The short answer
- Damaged during the round: you may repair or replace it, no penalty.
- Damaged by abuse (thrown, slammed, bent in anger): no repair or replacement, but you may keep playing with it as it is.
- You may not borrow a club from anyone playing on the course. The pro shop is fine.
- Replacing a club does not let you exceed the 14-club limit.
- Making a stroke with a club whose playing characteristics you deliberately changed mid-round is disqualification.
The rule in one line
Rule 4.1a(2): if a club is damaged during the round, you may repair it or replace it unless you damaged it by abuse. If you did, you may keep playing with it as it is.
Damage during the round covers a lot: making a stroke, a club slipping from your hand, a fall, or an impact with the ground or a tree while playing a shot. It does not cover rage. A club wrapped around a tree after a shank can't be repaired or replaced, and everyone in your group is a witness.
What counts as abuse
| Situation | Replaceable? |
|---|---|
| Clubhead flies off making a stroke | Yes, damaged during the round |
| Shaft snaps on a tree root while playing a shot | Yes, damaged during the round |
| You drop the club and it bends | Yes, damaged during the round |
| You slam the club into the ground after a bad shot | No — abuse |
| You throw the club in anger | No — abuse |
| You snap it over your knee | No — abuse |
The distinction is intent. Did the club break because you were playing golf, or because you were expressing an opinion?
How to replace it correctly
- Any club will do. You are not restricted to a club of the same type or brand, unless a Local Rule (Model Local Rule G-9) requires a like-for-like replacement. You may replace a broken driver with a wedge, for example from the pro shop, but not with a club carried by anyone playing on the course (Rule 4.1b(4)).
- You may repair the club instead of replacing it, if that is practical mid-round.
- Watch the 14-club limit. A replacement must not push you over 14 clubs. If you replace it, take the damaged club out of play before your next stroke, for example by declaring it or turning it upside down in the bag (Rule 4.1c(1)).
- Sort out your bag before you play on. Know which club is out of play before your next stroke.
Started with fewer than 14? You can add clubs
If you started with fewer than 14, you may add clubs up to 14 (Rule 4.1b(1)), subject to the limits in Rule 4.1b(4): no unreasonable delay, and no borrowing from anyone playing on the course.
Other things you must not do to a club
Rule 4.1a(3) says you must not make a stroke with a club whose playing characteristics you deliberately changed during the round, for example by adjusting its weight or bending its lie angle. The penalty is disqualification. Just carrying it is no penalty, though it still counts toward the 14-club limit. If you change an adjustable setting during the round, put it back to where it was before you use that club, or you're disqualified.
Also worth knowing: a club that is non-conforming (one that doesn't conform to the Equipment Rules) can't be used, and you can't replace a club with a non-conforming one. Some elite events add Local Rules capping club length at 46 inches (Model Local Rule G-10) or requiring drivers on the conforming driver list (G-1).
Frequently asked questions
Can you replace a broken club during a round?
Can you replace a club you broke in anger?
Can you borrow a club from another player if yours breaks?
What happens if you break a club and have fewer than 14 clubs?
Can you adjust a club during a round?
The rules, at a glance
Save Strokes: Golf Rules Quick Reference is a PDF covering 20 rules situations, with a printable bag card and a phone card.