Golf Clubs - Getting The Job Done With The Right Club. With 14 total clubs allowed in your golf bag (USGA Rules), part of the fun of golf is deciding which one of them to use on any given shot. Variables of the golf course can change at any moment which heavily influences the type of club you will use. For example, a 3-iron and a 5-wood will knock the ball at approximately the same distance, but the 5-wood will hit the ball much higher and cause it to land softer and roll a shorter distance than the 3-iron. Another example would be if you were heading towards the green on a perfect day, with absolutely no wind whatsoever. Your choice would probably be to use your 5-wood. However, on the same shot, but with windy conditions, the 3-iron would be a better choice because it has a lower trajectory ball flight.