The maximum number of clubs allowed in a golf bag is 14.
This rule was established by the RA and the USGA and has been in effect since the 1930s.
According to the USGA:
(1) Limit of 14 Clubs. A player must not:
https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules/rules-2019/rules-of-golf/rule-4.html
- Start a round with more than 14 clubs, or
- Have more than 14 clubs during the round.
Most Common Setup
50% of Tour players have the following setup in their bag:
- Driver
- 3 wood
- 5 wood or 2/3 hybrid or utility iron
- 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 irons
- PW, gap W, SW, LW
- Putter
The other 50% typically swap a wedge for another longer club, such as another hybrid, driving iron, or 3 iron.
In general, long hitters can carry more wedges, and shorter hitters should carry longer clubs.
Penalty For Having Too Many Clubs In Your Bag
Stroke Play
2 strokes for every hole played with an extra club in your bag, up to a maximum of 4.
For example, if you notice on hole 1 that you have an extra club, your penalty is 2 strokes. If you notice on hole 2, the penalty is 4 strokes. Even if you don’t notice until much later, such as on hole 12, the penalty is still just 4 strokes.
Match play
The penalty for match play is an adjustment penalty.
According to the USGA:
Penalty for Breach of Rule 4.1b: The penalty applies based on when the player becomes aware of the breach:
https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/rules/rules-2019/rules-of-golf/rule-4.html
- Player Becomes Aware of Breach While Playing the Hole. The penalty is applied at the end of the hole being played. In match play, the player must complete the hole, apply the result of that hole to the match score and then apply the penalty to adjust the match score.
- Player Becomes Aware of Breach Between Two Holes. The penalty is applied as of the end of the hole just completed, not the next hole.
If a player notices they have more than 14 clubs, they do not automatically lose the hole they are playing.
They will complete the hole, apply the result of the hole, and then apply the match adjustment penalty.
What this does is it still penalizes the player if they lose the hole anyway.
For example, say a player notices they have 15 clubs on the first hole.
Play continues, and that player loses that hole. They are now 1 down. Then the match adjustment penalty is applied, and they are now 2 down.
Similarly, had they won the hole and gone 1 up, the penalty would be applied, and they would be all square.
There is a maximum deduction of two holes for this penalty. So if a player doesn’t notice they have more than 14 clubs until the third hole or later, they still only need to apply a two-hole deduction to the match score.
Why Is The Limit 14 Golf Clubs?
With the advent of steel shafts, players began carrying more and more clubs, many carrying over 25 during a round.
Golf’s governing bodies didn’t like this trend, so they established a limit.
This limit went into effect in 1938 when the USGA and RA, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, governing body for the rest of the world other than North America, agreed on the 14-club limit.
Other Rules
Taking Clubs Out Of Play
If a player realizes they have too many clubs, they must either declare this to someone in their group or take some other explicit action, such as turning the club upside down or getting rid of it.
A player is also allowed to take a damaged club out of play as long as the damage was not caused by a deliberate action by the player, such as smashing the club on the ground or over their knee.
If a club becomes damaged by “natural” means, such as the club head breaking during a typical golf swing, the player can replace that club with another without penalty.
Sharing Clubs
A player is not allowed to use another’s golf clubs, even if they aren’t in the player’s group.
The only exception is in partner formats.
In this case, partners may share clubs provided the combined total of the clubs between them is 14 or less.
Minimum Number of Clubs
There is no minimum number of clubs.
If you want to only play with 5 or 6 clubs, as many beginners golfers should, you can.
And if a player chooses to start with less than 14 clubs, they may add clubs during their round, up to the maximum of 14.
Type of Clubs
A player can carry any clubs they want as long as they conform to the rules of golf.
You want to carry 3 drivers, 2 putters, and 7 wedges? Go ahead.
Club Limit Penalties In Professional Golf
2001 British Open
Sunday at the 2001 Open Championship. Tied for the lead. Ian Woosnam gets to the second tee box and notices something as he reaches for his driver.
He has two of them.
A 2-stoke penalty is applied, and Woosnam goes on to finish T-3, two strokes out of solo 2nd.
2013 PGA Championship
Well within the cut line and standing on the third tee at the 2013 PGA Championship, Woody Austin realized he had forgotten to take the hybrid he had been practicing with out of his bag.
4 stroke penalty and no weekend golf.
2022 Sanderson Farms Monday Qualifier
Wesley Bryan realized he was carrying two 7 irons and was assessed a 4 stroke penalty. Thankfully he wasn’t in contention at that point and had a good attitude about it:
