As I was giving a Double Response

[cypressperch]

to the 'favourite club in bag' post, I got to thinking once again about the problem of getting the number of clubs down to fourteen. It must have been something back in the days when there was no limitation, unless you were the caddy.

With no limitations, you could carry two drivers, one regular and one with draw bias built in.

You could carry a two-wood. Yes, I would want one since they were so much easier to hit off the deck and went farther than the three wood.

You could have a four wood and/or a five wood in addition to the three wood.

You might want additional high-lofted woods, or a hybrid or two or three.

You could have the whole iron set perhaps including a one-iron.

You could carry four or five wedges.

You could carry multiple putters. I played a great amateur player who carried a heavy putter for short putts and a lighter putter for longer putts.

You could even throw in your Momentous which though a training aid does have a clubhead on it making it legal as one of your fourteen clubs (something I found out just recently).


I remember Warbird talking about filling the gap between the three iron and the three wood with either a hybrid or a five wood. I have a five-wood that matches my three wood but I also have a TM 19* hybrid, and I wish I could carry both. They both go farther than a three iron of course, but the five wood flies higher and goes a little farther, but the hybrid might be a little more under control and more versatile from different lies.

Then there are the wedges! In the 1950's, people carried four woods, a full set of irons, a putter, and a dual wedge! Now they have us believing, with some justification, that four wedges is the way to go: PW, GW, SW, LW.

I remember that Retief Goosen, for a while, carried a driver and then went down to a hybrid, leaving out a three wood which created some space. Some pros carry only a PW and SW which would help.

Currently, I carry Driver, 3-Wood, 19* hybrid TM, 3-9 iron, 52*, 54*, 58* wedges, and a putter. I sometimes wish I had the 5 wood and/or the PW. Some say go to a 4-wood since it would split the difference between a three and a five-wood. Makes sense, but then I would want the three wood. No matter how you look at it, there are going to be gaps, and the ability to hit different shots with the same clubs, especially if the course/courses played are challenging.

This is the toughest problem I have with this wonderful game. What would the chances be of a movement by the People to change the 14 club rule, at least for amateurs? Did I accidentally get political?

The best of luck to all with their sticks. Sincerely, Cypressperch

[JEFF4i]

I think I like the 14 club rule, and as far as amateurs go unless you are playing in competition you can carry 50. In competition it moreso mimics what the big boys are doing out in Medinah and such, so there will be restrictions of course.

Beyond that, I of course would love a coule more slots, but to be honest, I like the strategy involved with 14.