Desert golfers: Do you carry a desert club so you don’t ruin your gamers?

[TheBiles]

I’m thinking about picking up an older 7 or 8 iron only to use out of the rocky stuff. Those of you who carry one, what do you have?

[ChaosTheory]

 

Can't go wrong with a Ping Eye2 something.  They could survive a nuclear blast.  Most guys just carry any old thing.

[RogerinNewZealand]

Definitely an old 7i and 56 wedge....

[azgreg]

The advantage of playing component irons. Damage one and you can just replace the head.

 

[animalgolfs]

Just wait until the significant other finds out your plan......

 

 

[lvgolfer962]

6-7 iron

 

[cgasucks]

Definitely not forged irons. Non-Chromed CAST irons made in the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s like old school Pings (like the Ping Eye 2 snowman mentioned) or the original 845s, they will take the punishment no problem.

[Cactus Jack]

Yep, an old 7 iron. However, most folks I play with simply toss the ball back on the grass, and rarely add a penalty stroke. I realize carrying an extra club is against the rules, but no penalty stroke dropping your ball...cmon man!!!

Edited June 12, 2021 by Cactus Jack

[cw1209]

Nope. Inspiration to not hit it there in the first place. A desert club is like taking two golf balls to the first tee or a ball retriever in your bag. Things you never want to use ... so don't bring them. 

[Jc0]

I just clean the lie up of anything major. Unless your playing for something serious or a tournament there is no reason to risk equipment. 

[phizzy30]

Damaging irons sucks.  I will just move my ball to the grass.  Most of the time I will add a stroke penalty.  However, if I'm playing with family or friends, we don't even add the penalty stroke.  I'm more concerned about the the cactus and snakes. 

[animalgolfs]

1 hour ago, Jc0 said:

I just clean the lie up of anything major. Unless your playing for something serious or a tournament there is no reason to risk equipment. 

A bunch of old traditionalist just had heart failures,  reading this statement 

[Buzzkill]

No desert clubs for me, Colorado soil chews up clubs too!

Edited June 12, 2021 by Buzzkill

[Pepperturbo]

If you're going to buy a "Desert" club, buy a 5 or 6 iron.  When I am in the desert, I put a MacGregor 1025 MB 5i in the bag in place of my 620 MB 5i.  It has the same loft and shaft as my MB 5i, so it's comfortable. 

 

Keep this in mind, when you lose a ball left or right most of the time it's going to be from the tee shot.  Using a 5i or 6i setup like your regular iron, there's still a chance to reach the GIR or at least close.   

[ZAS]

I have an old B-1 Bomber One Iron that I'll hit off anything tree/desert/rock/tarmac/punch utility for such occasions

 

 

[MtlJeff]

We are as far from the desert as you can get --But we have a few courses here with very rocky waste areas. Le Diable in Mt Tremblant is famous for this

 

There is a local rule that you can lift , clean and place in those areas to avoid smashing rocks

[Argonne69]

21 hours ago, Cactus Jack said:

Yep, an old 7 iron. However, most folks I play with simply toss the ball back on the grass, and rarely add a penalty stroke. I realize carrying an extra club is against the rules, but no penalty stroke dropping your ball...cmon man!!!

 

Actually, a number of clubs have a local rule for a "desert" club. The most common one I see is that the club must be the same loft as an existing club in the bag.

 

My 15th is a Ping i3+ 6 iron. The thing is built like a tank.

 

[DoubleEagle08]

A lot of players I know in PHX dedicate a wedge to that work, usually a gap wedge.

[kthomas]

I have an old beat up 54° Vokey SM4 that I keep in the bag for these purposes.

 

If I hit an errant shot off the tee into the desert though, I usually just drop and take a penalty stroke. 

 

If I think I can safely take a swing at it, then I use my Vokey.

[2bGood]

 

2 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

 

Actually, a number of clubs have a local rule for a "desert" club. The most common one I see is that the club must be the same loft as an existing club in the bag.

 

My 15th is a Ping i3+ 6 iron. The thing is built like a tank.

 

 

I can't imagine such a local rules is legal as it would not meet the criteria needed to put a local rule in place, but it is creative.  

[karstens_ghost]

There are plenty of desert courses where #15 is legal, but only from those areas. Note like most local rules, they tend to be available for everyday play, not "highly skilled" tournaments.

[2bGood]

8 hours ago, karstens_ghost said:

There are plenty of desert courses where #15 is legal, but only from those areas. Note like most local rules, they tend to be available for everyday play, not "highly skilled" tournaments.

This is not the rules forum, so I won't go too deep into this, but there is a limit to what clubs can make an official local rule even for casual play. A 15th club is not on the list of model local rules so they would need special USGA approval (or approval from the relevant Ruling Body). in 2019 the RB's did change the rules to allow courses to mark desert areas as red staked hazards to assist with this issue.

 

I have no doubt it is common practice and even encourage by the course to carry the 15th desert club, but I have significant doubts that it is an actually sanctioned local rule. 

 

Having said all that, I am not pointing this out with any judgement just providing some information for those interested. 

Edited June 14, 2021 by 2bGood

[Mookieb10]

Am I the only one who had no clue this existed?? So is the desert “sand” not actually all that sandy? If I’m planning a boys trip to some high end Phoenix courses, do I need to consider this?

[Righty to Lefty]

I will hit any of my clubs out of the desert...even putter!! A golf club is a golf club and meant to be hit off of those types of lies so I just roll with it.   Of course I don't beat my clubs off of rocks but I don't sweat your basic sandy lies with small pebbles and such. That being said I will say that the metal that is used on the Cleveland 588 Altitude irons is amazing because I have been beating them off desert lies in Kuwait for 6 or 7 years now and they show very little if any damage on them and I have hit more then my fair share of shots from the desert no doubt!! 

[Argonne69]

4 hours ago, Mookieb10 said:

Am I the only one who had no clue this existed?? So is the desert “sand” not actually all that sandy? If I’m planning a boys trip to some high end Phoenix courses, do I need to consider this?

 

Correct, there is not a lot of sand in the Arizona desert. I'd definitely consider a 15th club. There's a 2nd Swing in Scottsdale that has hundreds of junk clubs for sale at less than $20.

 

[bladehunter]

5 hours ago, Mookieb10 said:

Am I the only one who had no clue this existed?? So is the desert “sand” not actually all that sandy? If I’m planning a boys trip to some high end Phoenix courses, do I need to consider this?

Nope. I have never heard of this either.   I guess I don’t really get it either. Depends on the shot in front of me what I’d hit. I’d have to have 13 desert  clubs 🤦‍♂️  Oh wait. I have 13 desert clubs.  😂.  
 

edit. I guess maybe 12. Nobody hitting driver off the deck from the desert.  But perhaps a Phil move and driver from a bush !?  

Edited June 14, 2021 by bladehunter

[bladehunter]

6 hours ago, 2bGood said:

This is not the rules forum, so I won't go too deep into this, but there is a limit to what clubs can make an official local rule even for casual play. A 15th club is not on the list so they would need special USGA approval (or approval from the relevant Ruling Body). in 2019 they did change the rules to allow courses to mark desert areas as red staked hazards to assist with this issue.

 

I have no doubt it is common practice and even encourage by the course to carry the 15th desert club, but I have significant doubts that it is an actually sanctioned local rule. 

 

Having said all that, I am not pointing this out with any judgement just providing some information for those interested. 

Agree.  This depends on a persons definition of  “ is”.  In this case the word “ legal “.  It’s also “ legal “ in most local games to play a first tee mulligan or carry as many clubs as you want ( who’s counting ?) but it’s not legal for keeping a handicap if you what that handicap to be legit.  But I have no doubt that it is a common thing to do.  
 

I agree no judgement.  Every game you enter has some form of “ rock rule “ or “leaf rule “ etc. this isn’t different.  Just shows the hypocrisy  of the Handicap system/rules  etc. 

[RainShadow]

On 6/12/2021 at 11:59 AM, Buzzkill said:

No desert clubs for me, Colorado soil chews up clubs too!

Especially if you have to play one of the goat tracks like Springs Ranch or Antler Creek.

 

[Buzzkill]

5 hours ago, RainShadow said:

Especially if you have to play one of the goat tracks like Springs Ranch or Antler Creek.

 

Don’t have to worry about Springs Ranch no more, closed last May for new homes!

[RainShadow]

1 hour ago, Buzzkill said:

Don’t have to worry about Springs Ranch no more, closed last May for new homes!

Knew that was coming when I left 4 years ago......