What is a Rescue Club?

If you are not an avid golfer you may want to pass this up this post.

I played with the same set of clubs from 1987-2007, changing only my driver about 4 years ago. I have always believed that my inability to hit a golf ball as well as Jack Nicklaus has far more to do with genetics and practice habits than the steel-headed tubes that reside in my golf bag. My score went from the high 80's before marriage, to the low nineties after marriage (despite the fact that The Queen loves to play as well), to high nineties after children - all with the same exact set of clubs.

Recently I started to notice people playing with these funny looking clubs that appeared to be unable to decide whether they are irons or woods. After the obligatory "Where have you been hiding?", I was informed that these are called "rescue clubs". It seems you hit them when your ball is in the rough, and the smooth club head slides through without getting caught.

So last year when I finally replaced my irons, instead of getting a 3 iron, I got a 3R rescue club. It looks beautiful. Only problem is, I can't seem to hit it without my ball settling in worse trouble than I started.

I should have known better than to buy a club whose name rhymes with "fescue".