of course strategy to have to select your set-up for your bag. Just like last weekend at The Open, they kept talking about how many 2-irons were in play and how those are not the players usually club, but they had to strategize for that course and style of play due to wind. I guess I wish they went into more detail on what clubs guys were trading off to put those 2-irons in the bag.

 

[rollin]

I don't see the "longer courses" argument at all in this.

I regularly play courses that range from 6800-7200 yards because I have distance to play them. In no scenario have I ever needed a 5 or 7 wood in my bag. I also do NOT need another wedge to confuse me further.
.

I could see this being a benefit to some, but personally... I have no use for an additional club.

It would just make me think harder and that leads to worse decisions. I think 14 is just about perfect.

To "rtparty" But just may be thats because you have become use to playing your game without a 5 or 7w. You have adapted to playing that area of your bag without them.

To both- I hink it has to be viewed the other way around. I'l explain my logic
Anytime you can add a club to fill a gap it has to make things easier by default. The decsison of which club to play is only a problem at first. Once you know the yardages and the more yardages that are filled in, the easier it gets to grab the proper club. While playing you say "i want to get to "x" spot". To have a club to get there from any yardage is easier than having to circumnavigate around what you do now carry. You see imo It should be viewed the other way around. Less choices may seem simpler but that doesnt make things easier. Two diffent things there imo. More options actually makes things easier. Its just a matter of getting use to having them. That itself would be a learning process but in the end once learned it would have to be easier imo.