Former Ryder Cupper Peter Baker Proposes 12-Club Bag Limit

Former Ryder Cup player Peter Baker says the sport's distance problem could be solved by cutting the number of clubs pros carry from 14 to 12, alongside a maximum wedge loft and less forgiving drivers.

What is Peter Baker proposing?

Baker, who represented Europe in the 1993 Ryder Cup and has made 600 DP World Tour starts with three wins, told Golf Monthly that equipment has made it too easy for players who don't strike the ball out of the center of the clubface to still hit it a long way. His fix centers on three changes: a 12-club limit instead of 14, a 56-degree cap on wedge loft, and smaller, less forgiving driver heads for professionals.

Baker argued that modern drivers have erased the penalty for a mis-hit. "Now you can hit it out of the toe and it goes just as far," he said, adding that the gap in outcomes between a center-face strike and a toe strike has narrowed to the point that it undercuts the game's best ball-strikers.

What are the governing bodies already considering?

Separately from Baker's suggestions, the USGA and R&A have floated their own measures to address rising distances: a rolled-back golf ball, a lower Characteristic Time (CT) limit on driver faces to reduce spring-like effect, and a reduction in the maximum club length below the current 46 inches. Those proposals have not been approved, and the governing bodies are still taking feedback from tours and equipment manufacturers before any changes are set.

Baker wants the penalty for a mis-hit driver restored, not just the yardage taken off the flush ones.

Baker suggested the loft cap in particular would put a premium back on short-game skill, noting that some pros now carry four wedges. Fewer clubs and a loft restriction, he said, would force players to shape more shots around the green rather than relying on a wedge for every situation.

Why does this debate keep coming up?

Rising driving distances have pushed major championship venues to add length at significant cost, and critics argue that forgiving modern equipment narrows the gap between elite ball-strikers and the rest of the field. Baker's comments add a prominent voice from the game's amateur and senior ranks to a debate that has so far centered on tour pros and manufacturers.