Which Clubs Would You Choose For a Three-Club Challenge?

Long-standing Golf Monthly contributors Fergus Bisset and Jeremy Ellwood like a good golf debate, such as which is better links golf or parkland or is Stableford superior to medal play. 

So we set them a poser – which clubs would you select for a three-club competition? 

To make matters more interesting, we stressed that they would be allowed three clubs only – our three-club challenge was exactly that - it wasn’t one of those three-clubs-plus-a-putter competitions.

Also they had to make their selections ‘course- blind’ so no tailoring their choices to a specific layout. We did this in the firm expectation that they would not agree. They did not disappoint us.

First up was Fergus Bisset, who selected his 3-iron, 7-iron and a 54-degree wedge...

Fergus Bisset

3-iron, 7-iron, 54-degree wedge

You should always look play to your strengths, and in my case, putting isn’t one of them. I could miss putts with the most expensive blade on the market. So I am not going to waste a pick on the flat stick. 

So when it comes to putting, this will leave me with two choices. With a bit of practice beforehand, the blade of the 54-degree will produce a good roll. It’s a shot many people use from just off the putting surface anyway. Alternatively, a 3-iron works pretty effectively on the greens too.

From the tee, a well-struck 3-iron will provide decent distance as well as reliable accuracy. If my driver is playing up, I often go to the 3-iron to try and find some fairways. It’s also a versatile weapon. You can punch it into the wind, let it fly with the breeze behind, play a low runner, or a cut-up floater.

With a little manipulation, a 3-iron can do all sorts of things… Seve famously used to demonstrate greenside bunker shots with his. OK, OK, but it’s still good for a punch shot!

The 7-iron is also a club that can produce a selection of useful shots. From mid-length approaches to bunts around the green, it’s probably the most used iron in my bag so it would be churlish to leave it out. 

Then the 54-degree wedge for emergencies. If you find the thick stuff, you need an exit strategy. If you have to escape, or cover, a greenside bunker you need to produce some altitude. Without a fairly lofted wedge, there are more than a few situations in which you could find yourself stymied. There we are; all bases covered… Or just about.

Jezz Ellwood

Hybrid, 9-iron, putter

I am definitely including my putter. Yes, I could putt with the leading edge of a wedge or use a 3-iron or hybrid, but as Fergus says, you should play to your strengths.

The putter has historically been far and away the best club in my bag, and I would therefore prefer not to go into any golf battle without what I consider to be my number one asset as I would feel that the shots I might gain by still putting with a trusted friend would outweigh the dropped shots elsewhere through not having the right club for the shot in hand.

I would then go for a 9-iron, which, in addition to full shots of 120-140 yards, would also be a good chipping club - I use it quite often on longer chips already. With a little manipulation of the face, it could also be used on all but those most up-the-face bunker shots.

For my distance club, I would select my hybrid, which has quite a strong loft of 17˚. This would serve three purposes:

1) It would allow me to get it out there 200 yards or so off the tee;

2) It would offer greater playability from the rough than a long iron thanks to its more forgiving clubhead design and sole; and

3) it could be a handy alternative for chip shots when there are no obstacles to go over.

Just so long as I can get on to the green in the same number of shots as Fergus, I believe I would win our three-club challenge. My putter will win it.