How to find the right golf clubs as a beginner

Picture this, you have started to find yourself with an interest in golf and you have gone out a couple of times to the golf course or driving range and you have been borrowing a set of clubs from someone and you fall in love with the sport. Now you are ready, you are ready to commit your life to the game of golf (partially kidding) and make an investment into buying your very own set of golf clubs! 

Clubs you will want to focus on making sure you have in your set when you are first getting started include but are not limited to: driver, at least five irons, a putter and at least one wedge. If you decide to just purchase five irons, I would suggest buying irons that are labeled as such (9,8,7,6,5) this will cover most of your distances and I would advise against buying an iron labeled with a 2, 3, or 4 when you are just getting started. When buying a wedge, focus on one that is labeled with a PW (pitching wedge), this is the most common and versatile wedge in the beginning. 

Where do you begin to look when putting together a set of golf clubs - a big box store, online, a friend? The answer really comes down to two questions you have to ask yourself. 

1. What is your budget? 

2. Can you see yourself sticking with golf for the long term? 

Budget

Let's be honest not everyone has or wants to invest $5,000 into a new hobby, so what are your options? I will be the first to tell you that the amount you spend on clubs, especially in the beginning, is not going to affect how good you will be at golf so don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! In your budget you will want to account for everything to play which will include items outside of just golf clubs. Things to consider in your budget when you are just getting started: glove, balls, tees, cleats and bag. 

With all of that being said I will give you three tiers you can work with:

Tier 1 (straight baller) $5,000

Tier 2 (you like to spend but conservatively) $1,500 +

Tier 3 (budget but effective) <$500

Tier 1 is going to be everything brand new, top of the line, whatever your heart desires, if you have $5,000 to spend as a beginner you don’t need me giving you advice. 

Tier 2 you can mix and match with some new items and used items. You can splurge on items such as the driver, bag and maybe a wedge or two. You can go to any online market such as TGW.com or brick and mortar store like PGA Superstore or Dick’s Sporting Goods to find your new clubs. When you are looking at the used market to complete your set, Facebook Marketplace will be your best friend. This tier as well as tier 1 you are setting yourself up for longevity in the game with no real need for upgrades for a while. 

Tier 3 will most likely need to be 100% from the used market which is perfectly fine or a premade set from a big box store like dicks sporting goods. Personal opinion: if I were starting all over again, I would build a set of golf clubs from the used market but it requires a good amount of research. When looking at the used market, Facebook marketplace is an absolute goldmine for golf club gems. Other places you can look: Goodwill, Play it Again Sports and garage sales. This tier will most likely require upgrades within the first couple of years of playing.

Short Term / Long Term 

Most of the time when you are starting out a new hobby or sport you really don’t know what the lifespan of your interest will be. However, if you have made it this far in this article, then you are at least semi committed to buying a set of clubs to start your journey. Does that mean your interest will last 5 days, 5 years or 50 years who knows? I think everyone has a different early experience with the game. 

If you got the golf bug really bad and feel like this is something you plan to do at least a couple of times a year for the foreseeable future then it becomes worth it to make an investment into your equipment so maybe spring for a little more than the tier 3 option mentioned above or go in on a tier 2 play. If you are still testing the waters but think “well maybe this could be for me but still not sure,” I would suggest sticking with the tier 3 option regardless of your financial situation. Two things to think about:

1 - Clubs will typically hold some monetary resale value so even if you decide you want to upgrade or if you absolutely end up hating the game (my heart) then you will be able to turn around and get at least some of your money back 

2 - Golf clubs last a really really really long time, so there is no need to really splurge until you know this is something you will be doing a lot of. 

This is an amazing sport that sadly does have a high barrier to entry just to get the ball rolling so the hesitancy to spend a couple hundred + is understandable. I hope this short guide can help you understand some of the nuances associated with getting your first set of golf clubs and give you some confidence to start your golfing journey!