Starting a new adventure . . . Minimalist Golf

[MizfanboyMP18]

So curious if this counts, I have a bag I call my fun bag where i have a set of old mp 18 mbs 4-pw, a 3 wood ping g410 turned down to 12 degrees and a 5 wood, One wedge and putter. It is a very fun bag to play and makes golf overthinking go away. You get to play shots you don't normally play and it is challenging to work clubs in different ways. 

[MorganM]

1 hour ago, MizfanboyMP18 said:

So curious if this counts, I have a bag I call my fun bag where i have a set of old mp 18 mbs 4-pw, a 3 wood ping g410 turned down to 12 degrees and a 5 wood, One wedge and putter. It is a very fun bag to play and makes golf overthinking go away. You get to play shots you don't normally play and it is challenging to work clubs in different ways. 

This topic, what number of clubs is a minimalist set, came up a couple of pages back on this thread. IMO, the best answer was “<9”.

[Skeez]

15 hours ago, MizfanboyMP18 said:

So curious if this counts, I have a bag I call my fun bag where i have a set of old mp 18 mbs 4-pw, a 3 wood ping g410 turned down to 12 degrees and a 5 wood, One wedge and putter. It is a very fun bag to play and makes golf overthinking go away. You get to play shots you don't normally play and it is challenging to work clubs in different ways. 

Definitely doesn’t count. Leave this thread immediately 👉🏼! 

[Piter]

On 4/21/2025 at 9:48 PM, 3rutu5 said:

Our of curiosity, how much heat do you (this group) cop from your mates for suggesting to use a minimalist setup? Mine go to town on me and I'm wondering if it's just my mates are d1cks lol. 

 

I can see a lot of merit to playing lean providing I pick the right set. 

For all the years I have been playing with less than 14 clubs I get comments that I should get a full bag. But mainly when I have gaps in my irons (e.g., I don't have an 8i in the bag) or no driver. If I have 6-pw and a driver in the bag, I don't get comments. No one seems to care about how many wedges or woods/hybrid.

 

Currently I have 10 clubs in the bag (what I would call a reduced bag, not really minimalist (<5) or half set (6 or 7)) but my irons are 4, 7, 9, 10 - almost every week I get the same comment: GET A FULL SET OF IRONS!

[3rutu5]

7 hours ago, Piter said:

For all the years I have been playing with less than 14 clubs I get comments that I should get a full bag. But mainly when I have gaps in my irons (e.g., I don't have an 8i in the bag) or no driver. If I have 6-pw and a driver in the bag, I don't get comments. No one seems to care about how many wedges or woods/hybrid.

 

Currently I have 10 clubs in the bag (what I would call a reduced bag, not really minimalist (<5) or half set (6 or 7)) but my irons are 4, 7, 9, 10 - almost every week I get the same comment: GET A FULL SET OF IRONS!

Yeah I could imagine. I went to the SIM today and used my 6 clubs and one mate questioned my sexuality haha.

 

Honestly today I think I could have done better with a few different clubs as I was a little short.

[MorganM]

11 hours ago, Piter said:

For all the years I have been playing with less than 14 clubs I get comments that I should get a full bag. But mainly when I have gaps in my irons (e.g., I don't have an 8i in the bag) or no driver. If I have 6-pw and a driver in the bag, I don't get comments. No one seems to care about how many wedges or woods/hybrid.

 

Currently I have 10 clubs in the bag (what I would call a reduced bag, not really minimalist (<5) or half set (6 or 7)) but my irons are 4, 7, 9, 10 - almost every week I get the same comment: GET A FULL SET OF IRONS!

Wow! A minimalist set is “<5”! Hardcore! Ya gotta love it!

[Piter]

On 4/26/2025 at 2:00 AM, MorganM said:

Wow! A minimalist set is “<5”! Hardcore! Ya gotta love it!

LOL. I played for about a year and a half with 4 clubs: 3w, 6i, gap wedge and putter. I had gotten very frustrated with golf at some point and decided to sell pretty much all my clubs, because, why drag all this equipment around each time but still play terrible!?  Kept a few for some casual rounds in the weekend - and enjoyed my golf more.. I didn't even have a golf bag (sold it with the clubs) but used an old guitar bag.

[stryper]

11 hours ago, Piter said:

LOL. I played for about a year and a half with 4 clubs: 3w, 6i, gap wedge and putter. I had gotten very frustrated with golf at some point and decided to sell pretty much all my clubs, because, why drag all this equipment around each time but still play terrible!?  Kept a few for some casual rounds in the weekend - and enjoyed my golf more.. I didn't even have a golf bag (sold it with the clubs) but used an old guitar bag.

I’ve posted this before, but one of my favorite rounds ever was during the early days of COVID.  No bag, four clubs, three balls, and two tees…just a beautiful commune with nature.  And I scored well too. 😉

[MorganM]

2 hours ago, stryper said:

I’ve posted this before, but one of my favorite rounds ever was during the early days of COVID.  No bag, four clubs, three balls, and two tees…just a beautiful commune with nature.  And I scored well too. 😉

Interesting… so what do we actually need to carry on to the course? I suspect a lot less than we actually carry now.

[Tommy56]

13 minutes ago, MorganM said:

Interesting… so what do we actually need to carry on to the course? I suspect a lot less than we actually carry now.

Good question ... I take 5 clubs, 4-5 balls, a few tees, divot tool, and a small towel.  No extras like a rangefinder, rain-hood or training aids. I've also gone to a small lightweight plastic water bottle.

 

Actively looking for a super lightweight bag (with legs) and strap(s) that balances well.

[54CW]

@Tommy56 7” Mackenzie bag with the sticks? 

[g_nw]

43 minutes ago, Tommy56 said:

Good question ... I take 5 clubs, 4-5 balls, a few tees, divot tool, and a small towel.  No extras like a rangefinder, rain-hood or training aids. I've also gone to a small lightweight plastic water bottle.

 

Actively looking for a super lightweight bag (with legs) and strap(s) that balances well.

 

The Koger bag is great, purpose built for exactly this. People rave about the Sun Mountain 2.5+ as well, not sure about the balance exactly.

 

edit: whoops, i see the part about “with legs” now 😬 my b. The Sun Mountain gets a ton of support, as you know.

Edited April 28 by g_nw

[Tommy56]

Yeah, the Mac or Koger would be the ticket if my aging back would always cooperate; hence wanting the legs. 😞  Trestle sticks seem like a hassle, but in all fairness I’ve not tried them.  I might try a SM 2.5+ for strap comfort and balance, although many folks suggest using the 3.5 straps instead.  
 

Has anyone tried the Titleist Premium Carry Bag with the mini deployable legs and double straps?  Are these a good compromise?

[djrock89]

@Tommy56 the ping moonlight has a standing shoulder strap so dont need to bend down to pick it up ive got one its great

[Tommy56]

1 hour ago, djrock89 said:

@Tommy56 the ping moonlight has a standing shoulder strap so dont need to bend down to pick it up ive got one its great

Thanks for the suggestion/endorsement, that looks interesting.  I’m often a dew-sweeper and see that it has a waterproof belly, so that’s a plus. Will have to check it out more. 

[stryper]

Sunday Golf Loma bag would be my recommendation for a short set. 

[54CW]

@Tommy56 I’m primarily dew sweeping when I play. I have a waxed canvas bag with the sticks and with 5 clubs it’s never been a problem. I only get hassled by my buddies for using them. Between the short set and the trestles they have a lot of ammo. They’re very light and easy to use. Once you set the bag 4-5 times there’s nothing to it. 

[RBiel]

Minimalist here (for quite some time) -  up from 5 clubs to 8 clubs this year (I ride nowadays).....but I upgraded from my trusty K15 to a G430MAX.....HOLY COW!  (I've gained about 25 yards consistently and had ONE slice today).  It's a keeper - I guess there is something about this new fangled technology.  Also they are on discount now at most places as the G440 has come out.  Have a great season!

[WipeyFade]

@Tommy56and @54CW, what 5 are y’all using this season? I’ve been waffling between 5 and 7 so far this year and have yet to commit to a set bag lol. My best score and most fun rounds have been with 5 and 6 clubs. I haven’t been playing as much this year so I’ve been experimenting a lot (too much) with my set up at the sim. Mostly, I’ve been tinkering with tee clubs and wedges. 

[Tommy56]

My 5 are: 7w, 7i, 9i, 54º, P.  Occasionally think about adding driver or perhaps a mini, but the 7w is reliable and versatile so not a priority.

[54CW]

@WipeyFade I’ve got about 5 rounds in with various set ups from 5-9 clubs depending on where I’m playing. I’m cleaning my garage out and selling some extras since winter lasted too long and I made some dumb purchases. I posted earlier in our thread I broke my New Year’s resolution in record time.  I’m trying to redeem myself and self off some clubs I’m not fond of. 

 

I almost fell for some mini driver propaganda but I like my regular driver too much to part with and I have a nice persimmon driver. I’d like to get down to 5 clubs but everything’s damp and overgrown right now so I don’t mind playing 7. 

 

Current stable is Driver, 5, 7, 9, GW, SW & P with my persimmon D and 5w waiting for some warm weather. 

[9ClubberLang]

On 11/30/2024 at 8:54 AM, 9ClubberLang said:

Apologies, I always seem to be asking for advice! Hopefully I can help others in future. As I've been committing more and more to playing an 8 club bag on a more permanent basis, it's got me thinking about my higher lofted wedges. A 54⁰ SW has been my highest lofted club with a 45⁰ PW. 

 

A few weeks back I purchased a 58⁰ LW just to see how useful it could be. I play in the UK so I believe our greens are considerably slower than the US, so I've never carried a LW before. I don't think the 58⁰ is for me but do like some of the shots I can play, or should I say attempt with it! It's made me think that perhaps a 56⁰ SW should be my wedge rather than the 54⁰. Maybe there is some additional versatility there that would benefit my game.

 

I'm very much conscious that I don't want to keep switching and making changes here. I want to pick a loft and really get to know it so my wedge is my best friend. It's a crucial enough club anyway but in a minimalist bag a great relationship is a must. I really want to pick a loft, practice, practice and practice and stick with it forever.

 

I completely appreciate there is a huge amount of personal preference here, and the location someone plays golf in is a massive factor too, but for those playing nine clubs or less, what clubs do you carry 50⁰ and above, and why?

Back in November I was questioning my wedge game. 54⁰ was my most lofted wedge in the bag. I was keen to try 50⁰ and 56⁰ though as I felt the 56⁰ may give me some more versatility and liked the prospect of the lower 50⁰ as well for more straight-forward shot game shots. Many of you were very helpful answering my question quoted above about your wedge set-up.

 

It's early says this season but I can report the experiment is working well. I love the 50⁰ and my 56⁰ is a Ping Glide 3.0 Eye2 which has greatly improved my bunker play. These two wedges are so different they have given me considerably more options than when I was just playing the 54⁰. I had always been using a 45⁰ PW and the 54⁰ SW so 50⁰ isn't a loft I've had much experience with. But it's really good.

 

Last year I was playing a 12 club bag as my 'main set' and an 8 club bag as my minimalist set. I've committed to playing evens now iron wise, which gets me down to a 10 club bag and an 8 club bag respectively this year.

 

10 Club Bag

Driver

4 Wood

7 Wood

5 Hybrid

6 Iron

8 Iron

PW

50⁰

56⁰ 

P

 

8 Club Bag

Driver

5 Wood

5 Hybrid

6 Iron

8 Iron

PW

54⁰ 

P

 

The 8 Club bag now feels like quite a sacrifice as I lose the 4W/7W combo that I love as well as the 50⁰ /56⁰  wedge set-up. I could include the 50⁰ /56⁰  in place of the 54⁰  to get back to my 9 Club username, but I only really like to carry 8 or less. So a 9 club bag now seems pointless. If I'm pushing a trolley I may as well have the 10 club set-up which is not exactly minimalist but a really cool set-up.

 

It's all a lot of fun trying to figure it all out! I'm going to set up a spreadsheet later so I can compare scores between the two-set-ups. I'd love to commit full-time to an 8 club bag, but there's some clubs I'd really miss hitting!

 

 

[stryper]

3 hours ago, 9ClubberLang said:

Back in November I was questioning my wedge game. 54⁰ was my most lofted wedge in the bag. I was keen to try 50⁰ and 56⁰ though as I felt the 56⁰ may give me some more versatility and liked the prospect of the lower 50⁰ as well for more straight-forward shot game shots. Many of you were very helpful answering my question quoted above about your wedge set-up.

 

It's early says this season but I can report the experiment is working well. I love the 50⁰ and my 56⁰ is a Ping Glide 3.0 Eye2 which has greatly improved my bunker play. These two wedges are so different they have given me considerably more options than when I was just playing the 54⁰. I had always been using a 45⁰ PW and the 54⁰ SW so 50⁰ isn't a loft I've had much experience with. But it's really good.

 

Last year I was playing a 12 club bag as my 'main set' and an 8 club bag as my minimalist set. I've committed to playing evens now iron wise, which gets me down to a 10 club bag and an 8 club bag respectively this year.

 

10 Club Bag

Driver

4 Wood

7 Wood

5 Hybrid

6 Iron

8 Iron

PW

50⁰

56⁰ 

P

 

8 Club Bag

Driver

5 Wood

5 Hybrid

6 Iron

8 Iron

PW

54⁰ 

P

 

The 8 Club bag now feels like quite a sacrifice as I lose the 4W/7W combo that I love as well as the 50⁰ /56⁰  wedge set-up. I could include the 50⁰ /56⁰  in place of the 54⁰  to get back to my 9 Club username, but I only really like to carry 8 or less. So a 9 club bag now seems pointless. If I'm pushing a trolley I may as well have the 10 club set-up which is not exactly minimalist but a really cool set-up.

 

It's all a lot of fun trying to figure it all out! I'm going to set up a spreadsheet later so I can compare scores between the two-set-ups. I'd love to commit full-time to an 8 club bag, but there's some clubs I'd really miss hitting!

 

 

The part time minimalist in me never views a short set as a sacrifice.  Instead it’s an opportunity (and a welcome challenge) to work my way around with fewer options—how do I make a ball go this distance and stop, when nothing in my bag is designed to do that? 

[MattC555]

Carried 9 after work with D, 5w, 6, 8, PW, SW, P last week and had a blast.  Y'all might be on to something!

[ebitdaiquiri]

9ClubberLang - take out the 6i and 8i from your 10 club bag, and replace with 7i, now you have 9 clubs again homie

[WipeyFade]

14 hours ago, 54CW said:

@WipeyFade I’ve got about 5 rounds in with various set ups from 5-9 clubs depending on where I’m playing. I’m cleaning my garage out and selling some extras since winter lasted too long and I made some dumb purchases. I posted earlier in our thread I broke my New Year’s resolution in record time.  I’m trying to redeem myself and self off some clubs I’m not fond of. 

 

I almost fell for some mini driver propaganda but I like my regular driver too much to part with and I have a nice persimmon driver. I’d like to get down to 5 clubs but everything’s damp and overgrown right now so I don’t mind playing 7. 

 

Current stable is Driver, 5, 7, 9, GW, SW & P with my persimmon D and 5w waiting for some warm weather. 

That sounds a lot like me. I’m always buying, selling, and regretting lol. I just put the Maltby sti2 irons in the bag, I love the feel off the face, but feel silly playing a persimmon at the top of the bag with sgi irons😂. I honestly feel like I hit it better than a modern driver though. 

[Tommy56]

No need to feel silly; hey, whatever works!  I think part of the minimalist fun is not being constrained to conventional thinking, but having the freedom to try different set-ups.

[WipeyFade]

1 minute ago, Tommy56 said:

No need to feel silly; hey, whatever works!  I think part of the minimalist fun is not being constrained to conventional thinking, but having the freedom to try different set-ups.

I’m definitely not conventional 😂

[ciscojaws]

A major bonus (for me) with a minimalist bag is it removes the long wannabe hero shots and most other shots are 80-90% effort, which leads to better accuracy and scoring.  

[Northsider]

16 hours ago, 9ClubberLang said:

Back in November I was questioning my wedge game. 54⁰ was my most lofted wedge in the bag. I was keen to try 50⁰ and 56⁰ though as I felt the 56⁰ may give me some more versatility and liked the prospect of the lower 50⁰ as well for more straight-forward shot game shots. Many of you were very helpful answering my question quoted above about your wedge set-up.

 

It's early says this season but I can report the experiment is working well. I love the 50⁰ and my 56⁰ is a Ping Glide 3.0 Eye2 which has greatly improved my bunker play. These two wedges are so different they have given me considerably more options than when I was just playing the 54⁰. I had always been using a 45⁰ PW and the 54⁰ SW so 50⁰ isn't a loft I've had much experience with. But it's really good.

 

Last year I was playing a 12 club bag as my 'main set' and an 8 club bag as my minimalist set. I've committed to playing evens now iron wise, which gets me down to a 10 club bag and an 8 club bag respectively this year.

 

10 Club Bag

Driver

4 Wood

7 Wood

5 Hybrid

6 Iron

8 Iron

PW

50⁰

56⁰ 

P

 

8 Club Bag

Driver

5 Wood

5 Hybrid

6 Iron

8 Iron

PW

54⁰ 

P

 

The 8 Club bag now feels like quite a sacrifice as I lose the 4W/7W combo that I love as well as the 50⁰ /56⁰  wedge set-up. I could include the 50⁰ /56⁰  in place of the 54⁰  to get back to my 9 Club username, but I only really like to carry 8 or less. So a 9 club bag now seems pointless. If I'm pushing a trolley I may as well have the 10 club set-up which is not exactly minimalist but a really cool set-up.

 

It's all a lot of fun trying to figure it all out! I'm going to set up a spreadsheet later so I can compare scores between the two-set-ups. I'd love to commit full-time to an 8 club bag, but there's some clubs I'd really miss hitting!

I’m a huge fan of a 50/56 wedge setup. The 56 is the highest loft I need and is quite versatile. The 50 is great for those 3/4 approach shots.

Edited April 30 by RH82