Accessories and things you wouldnt leave for the course without?

about to sign up for membership and compete in competitions and was wondering...

What tool/piece of kit/gadget/accessory could you not play without?

looking to make sure ive got every base covered

thanks

A rule book was the only addition I made to my bag shortly after I started playing comps. The 'OOB' thread below gives you a good idea why! Every now and then there's a strange situation occurs which can cause arguments and discord in your group, which is never a nice way to play. I was prompted by two incidents in that occurred in my group in my first couple of comps:

1. Medal. I played my tee shot, dicing with OOB which has a ditch just inside it (ie. the ditch can often save you from going OOB). Both others in my group said they had seen it land in bounds and bounce into the ditch, so didn't play a provisional (lesson learned there!). Walked down, ball had taken a nasty hop, cleared ditch and just OOB. Ran back to tee with another ball and club, promptly banged it in the same place. Obviously being a medal I had to continue, but now I had no ball and my bag was 250 yards down the fairway. Borrowed a ball from group behind as they were coming off the previous green, no-one said anything. Span the dit in the bar and promptly got DQd for borrowing equipment from another player! Live and learn.

2. A stone path from which relief is allowed leads away to next tee, beginning about half-way up the length of the green, about 10 yards left of the left edge, and running in the direction of play. A half-yard to the left of this path is a boundary fence. One of my group's ball came to rest on said path. Another in the group (a committee member no less) advised him that the nearest point of relief was on the sliver of grass between said path and fence, from where any shot is more or less impossible as the fence impedes swing, so he elected to play it as it lay, and took a huge chunk out his nice shiney new wedge. Upon checking the rules on returning to the clubhouse, he found he was entitled to relief on the opposite (playable) side of the path, as if relief is taken it must be complete relief - any drop on the strip of grass between path and fence results in one foot being on the path, thus you do not have complete relief (which is for swing and stance). Needless to say he was not impressed with the aforementioned committee member! Socially we had always dropped on the hole-side of the path (moving backward to avoid being closer to hole), but being new to the club and a bit of a novice I didn't know any better and wasn't going to argue with a supposed expert!

Good answers all, rule book is something ill have to look into, im not too hot on the rules,i learened the pencill one the hard way lol

Sun cream is a big one for me, im a ginger (and qeue the gags)

Keep them coming, anyone use a scorecard holder?

A dry cloth for wet conditions and a wet one for dry. Lip balm for when it gets a bit edgy in competition.

marker pen for ball identity purposes, pencil & spare(s), Rules book a golden must, game head & 14 clubs !

I'm sure someone asking this question last year got the answer 'shoe laces'..... never had to change shoe laces in my life.

For me, I have plenty of food and water. Waterproofs and and brolly, regardless of how sunny it looks.

lol shoe laces wouldn't even enter my radar. i find a brolly quite awkward to lug around. and is your bag bulging with all that stuff packed in.

Ball marker and pencil

Waterproofs, pencils, drink, snack, brolly, marker, pitch repairer and towel. Oh, and a positive mindset.