Golf is the sort of sport that people either play from a young age or else begin to get into as they get older. As a result, not everyone will have a set of clubs when they first start playing the game. If that is the category that you fall into, then you might find yourself wondering how much a new set is likely to cost you as you begin to play more regularly. To an extent, the answer is a bit of a ‘how long is a piece of string’ type conundrum, with numerous different factors likely to play their part. Here is a look at the things you’ll want to consider before you pull the trigger:
Do You Need a New Set?
The first thing that you might want to ask yourself is whether or not you actually need a new set of golf clubs. It is entirely fair if the answer to that question is ‘yes’, but you might want to think about the implications of that. Obviously, only you will know what your own personal situation is, so how much you’re willing or able to spend will be an entirely independent answer for you. A budget of as much as £500 is a good place to start from, but if that is too much, then you can look to pare things back and drop lower. Because of the individual nature of the answer, it’s a difficult one to give.
If you have been playing for a while, perhaps using some old clubs from a family member or borrowing some from friends, you might well find yourself wanting to get a decent set of clubs that are more tailored to your ability and playing style. If that is the case, you need to bear in mind that getting clubs fitted is about as expensive a way of getting clubs as you can manage. Alternatively, you could head to a golf shop and pick some ‘off the rack’ clubs, but that might end up being a bit of a false economy if you grow out of them quickly and decide you need to buy some new ones.
Second-Hand Isn’t to be Sniffed At
For some people, the idea of playing with a second-hand set of golf clubs doesn’t sit right. If you’re working on a budget, however, it can be a great way to get a set of clubs for much less than you would pay if you were buying them new. The technology used in golf clubs changes quickly, which means that the kinds of golfers that like to have the latest and greatest piece of kit to play with – and there are many – will be looking to offload their old clubs for less than full price. If you can find just such a person, then you can end up getting yourself a relative bargain that is well worth investing in and could last you for years.
Even spending some time trawling your local charity shop might well be worth it, as you can read about elsewhere on this site. Golf clubs are a very personal thing, so some people struggle to sell theirs and end up just giving them away to charity instead. That means that there is the ability to pick up some good clubs for a fraction of the cost of a new set, but they will more than suffice for those who don’t need to play with the best possible kit so early on in their golfing journey. If you’re looking to protect the pennies, the best thing to remember is not to be too sniffy.
Upgrade Over Time
As a beginner golfer, you will have plenty of time to work out what does and what doesn’t work for you. When buying your first set of clubs, it is worth remembering that not everything will be what you want it to be initially. That is to say, you might get on okay with some stock irons, but the wedges might cause you all sorts of issues. If that’s the case, you can look to upgrade your wedges at a later date without having to replace every other club in your bag. Similarly, a generic driver might not work for you, but there are plenty of options to replace it with in the future.
Spending a huge amount of money on a new set of golf clubs as a beginner is a fool’s errand. As your game develops, you will soon realise that the clubs that you first started playing with just aren’t right for the style of play that you’ve taken on the more you get onto the golf course. The best thing you can do is spend as little as possible initially, then use the money that you’ve saved to improve your clubs incrementally over the months and years that follow. Many of the best players have a Frankenstein’s monster of a golf bag, made up of different parts collected over time.
If Money is no Object
For some beginners, the simple truth is that they’re getting into golf because they find that they have plenty of time and money with which to do what they wish. If that is the category that you fall into and you’re not too worried about how much money you’re going to have to spend, the best thing that you can do with your time is head along to a professional establishment and get yourself fitted for some new clubs. A fitting will ensure that your clubs are precisely what you want them to be for your swing and your general ability, but they will be harder to move on in the future.
Money really has to be no object when it comes to getting fitted for clubs. You can spend more than £1,000 buying a new set, only to realise 18 months later that they’re not right for you. You will be able to recoup some money when you go to sell them, but you won’t get even close to the amount that you spend initially. Everything from whether to play with a steel shaft or a graphite one will be looked at in a fitting, but some lessons and some time on different courses might make you realise that how you played then won’t be how you play now, meaning the clubs need to be replaced in their entirety.