How to Arrange Golf Clubs in a Bag

By Steve Silverman

Golfers often wonder how many clubs they are allowed to bring with them in a competitive round of golf. According to the United States Golf Association (USGA), a golfer can bring a maximum of 14 clubs. How you arrange those clubs is up to you, but there is a way to do it that allows you to keep your clubs organized and in good working order.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Step 1

Put your woods in the top section of your bag. When you take a look at your bag, you will notice there are three distinct divisions for you to keep your clubs. Your driver, 3-wood, 4-wood, 5-wood, 7-wood and/or 9-wood all go here.

Step 2

Place your mid-range irons in the middle section of your bag. You probably have a 3-iron along with 4-, 5-, 6- and 7-irons. Some golfers also have a 2-iron and a few golfers may even have a 1-iron. All of these clubs go in the middle section. If you are a golfer with more than three wedges in your bag, then you would also put your 8-iron in the middle section of your bag.

Step 3

Put your short irons in the bottom section of your bag. This includes the 8-iron, 9-iron, sand wedge and pitching wedge. Many golfers carry two or more pitching wedges. A lob wedge or a 60-degree wedge is a great club for an accomplished golfer. All of these clubs belong in the bottom section of your bag.

Step 4

Place your putter in with your driver and the other woods. While it would seem logical to put them with the short irons, the putter usually rests best with the distance clubs.

Step 5

Place your umbrella and other accessories (such as a portable rake or ball scoop for water hazards) in with your short irons. These are all optional items and they don't count in your club count.

Tips & Warnings

There are no official rules on which section of your bag should hold a particular club. These are just suggestions based on accepted practices and tradition.

About The Author

Steve Silverman is an award-winning writer who has been covering sports for 28 years. He is the author of "The Minnesota Vikings: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" (Triumph Books, Chicago) and two other books on the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers.