In order to golf, you need golf clubs, obviously. If you have clubs, you’ll most likely need a bag to carry all of them around the course. Bags are designed to be stored on a golf cart, carried, or for travelling. In this post I’ll go over all the things you’ll need in your bag on an average golf course, accessories you might want, and a couple places that you can buy all of these items.
Golf Clubs
You will need a combination of different types of clubs: Driver, woods, irons, wedges and a putter. The driver is generally what you will hit off the tee. This is the club that will hit the ball the furthest with the least amount of loft. Depending on the distance of your shot you may choose to use a 3 or 5 wood. These are similar to a driver but will hit the ball higher, which means less distance. Next are the irons. A normal set of clubs will have irons numbered 4-9. The higher the number, the higher the shot will be. These clubs are more likely to be used from 250-100 yards away from the pin. You will also need a few different wedges in your bag. A pitching wedge and a 56 degree. The wedges are used from quite close to the pin. The 56 degree is what you will use in sand traps. Finally, you’ll need a putter. All of these clubs have different lofts and will be used from different distances from the green. Every person will vary with which club they use.
Other Items
You’ll need some golf balls. There are many different kinds of balls at many different price points. For beginners, you will not notice too much of a difference in the different balls. There is also a good chance you’ll lose a bunch (I do all the time). You will need to bring your own tees with you on the course. These break fairly easily so it is important to have a couple in your bag. To grip the club better many golfers use a glove. If you golf right handed, you’ll need a left handed glove. If you shoot left handed, you’ll need a right handed glove. Depending on the season and location of your golf course you may need an umbrella or jacket handy. It is important to stay hydrated on the course, especially on those warm summer days. Always have some water handy to mix in once in a while. You can’t ONLY drink beers on the course. Playing a full 18 holes can take around 4 hours, so I would suggest packing some snacks that you can eat between holes or in the golf course. If your club gets dirty it is helpful to use a brush to clean off the grooves. When you get onto the green you will need something to mark your ball with so that it doesn’t block other people. There are special ball markers that you can buy that will clip onto your hat or golf bag. You can also use a quarter or something small like that. Your friends might get annoyed if you use a shoe to mark your ball. There are many things that other people will have in their golf bag. Sunscreen, extra pencils, towels, bandaids, etc.
All of these items can be purchased at golf specific stores like Golf Town, or can be found at general sporting goods stores like Sport Chek. Golfing equipment can get very pricey but there are lots of second hand options at used sports stores.