Is 14 clubs the right amount?

Our club used to hold an annual 3 club comp which was fun.
I entered one year with a 5, 9 and putter.
I had recently splashed out on a new driver but decided, naturally, that was no use in this comp. I teed off on the 1st, par 4, with the 5 iron, and minutes later used it again and hit the green in two. I stood there genuinely bewildered at my spend of several hundred quid on the driver.
 
I carry all the time, and usually only carry 8 clubs. Driver, 5,7,8,9,PW,58 and putter. Occasionally I switch my 5 iron for a 2 iron, hybrid or 3 wood but always end up back with the 5. Gives me enough off the tee, and apart from really long holes, enough to reach the green in two or three. Most of all though, it makes playing fun as I have to be a bit more creative with what I’ve got.
 
Our club used to hold an annual 3 club comp which was fun.
I entered one year with a 5, 9 and putter.
I had recently splashed out on a new driver but decided, naturally, that was no use in this comp. I teed off on the 1st, par 4, with the 5 iron, and minutes later used it again and hit the green in two. I stood there genuinely bewildered at my spend of several hundred quid on the driver.
My old club has a two club and putter comp for the captains drive in. I usually played it with a 7 iron and PW. Won it one year with 34 points.
 
I'm usually taking a dozen clubs but it could easily be less if the sets were built just slightly differently

Its common to see 3-4 degrees of loft separation in modern irons but I'll respectfully suggest that for most club golfers a 5-6 degree separation would make no difference (inc through wedges)
I could then go with 7 clubs to cover 20° to 54° (4iron/Hy through to SW) in seven clubs rather than nine
Add putter, driver and FW for a 10 club set

(and that's before I suggest making irons adjustable i.e one long iron covers 4,5,6 lofts, one slightly shorter length for 7,8,9 and a third for PW/GW/SW Each with a quick 2-3 second loft adjustment mechanism... now we have a 6 club set with no notable gaps from current 13/14 club arrangements)
Wont happen because we wont pay a grand for three irons but it would be cheaper to produce, better for materials, environment, cheaper to package & ship etc etc etc
 
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I have recently moved from 14 to 13. Had a 3w, 3h and 5h and traded them in as I couldn't hit the 3w and got a 5w and 4h to fill the gaps. This was as much financial as golf related as I couldn't justify swapping 3 clubs for 3 more 😁
 
I would have more than 20 clubs for clubs for competitive play, if the rules allowed.
Three drivers of slightly different lofts, a 3-wood and 3 hybrids.
I would like something along the lines of a set of Petron irons that I own that are 1-10, PW, SW. This set has 50° 10-iron, 55° PW and 60° SW.
I would like the 1-10 irons about the same 15° to 50°, but then 3 more irons of 54°, 58° and 64°.
I would have three putters for long, medium and short putts.

I might go for a game next week.
Driver, 16° hybrid, irons 18°, 30.5°, 45° and putter.
Six clubs is enough for bashing it about in the cold mud.
 
I normally just take out the 58 degree wedge when carrying - seem to use all the other clubs

And yeah when it’s a “2 club and putter” event we have had scores over 40

I was level par a couple years back in ours 😂
One of my low handicap friends had his best score in 3 years when playing in the 3 club comp.
It was during the 1976 drought and the course was tinder dry, putters were going 200 yards on some downhill fairways.
 
I have only ever used 13 clubs, always had that extra space but never felt a need to fill it with anything. I think I could drop to 10 clubs and be happy enough and still score the same.
 
I only carry 13 in summer, Tain have been playing counting comps in winter so last year i kept to that, but previously with bounce games i just carried a half set.
 
My old club has a two club and putter comp for the captains drive in. I usually played it with a 7 iron and PW. Won it one year with 34 points.
Nairn has a 3 club (one must be the putter) comp over Christmas, that's is usually won with low score, its always surprising how low you can score. only trouble is pot bunkers if you go in one of those you are not getting out with a 5 iron :ROFLMAO:
 
As I carry at this time of year, I take out the gap wedge, 6 and 4 iron and a 5 wood. In winter that is rarely a problem.
At my old club, we used to run a "three clubs and a putter", contest. The scores were largely similar to a normal Comp.
 
I love the max loft allowed to be 56 degrees. I often play with 8 clubs and score the same. Driver, 4 wood, 4i, 6i, 8i, pw, sw, putter
 
I carried on Saturday and took out my 4H, 7i, 9i, 48 & 58, leaving me driver, 5W, 7W, 6i, 8i, PW (approx 42 degrees) & 52 degree (+ putter) - didn't really score massively differently (apart from greens & bunkers being frozen solid, so bunker shots were a no-no and putting was a bit of a lottery)
 
I carried on Saturday and took out my 4H, 7i, 9i, 48 & 58, leaving me driver, 5W, 7W, 6i, 8i, PW (approx 42 degrees) & 52 degree (+ putter) - didn't really score massively differently (apart from greens & bunkers being frozen solid, so bunker shots were a no-no and putting was a bit of a lottery)
Depending how steep the lips on the bunkers are.
I often putt out of compacted /frozen bunkers
Takes a few practice ones though but it does come out.
 
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