The “1 Club Challenge” is a fun variation of the traditional golf game, in which participants are allowed to use only one golf club for the entirety of the round.
Here is a basic overview of the format:
- Club Selection: Each player selects one club from their bag to use for the entire round. The club could be anything from a driver to a putter. The player must decide strategically what club they believe will work best for them under the constraints of the game.
- Gameplay: Players must use their chosen club for every shot, including tee shots, fairway shots, approach shots, chips, and even putts. This can be challenging as each club is designed for specific types of shots and using it for other types requires skill and creativity.
- Scoring: The game is typically scored using standard stroke play (the player with the fewest total strokes wins). But you could also play match play (the player winning the most holes wins), or even Stableford points (points are earned based on number of strokes at each hole, with the goal of getting the highest score).
- Winner: The player with the lowest total number of strokes (in stroke play), or the highest points (in Stableford), or winning the most holes (in match play) at the end of the round is declared the winner.
The “1 Club Challenge” can be a fun way to challenge your skills and think creatively about how to approach each shot. It can also help improve your shot-making abilities with different clubs, and it can be a great equalizer in a group with varying skill levels.
What would I take?
For me it would depend a little bit on the course I was playing, in particular the length of it. If it was a short course like Rosehearty near Fraserburgh I would probably go for an 8 iron as a bit of extra loft would be really useful around the greens and from the rough. However, I think for most courses I would go with a 5 iron and just open it up for those short, lofted shots and it would be better for putting too.
