Starting a new adventure . . . Minimalist Golf

[Villn]

On 11/30/2023 at 11:59 AM, rkillian said:

I'm not a regular minimalist golfer by any means but scores on my home front 9, where I play most of my golf had been trending in the wrong direction lately. I decided to take 8 clubs with me the other day and shot my best in my last 3 rounds there. I think I'll be committing to playing most of my winter golf with 7-8 clubs at least at my "home course." Maybe taking the full bag out just for some 18 hole riding rounds. 

 

Try playing from the Reds and using irons only and see how you do.  If you can't hit your 4 iron at least 200 yds then maybe take a hybrid with you.

[PinkPantser]

I play a half set about half the time, doesnt change my scoring hardly at all. The only thing that annoys me about it is the reaction from other players like it's some woke golf thing, "how many clubs ya got in there, son?" Tho I guess they're also annoyed that I walk, so whatever 

[WipeyFade]

40 minutes ago, PinkPantser said:

I play a half set about half the time, doesnt change my scoring hardly at all. The only thing that annoys me about it is the reaction from other players like it's some woke golf thing, "how many clubs ya got in there, son?" Tho I guess they're also annoyed that I walk, so whatever 

I get that feeling sometimes too. There are a lot of misconstrued opinions of walking a golf course. I am 35 and I’m am probably the youngest walker at the course I play at. One of the most annoying things is watching everyone in a foursome take 2 or 3 balls off the tee because they can just speed over to retrieve the balls they hit that they aren’t playing. Generally, walkers do not cause slow play. A foursome of walkers will play faster than a foursome of riders 90% of the time. I could go on a very long rant about cart golf, but I digress.

Back to the half set, anytime I start to question what I have in my bag I always think back to the quote by former GM of Sweetens Cove, Patrick Boyd, “Play whatever makes you enjoy golf the most.”

[stryper]

On 11/30/2023 at 11:59 AM, rkillian said:

I'm not a regular minimalist golfer by any means but scores on my home front 9, where I play most of my golf had been trending in the wrong direction lately. I decided to take 8 clubs with me the other day and shot my best in my last 3 rounds there. I think I'll be committing to playing most of my winter golf with 7-8 clubs at least at my "home course." Maybe taking the full bag out just for some 18 hole riding rounds. 

Beware the slippery slope…you may just find yourself taking even fewer clubs for an even more interesting challenge. 😉

[WipeyFade]

14 minutes ago, stryper said:

Beware the slippery slope…you may just find yourself taking even fewer clubs for an even more interesting challenge. 😉

It is a very slippery slope, I got down to 5 this summer and shot 3 of my best rounds.

[rkillian]

On 12/2/2023 at 6:24 PM, Villn said:

 

Try playing from the Reds and using irons only and see how you do.  If you can't hit your 4 iron at least 200 yds then maybe take a hybrid with you.

I haven't played the reds from my home course, it's pretty short and I probably wouldn't even need a 200 yard club. I do move up and play whites on occasion and will likely do so with the half set. My irons certainly fall into what they call strong lofted. A 6 iron at 26.5* is actually my longest. My hybrid is 23* and is the 200 yard club. 

On 12/3/2023 at 9:35 AM, stryper said:

Beware the slippery slope…you may just find yourself taking even fewer clubs for an even more interesting challenge. 😉

We'll see haha. I do find the half set a fun way reset. And I can't deny that I've been looking at some older blades/CBs to turn into a permanent half set. I do sometimes only take out 3-4 clubs on a short course/par 3. A few holes are over 200 and most under 170 but you can also move all the way up to tees that don't have a hole over 100 yards which makes for good practice too. 

[ciscojaws]

On 12/3/2023 at 8:56 AM, WipeyFade said:

I get that feeling sometimes too. There are a lot of misconstrued opinions of walking a golf course. I am 35 and I’m am probably the youngest walker at the course I play at. One of the most annoying things is watching everyone in a foursome take 2 or 3 balls off the tee because they can just speed over to retrieve the balls they hit that they aren’t playing. Generally, walkers do not cause slow play. A foursome of walkers will play faster than a foursome of riders 90% of the time. I could go on a very long rant about cart golf, but I digress.

Back to the half set, anytime I start to question what I have in my bag I always think back to the quote by former GM of Sweetens Cove, Patrick Boyd, “Play whatever makes you enjoy golf the most.”

People really get bent out of shape about walkers.  

[13ITZ]

 

Purchased the Original Jones Hardwood for the winter half carry. Set up will be 9° D, 18° 5W, 25.5° 5i, 33° 7i, 41° 9i, 50° GW, 58° LW, Putter. Hoping to keep the swing steady through the off season.

[LumpyPockets]

On 12/3/2023 at 8:50 AM, WipeyFade said:

It is a very slippery slope, I got down to 5 this summer and shot 3 of my best rounds.

Which five? 

 

[WipeyFade]

Just now, LumpyPockets said:

Which five? 

 

When I first started carrying 5 my bag consisted of  driver, 7 wood, 8 iron, 56*, and putter. Recently, I have swapped the 7 wood for a 4 iron. It's easier for me to take distance off my 4 iron. I am going to continue this experiment for at least a little while. One thing I have noticed is that clubs really don't matter as much as people think they do, how well you play almost always is dictated by short game and putting as long as you can get it in play and know your abilities. 

[gvogel]

Chick Evans played with 7 clubs, and Harry Vardon played with 9.  I try to stay within those limits.

[ebitdaiquiri]

I juggled my bag today for a quick 9 holes

Usually play with 8 or 9 clubs but took 7 for today

Swapped out 4,6,8,PW for 3,6,9

I played well and no difference in my score

My new bag:

 

D 9.5°

3h 21°

6i 29°

9i 41°

GW 50°

SW 57°

Putter

 

[WipeyFade]

On 12/6/2023 at 11:56 AM, WipeyFade said:

When I first started carrying 5 my bag consisted of  driver, 7 wood, 8 iron, 56*, and putter. Recently, I have swapped the 7 wood for a 4 iron. It's easier for me to take distance off my 4 iron. I am going to continue this experiment for at least a little while. One thing I have noticed is that clubs really don't matter as much as people think they do, how well you play almost always is dictated by short game and putting as long as you can get it in play and know your abilities. 

My experiment didn’t last long lol. I just posted my 2024 WITB in the minimalist WITB thread and I am back up to 8 clubs. There will be plenty of days this year where I go out with less than that but if I’m going to go out to post a score I will at least have 7 in the bag. I feel that 8 clubs is the perfect amount for me right now. I don’t feel like I’m missing anything with 8, but once I get below that is when I have to start manufacturing shots. 

[Jon Gee]

Thinking about this set up:

Driver 10.5

4 wood 16.5

2 hybrids , say a 20 and a 24?

And then ordering some PXG XCor2s in this configuration:

 

Then either 54-60   or 56-60 wedges

Any thoughts?

[JungleJimbo]

1 hour ago, Jon Gee said:

Thinking about this set up:

Driver 10.5

4 wood 16.5

2 hybrids , say a 20 and a 24?

And then ordering some PXG XCor2s in this configuration:

 

Then either 54-60   or 56-60 wedges

Any thoughts?

 

You might need to experiment with Lead Tape (or PXG weight screws), given the custom shaft length tweaking in your table ... happy golfing & enjoy the process!

[TheDominator273]

2 hours ago, Jon Gee said:

Thinking about this set up:

Driver 10.5

4 wood 16.5

2 hybrids , say a 20 and a 24?

And then ordering some PXG XCor2s in this configuration:

 

Then either 54-60   or 56-60 wedges

Any thoughts?

I quite like my 6 degree and 0.75" length difference between clubs for my set. Yields me around 15 yard gaps for stock shots.

[gvogel]

On 11/14/2013 at 5:04 PM, gvogel said:

My minimalist bag: G25 driver, 4-wood and 23* hybrid, AP1 6, 8-iron and PW, Vokey 55* SW, putter. Sun Mountain Swift-X. I play this set up pretty much all the time now. Walk, hit, repeat.

10 years later:

TSR1 12* driver

TSR1 18* 5-wood

TSR1 23* 5-hybrid

TSR1 29* 7-hybrid

T150 9-iron (40*)

SM9 54* SW

Putter

 

Ping Moonlight carry bag

[Jon Gee]

12 hours ago, JungleJimbo said:

 

You might need to experiment with Lead Tape (or PXG weight screws), given the custom shaft length tweaking in your table ... happy golfing & enjoy the process!

Yeah, I've never been good enough to notice a difference in a quarter inch of shaft length.  I'd have PXG swing weight them when they build them anyway.....

[subrew]

My current minimalist bag.  I didn't seek out a bag full of Adams, but I really like the hybrids, and I just recently built the 4, 6, 8, 9 iron setup using brand new heads that were $12 each.  The 64* wedge is a bit of an experiment during the winter.  The course I play on has very aggressive pin locations, and it's always wet/damp early in the morning I play, so I needed something for very short 5-10yd short sided shots.

 

 

 

 

[TxMike3]

19 hours ago, Jon Gee said:

Thinking about this set up:

Driver 10.5

4 wood 16.5

2 hybrids , say a 20 and a 24?

And then ordering some PXG XCor2s in this configuration:

 

Then either 54-60   or 56-60 wedges

Any thoughts?

I’ve been really happy playing a combo setup lately made up of Callaway Apex 21 DCB’s and Apex 21’s with 6* loft and .75” length differences. 
6i Apex DCB 26*

7i Apex DCB 32* (+2*)

9i Apex 21 38* (-.5*)

PW Apex 21 44* (+1*)

Wedges 50 & 56*

[54CW]

8 hours ago, subrew said:

My current minimalist bag.  I didn't seek out a bag full of Adams, but I really like the hybrids, and I just recently built the 4, 6, 8, 9 iron setup using brand new heads that were $12 each.  The 64* wedge is a bit of an experiment during the winter.  The course I play on has very aggressive pin locations, and it's always wet/damp early in the morning I play, so I needed something for very short 5-10yd short sided shots.

 

 

 

 

This bag rules. 

[acemandrake]

6 clubs total.  Have I gone too far?

 

1 - Strong 3-wood 

2 - Hybrid

3 - 7 iron

4 - Pitching wedge ("10 iron")

5 - Sand wedge

6 - Putter

 

 

[WipeyFade]

17 minutes ago, acemandrake said:

6 clubs total.  Have I gone too far?

 

1 - Strong 3-wood 

2 - Hybrid

3 - 7 iron

4 - Pitching wedge ("10 iron")

5 - Sand wedge

6 - Putter

 

 

Nah, sometimes I'll drop down to 5 without much of a difference.

[Hat Trick]

I agree that you should play the # of clubs that make you happiest on the golf course.  And many have said their scores are the same...

 

But I'm curious what those scores are?  Are there minimalist golfers that have single digit indexes or regularly shoot in the 70s with less clubs?

 

 

[WipeyFade]

3 minutes ago, Hat Trick said:

I agree that you should play the # of clubs that make you happiest on the golf course.  And many have said their scores are the same...

 

But I'm curious what those scores are?  Are there minimalist golfers that have single digit indexes or regularly shoot in the 70s with less clubs?

 

 

Honestly, I don’t keep score very often I just judge the round on how solidly I’m hitting the ball or how many “good” shots I had. When I do keep score I’m usually between 80 and 90. I did have A round last year where I shot 46 on the front and a 36 on the back. I played the front with 7 clubs and dropped down to 5 on the back. So I think it’s definitely possible to be a single digit with less clubs. Sometimes more clubs just complicate things. 

[jimmygunn]

11 minutes ago, WipeyFade said:

Honestly, I don’t keep score very often I just judge the round on how solidly I’m hitting the ball or how many “good” shots I had. When I do keep score I’m usually between 80 and 90. I did have A round last year where I shot 46 on the front and a 36 on the back. I played the front with 7 clubs and dropped down to 5 on the back. So I think it’s definitely possible to be a single digit with less clubs. Sometimes more clubs just complicate things. 

  Taylormade 300 Mini 13.5* Fuji HM4

 Taylormade   M5 5wd 18.5° Speeder 8.3
 Callaway       Apex Pro 16’ 23° Fuji 904HB

 Callaway       Stenson Legacy 6/8/PW 

 Titleist          Vokey SM9 56M

 Odyssey       White Hot #2

[Fiddlesticks]

I've got a half-set of Maltby DBM's on the way to gap out an 8 club bag... Planning on Driver, 7 wood, then 24/32/40/48 irons and a 56 wedge plus putter.

 

Really trying to embrace the walk-in-the-park mentality lately and get away from performance and score expectations. Hoping this will help change things up mentally in addition to the gear side.

[g_nw]

4 hours ago, Hat Trick said:

I agree that you should play the # of clubs that make you happiest on the golf course.  And many have said their scores are the same...

 

But I'm curious what those scores are?  Are there minimalist golfers that have single digit indexes or regularly shoot in the 70s with less clubs?

 

 

 

Of course there are. I got into minimalist golf because of some low handicap guys I know who play a half set — as a bonus: I appreciate it because I prefer walking/carrying as a default.

 

I make zero claim to being a great golfer but I play a half set about 75% of the time and I’m a 4hcp trending lower. Caveats: I took a break from golf 2010 - summer 2022, having played 100+ rounds since. Having spent this winter in my garage with a BLP LM, I expect to lower that in the next 100 rounds.

 

When you see the 8-9 club setups many use, there aren’t tons of tradeoffs happening, if you can flight a shot here or there, the gapping is fine through the bag and there’s no reason you couldn’t score the same scores. For example, I keep my same wedge matrix as full bag rounds and I feel like I’m leaving nothing at home.

D, 5wood, 5, 7, 9, 50-54-60, putter

 

^ most consistent setup but I go with evens or drop a club or two (5w and 50 are examples), regularly… this setup was so great at Bandon for a week, swapping out the 5w for a utility iron 🥃

Edited March 2 by g_nw

[spud3]

1 hour ago, g_nw said:

 

D, 5wood, 5, 7, 9, 50-54-60, putter

 

^ most consistent setup but I go with evens or drop a club or two (5w and 50 are examples), regularly… this setup was so great at Bandon for a week, swapping out the 5w for a utility iron 🥃

The courses at Bandon are particularly well-suited for half-sets, given that the ball travels on the ground so well.  I play there a couple times a year, and tend to use a full bag for the morning rounds and a half set for the afternoons, which affords a much more casual approach to the courses, and often get to play solo.  It's my favorite way to play.

[Pens #1 fan]

Walked and carried my own bag for first time in 20+ years. Didn’t really play a minimalist set I carried 10 clubs because of being so long to walk. Also just didn’t carry anything longer than 6i then driver. Still shot the same I would with 14. When I think of a half set it doesn’t have irons in numerical order. But I know my course so well I know I don’t need anything longer than 6. I did enjoy walking again so I might try even number irons to lighten the bag more.