I think we all know of at least one player who carries in his bag a whole arsenal of clubs. And by that I mean 18 to 25 different clubs! The rules of golf state we are allowed to carry a max of 14 clubs. Using that rule as a guideline, which clubs should you carry in your bag?

The best answer to that question is it depends on your skill level.

A very good player (someone with a low handicap) will need to carry a few clubs that the high handicapper would be better off leaving at home.

The high handicapper (aka weekend player) might carry these in his bag:

3-wood
5-wood
7-wood
5-iron through 9-iron
Pitching wedge
Putter

Some people reading this might say, Hey, where's the driver?

Truth is, most high handicappers cannot hit a driver with any accuracy or established distance. Playing a driver usually gets them into trouble with either a wicked slice or hook or diminished distance. If you can't hit a driver with any skill, then leave it at home and use your smaller woods instead.

If you're in the mid-range you may want to adjust your club selection as follows:

Driver
3-wood
5-wood
7-wood
4-iron through 9-iron
Pitching wedge
Sand wedge
Putter

I've included the driver here because mid-range players usually have spent some time practicing with thier drivers and can hit with it reasonably well. If they're having a bad day on the tee, they can always go down to the 3 wood and still hit a good drive.

Low handicappers almost always know what clubs they need and those are the ones they carry.

One thing to keep in mind, however, is no matter what your skill level is, use the clubs that you are comfortable with. My suggestions are just that--suggestions. Nothing takes the place of club that feels right in your hand. Those are the clubs that you will play the best with, under most circumstances.