hello all,

I know it probably is the correct place to be posting this, however, I am happy to say this one is a little urgent :)

its my 30th tomorrow and my wife has decided to buy me a new set of clubs!!! I am pretty wrapped. She has even suggested I get fitted! :)

I am pretty much a beginner (been playing for 7 mths and hit around 105-110) and would like some advice as where to go – obviously for great advice and reasonable prices. I’m located in the northern suburbs of melbourne.

My wife has called the local house of golf shop (in epping) and drummond golf (in preston I think).

what would people suggest? We’re not millionaires and would be looking to spend under $500. Not sure how this will limit us.

anyway, any advice/help would be appreciated.

ben

Well it will limit you a fair bit for buying new clubs. For this oney you will only get a package set. These are ok for beginners, but if you want to become more serious in time, they will be OK. I know you want them for 2mora, but my honest opinion with clubs is to buy a good set 2nd hand off ebay. Here is an example of how to spend $500

get some decent irons brand irons: eg nike irons ($200)
taylor made 540 XD ($100)
a 5 wood ($50 – $100)
find a putter (anything from $20 – $60)
some cheap wedges ($80)

There you go, you have some decent clubs for around $500. If you take a week or so to look, youl find something. Or check out the classified. I think buying decent equipment is the best bet.

Drummond have 06 Big Bertha Irons on special for 599 (not 100% sure on price) but my mate just went and bought a set and ive been using them for 6 months.

Chances of getting a brand name and fitted under $500 = Zilch.

Happy birthday for tomorrow, but take the time to research what is out there, as well as the options offered here. Get fitted first without buying and then see what is out there to suit you in some of the lesser brands. The golf stores may not like it, but hey, even if they sell you a lesser brand in your price range, it is still a sale. Rockbottom Golf, 3balls, Golfdirect may also be good $$$ saving options when you know what type of club/shaft you require.

ok so i am obviously on an extremely limited budget.

so what brands should I be looking for? (please excuse my ignorance – i really have no idea about golf equipment). remember that I am a beginner.

Hi Benny I bought myself the Lind Blackhawk Irons and would highly recommend them to someone just taking up this “game”.

Lind have a demo night coming up on 17/07 @ Homebush Olympic Park Driving Range and would strongly suggest that you take the trip and have a hit.

Lind have a full set of irons starting at $299.00 which leaves you with $200.00 to buy a Driver which Lind could fix you up with as well.

Lind Demo Day Booking

Cheers,

Mick

PS I am not associated with Lind in any way, shape or form. Others here may not agree with my suggestion but I found their customer service to be outstanding and with a demo day coming up you can’t go wrong.

Lind have had some pretty good reports from a variety of people….Ive not used them but based on a number of posts here, you could do a lot worse…for quality and price! Do the demo day and dont rush to get them for the big day….wait until you hit them/get fitted!

Unfortunately Boof, Benny is in Mexico (read Victoria). I know they not in Melbourne but somebody in this forum was discussing Carnegie Clark, Oz made and distributed and reasonable. They have an online fitting questionnaire (as does Lind) with a call back to discuss best options. Prices range from about $250 up. (full set)

As stated before some of the golf stores in the U.S. may be a real option, especially with the Oz $$ at 97c to the U.S. dollar at present.

just wondering.. generally, what would be the difference between a set of clubs purchased for $500 and a set purchased for $1000-$2000?

I know certain clubs can provide some margin for error and be a little more forgiving, and others obviously would provide more distance.

In addition, I know that a beginner set of clubs usually have a larger club face (the clubfaces of the clubs I am currently using are pretty small..).

At the end of the day, the clubs I have been using are very average, yet obviously, I have seen others get around with a clubs that have all the right bells & whistles, yet their game does not measure up to whats in the back, if you know what I mean. So.. what is the real difference? (again please forgive these basic questions..)

Oh sorry Benny I didn’t read the whole post mate – saw Epping and overlooked the Preston bit.

I’ve asked a similar question about the difference in the big names and really didn’t get a response. I found with my Blackhawks they have a larger clubface which is very forgiving – something most new golfers will appreciate.

Anyone care to add some technical aspects to the answer?

Cheers,

Mick

Don’t know the real answer, so I’ll leave that to those with greater knowledge regarding different club manufacturing designs, shafts, etc.

To me, the difference between a $500 set and a $2,000 set is the name on the club and the person holding it. I had game the other week with a mate who was visiting from Qld. He plays off 4 but did not have his clubs with him. We had an 18 on Sunday arvo at Ashlar (local Group 1 course Par 71) with him using a hire set. He shot a 77 with clubs he had never seen before on a course he had never played.

Yep he is off 4 and you are just beginning. The cost of the club to me is of no matter, it is what you can do with it. Would buying an expensive set of clubs be the right thing for you at the moment, me personally, no.

I’m sure not every sales person at Drummonds or HOG or whatever are true arseholes. If you explain where your game is at, what you want to spend, (Make it $350 and see what they offer in the $400 range) you should still get the same level of service as if you mentioned the magical “I want a full set of Ping G10’s with the best of everything fitted”

I found in the past that dearer clubs were basically made for better players, eg. they normally come with high flex shafts to make the ball flight lower, so the shafts are top end, With major brands you also pay for the name, hence the reason all the big time pro’s are paid to use certain brands. The cheaper brands (in packages) are basically pointed towards the social, learner type golfer so they can start playing golf without much outlay. The cheaper clubs come with low flex shafts, ball flight higher, and are normally OK. I would suggest that you buy a package (everything) for $500, see if you like the game , then go from there. At this stage , to me , no benefit at all to outlay heaps then find that golf is not for you. You can later maybe sell or trade the clubs for a better set and not lose a lot. ($500 max.) Most golf shops will make clubs to suit, even package clubs, now,. just to get a sale

If you settle on a package just make sure they have a True Temper or another brand good quality shaft and a Stainless Steel head. Don’t get caught with an alloy head because it will eventually snap, alloy is normally thicker around the hosel (where shaft goes in head) True temper make shafts to cover the whole range, (cheap to dear clubs), and the head shape has to appeal to you whether large or small. Most golf shops have any number of package clubs.

You can often get one generation old clubs in the brand names for around the $500 mark. For eg, I got my Talyor Made RAC OSII’s for $499 (4-SW).

Check ebay mate.

I saw a full set of Taylormade RAC OS irons (2007) for $499.

Ebay is pretty much the only way you’ll get named clubs for that budget.

Start with your irons and then be sweet to your wife over the coming weeks so as to persuade her to let you bid on a new driver, then a 5 wood and then maybe a putter and some wedges. ;)

These TaylorMade Rac Lt 3-PW – $350ono in the Classifieds as well. They’ve been around for a month or so and pick up in Melbourne. If still available you may be able to get them for $320ish. Add a second hand driver – 3 wood/Hybrid and there is your brand name set under $500.

These are supposed to be for the mid level h/capper, but this may also also allow you to build your game with these clubs.

I agree with Sach,

Buy a set of irons that are superceded, then you can get best of both worlds.
I bought a set of Cleveland Launcher LP’s for $399 (reduced from $900) a second hand driver ($80) and went from there, then picked up the rest as I went along, upgrading hybrids, driver fairway woods etc…then you can buy the right clubs for your swing as it evolves.. Also, you can find out the best set makeup for you through playing.. ie, you might one or three hybrids… you are not locked in to a set make up that suits a wide range of players.
hope this helps.

sounds great. can I ask then, does this mean I throw the ‘you need to get fitted’ idea out the door?

How would I know whether these clubs would suit my swing/build? (I am 5”7 & 80kgs).

Benny, I think everyone will agree that the need to get fitted is paramount. However, as you are just starting out, it is possible and I will stand corrected by those that know better, but you are at the stage of learning to play. Once you have built a swing and dropping the handicap, THEN you can have a set fitted to your needs. Also gives the time to save the pennies to get the set you feel will best suit your game at that stage as well.

MHO only….

The problem with not getting fitted is that you will then develop your swing to suit the clubs that you have. In my situation after some time, when I eventually got myself fitted for a set. I had to change my swing completely to gain maximum benefit. ( believe me my swing was Awful).I am still trying ,After 6 months to refine my swing. When I get it right it is very right, but I tend to slip back into habits developed over 8 years of playing with what was basically cheap rubbish. Hope this is of some help.

The problem with not getting fitted is that you will then develop your swing to suit the clubs that you have. In my situation after some time, when I eventually got myself fitted for a set. I had to change my swing completely to gain maximum benefit. ( believe me my swing was Awful).I am still trying ,After 6 months to refine my swing. When I get it right it is very right, but I tend to slip back into habits developed over 8 years of playing with what was basically cheap rubbish. Hope this is of some help.

A bad day on the golf course is better than no golf at all. :(

No one who ever had a lesson would have a swing like mine

Lee Trevino

Pom – You may in fact be right, but Benny is 30 old, weighs 80kg and stands at 170cm. I would guess his ss is probably in the range of 87/95mph so a standard length reg flex should do him just fine. I can’t see how the clubs are going to affect his swing. Don’t you make the club work to your swing, not vice versa. I don’t think you can blame bad habits on the sticks that you are holding. I have 3 sets of clubs (although predominately play with the Powerbilts) and whatever I do wrong, I do it with each set, not differnet things with different clubs. Probably wrong again….sigh.

mate, my set (that is in my bag, not the extras in the cupboard:)) that i play with is 4-aw nike slingshots (superceded model), nike sumo driver, odyssey putter and some old cleveland wedges.

my driver was purchased for me by my lovely partner for $160 ex demo! (god bless her)

my irons came from the US for around $320 delivered

the wedges are second handies but were $60 for the pair (absolute gbargain!)

and my putter is an older model i traded a mizuno 5wood for (i payed $35 delivered for the five wood!)

My point is look around EVERYWHERE! Check out the bargain bins, clearouts on the web etc. I sometimes feel like a bum rummaging through the clear out stuff searching for a bargain (even harder bc i’m a lefty) But at the end of the day I tried out heaps of other gear and I absolutely love all of my sticks now.

My personal opinion is that you might be better off getting some quality 2nd hand or ex demo gear rather than buying a budget full set. and remember you don’t need it all at once!

Get fitted, and get the basics so you can go to ebay and check em out.
Know what shaft flex you need
Lie angle with clubs (not a major, but knowing everything gives ya power)
Length of clubs, whether they need to be lengthened, or maybe in your case shortened.
Depending on what sort of shot you want to hit, compared to what you actually do hit. (E.g You hit a fade/slice, but want to counter that with draw irons, or maybe go for neutral, whatever your preference).
Then say to the seller, ill test em out. Use em then say flag it when you see a nice cheapy pair of clubs on the internet that will do the job.
If your undecided about the clubs, again post on here. There is paramount of information known by players on iseekgolf, and we’re all happy to help.
Also there is descriptions on golf clubs on this website, designed to help people in your situation, to get the best outta your game:).

Btw you are wise to cap yourself on golf clubs first time buying. If you take it up seriously i seriously doubt your wife will ever give you another “birthday club celebration :P”

Hey Benny 78
cant give you much help here, but I’ve gotta say “your misses is planning this” I dont suppose she’s got a sister?
Happy Birthday for tomorrow.

Lind appears to be pretty good value esp for the Irons….
Driver probably can search around