Finding what golf equipment works for you is a personal choice.
That might explain why there are so many options out there. To beginners, finding the proper golf equipment can simply feel overwhelming.
There's all this information about lie, loft, shaft length and flexibility, not to mention the differences between brands and costs. Custom fitting is the best way to go about getting new clubs, but it's expensive and if you're a beginner or working on your swing, what you fit into today might not be right tomorrow.
There's really no right or wrong answer to what ends up in your bag. We're living proof of that. You need something that looks good, feels good and gives you confidence when you're standing over the ball. Nothing else really matters.
For the first time, we're sharing what equipment has found a home in our bags. Four of the five golfers profiled in this story - GolfPass Head of Content Charlotte Daughan, Senior Writer Tim Gavrich, Staff Writer Drake Dunaway and former intern Libby Gilliland - played golf in college, so they're pretty good. Don't worry, Managing Editor Jason Scott Deegan carries the torch of the average golfer with pride, yo-yoing between an 8 and 13 handicap since he started writing about golf 25 years ago.
Hopefully you find what's in our bags interesting and informative. Maybe it can help you pick your next club:
What's in Tim's bag?
Handicap: +2.1
Woods:
Driver: PING G425, 9 degrees, KBS Tour TD shaft
3 & 5 wood: Srixon Z F65, 15 & 19 degrees, stock Miyazaki Kaula Mizu shaft
7 wood: TaylorMade V-Steel, 21 degrees, generic steel shaft
Irons: 4-PW: PXG 0311 ST (GEN4), Nippon Modus 105 shafts
Wedges: PING S159, 52 (S-grind) & 58 (T-grind) degrees, Nippon Modus 105 shafts
Putter: Evnroll ER5, 34 inches
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
Bag: Shapland Stand Bag 2.1
Other essentials: Eisenhower Bicentennial dollar (ball mark) | PocketCaddie (divot fixer/mini club brush) | Seamus and ForeWind fairway wood headcovers | GrooveIt club brush
Favorite club: 8 iron - I can't do much in life, but I can hit an 8 iron.
Least favorite club: 4 iron - Long irons have never been my friend, and while I'll hit the occasional good one, I'm usually looking for reasons not to.
Backstory: Like most 90s and 2000s golf-nerd kids, I would salivate over the latest and greatest clubs every time the Edwin Watts or Golfsmith catalog would hit the mailbox...only to despair that most of the things I was interested in weren't available for lefties like me. Over the years, I've become particularly fond of PING and, more recently, PXG, because they're the only two OEMs that make every single club for lefties. I wouldn't rule out clubs from other brands - my all-time favorite irons remain the Titleist 710 MB blades that I used for more than a decade, from college until 2021 - but I always know that there are some compromises with the other manufacturers.
The challenge of finding left-handed equipment has actually been a blessing because it's taught me to value long-term relationships with my clubs. Those Titleist irons are still in my closet - they're old friends - and I'm going on eight years with my Srixon fairway woods, although they're probably the next clubs I'll look to replace. Same with my V-Steel 7 wood, purchased brand-new around 2012 at the great, no-longer-existent Golf Dimensions store in Myrtle Beach for $70. It's served me well, but given how much I lean on my fairway woods, it may be time to upgrade...if I can find exactly what I want.
What's in Charlotte's bag?
Handicap: 0.7
Woods:
Driver: Ping G30, 9 degree, men's regular flex stock graphite shaft
3 wood: TaylorMade RBZ, 70-gram men’s regular flex stock graphite shaft
5 wood: TaylorMade R7, men’s regular flex stock graphite shaft
Hybrid: TaylorMade Rescue 4H, men’s regular flex stock graphite shaft
Irons: Callaway X Hot Irons AW-5i, Project X 95 men's regular flex steel shafts
Wedges: Titleist Vokey 54 & 58 degree wedges
Putter: Odyssey White Hot 2-ball putter, 34 inches
Ball: Titleist ProV1
Bag: Ping Hoofer stand bag
Other essentials: @blingoballmarks (EDITOR'S NOTE: A popular ballmarker created by Daughan and used by a number of LPGA Tour players)
Favorite club: Any club off a tee - I sweep the ball and feel very comfortable with any club, particularly on par 3s.
Least favorite club: I took a Dave Pelz short game clinic many, many years ago, and it ingrained in me that golfers shouldn’t have a least favorite club. We should just learn to love and hit all of our clubs to the best of our ability.
Backstory: This was such a fun thing to do. I’m really not a gear head; I’m not into the latest and greatest … I just have a set that’s worked well and I’ve left it. My 5 wood is from the TaylorMade tour van when I was lucky enough to qualify for the 2006 U.S. Women’s Open at Newport Country Club. I suppose for sentimental reasons I’ve just left it in the bag. On the other hand, my Ping driver is off the rack from a local retailer, my 3 wood is from eBay and they’ve both proven to be very effective. I have switched out wedges over the years (well lofts, that is), but have remained loyal to Titleist as they are a bit heavier than other brands, and I don’t recommend switching weights in your wedges. My 2-ball putter is also from 2007. It's cracked on top, but I just can’t let it go. But wait, if it “is broke” – should I fix it? Wow, now I really don’t know.
What's in Jason's bag?
Handicap: 10.4
Woods:
Driver: TaylorMade R15, 14 degrees, Tour AD TP-5 shaft
5 wood: TaylorMade RocketBallz, 19 degrees, Grafalloy ProLite shaft
5 hybrid: Adams Idea, 26 degrees, Helium 601 F4 shaft
Irons:
6-9 iron: TaylorMade RocketBladez, stock steel shafts
Wedges:
Edison 2.0 49 & 55 degree, KBS graphite shafts
Muira 53 degree, stock steel shaft
Putter: Odyssey Dual Force Rossie II
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Bag: Jones Sports carry bag
Other essentials: Bandon Dunes 25th anniversary handcrafted ball marker by Seamus Golf | Bushnell PRO-X3+ range finder.
Favorite club: Adams Idea 5 hybrid - the best hybrid I've ever owned.
Least favorite clubs: Anything with a 3 or 4 next to it - 3 wood, 4 iron, 3 hybrid, etc. I can't hit 'em, so I don't carry them around anymore.
Backstory: Yes, my golf bag is a Frankenstein's monster of clubs pieced together one at a time. I'm a low-ball-speed, short-backswing, distance-challenged golfer, so I need every trick a good club fitter can utilize to help get my ball in the air ... except graphite shaft irons, which I refuse to use due to their inconsistent performance against minimal distance gains. I've had bad luck with shafts lately, too - my son broke the 5 wood at the driving range and the airlines snapped the 3 wood-length shaft in my driver earlier this year. Needless to say, the replacements don't feel or perform the same. I tried to replace the driver earlier this year, but no one makes a head with the 14 degrees of loft I need to launch the ball at the ideal height. I really need an upgraded driver with new, hotter technology, but a club-fitting for a new PXG driver earlier this year hasn't quite panned out as planned. I'm back searching. I liked the Ben Hogan irons I tested recently and might give them an extended run in my bag to see if they can maximize my distance potential with them.
Perhaps the best advice I can give any golfer looking at my mishmash set is this: You probably don't need 14 clubs. I only carry 11, partly because I travel so much and love having a lighter golf travel bag but also because they're just not necessary. Find clubs you hit well and ditch the others. It makes on-course decisions so much easier.
What's in Libby's bag?
Handicap: 12.5
Woods:
Driver: Callaway Epic Speed, 12 degrees, Project X Cypher senior flex shaft
3, 4 & 6 hybrids: Callaway Rogue Aloila Quantra women's flex shaft
Irons: Callaway Apex 19, PW-6i, Project X Catayst 60 regular flex shaft
Wedges:
54 degree Callaway PM Grind 19, True Temper Dynamic Gold shaft
58 degree Callaway Jaws Full Toe, True Temper Dynamic Gold Spinner shaft
Putter: Odyssey White Hot Rossie 32 inch
Ball: Pro V1x
Bag: Taylormade Tech Flex Carry
Other essentials: Birdie Girl ball marker | Club Glove Caddy Towel
Favorite club: 54-degree wedge. I feel like I can't hit a bad shot with it. Stamped with my nickname, it has been responsible for many chip ins.
Least favorite club: 3 hybrid. It's a love-hate relationship. I tend to hit my other hybrids better, so I don't pull it often.
Backstory:
My full Callaway set is a product of many hours on the range trying to put together a magical set that would make me a better college player. Now, that I've graduated, I'm still rocking the same bag and set of clubs although my wedges are crying to be replaced and carrying around my collegiate bag doesn't feel as cool nowadays. Nevertheless, I love the consistency throughout my bag and the comfort I have with this set has convinced me not to make any changes quite yet.
I'm a staggering 5-foot-3-inches tall, so distance isn't my calling card. Seeing as I have never had a wood in my bag, I've swapped distance for consistency. My driver is built with a hybrid shaft and that adjustment has done wonders for my performance off the tee. On a longer course, I rely on my hybrids and low ball flight to carry me all the way to the green, but I'm not naive to know that figuring out how to hit a consistent 3 wood is in my future. Other than during a swing change, I've never felt uncomfortable with my Apex irons. I've practiced with them for so long I know what to expect from every distance, mishit and lie and I don't know that I'll ever have the guts to give them up. My safe space, however, is the green. I can always trust my sidekicks, the 54-degree wedge and Odyssey putter, to get up and down to salvage a few pars.
What's in Drake's bag?
Handicap: 1.9
Woods:
Driver: Titleist TSR3, 8 degrees, Graphite Design Tour AD UB7
4 wood: Titleist TSR3, 16.5 degrees, Graphite Design Tour AD UB8
Irons:
2 Iron: TaylorMade P790 UDI driving iron, stock HZRDUS RDX smoke shaft
3-PW: Nike Vapor Pro Combo, KBS Tour shafts
Wedges:
54 degree Callaway Mack Daddy 4 X grind, stock dynamic gold tour shaft
58 degree Callaway Mack Daddy 4 X grind, stock dynamic gold tour shaft
Putter: TaylorMade Bandon 3
Ball: Srixon Z Star XV
Other essentials: Long golf tees | GolfPass towel | Callaway rangefinder
Favorite club: My driver has been my favorite club ever since I hit my growth spurt late in high school. The majority of my most memorable golf shots are related to me hitting driver on a hole where I probably should not but pulling it off.
Least favorite club: Also my driver. The phrase "love-hate relationship" perfectly describes my driver. I love hitting it and when it's going well I can play some really solid golf. When it goes south, I tend to not be able to put it away, which can lead to a handful of penalty shots and a high score.
Backstory: I have five different brands in my bag when counting the golf ball, so clearly I like to give everything a try at least once. The clubs that get commented on the most are my Nike irons that I am still gaming more than 9 years after they were released and 8 years after the brand stopped making golf clubs for good. I often refer to them as my Nike antiques. I used them my entire college career and have many fond memories with them, but their relocation to the corner of the garage is imminent, especially after trying out my brother's P770s this past week.
The TSR3 driver that I play is my second favorite I have ever hit (only behind my beloved spin-eliminating TaylorMade SLDR). The head and shaft combo is the most consistent combo I've used to date. I reviewed the driver and 4 wood I use after being fit for them in 2022.
I also am still stuck in my "I think I'm a pure ball-striker" era, which evidenced by my 2 and 3 iron. I do really enjoy trying to hit a stinger with the TaylorMade driving 2 iron, but the reality is I need to replace both of those clubs with hybrids and then go back to a 3-wedge setup (52, 56, 60).
What's the favorite club in your bag? What needs to be replaced? Let us know in the comments below.
wait a minute, why are distance challenged golfers using a high-ish compression golf ball. if they're die hard about the urethane they should try a chromesoft, or go even lower with like a truefeel or something.