How many clubs are in a golf bag, and what does each club do?

For anyone who is just starting out in golf, there are so many things about the sport that can feel daunting.

Figuring out where to go, where to stand and when to stay quiet are just a few of the intimidating scenarios beginners face when they play the game for the first time. Players who are new to the game might also be curious about equipment. What in the world are all those clubs for, how exactly do they work and how many are you permitted to carry? Good questions all!

Here’s everything you need to know about how many clubs are in a golf bag, along with each club’s specific role.

How many clubs are in a golf bag?

The Rules of Golf allow players to carry a maximum of 14 clubs — but you don’t have to carry that many if you don’t want to! In fact, beginners may only be comfortable hitting a couple of clubs, and that’s totally fine. You can carry whichever clubs you want, as long as you have 14 or fewer in the bag during a round.

A typical 14-club bag setup includes a driver, two fairway woods, two hybrids, five irons, three wedges and a putter.

What does each golf club do?

Golf clubs are designed to perform different functions. Some are built to go far and with a lower flight, while others are designed to reach higher trajectories so they can land on the green softly.

Driver

The driver is the largest and longest club in the bag. It’s designed to be hit off of a tee so you can get the ball as far down the fairway as possible. Many of today’s drivers are adjustable, meaning you can move weight around the clubhead to promote certain performance benefits.

Instruction

Fairway wood

Fairway woods come in a number of different lofts. The higher the loft, the easier it is to get the ball airborne. In terms of distance, the lower the number on the fairway wood, the farther you can expect it to go. Most players carry a 3-wood and a 5-wood in their bags, but many have also started adding 7-woods and even 9-woods.

Fairway woods are useful for longer shots on par-4s and par-5s, and you may need to use them on longer par 3s, too.

Hybrid

A hybrid is a useful club that is a combination of a fairway wood and an iron. Hybrids can be easier to hit than irons, especially from difficult lies. Many recreational players have at least one or two hybrids in the bag, generally replacing a 4-iron and a 3-iron.

Iron

Irons generally comprise the majority of the clubs in a golfer’s bag. Most sets include a 9-iron, 8-iron, 7-iron, 6-iron and 5-iron. Some players like hitting irons all the way up to a 2-iron. But for beginners, hybrids and fairway woods (see above) often take the place of longer irons.

Irons are designed to be approach clubs — clubs that you select to hit onto a green, and hit to a more precise location. A well-struck shot with an iron will have a high trajectory, enabling the ball to land softly on the green.

Wedge

Wedges are the highest-lofted irons in a golfer’s bag. They are designed to go short distances, and can be used for short approaches to the green or for shots that require a carry over an obstacle. Most players opt to carry a pitching wedge, gap wedge and sand wedge, but there are a number of different combinations you can tinker with depending on your style of play.

Putter

The putter is the club with the least amount of loft in the bag. There are many different styles to choose from, but they all share one thing in common: All putters are designed to keep the ball on the ground, rolling on a true line toward your target.

To dial in the perfect clubs for your game, consult a fitter at your local True Spec Golf.