I would. No reason to carry 13 when you're allowed to carry 14.

How many should they carry if the limit on number of clubs was removed?

Meh, as long as all your gaps are covered thats what really matters. If you had to only play with 13 clubs for an entire season, do you think your handicap would go up? No way it does

You really don't see how playing with 13 clubs might be better than playing with 14 clubs including one that will only cost you strokes the vast majority of the time that you use it?

Think about it like this- if you only owned 14 golf clubs, but one of them is a magic golf club that produces an OB shot every time it touches the ball, should you still carry it?

I assume your answer is "No, of course not". So then you must admit that if a club does nothing but cost you strokes every time you hit it that it is better to simply not carry it, right? Ok, then, now that you have admitted that there does exist a scenario where it is a better idea to simply leave a club out of your bag and play with 13- what is the break even point of success/failure rate with a club at which you should simply not carry the club anymore? Surely it doesn't have to be the hypothetical magic club that produces an OB shot 100% of the time, so there has to be some point at which you decide "this club hurts me more than it helps me".

That said, obviously there is no real difference between only carrying 13 clubs and carrying 14 clubs with the understanding that you will never under any circumstances hit 1 of those clubs. In that case, however, why would you carry around an extra club that you don't intend to ever hit?

Great question

For someone of "tour caliber" it makes a difference. Improved gapping is huge.

A LOT

You're either leaving a huge gap, or increasing the gaps in your irons by a few yards each. No good.

Well Id assume any pro carrying 4 wedges would just eliminate one and go down to 3 and learn to be more dialed in with the 3. Pros are pretty good at dialing in...

Who cares 4>3

That's all that matters.

Sure, but all Im saying is that there wouldnt be a significant difference in scoring. They would adapt just fine.

Pros are much better at hitting their wedge stock #s vs in between numbers

And we all know how important proximity to the flag is.

Im leaving it at home. Dont have anything to replace it with that i need. Already carry 4 wedges

Thats all great but you pretty much have ignored my point the entire time. They would just choose to lay up to different yardages. You can skate around my point all you want but it doesnt change anything as you have yet to try and refute it.

You don't get it! Whether or not you need it or are going to use it is irrelevant! You need it because... because 14! 14 dammit!

Your point is pros are pretty good with 13 clubs.

My point is they would be even better with 14, and 1 club can narrow a lot of gaps.

You really think we'd see noticeably lower scores on tour if the limitation on number of clubs was removed?

Or is it just that 14 is the perfect number?

Yes.

Even a quarter to half shot per round would be huge.

So here is what happened to me today. About 195 out. Ball is in the left rough, stays out of the woods but on an incline, so ball is above my feet. It had rained earlier in the day. I get my footing, take a big swing, my foot slips, balls goes about 3 feet, club slipped out of hands and flew into the woods, I rolled down the hill backwards into the woods, and it took us a good 5-10 minutes to find my 4 iron. Yeah that was my day.

Never would have happened if you had used your 3i.

As a joke I kinda want to show up for the round with my reg foursome all decked out in this medical tape the girls are wearing.

If you don't have anything to replace it with, then just carry it with you. That way, you can use it or not use it. Which is better than not having the option.

It's a rare event but what if your 3 wood or hybrid breaks? You're going to hit a long iron off the tee instead of your driver? Really?

14>13 and that is as complicated as the math gets.

Once again, NXT and myself are on one side of an extremely easy math problem, and you are on the other side. 14>13. That's it.

Your point is absolutely TERRIBLE. Pros without a god damn doubt are going to carry 14 clubs over 13. It's a big difference.

For as good as you are making pros out to be at "hitting it to a specific number", they will still be that good with 14 clubs... only they have ONE EXTRA CLUB to do so with.

JFC I'm tired of debating 2nd grade math with you.

ARC....

Sorry man I'm responding to those 2 guys who were talking to me.

Please put me on ignore as you bring nothing to this forum.