Starting a new adventure . . . Minimalist Golf

[WipeyFade]

1 minute ago, petep5280 said:

Now I'm thinking, I can sell my PW to 4i and get a PW, 8i and 6i. 

 

I can sell my set of wedges and get just a SW. 

 

I do hate the idea of these really nice clubs going totally unused. 

Thats what I did. I was actually able to sell the odds of my iron set. It’s kind of a Hernan Cortes burn the boats mentality, but it worked for me and I’m not

looking back. 

[WipeyFade]

2 minutes ago, Tommy56 said:

I use head covers (still OCD as a minimalist). I drop other unessential items and especially limit the number of balls ... those add weight fast!

Ya on courses I’m familiar with I carry 3 with me (I usually find backups as I play), and on unfamiliar courses I’ll bring 6. 

[petep5280]

2 minutes ago, WipeyFade said:

Thats what I did. I was actually able to sell the odds of my iron set. It’s kind of a Hernan Cortes burn the boats mentality, but it worked for me and I’m not

looking back. 

 

Hmm. I'd have the odds and a 4i. That may work. 

[Tommy56]

7 minutes ago, petep5280 said:

Now I'm thinking, I can sell my PW to 4i and get a PW, 8i and 6i. 

 

I can sell my set of wedges and get just a SW. 

 

I do hate the idea of these really nice clubs going totally unused. 

Just ordering specific clubs is the way to go. 

[petep5280]

I'll give these bag set up a little time before I do anything dramatic. So the spare irons can just sit around. 

 

But I can at least start selling redundant clubs, and can consolidate wedges. 

 

I really need this to not cost money  

[g_nw]

4 minutes ago, petep5280 said:

I'll give these bag set up a little time before I do anything dramatic. So the spare irons can just sit around. 

 

But I can at least start selling redundant clubs, and can consolidate wedges. 

 

I really need this to not cost money  

 

Just leave room to experiment 🙂, it’s no stress… odds for now, try evens later… be able to sub in/out stuff until you have it just right — only you will know what’s right!

 

37 minutes ago, Tommy56 said:

Just ordering specific clubs is the way to go. 

 

*one way to go

[Tommy56]

15 minutes ago, g_nw said:

 

Just leave room to experiment 🙂, it’s no stress… odds for now, try evens later… be able to sub in/out stuff until you have it just right — only you will know what’s right!

 

 

*one way to go

 

Good points.  Sorting through various set-ups to see what works for each person is the fun part of the journey.

[g_nw]

1 minute ago, Tommy56 said:

 

Good points.  Sorting through various set-ups to see what works for each person is the fun part of the journey.

 

(And I’m extremely guilty of using Titleist and Srixon sites to config the perfect set club by club individually)

[WipeyFade]

Just now, g_nw said:

 

(And I’m extremely guilty of using Titleist and Srixon sites to config the perfect set club by club individually)

I’ve gone as far as filling up my Titleist cart with my ultimate minimalist set up just to see the cost. It’s significantly cheaper than a full bag, but still expensive considering I already have every club I need lol. 

[g_nw]

1 minute ago, WipeyFade said:

I’ve gone as far as filling up my Titleist cart with my ultimate minimalist set up just to see the cost. It’s significantly cheaper than a full bag, but still expensive considering I already have every club I need lol. 

 

sounds like a tuesday, for me

[g_nw]

2 hours ago, g_nw said:

 

This bag is sick — but built backwards 😅… long pocket on my carry side! Prob nice for a lefty…

 

@WipeyFade ok i feel bad about what I said, have been reading up on the bag and it seems awesome. I’ve wanted the Sentinel version of the single pocket Mack bag with waterproof zips and insane material but the Koger bag is significantly less and as-nice. 😅

 

…One day.

 

the sentinel bag (there are other colorways)

 

Edited May 15, 2024 by g_nw

[WipeyFade]

@g_nw I’m usually pretty knowledgeable about fringe type golf companies, but I had never heard of Sentinel Golf until you mentioned it. They seem to have some really cool stuff and the collaborations with Mackenzie look awesome. I went with Koger because I wanted something that was going to last a very long time, something lightweight, and something on the small side of the Sunday bag spectrum. The Koger checks all the boxes, and the strap is hands down the best strap on a golf bag ever. My previous bag was a Moonlite and it was a great bag, but there is just no comparison between the 2. 

[g_nw]

1 hour ago, WipeyFade said:

@g_nw I’m usually pretty knowledgeable about fringe type golf companies, but I had never heard of Sentinel Golf until you mentioned it. They seem to have some really cool stuff and the collaborations with Mackenzie look awesome. I went with Koger because I wanted something that was going to last a very long time, something lightweight, and something on the small side of the Sunday bag spectrum. The Koger checks all the boxes, and the strap is hands down the best strap on a golf bag ever. My previous bag was a Moonlite and it was a great bag, but there is just no comparison between the 2. 

 

Sick. Yeh, Sentinel is great at curating nice products (albeit spendy ones!).

 

Sentimentally, I’ve always been an L8 junkie (and the Hoofers from back then) so I’m always chasing that size in a bag. I love my Vessel VLX (v1?; posting photo because they’ve had so many model names and changes that I take issue with, colorway/design wise, wanted to be clear). It’s tiny among standbag options.

 

In a perfect world, there would be single color L8 (without branding) on offer and I’d own those forever.

 

I really like Mack bags too though, just spendy. Koger slots in to that #2 spot — especially the blue colorway on Twirled (but I hate the graphics Twirled came up with). koger in blue!

 

I’d love a blank blue one, dark gray as next priority but I love the blue.

 

my bag:

Edited May 15, 2024 by g_nw

[WipeyFade]

@g_nwthat blue Koger is awesome, I really like your Vessel too. If I were a full set guy a Vessel would be on my short list. 

[petep5280]

I thought I got my bag was light, then I checked my daughter's bag. 

 

So....has anyone gone women's clubs with a minimal setup?

[freddy1682]

23 hours ago, WipeyFade said:

Welcome to the secret equipment black hole that is minimalist golf🤣. Now that you have entered you will constantly be looking for everything from bags to clubs that fits your needs perfectly, but gives you plenty of options. First, it’s a Sunday bag that holds everything you need but nothing more, then it’s a mini driver or strong 3 wood that you can play from the tee and the fairway, the quest is endless 😂. I will say I have found that Koger makes the best bag for my situation. They are a little pricey, but they are near perfect. 

Oh how accurate this statement is 🤣

 

I’ve always said, I don’t want any club in my bag that only serves one purpose (except putter of course). So ditched the driver for a mini and have been gaining more confidence in it off the deck. As soon as I feel completely good with it, I’ll ditch the 5 wood. That’ll put me down to 8 clubs, and that’s the sweet spot for me I think. 
 

I am planning to experiment with swapping my even clubs for the odds, to see how it goes. I’ve lost some distance in recent years, and the 6 and 8 just don’t go where they used to anymore. On the upside, swapping to odds will take one more club out 🤣

[g_nw]

8 hours ago, WipeyFade said:

@g_nwthat blue Koger is awesome, I really like your Vessel too. If I were a full set guy a Vessel would be on my short list. 

For me, it’s a good balance for full set and half set (at least half my rounds are half set)🍻

[WipeyFade]

3 minutes ago, freddy1682 said:

Oh how accurate this statement is 🤣

 

I’ve always said, I don’t want any club in my bag that only serves one purpose (except putter of course). So ditched the driver for a mini and have been gaining more confidence in it off the deck. As soon as I feel completely good with it, I’ll ditch the 5 wood. That’ll put me down to 8 clubs, and that’s the sweet spot for me I think. 
 

I am planning to experiment with swapping my even clubs for the odds, to see how it goes. I’ve lost some distance in recent years, and the 6 and 8 just don’t go where they used to anymore. On the upside, swapping to odds will take one more club out 🤣

For me, the key to my enjoyment in golf is fun. Low scores are great, but my pleasure is derived from walking the course and the feel hitting the occasional purred golf shot. A lightweight bag and the few clubs that maximize those chances is what I was looking for when deciding on my set up. That is why I have gone the persimmon/forged iron route. The only shot I don’t currently have in my bag is the 200ish forced carry that needs to stop quickly, and if I have that on the course I’m better off laying up anyway lol. 

[petep5280]

2 hours ago, WipeyFade said:

For me, the key to my enjoyment in golf is fun. Low scores are great, but my pleasure is derived from walking the course and the feel hitting the occasional purred golf shot. A lightweight bag and the few clubs that maximize those chances is what I was looking for when deciding on my set up. That is why I have gone the persimmon/forged iron route. The only shot I don’t currently have in my bag is the 200ish forced carry that needs to stop quickly, and if I have that on the course I’m better off laying up anyway lol. 

 

We may be the same golfer. I've given up that mid to long iron pin seeking laser. All my irons really need to do is advance the ball and keep me in position to execute a decent short game. 

 

I own 2 sets of irons. A modern players distance that still has resale value. And a 10 year old set of forged CBs that have little resale value.  Other than a few yards, my game notices no difference.  I'm already used to the forged CBs sitting around, so having 4 of them unused won't kill me. Having 4 modern players distance clubs at close to $100/club sitting there would eat at me. 

 

So, further enlightenment. Clubs going out, game further simplified, money coming in. 

[aiyyer]

Close to $500 for the Koger.

[WipeyFade]

On 5/15/2024 at 11:19 AM, aiyyer said:

Close to $500 for the Koger.

Ya, most carry bags run around $150-$175 new. I had a Moonlite that lasted 2 seasons, so if the Koger only lasts 6 years I'll basically break even plus I will have been using one of the best carry bags on the market. With the quality of the Koger, I doubt that it won't last way longer than that.

Edited May 16, 2024 by WipeyFade

[54CW]

Putting my $0.02 in on the bag talk. 

I’m usually playing 7-9 clubs and sometimes…a full set (sorry guys, I can’t fully commit yet lol) and I go back and forth with a 8” Mackenzie canvas bag and a PING craz-e lite.

The craz-e lite is THE best bag period, I swear by it. I tried a moonlite, a hoofer, a hoofer lite, an L8 one strap, Sun Mountain 2.5 & 3.5, and one of the Titleist carry bags. The craz-e lite is perfect. It’s fit well into carts and push carts. It handles rain well. The straps are comfy and has great pockets. 
 

The Mackenzie is purely for style and it’s a fantastic bag. This summer I will settle on my minimal set and keep just the mack. 

[scruffynick]

On 5/15/2024 at 1:46 AM, WipeyFade said:

Thats what I did. I was actually able to sell the odds of my iron set. It’s kind of a Hernan Cortes burn the boats mentality, but it worked for me and I’m not

looking back. 

I sold all my unwanted unused clubs when I started minimalist back in 2015.....I actually have enough money to buy a new carpet which boy was needed...my Mrs was happy with the extra cash. My ocd just couldn't handle unused decent clubs being in the house...had to be sold 🙂

[petep5280]

49 minutes ago, scruffynick said:

I sold all my unwanted unused clubs when I started minimalist back in 2015.....I actually have enough money to buy a new carpet which boy was needed...my Mrs was happy with the extra cash. My ocd just couldn't handle unused decent clubs being in the house...had to be sold 🙂

 

I've got an iron set getting moved. I've got an ancient hybrid I'm putting at the curb a hoarder will take. I'm consolidating my blade wedges from 3 to 1.  And my 4 iron will go in the basement. My OCD will have to try to handle 1 unused club in the house. 

 

I am debating at some point sell my set of 7 irons and replacing with a half set; PW, 8i, 6i.  But I'm not sure I'm there yet. 

[Tommy56]

4 hours ago, scruffynick said:

I sold all my unwanted unused clubs when I started minimalist back in 2015.....I actually have enough money to buy a new carpet which boy was needed...my Mrs was happy with the extra cash. My ocd just couldn't handle unused decent clubs being in the house...had to be sold 🙂

 

3 hours ago, petep5280 said:

 

I've got an iron set getting moved. I've got an ancient hybrid I'm putting at the curb a hoarder will take. I'm consolidating my blade wedges from 3 to 1.  And my 4 iron will go in the basement. My OCD will have to try to handle 1 unused club in the house. 

 

I am debating at some point sell my set of 7 irons and replacing with a half set; PW, 8i, 6i.  But I'm not sure I'm there yet. 

Whew!  Glad I’m not the only one with these OCD symptoms. 

[WipeyFade]

I wonder if people who play with 14 ever think about this stuff 🤣? I feel like I overthink my set trying to simplify it. Talk about irony lol. 

[Dan Drake]

How low can you go? 

 

I've just returned from my annual beer-drinking trip where I play lefty with my group of buddies.  And while I contributed mightily to the team in pitch shots, putts, and even a couple of drives (unhumble brag - I can outdrive all of them lefty if I catch one, lol!), its just really, really hard to hit a good golf shot off the ground to a target like a golf green.  So, I'm thinking of changing up the game next year and playing righty, but with a limited set of vintage clubs.  

 

So, what is the fewest anyone on here has played with in multiple rounds (not a 1 club or 3 club tourney) and what does it do to your scores?  

 

FWIW, I'm trying to make the game fair, but also to win.  Surely no conflict of interest there, right? Right? 

Edited May 21, 2024 by Dan Drake

[JAM01]

I played driver, 5H, 8, PW, SW, putter. 

[JAM01]

One thing that might not be explicitly stated in this thread is that if you can control your driver well enough, and don’t need or care about hitting a 250 yard shot into a green, a minimal set will work great. I’m fine with a 200 yard drive in the fairway, a 160 yard hybrid close, a short iron or wedge close and a 1/2 putt for par or bogey. 

[lil'mike]

Driver

5wd

4H

6i

8i

PW

SW

Putter

 

That is about the shortest set makeup I can make and get around a course unless it is a short course, then I could take out the driver and 5wd then use a 3HL.