Golf Clubs: Types and Their Uses on the Course

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Last Updated on October 8, 2025

In golf, the objective is to sink the ball into the hole in as few strokes as possible. A golf course is a long and varied landscape, featuring different terrains, distances, and obstacles. Because of these challenges, a player cannot rely on a single club to complete the round efficiently.

This is why golfers carry a set of clubs, each engineered for specific situations. Every type of club has a unique design, a distinct purpose, and is used at a particular moment during the game.

For mini-golf, a single club—the putter—is all you need. However, on a full-size course, a player’s success heavily depends on having the right tools for the job. A golfer is allowed to carry up to 14 clubs in their bag, and a typical set includes a selection from four main categories:

Woods
Irons
Hybrids
Putters

Here’s a breakdown of what each club does:

1. Woods: For Power and Distance
These are your long-range clubs. Designed with large, rounded heads, woods are used for the longest shots on the course, especially the initial tee shot on a par-4 or par-5 hole. The “driver” is the most powerful wood, built for maximum distance.

2. Irons: For Versatility and Control
Irons are the workhorses of your bag, used for a wide variety of shots after the tee-off. They have flat, angled metal faces and are numbered (e.g., 5-iron, 9-iron). Lower-numbered irons hit the ball farther, while higher-numbered irons provide more loft and precision for shorter approaches.

3. Hybrids: The Best of Both Worlds
A hybrid combines the easy-to-hit design of a wood with the control of an iron. They are increasingly popular for replacing hard-to-hit long irons, as they are more forgiving and can effectively launch the ball from tricky spots like the rough.

4. Putters: For the Final Shot
The putter is used on the green to gently roll the ball into the hole. This club is all about precision, touch, and control, making it the most crucial club for finishing each hole.

By understanding the role of each club type, a golfer can make strategic decisions and select the perfect tool for every shot, from the powerful drive to the final, delicate putt.

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Michael Leonard is a full-time writer, author, creator of Wicked Smart Golf and +1 handicap amateur golfer. He left his corporate career in 2017 to pursue entrepreneurship and professional golf; since then, he’s competed in 160+ tournament days and went to Q-school in 2019.