Golf Equipment Checklist: Must-haves To Savvy Accessories

Let’s start with a list of everything you need to play golf. We’ve prioritized the list into three categories. 

Everything in Category 1 is a must-have. As in, do not show up to the golf course without everything on this list.

Everything in Category 2 is a should-have. You can survive an occasional round of golf without these items, but if you begin to play more frequently, it shouldn’t take long for you to acquire all of these items.

Category 3 is the nice-to-haves. As you become a more savvy golfer, you’ll start to appreciate the little things that make your round or golf game a little more enjoyable, and these items help you do that. If you only play golf once in a blue moon, you don’t need to worry about rushing out to buy these.

We’ll go into more detail on each of these items, and offer some of our recommendations, later on.

The good news is that the list of golf essentials, the things you literally cannot get through a round of golf without, is actually pretty short and intuitive. These five items are non-negotiable. Double check you have each of these before heading to the course, and you can survive any round of golf, if that’s your goal.

A set of up to 14 clubs that at the bare minimum includes a driver, putter, wedge, and two or more irons. 

The closer you get to the USGA limit of 14 clubs, the more prepared you’ll be for various shots on the course, but for most new golfers, a set of 8-12 clubs works just fine.

A golf bag that holds your clubs, balls, tees, valuables, and any accessories is a must-have. We recommend getting familiar with your golf bag for a few minutes before heading to the course. 

If you’re walking the course, figure out if it’s a stand bag with thin legs that pop out, or if you have lay it down each time you set your clubs down to hit a shot. Also, get to know how the straps work. Does it have two straps like a backpack, or a single strap you sling over one shoulder? 

Taking a few minutes to learn your bag before you get to the course can save you from an awkward teaching moment from one of your playing partners.

Golf tees break often, so showing up with one or two won’t cut it. Make sure you’ve got enough to last you an entire round, including longer tees to use on holes you hit your driver.

Golf tees are usually inexpensive, and some golf courses even offer them for free. However, other courses charge a premium for tees, exploiting your precarious situation should you need them minutes before your tee time.

RELATED: The Best Golf Tees That Stand Up to Whatever Your Swing Brings

Make sure you have more than enough golf balls to make it through your round. Never underestimate how easily golf balls can be lost.

RELATED: The 12 Best Cheap Golf Balls You Should Actually Play

If you want to do more than survive a round of golf, you’ll need more than those five essentials listed above. Even if you’re only playing a one-off golf event, or only tee it up a couple of times a year, snatching a handful of these accessories will make your time on the golf course much more enjoyable.

If you’re a new golfer, it’ll probably take you more than 100 strokes to get through a round of golf. Protect your hand and secure your grip with a golf glove. You just wear one golf glove, on your non-dominant hand.

RELATED: The Best Golf Gloves: Find the Glove That Fits Your Game

Throughout a round of golf, your clubs, grips, balls and hands are exposed to mud and moisture, even in perfect conditions. Clip a golf towel to your bag and you won’t be stuck using your sock to clean your gear.

RELATED: The Best Golf Towels of 2023

Your driver, woods, hybrids and putter aren’t cheap, protect them with head covers. Head covers also prevent the obnoxious clanging of your clubs as your meander through the course.

Pro Tip: Do not, under any circumstances, use iron covers.

We cannot overstate how important the ability to identify your golf ball is. There are plenty of really cool ways to put unique identifiers on your golf ball, but the simplest thing you can do is throw a sharpie in your bag and put a unique marking on any ball you put in play.

RELATED: 11 Cool Ways to Mark Your Golf Ball

You never know when your scorecard will end up in a frame, or at least on the fridge.

You can likely find a copy of the Official Rules of Golf in the pro shop. The USGA App works just as well in lieu of the real thing.

Whether you need to keep the sun out of your eyes or off your shoulders, deflect some rain, or keep your head warm, there’s a golf hat for that.

Hydration on the golf course is vital, and not just any water bottle will do. The perfect water bottle for golf has a secure seal at the top to prevent spills in your golf bag; holds enough water to last nine holes (refill it at the turn); fits into a cup holder (in case you use a cart or your push cart has a cup holder); and fits nicely into your golf bag.

Any time you’re outdoors for an extended period of time, it’s smart to have sunscreen. Bugs are also known to thrive on golf courses, and a travel-sized can of bug repellent can keep you focused on your golf game, not that crawling feeling down your leg.

If you see a yardage book in the pro shop, snag it! Yardage books are often free, but even if it costs a few bucks, they give you awesome information and yardages for every hole on the course, and often even tell you exactly how to play the course.

RELATED: Using Golf Yardage Books to Play Like the Pros

You don’t need anything in this category. You just want it. All of it.

Your back pocket may seem like an obvious place for your scorecard, but back pockets and warm days lead to soggy scorecards. When left unprotected, a soggy scorecard is no match for a razor-sharp golf pencil. 

Golf scorecard holders are a simple solution to this problem, and as an added bonus, they look pretty snazzy to boot.

Worrying about whether or not you have everything you need can take the fun out of a round of golf before you even hit the first shot. Follow this checklist, and you'll show up to the course with confidence, even if playing golf is out of your comfort zone.