Anyone played a round with only irons?

[JustOne]

Went out for a practice round yesterday in the wind/rain and it was a bit of a slog off the back tees but decided to only play irons for the whole round. My score wasn't too bad considering the conditions (no roll) and seeing that there's 9 holes that I effectively can't reach in regulation using only irons.

Anyone tried it?

 

[Imurg]

Played 9 hole "Fun" comps one evening a week years back
Each week was a different theme....

One week was irons only - If I remember I came in with 18 or 19 points - but I had a 3 iron back then and I could hit it 200+ so even a par 5 was reachable in 3 and the longest par 4 was 410 yards so it didn't really affect me.....

Sometimes I hit my woods so badly it might be worth doing this all the time....

 

[fundy]

pretty much my stock approach currently (struggling with the driver & 3 wood). Have the driver with me but its getting very little use.

Played a knockout match at an away course last week, hit nothing more than 3 iron all day and only dropped 3 shots

 

[CMAC]

yes, occasionally used to do it when we had long hot summers as the ground was so hard with so much roll that courses became 'short' and turned into 3w and wedge holes.
I enjoyed hitting nearly every fairway with just irons, and if your short game was any good you usually ended up with a low 70's score as you were always there or thereabouts at the green.

Nowadays I need all the distance I can squeeze out of clubs

 

[cs1986]

I used to do it most of the time as I was never comfortable with my driver. Id rather of hit a 3 iron off the tee and be confident of hitting the fairway than hitting my driver and risk taking 3 off the tee.

 

[Lanark_Golfer]

Played a Medal a few years back at my old course with only irons. Left my driver and 3 wood in my wife's car when swapping. Shot a 74 and won the Medal by a few shots. Never tried it again since though???

 

[timchump]

yes, but it was a par 3 course

never done it on my main course, i might try it one night after work

if nothing else it should improve my iron game, which seriously needs it :mmm:

 

[Snelly]

Yes. My old club has a competition specifically for just irons. Usually won by more than 36 points too.

I won an event at West Hill about 7 years ago and did not use a wood the whole way round. It was August though and there was a lot of run. I hit a 2 or 3 iron off every tee and played to par.

Not as much fun without belting a driver though!

 

[Fader]

My club has an irons only competition usually held around September time. First time I played in it i'd only just got my first handicap the week before and managed to come 3rd with 37points, the 2nd and last time I played it last September managed to come 3rd again but with 36points. Now I think about it maybe I should do that more often and leave the driver in the bag.

 

[JustOne]

Id rather of hit a 3 iron off the tee and be confident of hitting the fairway

'confident' and '3 iron' rarely feature in the same sentence when referring to my game.

'shank' and '3 iron' YES

'thin' and '3 iron' YES

'toey' and '3 iron' YES

'confident' and '3 iron'.... it's a NO.

 

[rosecott]

At my previous club, which was fairly short, I carried only irons, including a 1 and 2 iron (they are still in the garage). I was somewhat younger then.

 

[Robobum]

Pencil bag of irons on summer evenings is pretty regular for me.

As long as there isn't a gale blowing, our front nine plays little different for me. The 4th hole is the only place where I would really want to hit at least 3 wood anyway.

Gives you a different perspective on how to plot your way round your home track. Hitting driver makes it more difficult in many cases (but then where's the fun in that!!??)

 

[Piece]

Went out for a practice round yesterday in the wind/rain and it was a bit of a slog off the back tees but decided to only play irons for the whole round. My score wasn't too bad considering the conditions (no roll) and seeing that there's 9 holes that I effectively can't reach in regulation using only irons.

Anyone tried it?

Yes. In fact, that's how I play golf now since this time last year! Check my signature out for no sign of woods... Does it work? Definitely for me as I was never that great with woods, even with a professional fitting. Proof was nudging around Delamere Forest and The Open course at Royal Lytham St Annes in 76 last November. I needed accuracy off the tee and long irons gave me that - if I had the driver, you could safely add several shots.

I hit a decent length ball, so long holes aren't too much of an issue. I've probably cut about 4 shots off my unofficial h/c using this approach.

Still, I'd like to able to hit my driver for that "drive for show" feeling!

 

[MadAdey]

I play a lot of holes at my place with irons off the tee. I will hit a 2i from 7 of 12 par 4 tees just to make sure I am in the best position to go at the green. 3 of the other par 4's would leave me with a very difficult shot into the green and the other 2 I could probably get away with, it would just mean I am hitting a mid iron instead of a short iron at a small green. Bugger it, I am playing tonight so i might see what happens if I do hit an iron off every par 4 tee.

 

[patricks148]

I reg play around Fortrose just using iron, last time i played with SEOChris around there before he moved to SA was with irons only, level par, but then it is only 5500 yards at most.

 

[louise_a]

i had a couple of competitions last year when I left my woods out of my bag because when I used them the ball was going anywhere but where I wanted it to go, It didn't last long as driving with a 5 iron wasn't any better.

 

[Canfordhacker]

I played a medal one week where longest iron in my bag was a 6. Hit most fairways, made few mistakes, had to think and focus more.

Shot two over handicap. But not as much fun.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Used to do it all the time as that's all I had, not done it for years though

 

[Deke]

I have been doing this for a few months now after a bad run of form with my woods and hybrids.I tend to play within myself and rarely miss the fairway so I will stick at it for the time being! It helps with my course management too.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I can see some benefit in doing it in a roll up or practice round. Great for leaving different yardages from normal but not something I'd do more than once or twice a season. I prefer to have the right club (eg driver) to do the job