Did you know that: Early golf had no standard number of clubs?

Golfers in the early days of the game carried whatever clubs they believed would help them play better. There was no official limit, and a skilled player might carry a small collection of carefully chosen clubs while wealthier golfers could bring along a much larger selection for different situations.

In the 19th century, a typical golfer might carry only a handful of clubs, such as a long driving club, a few wooden-headed clubs called woods, and several irons for different types of shots. As equipment technology improved, golfers began adding more specialized clubs designed for specific distances and situations, leading some players to carry 20 or more clubs.

The growing number of clubs created concerns that wealthier players had an unfair advantage because they could afford a wider range of equipment. To make competition more balanced, the R&A and USGA introduced the limit of 14 clubs in 1938, a rule that remains in place today.