Which Clubs Should You Use in Your Next Three Club Challenge?

At many golf clubs across the UK, variations of the three club challenge take place at some point in the season. Now, which three clubs you use for this challenge can vary, hugely, depending on what your playing preference is and what your handicap is.

High handicappers are often regarded as not being able to get the ball off the ground as easily and therefore them taking a three iron onto the course is probably not a good idea. But for a lower handicapper, taking a three iron onto the course may be the perfect replacement for both driver and putter.

It also depends on where you play your golf. If the course you play is relatively short then there may be no point in choosing to take your driver onto the course. Alternatively, some tee shots may require a lot of carry, so a driver or fairway wood is a must.

We asked some of our Golfshake staff and ambassadors which clubs they would put in the bag and which clubs they would leave in their locker.

Josh Carr (5 handicap)

"I personally would take a three iron, an eight iron and a sand wedge/56-degree out with me. I can get enough distance with a three iron off the tee and I am quite confident with it. I could also use it for putting, as it isn’t very lofted. I find myself using an eight iron often round my home course on par-3s hence the choice, and my 56-degree wedge is my go to wedge for chipping. You can also use the blade of the wedge for putting – so there’s almost two putter options in the bag."

Kieran Clark (18 handicap)

"Looking at my own game and assuming that I'm playing the Old Course at St. Andrews - which I'm fortunate enough to play quite frequently - I would take my three-wood, seven-iron, and sand wedge out to navigate unsuccessfully around the famous links.

"The first of those clubs is necessary for me off the tee and on the longer par fours and fives, while the seven-iron is a solid fit for the par threes, and is ideal for playing bump and run shots along the ground from a variety of distances. It goes without saying that the sand wedge is included to give me a slight chance of escaping from any of the cavernous bunkers that are hard to avoid.

"Last question is which of these I would use on the greens. Can we just skip putting and go straight to the next tee?"

Andrew Picknen (19 handicap)

"I have never played in this sort of a challenge and always preferring to lug around the full 14 clubs. This kitchen sink approach isn't the best for creative golf and shot making.

"If I was playing tomorrow at my home course I would select my 5-iron,8-iron and 56-degree wedge.

The 5-iron would be used for tee shots on par 5s and par 4s, it would also serve as a putter. I know I can do this after an accident to the putter mid-round. Annoyingly it worked better than the wet one. To clarify, I didn't throw it in the lake but lost it trying to fish a ball out of the edge. I need the wedge as I miss many greens and hit bunkers so I need a club to aid extraction."

Darren Ramowski (20 handicap)

"For me I would probably try and do something to out-think the others, which would probably be the wrong option!  I'd take a 3-wood, which I'd use for putting as well, a 7-iron and a 56-degree wedge."

So there you have it, some choose to keep that distance of the tee with a three wood, whereas others prefer an iron off the tee. From the above, it appears the Golfshake team need to work on hitting more greens as everyone opted to take a 56-degree wedge out on the course.

Which three clubs would you take out in your next three club challenge? Let us know in the comments below.

Why not also take a look at these five different formats to play with your friends on the golf course?