I play “stupid golf” sometimes. I admit it. Most recreational golfers play stupid golf once in a while too. You hit a trick shot (a la Bubba Watson) that you’ve never practiced and end up plugged in a deep bunker. Or you decide to just “go for it” and hit through a thick stand of trees rather than do the smart thing and punch your shot out to the fairway from the pine needles. More than likely your ball will hit a tree and ricochet back at you! That’s playing stupid golf.

Today I made the one stupid mistake a golfer should never make. No excuse for it. I was playing in a small tournament. My team of four had just finished driving off our second hole (we started on Hole 12, a par 4). When I went to put my driver into my golf bag I had a hard time finding a slot for it. This did not make sense! And then I realized, I was carrying too many clubs! I had played a fun round with a friend a few days ago and we had been trying out new clubs, exchanging clubs, etc. and somehow I ended up with two pitching wedges and an extra 8 iron!!! Sixteen clubs!

The rules are very clear. You can not carry more than 14 clubs in your bag during a round of golf. You can have fewer, but not more than 14 clubs. As soon as I realized the problem, I told my partners and pulled the two extra clubs out of my bag. Luckily I was driving a golf cart rather than walking, so I was able to stow them under the basket on the back of the cart. But was I disqualified from the tournament? Would any of my scores count towards a team score? Was I just playing along for fun?

Needless to say the stupid mistake really got to me, and messed up my head. I did not play well. I got a couple of pars, but most of my scores were bogies or worse. The one question we could not answer… did it matter? No one of the four of us was sure of the ruling but we decided to keep on playing, marking all the scores including mine and when we got to the pro shop after the round, we would ask the club pro for a decision.

Bottom line: We had to determine when, in the round, I had discovered the extra clubs. On those holes I played before I made the discovery, I would have to take a two stroke penalty. Luckily for the team I had only played two holes when I realized I had more than 14 clubs in my bag. So we were able to use a couple of my better scores towards a team score.

I was lucky to be playing with some very understanding golfers today. They took the whole incident in stride. But I felt very foolish and stupido! And I promise I will always count my clubs before a round from now on.

FYI: Here is the official ruling on number of clubs you can have in your bag:

Rule: 4-4. Maximum of Fourteen Clubs
a. Selection and Addition of Clubs:
The player must not start a stipulated round with more than fourteen clubs. He is limited to the clubs thus selected for that round, except that if he started with fewer than fourteen clubs, he may add any number, provided his total number does not exceed fourteen.
The addition of a club or clubs must not unduly delay play (Rule 6-7) and the player must not add or borrow any club selected for play by any other person playing on the course or by assembling components carried by or for the player during the stipulated round.
b. Partners May Share Clubs
Partners may share clubs, provided that the total number of clubs carried by the partners so sharing does not exceed fourteen.

PENALTY FOR BREACH OF RULE 4-4a or b, REGARDLESS OF NUMBER OF EXCESS CLUBS CARRIED:
Match play – At the conclusion of the hole at which the breach is discovered, the state of the match is adjusted by deducting one hole for each hole at which a breach occurred; maximum deduction per round – Two holes.
Stroke play – Two strokes for each hole at which any breach occurred; maximum penalty per round – Four strokes (two strokes at each of the first two holes at which any breach occurred).
Match play or stroke play – If a breach is discovered between the play of two holes, it is deemed to have been discovered during play of the hole just completed, and the penalty for a breach of Rule 4-4a or b does not apply to the next hole.

Has this every happened to you? Leave your comment below.