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2 October 2026 · 8 min read

What do you need to play golf? The checklist for your first round, with must-haves and prices

According to the Rules, 14 clubs, a conforming ball and a mark on the green count. The small items cost CHF 48.60 together on 2 October 2026, and here is the full list.

What do you need to play golf? The checklist for your first round, with must-haves and prices — post image

For the first round the Rules 4, 6 and 14 ask very little of you: at most 14 clubs, a conforming ball and a way to mark the position of your ball on the green. Tee, repair tool, glove and towel come from etiquette or comfort. The four small items cost CHF 48.60 together at Golfers Paradise on 2 October 2026. Clubs, bag and shoes come on top. This checklist separates what is required, what etiquette asks for and what you buy later.

What the Rules require for a first round

For clubs the limit is 14: you must not start a round with more than 14 clubs or have more than 14 during the round (Rule 4.1b). In stroke play the penalty is two strokes for each hole where the breach happened, at most four in the round. If you start with fewer than 14, you may add clubs during the round up to the limit. You must not hit with a club that another player on the course is using, except in partner play. A half set is therefore within the Rules. What it contains is in Golf beginner set: which clubs you really need.

For the ball you must use one that conforms to the Equipment Rules, otherwise the penalty is disqualification (Rule 4.2a). You may also get such a ball from another player on the course. The PGA of America advises carrying a spare ball in your pocket. Which ball suits you is in Which golf ball suits me, and what applies to a lost ball is in Ball lost, out of bounds, in a penalty area.

Marking is about the green. When you lift a ball there to replace it, you must mark the spot first (Rule 14.1a). You can do that with a ball-marker right behind or right next to the ball, or by holding a club on the ground right behind or right next to the ball. Without marking, the penalty is one stroke. Before you play, you take the marker away again. Your own marker is therefore not required, but the PGA of America counts it among what belongs in your pocket.

For the tee the Rules prescribe nothing. At the tee you play from a tee in or on the ground, or from the ground itself (Rule 6.2b). How high to set the tee is in Driver tee shot for beginners.

The small items: what they are for and what they cost

Here are the four small items, each with one example from Golfers Paradise. The date is 2 October 2026. They are examples from one retailer's range, not a brand recommendation, and prices change. For the tees the retailer's list gives no number of pieces.

ItemWhat forExamplePrice
TeesSetting the ball up at the teeLignum Classic 82mm TeesCHF 5.90
Repair tool with ball-markerRepairing ball marks on the green, marking the ballMasters Switchblade Pitch Repairer with detachable ball-markerCHF 14.90
GloveGrip on the clubWilson Grip Plus, men's, first entry on the page sorted by priceCHF 14.90
TowelWiping clubs, ball and handsWilson Tri-Fold golf towelCHF 12.90
TogetherCHF 48.60

The repair tool is etiquette. The PGA of America writes that ball marks on the green, the dents a ball leaves on landing, should be repaired with a repair tool. The same booklet advises carrying tees, a spare ball, ball markers and a repair tool so that you are ready when it is your turn. It gives pace as the reason: an 18-hole round should take about four to four and a half hours on average, around 15 minutes per hole. More on pace is in Pace of play and the length of a round.

For the glove it comes down to hand and size, which Golf glove: which hand, which size describes. What the club expects you to wear is in Golf etiquette and dress code in Switzerland.

What to do if you have forgotten something

On a first round something is easily missing. For four of the items the Rules give a permitted substitute:

ForgottenWhat is allowedRule
Ball-markermark the spot with a club that you hold on the ground right behind or right next to the ball14.1a
Teeplay from the ground6.2b
Balltake a conforming ball from another player on the course4.2a
Clubadd clubs up to the limit of 14, but do not hit another player's club, except in partner play4.1b

There is no substitute for the limit itself: more than 14 clubs are not allowed, not even borrowed ones. The table also only says what the Rules permit. Etiquette asks for more: the PGA of America writes that ball marks on the green should be repaired. That is why the repair tool belongs in your pocket, even though Rules 4, 6 and 14 do not ask for it.

What is not in the total: clubs, bag, shoes, rain gear

The big items have their own posts with prices. Second-hand gear is described in Used clubs and lake balls. If you want to try first, you can rent clubs, as Renting clubs in Switzerland shows. The bag and trolley are in Golf bag and trolley, the shoes in Golf shoes: spikes or spikeless and rain gear in Golf rain clothing.

The PGA of America booklet describes the golf shop as the place where you check in, pay, pick up a scorecard and get any missing equipment, clubs, balls or a glove. The booklet comes from the USA. How it works at your course, you ask the club.

The checklist for the first round

  • Clubs: at most 14, a half set is enough.
  • Spare ball: at least one in the bag.
  • Ball-marker: or a club to mark with, and the marker goes before you play.
  • Repair tool: for the ball marks on the green.
  • Tees: not required, the ground is allowed.
  • Glove and towel: comfort, as described above.
  • Shoes and rain gear: according to the weather, with the links above.

What this means for you: the small items against one bay hour

The four small items in the table cost CHF 48.60 together. The directory lists an hourly price for 80 of the 110 indoor venues, with a median of CHF 50 per bay (as of 2 October 2026, our own entries). The small items therefore cost about as much as one hour in the simulator. If you first want to know whether golf suits you, try it with rented gear or one hour in the bay before you buy clubs. What to bring to your first simulator hour is in What to bring to your first simulator hour.

From the list to the course

For the course of a first round on the course there is The first round on the golf course. For starting in the simulator golf simulator for beginners helps, the hourly prices are on golf simulator prices, and the golf simulator near me page shows you the nearest venue.

Frequently asked questions

What do you need to play golf?

According to the Rules at most 14 clubs, a conforming ball and a way to mark the ball on the green, with a ball-marker or a club. Tee, repair tool, glove and towel are etiquette and comfort. These four small items cost CHF 48.60 together at Golfers Paradise on 2 October 2026.

What does a golf beginner need for the first round?

A few clubs, a spare ball, tees, a ball-marker and a repair tool. The PGA of America advises carrying tees, a spare ball, ball markers and a repair tool so that you are ready when it is your turn. A half set with fewer than 14 clubs is within the Rules.

What does a basic golf kit cost?

The four small items tees, repair tool with ball-marker, glove and towel cost CHF 48.60 together at Golfers Paradise on 2 October 2026, using the examples in this post. Clubs, bag and shoes come on top, and their prices are in the linked posts.

Do I need my own ball-marker?

Not necessarily. Under Rule 14.1a you mark the spot with a ball-marker right behind or right next to the ball, or with a club held on the ground. Without marking the penalty is one stroke. The PGA of America still counts ball markers as equipment for your pocket.

How many clubs may I carry in golf?

At most 14 (Rule 4.1b). Anyone starting a round with more gets two penalty strokes in stroke play for each hole affected, at most four per round. With fewer than 14 you may add clubs during the round up to the limit, but not use another player's club.

Sources