Not really, 14 is plenty.  Also, I have a Titleist 14-way bag, so a 15th club would kind of be a pain.  

I'll admit, I'm never too concerned about gaps.  I go with what feels right.  

You guys are breaking my (golf) heart.  No support for the 15-club rule?

Let's say you want to carry a putter, driver, 3-wood and 5-wood, 3 through 9 irons, and 4 wedges.

Can't do it.  That is one club too many.

Rich

I agree with 14 club rule, that many options just makes it more confusing trying to get to cute. I feel its a balance on both ends of the bag i don't try to go for par 5's in 2 in any more even though i can still reach some of them and if i miss then i'm in jail. I simplified my bag this year  all Titleist driver 17° 19° hybrid 4-pw and 51,56 wedges hcp dropping scoring much improved for me.

Hey Chuck Z, I couldn't agree with you more. The game is a feel game. I use the same putter on a 3foot putt and a 20 footer. You have to draw the line somewhere.

Play Well,

Steve S.

14 Clubs are more than enough. I personally think 5 wedges is a bit excessive. I play with 3 (48, 53 and 59). I have never had a situation where I wished for more than that. I have had students that insist on a 62 or 64 but can't really hit it. I take it out of the bag and give them a hybrid that they actually can use and the scores seem to drop magically!

I'm good with 14 clubs.  I wouldn't concern yourself with making the loft gaps even but work more to keep the distance gaps even.  Just because each club is 4 degrees less, you might not have equal distances in yards between each club.

5 wedges? my question is why? I play this and works beautifully 

10.5* driver

15* 3 wood

19* 5 wood

21* 3 hybrid

4-pw irons

54* wedge

62* wedge

putter

I can hit a PW anywhere from 95-135 yards. If you have to have multiple wedges in between there then something is wrong. PW is from 95-135 yards like i said and 54 is for 50-100 yards. 62 is strictly short yardages and around the greens. I am no pro or even a superb amateur but I have been working on 100 and in and putting as that is almost half of your shots most of the time. Work on your swing and taking yardages off but there is no need for 5 wedges every imo

Most of the replies support the 14 club rule, suggesting that the golfer get more creative and learn to score with fewer clubs.

But what this discussion fails to take into account is that when the rule was changed in 1939, there were only 14 golf clubs, the putter, driver, brassie, spoon, the 1 through 9 iron, and the newly created wedge.   Creativity was not a requirement.

Today, there are wedges, irons, hybrids, fairway woods, drivers, driving irons, and putters. With the current 14 club limit, a golfer is forced to be creative, and this seems to unnecessarily penalize all but the most proficient golfers.

I'll bet that if the rule were changed to allow a 15th club, most of the dissenters would quickly add a 15th club to their bags.

Rich

No, I think 14 is adequate.  Personally, I would drop the 64 and practice hitting different types of shots with the 52, 56 and 60 so that you can hit the distance where you normally used the 64.  Then you can add the hybrid.

Another option is to get the hybrid and adjust what is in your bag based on the course you are playing that day.  I have 15 clubs and I adjust my bag depending on where I'm playing and what I think I'll need.  Once out on the course if I find myself at some in-between distance, I fall back to the various types of shots I have practiced over the years and am comfortable hitting.

I am fine with the rule.  I just hit to the distances of the clubs I carry.  My wedges are 46, 50, 56.  At the young age of 69, has works well for me and have no complaints.  Just have be more creative and choose which end you want to have less clubs.    

I play with only 9 clubs

I would suggest to get rid of your 5 iron.

I've often wondered about the 14 club rule and how it came about.  In 1939 there were caddies, people playing in coats and ties, no air conditioning to cool off after the game.  Anyway, I think that 14 is a good number regardless of how that number came about.  I sure like your wedge set up and I'd not drop any of them as like you say, they are your scoring clubs.

Most golfers consider their wedges their scoring clubs.  If par is 72 and you two putt every hole then half your scoring would be with your putter.  There are normally four par fives, four par threes, and ten par fours.  How many times in a round do you normally use the wedge?  All depends on the set up club which in most cases is the driver, all depending on the length of the hole.  So the driver could be in control on fourteen of the 18 holes.  I am speaking for the average handicapper not a scratch golfer.  Not everyone hits a PW 150 yards.  So, I would venture to say that the money club is up for grabs.  You know drive for show, putt for dough.....and all the other clubs fall in between......

I think 14 clubs is plenty.  In fact I only carry 12 clubs myself.  I am thinking what club to add, going to Golfsmith to ask them.  They always give me good advice.

I know titleist wouldn't carry it, but maybe picking up a mini driver could replace driver and 4-wood, then you could pick up a club between 4 iron and your "driver" and still be within the limit.

Rich,

You sound like a really good and thoughtful golfer.  I currently play with 13 clubs and I think that only 14 clubs is just fine.  My opinion on which club to drop would be the 64 degree wedge.  You would still have the 4 degree gap with your other wedges and as good as you sound I don't believe that there are any kind of shots with the 64 degree that you couldn't do with the 60 degree.  Fairways and greens.

Mark F.

I sometimes carry 15, so I can understand the need. 

• I have my AP2 3-PW (8 total)
• 915 D3
• 913 5W
• 913 H
• Vokey SM5: 52, 56, 60 (3)
• Putter

When I take a club out it goes between my 3i and my hybrid. While a 3W may come in handy every once in a while, I obviously can't have that. Distances aren't that different between my 3i and my hybrid, but the flights sure are. 

I agree with the wedge comments and don't think a 64* is necessary. I once thought I wanted one, but I can do almost anything with my 60M. 

I want to support you, but I often find myself carrying LESS than the maximum 14, like playing a Sunday round with only my ODD numbered clubs and only one 56 wedge.  Makes things a little more interesting when you have to be creative, hit different shots with the same club, choke down on a seven where you would normally hit 8, etc.  I think it helps my game. 

That being said, I also have a basement full of clubs, and tailor my bag to the course I am playing any given day, knowing what distances I typically have for approaches into greens, and how tight the course is for Par 5 second shots.  I might swap out my 4 iron for a 23 degree hybrid, or pull the 4 iron completely and add a 62 degree lob.  Sometimes I will carry a 3 wood and 5 wood, and other times take both out and only use a 4-wood like you do.  I also have 3 sets of wedges that I swap out depending on the course conditions and what kind of sand I might face.  On a softer course, I will carry wedges with more bounce, and on the firm course, minimal bounce. 

I keep a detailed scorecard each round, noting drive distance, approach length and fairways hit/GIR.  After a few rounds at a course, I know what distances to practice beforehand, and which hybrids and wedges to carry, etc.

Hey, if you want to carry that 15th club, go for it.  If not, I would drop the 64 degree and either open up that 60 when needed or swap both out for a good 62.

I use to carry a 60* wedge and it caused me more problems than it was worth.  Decided to stay with the standard sand wedge at 56.10*, SM5.  Just got back from my fitters shop today, where he took my SM4, 56.11* and ground the bounce back to a 56.08*. Our course's sand traps are a little hard this year and in need of some new sand and he recommended less bounce out of them so I will be rotating that 56 wedges, but nice to have the option.  

The 14 club rule has been fine for over 70 years, no need to change it now.  I actually only play with 13 clubs, 3 are wedges.  I think it about learning how to play the proper shot with the proper wedge.  If needed, I could probably get by with only 2 wedges.  5 seems a little excessive.

As far as I'm concerned, you may play with however many clubs you want.  Feel free to bring along 15, 16, etc. clubs if you like and you are not slowing down the round.  Don't expect me to attest to your score with said bag as I won't do that but I have no issues otherwise.  I actually like the 14-club rule as it forces me to be creative about what I choose to bring with me to the course and to be more imaginative about the shots I hit.  I've read stories about golfers before the 14-club rule bringing multiple opposite-handed clubs for different distances just for special, obscure situations.  I would hate being a caddy carrying a 20-30 club bag.

Well, there you have it.  Unanimous opposition to increase the current 14-club limit to 15 clubs.  And, I have to say, that surprises me.  Even more surprising is the comments by several guys that they don't even carry 14 clubs.  But, no matter, I will continue to wish that the legal limit would be increased to 15 clubs.

Back in 1939 when the 14-club limit was adopted, the concept of a wedge was brand new and mostly experimental.  The pros carried a driver, putter, 1 through 9 iron, and three fairway woods.  Today, the 1 iron is long gone and the 2 iron is fast disappearing.  A lot of the pros carry a hybrid and two fairway woods.  Counting the 3 through 9 iron, along with the driver and putter, that only leaves room for two wedges.

But, then, the pros, and most low handicappers, can reach greens in regulation, so what do they care?  Give them a sand wedge and  pitching wedge and they are all set.  But for the mid to high handicapper and the senior golfer, most greens cannot be reached in regulation.  So, the wedge becomes the scoring club. If you want to shoot a par instead of a bogey, you need to get that approach shot close to the pin, so distance control is all important.

That is why I carry 5 wedges.  For me, the pitching wedge isn't even a wedge.  It is a 10 iron if you will.  Blame the golf club manufacturer.  Not so long ago, the 9 iron was a 48 degree loft, and the pitching wedge was 52 degrees.  Today, my 9 iron (AP1) is 40 degrees, so my pitching wedge is 46 degrees.  Most irons have 3 to 4 degree gaps in loft.  For me, I need wedge gaps of 4 degrees to control distance.  So, I wind up with 5 wedges if you count today's pitching wedge as a wedge.

I carry 5 wedges, the 4 through 9 iron, a fairway wood, driver, and putter.  There is my 14 clubs.  I could use a hybrid for versatility and distance, to plug the 8 degree gap between my 4 iron and 3-wood.  But I hate to give up that 5th wedge which, for me, is a critical scoring club.

End of rant.

Rich

Sorry RIch.  I understand where you're coming from, and sure, there may be times where I wish I had a club that I elected not to carry that day, but 14 works for me.  Driver, hybrids (18*, 20.5* & 24*), 5-PW, 52 / 56 / 60 wedges and putter.  I rarely regret not carrying a 3 wood, but I make do the best I can with my 915H 18*.

It sounds like you are pretty attached to each of your wedges and  just need to lose the 4-iron and carry a 3-hybrid.

I started doing the same thing at one of the courses I play regularly, where I can either choke down on the 3h (or play a cut) to hit that 4-iron shot when I need it, but it comes in softer than the 4-iron has lately.  Great option for those long par 3s, or on a really tight short par 4, and even for some par 5 second shots.

I'm okay with 14 clubs. I used to have a 52, a 56, and a 60 degree wedge and was very happy with my setup. One day I accidentally left the 52 on the course and lucky me, someone decided to turn their bag into a 15-club bag! I was pretty devastated for a long time. The 52 was my guaranteed 115 yard club. I looked for a replacement for a while but I have found that by choking down on my pitching wedge and slowing my swing just slightly I have been able to replicate the distance very accurately. Bottom line, I think 14 clubs covers enough ground and I enjoy the challenge of having to tweak my swing/touch slightly to make it work with 14 rather than adding clubs to the bag.

    14 clubs is it. Part of learning to play the game is learning how to set up your bag. You can start your round with 15 if you like but it will cost you 2 strokes for each of the first 2 holes. Whats next winter rules all summer, and mulligans on every hole?

     As a Titleist Club Fitter the last club we put in anyone's bag is a 58*, 60* or 64* wedge. More important is to get the gap between the Fairways and iron set correct first. This includes making sure that long irons have actual distance gaps. If not we substitute 3,4 or,5 irons with hybrids to create those gaps. Then we make sure that the gap between the longest hybrid and 3 wood is filled.

     Then when that is done we fit for the sand wedge (loft/bounce) based on the type of sand and what their needs are with that club. Then we fill in the gap between the pitching wedge (47*/48*) and the sand wedge (54*/56*). Very rarely do we need to special order a 64* wedge for someone. 

     Lose the 64 and practice hitting shots from 60 to 10 yds. with your 9,P,52*, 56* and,60*. That will give you a more rounded game and better shot making ability where it counts.

Good Luck

Who really needs a 64? I feel like I can do anything with a 60-07 that I might be able to do with a 64. I can flop it 10 yards over a bunker or pop it up and over 1 foot of rough onto the green, or hit it 50-70 yards from a fairway. More if I need to, or less with a half swing. I can check a chip from the fairway on a downhill shot, or do the same with my 52 on an uphill shot. There are so many finesse shots you can do with a 52/56/60 (or similar) set-up. IMO, it's not about more wedges, it's about practicing all those various shots with the ones in my bag. Seve Ballesteros learned to play EVERY shot with a 5 iron, including a bunker blast. Zach Johnson, one of the best wedge players on Tour, only carries 3 wedges.

Unless you have exceptional hand-eye coordination and higher than average swing speed, a 64 degree wedge will likely get you into more trouble than it's worth. Now, if you are a lefty named Phil, I can see your point.

Flop shots, half swings, bunker blasts, who really needs a 64?

 "a 64 degree wedge will likely get you into more trouble than it's worth."  Au contraire.  I can hit a 64 degree wedge 75 yards or so from a tight lie, so I use that 64 degree wedge several times a round.  I have my short game covered, but I need one more club for my long game.

Rich

Rich - thank you for a lively discussion on this topic.  I'll go back on a couple of your points with the wedges.  The 14 club rule has generally worked since 1939, in the early 20th century, some golfers even carried 2 bags.  You have to start somewhere.  For use in non-official events, you really aren't restricted to 14 clubs, Just like many golfers won't play a full round with the same type ball.  I'll contend that you aren't the average high handicapper.  Most average players (18+ handicap) don't consistently hit wedge to an exact distance.  Personally, inside of 100 yards, I use multiple clubs for the same distance - especially since I can be under trees at the same time.  When I don't carry a wedge over 56 degrees, I can partial swing/choke down on another wedge to cover the same distance as a lob wedge.  Carrying a 62 instead of a 60 and a 64 is one way for you to add a longer club, since you apparently have enough practice/skill to lob shots that I can only dream about when watching PM.  I'm happy to keep it to 14 and if it was moved to 12, then I'd just gap irons wider and take some out and just choke down more.  14 is just a number.

Don, thanks for those comments.  As those following this thread know, I want to add a 21 degree hybrid to my bag, but that would be my 15th club.  I would prefer to play within the rules, so that would mean dropping one of my irons or one of my wedges.

Your suggestion to replace the 60 and 64 degree wedges with a 62 degree wedge is an interesting one, to say the least.  I currently carry 5 wedges because I do have very good distance control with the wedges.

Just for fun, I kept track of which clubs I used today and how often.  I shot an 80 from the senior tees, so I was quite pleased with my round.  I used my putter 30 times, my driver 13 times, and my 3 wood 3 times.  My other high usage clubs were the 6 iron (6 times), the 8 iron (5), the 4 iron (3), AW (5), SW (4), LW (5) and the XLW (4).  So, that 64 degree (XLW) wedge is a real go to club for me, just like the LW, SW, and AW.  The least used clubs were once each for my 5 iron and pitching wedge.  I didn't use the 7 iron or 9 iron at all.

When I think about it, I rarely use the 5 iron and the 7 iron.  So, maybe one of those can be pulled from the bag.   Today's round was unusual in the sense that I typically use my 9 iron and PW more than once per round.

Thought others might be interested in these stats.

Rich

14 is plenty.  I'm about a 7 handicap.  I too have played with adding some wedges.  At times I carry 60 and 64.  I had to adjust my set to be able to add a wedge(s).  Here is what I did:  It was not just a question of how often but realistically the purpose of the shot.  I expect to get my wedges at least close and often pretty close.  But realistically how often is a 4 iron your "go to shot" to get it close?  If I had a 4 iron in my hands, then anywhere on the green is going to be pretty good.  So, here is what I did:

Driver, 3 wood, 17 hybrid, 20 hybrid, 5-PW, 50, 56, 62.  and putter.

Most players don't need anything longer than a 5 iron realistically.  And I can certainly cover any distances with my 2 hybrids at least to get them in the general area of where they need to be.  If I really needed to add another wedge I could drop one of the hybrids and still be able to "cover" the same distances in a general fashion.  The hybrids are so versatile that it makes so much more sense.  I would think that you could easily cover the 4 iron and 5 iron with 1 hybrid.  I think once you try the hybrid you will find that you can hit all kinds of shots with it and vary the distances with more than enough control from that range.  Obviously I don't have the same distance control with my hybrids as I do with a wedge but from that range it is more than close enough to get the job done the few times that I need it.  I was lucky enough to play Pinehurst #2 this summer and the 20 hybrid was even great around the greens.

david

For me its about not needing a bunch of wedges.  I have my PW and a 52 and a 58.

I'm ok with that.  It gives me more room on the top end of my bag if I need it.  Realistically I could pull my 3i out too and throw another fairway wood in there.  But I don't really feel the need to increase the # of clubs in the bag or change the rule.

Most amateurs rarely hit every club in their bag every round, I bet there are clubs in their bags that haven't been hit in year(s).