Minimum number of sticks required to play golf

I think the pros call them bats.

Half set = about 7 clubs.
Full set = 13 ISH
Maximum allowed in bag for competition = 14 I think.

Many clubs insist each player has their own clubs to be allowed to play.

Haven't played since I was a teenager as there are far to many arseholes to be found at golf clubs.

IMHO.

My Mrs calls the golf weapons. Which applies equal well to the implements or the users. 🤣

That’s a bit like saying why do we need 10, 11, 12 gears for our bikes.

I play quite a lot, for a typical round I would take my 3 wood, 5 wood, 4 hybrid, irons are 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, Gap Wedge/Pitching Wedge and Sand wedge (plus putter)…I have all different loft wedges so these vary…and I have a putter. Certain courses I’ll take a driver and maybe a different rescue / hybrid club…(if it’s a tight woodland course I generally leave the driver at home!)

Typically I know how far each club will travel if I hit it well. So if I’m 130 yards from the green, flag is 15 back, then I know what club I should use (roughly).

No where near as expensive as cycling can be. My clubs are a total of about £2k’s worth and they are considered pretty good clubs. You can buy a starter full set new for about £600.

At this point I think you have three choices.

1. Admit you know nothing, shrug and move on.

2. Google "golf". 3mins and you'll know more than you wanted to know.

3. Call yourself Jeremy Clarkson and work on your comedy ignorance. It definitely works - who doesn't find Clarkson hilarious.

2 - a 5 and a putter

2 .
7 iron
Putter.
Anymore is lugging scrap metal around and ruining a nice walk.

I'm not good at golf. So, I usually use a hybrid, a couple of irons, a pitching wedge, and a putter. I rarely over-hit anything due to a natural lack of talent, and I have used the wedge more than any other club.

Never been a golfer, other than occasional pitch & putt or crazy golf, but my late grandad was a fanatic...

I remember they used to have 3 club tournaments at his golf course, and he'd spend hours trying to decide the best combo for that day... didn't seem to make the round take many more shots though, so perhaps there's a future in this golfing version of the singlespeed?

Presumably 1 but you'll need to be quite flexible in your approach/easily satisfied.

Otherwise, some long ones and some shorter ones and one of those special cues for hitting it in the pockets.

I played for a year or two when in a similar situation and hated it. All the petty rules imposed by petty people and I never once got a decent high HR workout other than frustration induced...

Go for a run and forget it would be (was) my approach. Oh and I've got some old bats and a wheelbarrow you can have gratis from Cambs if you ignore the advice. Bit grubby but perfectly serviceable.

I’ve not played golf for 45+ years, never been on a golf course in my life, but when I was around 10 to 12 yo, I had a putter to knock a ball around the playing fields at the back of our house. I used that putter for every shot. It could hit a ball 100 metres, or for a tiny tap in. It isnt the tools you have, but knowing how to use them. At 11yo, I knew no different, and thought one club was all that was needed, and I did get lots of joy out of it, playing against myself every day!

Surely the answer is “Fore!”

My putter cost more than my bike.

N+1, obviously

My putter cost more than my bike

I've liked that.

Partly out of respect for your honesty

But mostly out of pity.

When I was still playing I was forced to give up using a driver as it was ****ing my back. It turned out that I could shoot pretty much the same scores with a 5, 7, SW & putter as I could with a full set of sticks so that's all I used for the next couple of years until I stopped playing.

Golf is the new cycling.

It turned out that I could shoot pretty much the same scores with a 5, 7, SW & putter as I could with a full set of sticks so that’s all I used for the next couple of years until I stopped playing.

Pretty same for me although think I may have had a 2 as I had 5 clubs.  I was absolutely crap at golf though (although pretty good once 50 yards from the hole) so having more longer clubs was a waste of time for me

This would actually make for an excellent golf contest, pros get to pick two clubs each.  I'm wondering if someone will then come up with a club that is double sides, e.g. a putter with a sandwedge you have to play 'backwards'.

n+1

As said 2. 5-7 and a putter. Perfect for sneaking on the second hole and being nimble / scarpering when caught.

Spent many an hour playing and angling the body or club to get a different pitch on the ball.

That said playing properly about 10

they looked like they had nearly 8 or 9 each, plus a bag with various accessory pockets, nick nacks and paraphernalia. Why so much stuff

Come on now, you're never gonna look like a Pro Golf Man if you only have 2 or 3 sticks. No-one would take you seriously!

It would be like going for a bike ride without a dozen frame bags and bar bags stuffed full of Important Supplies. Imagine!

I used to work with a few golfers who used to go on about how good they were, yadda yadda. They played off mid teens.

Working with another guy and I knew he played golf but never really said much about it, certainly not how 'good' he was.

Asked him one day, 'erm so what's your handicap then ?'. 'Scratch' was his answer.

Blimey...

What I'm learning from this thread is a whole world of vocabulary unheard until today.

If you asked me yesterday what a sandwedge was, I'd have had a punt at a hipster inspired artisanal bread based snack, possibly involving 3 slices of bread or 2 very thick ones.

4 Clubs.

3 wood.

3 iron

7 iron

Putter

Ashamed to admit that I used to play golf too quite a high standard in my teens.

The old man was quite a proficient golfer and that's why I got into it. When it came to the point of paying for my own green fees to play on a Saturday I shied away from the "sport".

Still enjoy a knocking off a few balls at the driving range, but having been in Germany where you need to do a test to set foot on the course put me off.

Germany where you need to do a test to set foot on the course

Had to be!

Surely you need a " mashie niblick"?   I think thats the spelling.  What a poetic name

So....holy thread resurrection batman - my lad is starting to play some golf w mates, and thinking to get him a starter quiver of sticks for his upcoming 18th. I am looking at some golf starter packages at the local American Golf outlet. Is that a good plan and cost effective. Buying individual clubs sounds like a recipe for racking up lewis brakes 😉 and special hubs and rims when going OEM is the cost-effective way for beginners.

THanks for any tips

Cheers
SusEpic AKA Simon

Your best bet, price wise would be to get a big a set out of the local charity store, and they always seem to have loads, or car boot, where ive seen dozens of sets all going cheap.

Try a few to get the length you need, but the only thing you need spend decent money on is the putter, as that seems to be the more personal item.

That said, unless you are intending to be a pro, pretty much anything will do, as its just for knocking a little ball around a park

big hitter and a dribbler or whatever it’s called.

Which one hits the ball and which one carries the clubs?

You just need a Suron set at max power and a love of circularities.  Half a dozen donuts on the greens and I think your unfortunate interest will be sorted.

big hitter and a dribbler or whatever it’s called

Sounds like A STW golf tag team

I used to have a big hitter.

It's a dribbler these days.

SusEpic AKA Simon

I appreciate that this is of no help whatsoever, and there's an actual thread for usernames you read incorrectly, but I always thought you were Susie.

What’s more, they are very similar build so why have two sets of kit? Surely they could use the same things? Which would make it much lighter and also cheaper

You must not make a stroke with a club being used by anyone else who is playing on the course (even if the other player is playing in a different group or competition).

Have a look on Golfbidder for a package set. They’re second hand clubs so you can get some pretty decent stuff for a good price.

Best thing you can spend money on for your son is lessons though. No point have £3k of clubs if you can’t use them (which is more common than you’d think).

I carry 14 as a minimum (also as a max as thats all thats allowed), Driver, 3 wood, 4 iron to lob wedge, putter, and swap between hybrid, 2 iron or 5 wood depending on course and conditions

Playing golf without the right kit is no different than going for a road ride on a Boris bike, the right kit makes it easier. Obviously you could play golf with 3 or 4 clubs when starting out, just like you could go for an mtb ride on a halfords special weighing 20 kg.  but it would make it far harder. As a 5 handicapper I pay just as much attention to golf kit as bike kit. Both cost me a small fortune!

Have a look on Golfbidder for a package set. They’re second hand clubs so you can get some pretty decent stuff for a good price.

Best thing you can spend money on for your son is lessons though. No point have £3k of clubs if you can’t use them (which is more common than you’d think).

100% this. You can get a second hand set of irons for 150 odd quid that the pros were using only 10 years ago and that are still nearly as good as clubs today. That said a beginner doesn't want the same clubs a pro uses, but much cheapness beginner sets are also available

But yeah, lessons are key. I'm out in gran canaria just now and the number of folks with 2k worth of clubs that can barely hit the ball is embarrassing..

I've never done aback flip on a bike but I did get a hole in one at eagle mountain golf club in Arizona last week.

I might get another hole in one but at sixty four I know I will never flip a bike.

As a 5 handicapper I pay just as much attention to golf kit as bike kit. Both cost me a small fortune!

Wouldn't you be better off having some lessons?

susepic - you can buy decent 2nd hand clubs on somewhere like golfclubs4cash.  I think I paid £125 for my set (just clubs tho, so you'll have to buy a bag as well).

To answer the original question (as it's one I can actually answer). Technically the maximum is 14.  But I personally think that less is more in golfing, so you'd be fine with:

• Putter
• Sand Wedge
• Pitching Wedge
• Fairway wood (for me a 5 wood)
• 7 Iron

Admittedly that's me as a terrible golfer, so I prefer to use the clubs I can actually hit semi sensibly.

Wouldn’t you be better off having some lessons?

Less than 15 % of all golfers have a handicap. And of those that do, only 10% have a handicap of 5 or less. So basically I'm probably better than 98% of people that play golf already. If you play you'll know how hard golf is. If you don't, a 5 handicap is bloody good. I read a statistic that less than 5 % of golfers ever break 80 in their lives!

That said, I do get lessons and practice alot. But yout argument is a bit like saying there is no point spending 5k on a road bike unless you are a cat 2 racer putting out 5 watts per kilo!

Surely you need a ” mashie niblick”? I think thats the spelling. What a poetic name

And a Brassie, or a Cleek which you could also use for your putter.

Buy your clubs 2nd hand - golfer are so susceptible to marketing for fixes to their faults that they trade clubs often, and you can get brilliant sets for not much second hand - an example would be some Hogan Apex Plus irons which you could get for around £100 for a good set.

Or you could just play with one club and a putter, like this match between Sergio Garcia and Bryson D - it's actually a good watch if you are into golf and it's good watching Bryson marvelling at Sergio's skill level :

Less than 15 % of all golfers have a handicap. And of those that do, only 10% have a handicap of 5 or less. So basically I’m probably better than 98% of people that play golf already. If you play you’ll know how hard golf is. If you don’t, a 5 handicap is bloody good

Ooo, touchy 🙂

But yout argument is a bit like saying there is no point spending 5k on a road bike unless you are a cat 2 racer putting out 5 watts per kilo!

Why would a cat 2 roadie need to spend that much? It's generally people that just want to show off that spend silly amounts of money on bikes*

I read a statistic that less than 5 % of golfers ever break 80 in their lives!

Blimey, I'm in the top 5% in the world, that'll do me!

*insert hobby of choice.

an example would be some Hogan Apex Plus irons which you could get for around £100 for a good set.

Phenomenal irons, but if they are the ones I'm thinking of they are a players cavity. Buttery smooth but not a club for a high handicapper, and definitely not a beginner. I recently bought a mint set of mizuno mp33 for less than 100 quid. Exactly the same as used by a few world number ones..great clubs, but you need to be a far better player than me to get the most out of them.

If starting out get something with a huge cavity, massive sweet spot, that'll get the ball up in the air. Plenty 'beginner sets' for sale as people improve and get something they 'think' suits their improved game more.

Ooo, touchy ?

Not at all. Just pointing out you probably don't know what you are talking about!

Blimey, I’m in the top 5% in the world, that’ll do me!

If you Include all golfers of all ages, including those that play a a handful of times a year then you probably are if you can break 80 playing proper rules (ie no gimmies!). I have just played 4 rounds out here in the canaries.  I can honestly say I didn't see one other player on the course or practice range who looked like they'd get anywhere near breaking 90!

For what it's worth my entire set cost around 3k, significantly less than most folks on here spend on their bikes! You could buy the same set 2nd hand for half that, but either way I'm Confident that at my level they are worth the investment.  Not so much if you are a hacker who struggles to break 90 every week however..

I reckon 3.  Sand wedge, putter and this bad boy:

Boxed half set or 2nd hand beginners hybrids / irons (high loft & easyish to hit) plus pro lessons deffo the way to start. Without someone standing behind you telling you why you are slicing / hooking / chunking / topping AND how to fix the issue, it's just an exercise in frustration. Maddening incompetence aside, it is a lovely walk, which is nice.

Maddening incompetence aside, it is a lovely walk, which is nice.

I can never work out why it's so damn hard. The other day I shot 5 over for the front 9, 4 under for the back 9. One moment I'll flush it to 2 foot from 170 yards, think I've mastered it. And 2 holes later I'm hacking out sideways after a 40 yard slice.

My one tip for beginners (along side the excellent advice of get lessons), is if you want to score well, learn to putt well. It's a skill in itself but it's far easier to master than hitting full shots. I've hit plenty good scores when my putting is on form even when im hitting it crap, but rarely score well if it's not, even when I'm hitting the ball well

And it's not about how good your good shots are, it's about how 'unbad' your poor shots are...ie you'll never make pars when your first tee shot is 20 yards out of bounds.