The 14-Club Rule: How Many Clubs You Can Carry in Golf
By Erdi Doğan, owner and editor ·
You may carry at most 14 clubs in a round of golf (Rule 4.1b). You may start with fewer and add clubs up to 14 during the round, but you may never have more than 14, and you may not share clubs with anyone else on the course. If you find a 15th club in your bag, the penalty in stroke play is two strokes for each hole where you had it, up to a maximum of four strokes, and you must take the extra club out of play right away. The putter counts as one of the 14. More on choosing the clubs that fill those spots is in our guide to what each golf club is for.
What counts toward the 14
- Every club carried by you or for you, including the putter and any club your caddie carries.
- A club you damaged during the round still counts, even if you are not allowed to use it.
- Parts of a broken club, such as a loose head or a shaft, do not count, and neither does a training aid that is not a club.
A club you deliberately take out of play before the round, because you found it in the bag at the first tee, does not count either; more on that below.
The penalty for carrying more than 14 clubs
| Format | Penalty | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Stroke play | Two penalty strokes for each hole where the breach happened | Four strokes (two holes) |
| Match play | The match score is adjusted by deducting one hole for each hole where the breach happened | Two holes |
| Stableford | Two points deducted for each hole where the breach happened | Four points |
The penalty is applied at the end of the hole where you notice the problem; if you notice between holes, it is applied to the hole just finished. So a golfer who discovers a 15th club on the 6th tee gets four penalty strokes in stroke play, added to holes 1 and 2, not 12 strokes.
What to do when you find an extra club
As soon as you realize you have more than 14, you must take the extra club out of play before your next stroke (Rule 4.1c). Either tell your marker or another player in your group, or do something clear such as turning the club upside down in the bag or putting it on the floor of the cart. You may not use that club for the rest of the round. Hitting a shot with a club you have already taken out of play is a disqualification.
If you notice the extra club before you start, the best option is to leave it behind. If you cannot, you may take it out of play before your first stroke the same way, with no penalty, and it does not count toward the 14.
Starting with fewer than 14
Many golfers carry 11 to 13 clubs, and that is entirely legal. If you start with fewer than 14, you may add clubs up to 14 during the round, as long as you do not delay play and do not borrow a club from anyone else playing on the course. You also may not build a club from parts carried by you or another player. If you start with 14 and lose or break one, you may not replace it.
No sharing
You may not hit a shot with a club that someone else playing on the course is using, even a friend in a different group. The only exception is partner formats such as foursomes, where partners may share clubs if they have no more than 14 between them.
Choosing your 14
A typical set might be a driver, a 3-wood, a hybrid, irons from 5 to 9, a pitching wedge, two or three more wedges and a putter. The goal is even distance gaps of about 10 to 15 yards and no two clubs doing the same job. Our club distance chart helps you spot overlaps, and the wedge loft chart covers the short end of the bag, where most golfers have a gap.
Frequently asked questions
Does the putter count as one of the 14 clubs?
Yes. Every club counts, including the putter.
Can I carry 15 clubs in a casual round?
Not under the Rules of Golf. In a friendly round nobody will stop you, but in any round played by the Rules, take the extra club out of play before your next stroke.
Can I add a club during the round?
Yes, if you started with fewer than 14. You may not borrow it from another player on the course, and you may not delay play to get it.
Why is the limit 14?
The limit was introduced in the late 1930s, after some players had begun carrying 20 or more clubs, to keep the game a test of shot-making rather than equipment.
Back to what each golf club is for, or to the golf rules guide.
Sources
- Rule 4: The Player's Equipment (4.1b Limit of 14 Clubs; 4.1c Procedure for Taking Clubs Out of Play), The R&A and USGA, Rules of Golf (2023)
- Rule 21.1: Stableford, The R&A and USGA