One Club Challenge

Over the holiday week, while I am on vacation, I am going to try a little experiment: playing a nine hole round with just my 4 wood.

I have already chipped with it, and hit some shorter shots, so it shouldn't be all that bad. The reason is that someday I want to do the extreme golf with one club thing, if my body says ok. So I thought I'd just go early, carry my minimalist bag, but only use the 4 wood. Same course as always, just one club. Just to see how well I could do. Anyone else care to give it a go?

Never tried the fairway wood method, but I'm a die hard minimalist. Usual kit is 5-6 clubs, D, 3w, 7i, 9i, wedge, and putter. Can leave out driver, for 5.

I have an adjustable Divnick. If I go out with it, I'll usually carry a 3w with it. A couple balls in my pocket, and it makes for effortless golf. The adjustable plays quite like a regular iron, once used to it.

Id like to try it, but I'd probably use a 7 iron.

Me too ^^^

6 iron or 7 iron and pray you don't find sand!

Once per week when on the golf team were 7 iron only rounds, this was 20-25 years ago, but it forces you to hit shots not just swing a club.

Avoid the bunker with only the 4 wood........... you'll be fine if you're not delay other groups trailing you.

I've played nine with just a 6 iron. My brother and I finished the round in about 30 minutes because we jogged the whole way which is easy enough when you're carrying just one club.

Fun to play 9 holes betting loser picks club for next hole. For example driver on par 3 then wedge on a par 5 each club can only be used on one hole.

> @Dcohenour said:

> Over the holiday week, while I am on vacation, I am going to try a little experiment: playing a nine hole round with just my 4 wood.

> I have already chipped with it, and hit some shorter shots, so it shouldn't be all that bad. The reason is that someday I want to do the extreme golf with one club thing, if my body says ok. So I thought I'd just go early, carry my minimalist bag, but only use the 4 wood. Same course as always, just one club. Just to see how well I could do. Anyone else care to give it a go?

I've played 2-3 holes with just my HeavenWood #7 wood. Not easy to putt with and hopeless trying to get out of the wrong side of a bunker. Going full monty minimalist I would add a putter and SW

It's been on my mind today. The biggest issue is going to be putting. I'd have to learn to putt with my club of choice (which would most likely be 7 iron or 8 iron)

The main issue is 1. Bunkers 2.Difficult carries

We have a few bunkers that are quite steep and one tough water carry where O.B is lurking over the back, so the club might have to be 8 or 9 iron for me. Fortunately I'm a big hitting bad player, so I could get to most holes in 2 with 2 blasted de-lofted 9 irons and in 3 on par 5's and long p4's (duffs aside)

I do wonder how great or very good players can fair with one club. Obviously the ability to use one club very well depends on the course and probably helps if the player is a long hitting low cap / scratch player rather than a short hitting one.

> @Dcohenour said:

> Over the holiday week, while I am on vacation, I am going to try a little experiment: playing a nine hole round with just my 4 wood.

> I have already chipped with it, and hit some shorter shots, so it shouldn't be all that bad. The reason is that someday I want to do the extreme golf with one club thing, if my body says ok. So I thought I'd just go early, carry my minimalist bag, but only use the 4 wood. Same course as always, just one club. Just to see how well I could do. Anyone else care to give it a go?

I posted already but quoting so you get the notification. Did you do this in the end?

Another thought - carrying two clubs one plus a putter. It would be more annoying having to drop and pick up the putter every shot I know.

I played 9 holes last year with my 7 iron for the first time. I picked the 7 because I could get good yardage for the course I was playing, I could chip fairly well and i could get out of the sand if I needed to.My rule was I could play any tee I liked except the ladies tees. We had blue, white and gold to choose from, the golds being just a tad shorter than normal white tees. Par was 35 and I shot a 43 with a birdie and 3 pars. I was completely caught off guard as to how well I played. I planned each shot very carefully so I'd have a full club in, if possible. The course was short, about 5500 for 18 holes so, we have many short par 4's that are under 350 with about 3 under 300 per side. My handicap on that course is about an 11 so I was really close with just one club. With practice, I'm sure I could get down to it. Makes you think of why we have all of those clubs. it may make it easier to have more clubs but it isn't necessary. Putting was easier than I thought by just blading the middle of the ball. I also chose to walk and I only had to worry about where to put my extra balls and a drink, I had no bag. It was truly a invigorating experience! Kinda like a walk in the park , just beating a ball down the middle. One of the best things I liked about it was the fact that you only had one club to hit. I know that sounds funny but whatever club you choose, you will get to know that club in ways you have never thought of before. It makes your normal game with 13 clubs much better.

> @Dcohenour said:

> Over the holiday week, while I am on vacation, I am going to try a little experiment: playing a nine hole round with just my 4 wood.

> I have already chipped with it, and hit some shorter shots, so it shouldn't be all that bad. The reason is that someday I want to do the extreme golf with one club thing, if my body says ok. So I thought I'd just go early, carry my minimalist bag, but only use the 4 wood. Same course as always, just one club. Just to see how well I could do. Anyone else care to give it a go?

It'l be a little tough to execute a deep bunker shot with a 4 wood.

Most popular one club for the average length golf course is the 4 iron. Some long hitters had used a shorter club than the 4 iron.

I had used a 4 iron or a 4 hybrid in the past. The days using a 6 iron is long gone.

trick on the longer holes is to think "up and down ". Putting with an iron will take the most practice to get a handle on, but once you get it, easy as using a regular putter. The most difficult challenge with the one club play for me, is to get out of the deep buncker. I'd avoid it even at a cost of an extra stroke.

I have played some one club matches in the past in my gambling days. I always used a 5 iron. the course I played did not have but 2 bunkers. A lot of the time I kept the ball on the ground so to speak which you could get by on that course. A few weeks back something came up about Calamity Jane styled putters. I found the one I used to play some one club matches with too. It is an old Sears SR signature steel shafted. Still has the Crown Cord I put on it back in the 80s. You guys have peaked my interest may have to try that again

Won't the marshal chase you (ban you?) for using anything but a putter on the greens? I imagine that would leave some awful marks. Then again, I suppose you're taking a 1 ft swing a lot of the time.