14 clubs, one ball at a time. Here's what each club does, what to pack, and how not to overthink any of it.
USGA rules let you carry up to 14 clubs. Carrying 15 or more during a round is a 2-stroke penalty per hole (max 4 strokes). Most golfers carry exactly 14. Here's a typical bag:
| Club | Typical distance (avg male) | What it's for |
|---|---|---|
| Driver (1-wood) | 220–280 yds | Tee shots on long par-4s and par-5s |
| 3-wood | 200–240 yds | Tee shots on tight fairways, long second shots |
| 5-wood or 3-hybrid | 180–220 yds | Long approach shots, easier to hit than 3-iron |
| 4-hybrid or 4-iron | 170–200 yds | Long approach, par-3 tee shots |
| 5-iron | 160–180 yds | Mid-range approach |
| 6-iron | 150–170 yds | Mid-range approach |
| 7-iron | 140–160 yds | The classic "go-to" iron |
| 8-iron | 130–150 yds | Approach shot from inside 150 |
| 9-iron | 120–140 yds | Short approach |
| Pitching wedge (PW) | 105–125 yds | Full approach + chips |
| Gap wedge (GW or 50–52°) | 90–105 yds | Fills the yardage gap between PW and SW |
| Sand wedge (SW or 54–56°) | 70–90 yds | Bunkers, soft chips, full short approaches |
| Lob wedge (LW or 58–60°) | 50–80 yds | High soft shots over hazards |
| Putter | 0–60 ft on green | Rolls the ball into the hole. Used ~40% of strokes. |
There are dozens of ball models. For most golfers, three categories cover everything:
Hard cover, low spin, max distance. Forgiving, durable. Best for: high handicappers, players who lose 3+ balls per round.
Examples: Callaway Warbird, Titleist Velocity, TopFlite
Balance of distance and short-game spin. The sweet spot for most golfers.
Examples: Titleist Tour Soft, Callaway ERC Soft, Bridgestone e6
Soft urethane cover, max greenside spin, what tour pros play. Pricey if you lose them.
Examples: Titleist Pro V1 / Pro V1x, Callaway Chrome Soft, TaylorMade TP5
A complete list of what should be in your bag for any round. Print it, screenshot it, run through it.
Right-handed golfers wear a glove on their left hand. Left-handed golfers wear it on their right. The glove goes on your "lead" hand — the top hand on your grip. You only need one.