Essential Golf Equipment: What Every Golfer Needs to Have On Hand

By Ben Jarratt •  Updated: 07/14/23 •  9 min read

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If you were ever golfing and found yourself without the correct golf equipment, then you know how difficult it can be to enjoy around. Therefore, it’s essential to always have the essentials on hand before heading out onto the course. This blog post will discuss what every golfer needs to have on hand for their next golf outing!

Golf clubs

Essential Golf Equipment - golf clubs

the most crucial golf equipment. Having a complete set is essential. When just getting started, it can be intimidating to understand precisely what clubs are needed to play a round of golf. Here are the clubs we recommend having on hand just starting with golf: a driver, an iron set with wedges, and a putter.

The Driver

The driver is the club that is used to send the golf ball up into the air. It’s used on tee shots and long fairway shots to give your ball more distance or in front of you as a defensive shot when someone is trying to take it away from you near their green.

The Iron Set

The iron set consists of irons numbered one through nine designed to hit short game shots such as chips, pitches, and bunker shots.

Wedges

Essential Golf Equipment - wedges

Wedges come in sets of three–greenside (low number), pitching wedge (mid-range), and sand wedge (high number).

Putter

putter is used to tap the golf ball into its designated hole at the end of each hole.

Golf balls

You are allowed to have 14 golf clubs in your bag. Usually purchased in batches of three or six, golf balls are the item that players depend on to get them around the course and into the hole. Golfers should always have some backup golf balls handy just in case they lose one! There are many differences when it comes to golf balls and everyone will have their preference but we can help explain why are Costco kirkland signature golf balls so popular.

Different types of golf balls

There are many different types of golf balls for golfers to choose from. For instance, there are distance balls for those who want the ball to go further and control balls with a softer feel on impact, so it’s easier to keep it under control.

Bag

Essential Golf Equipment - golf bag

A golfer needs something sturdy enough to carry all his gear while also being lightweight enough, so he doesn’t get weighed down by heavy equipment during play. There are many different types of bags available on the market today that can suit a golfers’ needs.

Golf club covers

It is important to cover each of your clubs with this protective gear before heading out on the course so that you don’t scratch or otherwise damage them during play. Golf club covers come in different shapes, sizes, and materials. You should choose one based on what works best for you!

Rangefinder

A range finder will help golfers measure how far away their ball is from the hole while also keeping track of how many yards they need to get there. These measurements are beneficial when completing an approach shot because they’ll make sure golfers know where they’re aiming as well as giving them some extra yardage if needed!

Golf shoes

Essential Golf Equipment - golf shoes

Golf shoes should be comfortable, flexible, lightweight, and durable enough to withstand all types of terrains found around a golf course, including long grass, sand traps, gravel paths (known as cart paths), fairways/tee boxes/greens, and water hazards.

Golf gloves

Golfers wear golf gloves to keep their hands dry and help prevent blisters. So there’s no reason not to buy a pair of these for your game!

Protective clothing

No matter the season, golfers should have long pants, sleeves, or jackets to protect themselves from outside elements. In addition, you’ll want something lightweight that breathes well but still offers some insulation against the cold/windy weather. Golfing can also be a great way to refresh during hot summer months, so make sure you pack accordingly, too!

Hat

golfer wearing a hat

A hat is a must-have for any golfer because it provides protection from sun and rain while also serving as an item in which players hold tees when they tee off.

Spectacles

Golfers tend to spend a lot of time looking at the ground, so they must wear glasses with good UV protection. It also helps protect against bugs and dirt!

Spikes for your shoes

If you’re playing golf on grass, then spikes are essential to grip onto the turf. However, if you’re hitting off a mat or artificial surface, make sure you buy non-spiked shoes because spiking them into these surfaces can cause damage.

Ball markers

golf ball marker

Golf balls should be marked with their color marker before throwing each ball out onto the course as this will both identify which ball is yours and help prevent confusion when picking up balls after play has finished.

A towel

Keeping a spare, clean towel handy is important because it will prove invaluable for drying off your golf grip, should you get wet in some way while playing. It also works as an excellent cleaning cloth when wiping down clubs after play has finished.

Snack bars

As well as water, snacks should always be kept on hand during rounds of golf in case hunger strikes! For example, a bar with healthy sugars like chocolate or fruit helps fuel energy levels and keep concentration high throughout shooting procedures (and swinging) which means more shots are completed than ever before!

Sunblock

Essential Golf Equipment - sunblock lotion

This should be top of the list as golfers can spend hours on end outdoors and direct sunlight. The sun’s rays reflect off the greens, which means that even if you’re wearing a hat or visor to protect your face, it won’t do much when it comes to protecting your arms and legs from harmful UV radiation. Therefore, using sunscreen is recommended for all players regardless of skin tone!

Extra ball marker

No matter how careful one may be while playing golf, sometimes balls will still roll into hazards like ponds and lakes after they’ve been hit out incorrectly by a player. Therefore, everyone must have an extra ball marker just in case their original goes missing during play. This way, no more time is wasted searching for the original ball marker!

Extra golf glove

Two hands are much better than one when it comes to gripping and swinging a club. That’s why every golfer should have an extra golf glove on hand just if they hit their first one into a hazard or get wet during play. It can also be helpful if you need to switch from playing left-handed (or right-handed) at any point during your round of golf, as well as switching between irons/woods.

Golf tees

Every golfer needs plenty of golf tees before heading out onto the course so that they’re ready for whichever shot is called next by their caddy. Having these items will ensure players don’t spend time searching for golf tees during their round of golf.

Divot Tool

A golf divot tool is a must-have for any golfer who wants to keep the course in good condition. Every player should carry it throughout their round of golf, and they must replace all divots after hitting shots on the green so as not to damage the grass or leave burn marks on it.

Extra ball

golf balls on the field

It might seem like an obvious thing to pack when heading out onto a golf course, but you’d be surprised how many players don’t think about carrying multiple balls with them until they’re already deep into play. Extra golf balls are always helpful during those times where your first one gets lost near water hazards or sand traps, flies off thanks to a gust of wind while swinging at the tee, or if you’re playing a hole where there’s not much room to maneuver near the green and your ball gets stuck in some rocks.

Hole-in-one insurance

Insuring golf balls is always a good practice, but it doesn’t seem like something that people often do when they head out on the course for their first time. This can be expensive at times, though, as one must pay upfront before heading out onto the system, so those who are short on cash might want to avoid buying this type of policy unless they have savings set aside expressly for golfing expenses.

Golf cart GPS

Many courses these days offer carts with navigation systems built into them, which makes getting around more accessible than ever without having to worry about getting lost. In addition, the golf course GPS systems usually have a traffic map of the entire facility. They can even pinpoint your location on it, which makes these carts worthwhile to purchase if you’re going to be spending an extended amount of time out there.

Hole Markers

One thing that’s always helpful when playing golf has accurate hole markers not to get confused about where one is or how close they are from finishing up their round. These come in handy, especially for those who don’t often play, because it helps them keep track and know what hole they need to head over towards next.

Purple Golf Balls

Having purple golf balls might seem like something odd at first, but they help with things such as glare reduction when it’s sunny outside. They’re also easier to see in the water, which is always helpful for golfers because they can skip their ball out of a hazard and on over the green if need be without worrying about where it will land or bounce off.

Golf Cart

parked golf cart

A golf cart might seem like an unnecessary expense at first, but after you’ve been playing for a while, then there are many points where you’ll realize that these carts do make things much more convenient than before. Being able to drive around during your rounds means being able to get from place to place quickly and not have any difficulty carrying all your equipment with you when needed.

In Conclusion

There are many different pieces of equipment that golfers should have on hand. We believe that the list provided in this article targets all of the critical components of golf gear needed while out on the course! Remember to stay safe and have fun!