Stableford scoring.

[Swango1980]

Perhaps the 15th divider is for an umbrella?

Maybe having a 15th divider helps speed up play, as golfers are going to more quickly find an empty slot when returning their club (I tend to place certain clubs in the same slots every time, like wedges, that I use a lot, but less so for clubs I rarely use). Or, maybe it is to place a training aid or a training club when practising, or a ball retriever.

 

[Ye Olde Boomer]

Let's get real. 15 dividers are for 15 clubs. I play with my entire set most of the time, but I don't play in any actual club events, just weekday morning social golf with my buds.
I also don't turn in cards for handicap anymore. That would require me to pull a club as well.

 

[Swango1980]

Let's get real. 15 dividers are for 15 clubs. I play with my entire set most of the time, but I don't play in any actual club events, just weekday morning social golf with my buds.
I also don't turn in cards for handicap anymore. That would require me to pull a club as well.

If you played social golf with me, I'd DQ you every time

 

[Ye Olde Boomer]

If you played social golf with me, I'd DQ you every time

You're not an American outlaw, however!

 

[rulie]

We have a member who bought a new bag a couple years ago, with the added "putter well" making 15 openings. He filled them all with clubs, and one of our group correctly penalized him two strokes for a breach of the Rules (14 club limit).
His new nickname became "Slots".
(the number of openings for clubs in a golf bag does not modify the Rules of golf; as everyone above has correctly stated, the Rules of golf do not specify that a bag be used or what it should look like)

 

[Ye Olde Boomer]

Limey spoilsports!

 

[CliveW]

Let's get real. 15 dividers are for 15 clubs. I play with my entire set most of the time, but I don't play in any actual club events, just weekday morning social golf with my buds.
I also don't turn in cards for handicap anymore. That would require me to pull a club as well.

So why 15 then? Why not 16 or any other number? The Rules of Golf clearly states that you must not start a round with more than 14 clubs or have more than 14 clubs during the round. I wonder what other rules you ignore during a round of golf. Even if it is social golf you must have rules?

 

[Ye Olde Boomer]

I play the ball as it lies.
I count correctly.
I try to adhere to every conventional golf courtesy.

I just don't like empty slots in a cart bag. It momentarily makes it look like I left a club out on the course.
And that put a momentary buzz in my stomach that remains long enough to spoil my next shot.

Golf is an expensive game that I play to enjoy while this decrepit old body still allows me to do so.
The R&A / USGA rules-makers may no effort to go into their pockets and defray my expenses.
If I paid for a set of fifteen over-priced clubs, I wasn't thinking about leaving one home.

Now, if I were playing competitively in club events or still turning in cards for handicap, that would imply that I was complying with all rules in order to do so.
That's not the case. My bag has fifteen slots. My set has fifteen clubs. My playing partners pay off there bets or take my money knowing that we have no club limits.
So while I genuinely respect the purists and the game alike, I don't see the big deal.

 

[Swango1980]

I play the ball as it lies.
I count correctly.
I try to adhere to every conventional golf courtesy.

I just don't like empty slots in a cart bag. It momentarily makes it look like I left a club out on the course.
And that put a momentary buzz in my stomach that remains long enough to spoil my next shot.

Golf is an expensive game that I play to enjoy while this decrepit old body still allows me to do so.
The R&A / USGA rules-makers may no effort to go into their pockets and defray my expenses.
If I paid for a set of fifteen over-priced clubs, I wasn't thinking about leaving one home.

Now, if I were playing competitively in club events or still turning in cards for handicap, that would imply that I was complying with all rules in order to do so.
That's not the case. My bag has fifteen slots. My set has fifteen clubs. My playing partners pay off there bets or take my money knowing that we have no club limits.
So while I genuinely respect the purists and the game alike, I don't see the big deal.

If you are worried about golf being expensive, don't buy so many clubs.

 

[rulefan]

And a cheaper bag with fewer slots

 

[Ye Olde Boomer]

If you are worried about golf being expensive, don't buy so many clubs.

Instead of counting my clubs, you should be ragging on me for using "there" instead of "their."
"Paying of there bets...." Looks like I attended Trump University. I'm surprised that I didn't write "they're."

 

[rulefan]

Instead of counting my clubs, you should be ragging on me for using "there" instead of "their."
"Paying of there bets...." Looks like I attended Trump University. I'm surprised that I didn't write "they're."

It's a matter of expectation

 

[simonm8]

I actually asked the question in the pro shop the other day when a rep from a company was there... his take was the 15th slot for alignment sticks... Which I found strange because you would not take them out on a normal round of golf so didn't see the point..His reply was well think logically, most people who use a cart bag are lazy, so they aint going to walk back to the motor after a practice before teeing off to drop them off are they... Sounds stupid to me..

 

[duncan mackie]

I actually asked the question in the pro shop the other day when a rep from a company was there... his take was the 15th slot for alignment sticks... Which I found strange because you would not take them out on a normal round of golf so didn't see the point..His reply was well think logically, most people who use a cart bag are lazy, so they aint going to walk back to the motor after a practice before teeing off to drop them off are they... Sounds stupid to me..

Most people I know who have allignment sticks keep them permanently in their bag and that includes those who carry!

 

[Swango1980]

Most people I know who have allignment sticks keep them permanently in their bag and that includes those who carry!

Yeah, if you use them often enough, it's probably a hassle putting them in and out of your bag. I bet a lot of people keep their ball retriever in their bag at all times if they have one as well.

Anyway, does it really matter WHY there are 15 slots or what the 15th is for? The only relevant point was that it didn't over-rule to Rules of Golf by permitting a player to carry 15 clubs.

 

[Ye Olde Boomer]

Anyway, does it really matter WHY there are 15 slots or what the 15th is for? The only relevant point was that it didn't over-rule to Rules of Golf by permitting a player to carry 15 clubs.

Can we take a vote? I would really PREFER to bag fifteen.

I like Stableford events, by the way. My nuclear holes do less damage to the scorecard.

I finished 18th of 144 in my last Stabeford tournament. That's good for me.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Can we take a vote? I would really PREFER to bag fifteen.

I like Stableford events, by the way. My nuclear holes do less damage to the scorecard.

I finished 18th of 144 in my last Stabeford tournament. That's good for me.

You crack on, we can't stop you playing against the rules of the game

 

[LincolnShep]

Can we take a vote? I would really PREFER to bag fifteen.

No chance. You had a vote in 2016 and look what you did with it!

 

[Swango1980]

Can we take a vote? I would really PREFER to bag fifteen.

I like Stableford events, by the way. My nuclear holes do less damage to the scorecard.

I finished 18th of 144 in my last Stabeford tournament. That's good for me.

I would prefer 25 if I had the chance, even though my best score last season was in the 3-club competition. But, crucially I still know I'm limited to 14, so the vote is a little meaningless.

 

[rulefan]

Can we take a vote?

Yes, if you live in Scotland