Rule 4.1b(1) says you must not start a round with more than 14 clubs, nor should you have more than 14 clubs during the round.
If you accidentally have 15 clubs in your bag and you start your round without taking the 15th club out of play, you’re going to face a penalty – Two penalty strokes per hole up to a maximum of four in stroke play and loss of hole in match play with a maximum deduction of two holes in the round.
Basically – If you make it to the third tee before you notice you’re carrying an extra club or clubs in a match and you thought you were all-square, you’re not, you’re two-down. And, if you were playing stroke play and thought you were level par, you’re not, you’re four-over! It’s certainly one to be careful of.
So, there is a maximum number of clubs you can carry in golf competition but is there a minimum? The simple answer to this question is, yes. The minimum number of clubs you can carry in golf competition is one. You can’t play golf according to The Rules without being in possession of at least one conforming golf club.
Rule 4.1a says that in making a stroke, a player must use a club that conforms to the requirements in the Equipment Rules. If you don’t have a club, you can’t make a legal stroke so you can’t start or complete a hole or round.
It’s unlikely you would cope too well in the competition if you only had one club, but you would be allowed to give it a go within The Rules. Plenty of players will carry fewer than 14 clubs during a round but most would opt for at least a half set to give them the best chance of completing holes effectively.
You might think you could take just one, adjustable club out with you. But you’d fall foul of Rule 4.1a(3) which says – A player must not make a stroke with a club when they have deliberately changed the club’s playing characteristics during the round. If you do that, it’s a disqualification.
That’s worth remembering. If you have an adjustable driver, you are not allowed to deliberately use that feature during a competition round.
If you do have fewer than 14 clubs in your bag, you are permitted to add clubs during the round up to the 14 club limit, so long as you don’t unduly delay play in doing so, you also can’t borrow them from another player on the course (even if they’re not playing in the competition,) or build a club from parts you, or anyone else on course are carrying.
So, if you tee off and realise you have left half your clubs in the boot of the car after a trip to the driving range, you are allowed to go and get them, if the course heads near enough to the car park for your actions not to delay play that is.
Technically, there is a minimum number of clubs you have to carry in golf competitions but it’s a technicality, you obviously have to be carrying a club. It doesn’t matter if you want to only take five clubs, seven or 10, as long as you don’t carry more than 14, you will be within The Rules.
