It's a tool bag not a gadget drawer...

The right tool for the right job

You're not Al Czervik (Rodney Dangerfield) in Caddyshack. There's no need to have clubs jettisoned from your bag, a stereo built in, the laser grid on the putting green might be helpful but leave that for video games. You'd do better to be Ty Webb, but that's another story for another day...

So leave that egg making thing in the kitchen, that robot vacuum on the living room floor. Here's some more things to leave out of your bag.

Let sleeping balls lie

Nothing screams amateur like a ball retriever. If you're playing alone on a quiet course, by all means, go for it.If you're worried about losing that $4 ball in water, rethink your shot or spend less. You need to play "Ready Golf," take your penalty, drop one and swing again. Less than $2 per ball should be your goal, until you start losing less and can splurge.

Walmart and Target have the name brands and they're cheaper than the sporting goods stores and much less than a pro shop. We'll talk more about equipment selection in the next post.

Avoid "Trick" clubs

I have several clubs in the back of my closet that I don't use, but keep as a funny reminder of the sometimes gimmicky nature of golf and golfers.  I own two Hammer drivers, well, one is an Air Hammer. The Hammer by Longball made it's name with Jack Hamm, a long driver, whose unorthodox swing and tremendous clubhead speed made him a bit of spectacle (as did his short game, and not in a good way.) The head of the club is huge at the front and tapered long and thin at the back and is alien in appearance.  The Air Hammer is odd as well, with 6 holes in the clubface which channel together to a single exit at the rear of the club. It whistles a bit when you hit it.

Your major obstacles are contact, direction and consistency. Golf equipment has come a long way to offering forgiveness on off-center hits, lighter clubs and better shafts that will help you improve your game. Air holes in your driver won't help you generate swing speed, wind resistance isn't your enemy, and while these clubs are fun to look at, leave them in the closet.

No tricky irons either

I also have an iron that adjusts to any loft will a simple knob. Again, neat to play around with but not to play a round with. Get it? Similar technology has developed over the years to make slight adjustments to Drivers. Changing weight distribution, loft, face position, all of these are helpful and while it would be better to have the driver that works best for you, it does allow you the versatility to adjust as your game changes, or even during a round.

Chips shots can be challenging and many inexperienced golfers throw a "chipper" into their bag. Like the ball retriever, it screams of a lack of confidence in your game. These triangle shaped heads (and you can use either side if you're "amphibious") allow the player to use a simple putting stroke to make a short chip from off the green with very little effort. You can get the same thing from an 8- or 9-iron, buy and extra wedge instead.

Wedges can be tricky enough without getting, well, too tricky. Lofts that vary widely after the pitching wedge can made it difficult to find the right clubs for shot-making and chips. You can do a lot of things with any wedges you have by changing how you use them from bump-and-run putting-style shots to rainbow flop shots, but resist the temptation to get one club for those and waste bag space.

I almost bought a club at a yard sale a few weeks ago. It was an 80-degree sand wedge. Just for fun, mind you. The guy said it was great for flop shots, but he only hit it about 20 yards and you had to really commit to the shot. Of course you do...you have to commit to EVERY shot. Whatever. Anyway, he didn't use it that much, but it was great for when he landed short of a green-side bunker for getting up and over the sand. I can open the loft on my 60-degree wedge and get the same effect...if I commit to the shot. Ugh.

Golf is all about the numbers

Here's some good numbers on the golf industry that were reported on golf.com regarding growth of the game from 2011 to 2016. Especially notable is that 2.5 million golfers played for the first time in 2016 and 23.8 million reportedly played that year. You know what that means? Lots of people have golf clubs, with  21.3 players already owning clubs, some wishing to sell those clubs and get new ones. That's not including the people who stopped playing. So much opportunity and these days there are more options as well for a savvy shopper.

Chain sporting goods stores are a good place to start. Get the sticker shock out of the way. You'll come to the realization that getting some old sticks isn't such a bad idea after all. But learn the name brands and what the clubs look like. You can buy clubs that look like the name brands, inexpensive "knockoffs," that play about as well as the original. Some companies produce their own imitators so you're getting the benefit but not quite the extras. Can't afford a Lexus you get a Toyota.

Prices for used clubs can vary based on condition and how badly someone wants to get rid of them. Try this guide on pga.com to research values. Then go shopping. If this your first set, you'll want to put your hands on them. Any place that resells sports equipment is great. I have a Play It Again Sports store close by and they have a nice selection of sets and individual clubs. Mobile apps like Letgo and Offer Up have worked well for me too. Online there's Ebay, but you're not going to see the item in person so check the reviews for the seller and account for shipping. Don't forget yard sales. I bought my putter on a deal many (many) years ago and I still love it.

The weather's coming around (eventually) and it'll be time for us to go out and play. Not together, but, well, you know. Anyway, you still need something else before you get out there...balls. A golfer has got to have balls...those too, but I meant to play with on the course. Alright, stop laughing and refocus. We'll talk about that next time.