Newbies best choice for $600 purchase?

[TheOther1]

So let's not pretend I'm even close to good. I suck at golf, but I like it.  I think the best I've ever scored is 63 on 9 holes.  I've got old Cobra bio cell red irons and an old Wilson driver. 

If I had ~$600 to invest in my game, which of these would be the best purchase? 

1. A "good" set of irons fitted to me. 
2. A "good" driver and a couple of hybrids or wedges fit to me.
3. A Garmin R-10 so I can work on my swings and have some fun hitting indoors. 
4. Lessons.
5. A combo of some of the above items.

Thanks for the input! 

[cnosil]

2 minutes ago, TheOther1 said:

So let's not pretend I'm even close to good. I suck at golf, but I like it.  I think the best I've ever scored is 63 on 9 holes.  I've got old Cobra bio cell red irons and an old Wilson driver. 

If I had ~$600 to invest in my game, which of these would be the best purchase? 

1. A "good" set of irons fitted to me. 
2. A "good" driver and a couple of hybrids or wedges fit to me.
3. A Garmin R-10 so I can work on my swings and have some fun hitting indoors. 
4. Lessons.
5. A combo of some of the above items.

Thanks for the input! 

My gut reaction is a combo of some of the above items.    My first question would be where do you lose strokes on the course?  Basically how well do you hit the ball... issues off the tee,  issues with your irons,  issues with short game, issues with putting?     If you are able to get the ball off the ground fairly consistently I'd probably get some lessons and advice on clubs.   If you struggle hitting the ball,  it might make sense to find some clubs that are easier to hit and take some lessons. 

[GrumpyGolf]

Personally, I would go a couple of lessons (approx $200 to $250) and then use the information that you learn there and maybe upgrade your most pressing need from there.  You may not be able to get the latest and greatest of anything, but you should still be able to get something that will be able to give you a better shot in any given round.

[Tyler86]

Lessons!!

 

Another thing i would add to the list would be a wrist style gps so you know your yardages on the course, or a laser. I am personally pretty leery of radar based launch monitors indoors unless to have a TON of room. They are finicky and inaccurate in doors in MY EXPERIENCE (my space is 20x20x9.5). Outdoors theyre pretty close, but then if your hitting range balls youre numbers will be skewed compared to the ball your gaming. 

[mynerds]

Are you me? You sound like me!

Unless you’re losing stroke in a very specific spot of your game, I wouldn’t put all of your eggs in one basket.

For me, the biggest improvement came from “lessons” in so far that I subscribed  to Me and My Golf at $149/ year. You could probably get the same lesson content for free on YouTube if you know what to look for, but I didn’t. Having an easy way to get lessons for the absolute beginner was an appeal to me. Everyone has their own style though, so it may not be the way option for everyone.

I would also get a tripod for your phone to self-record your swing for your own evaluation with the M&MG plans, if that’s the route you go. Budget $25 for something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Extendable-Wireless-Compatible-Aluminum-Lightweight/dp/B07VWFYJK1/

With the remaining $475, I’d skip the personal launch monitor unless you already have a hitting mat and net. I’d be tempted to look for deals on a tempo trainer like an orange whip or lag shot. You’ll quickly eat up those funds with a fitting (unless you book Club Champions full bag fitting deal at $100 which expires tonight). You might be able to test drive some used clubs at a place like Golf Galaxy or Dicks Sporting Goods to see if you hit any clubs there well, and put it towards whatever club(s) spark joy.

All this from someone who probably is equally bad, so take with a grain of salt I suppose. At the end of the day, figuring out what you need to work on is probably a good first step and then follow your nose from there. That, and making sure you enjoy the journey along the way!

[GaDawg]

1 hour ago, TheOther1 said:

So let's not pretend I'm even close to good. I suck at golf, but I like it.  I think the best I've ever scored is 63 on 9 holes.  I've got old Cobra bio cell red irons and an old Wilson driver. 

If I had ~$600 to invest in my game, which of these would be the best purchase? 

1. A "good" set of irons fitted to me. 
2. A "good" driver and a couple of hybrids or wedges fit to me.
3. A Garmin R-10 so I can work on my swings and have some fun hitting indoors. 
4. Lessons.
5. A combo of some of the above items.

Thanks for the input! 

Hey Neighbor,

I would combo some of the items you have listed.

#1 - Take a few lessons to get some guidance on the proper grip and some swing tips.

#2 - Purchase a used driver that is possibly more forgiving. Not sure what type Wilson driver you have?

#3 - Purchase a couple of used hybrids to replace some of your longer irons.

#4 - Practice at the driving range on making solid contact with your clubs and take additional lessons.

In my opinion, your irons are fine for now and I would not spend any money on a Garmin R-10.

[Kanoito]

Since you've shot 63 on a 9-hole course, I believe someone has already introduced the game to you and probably taught you the basics (grip, posture, etc.)
If that's not the case, 1-2 lessons as a crash course would certainly help.

It also depends how athletic you are. I have players who used to play tennis/hockey and they are shooting high 70's after a year playing golf without lessons. Then I also have friends who can't even catch a basketball being thrown at them.

If you are only playing an executive 9 hole course (only par 3's and short par 4's) perhaps you can even skip the driver.

If it's a full sized course, I would get a driver, a hybrid, irons and SW/LW... older models of course.

Driver under $100: my favourite being the Adams Speedline
Hybrid for around $60: Cobra Baffler for example
Set of irons $150-300: just a set of Adams a4 5-GW in apparently good contiion for $150. For $300 a set of Callaway XR, Srixon ZStar, Titleist AP1, etc...
For another $100 you can add a SW and a LW.

Skip the indoor LM for now... 

[Kansas King]

With the exception of your driver, you're equipment appears fine on the surface. I would recommend starting with finding a local pro somewhere and getting a lesson or two. You should be able to find a teaching pro that charges under $60/hour. Ask the pro to look at your equipment and see what they say. They will probably recommend getting a different driver. 

Budgeting breakdown:

$100 - $200: Lessons

$100 - $200: Used Driver

$100 - $200: Additional Equipment (wedges, hybrids, etc.)

Total = $300 - $600 (probably closer to $500)

The total costs are going largely be dependent on lesson costs and equipment costs. If you need irons, you can get the Maltby STi2 iron pack from Golfworks fully assembled to your general measurements for $170 if you need irons although your pro may have other good budget used options. I'm also a big proponent of Maltby wedges as you can pick up most of them for about $50 each and they are high quality. I don't want to overly push Maltby stuff but it's generally the best bang for your buck in the whole golf industry even compared to used stuff. I would recommend not breaking the bank on equipment as range balls and rounds of golf also add up and you'll likely be wanting to play more as you improve. 

[RickyBobby_PR]

Take lessons using a 3-5 pack with a pro and spread them out over several months so you can practice and work on the specifics from each lesson.

take the rest of the money and do at least a fitting with a local pro. This will give you an idea of what you like or don’t like from looks, sound and fee as well as what works or doesn’t work for your swing.

Using this info from the fitting you can piece together a bag of used clubs that are as close as possible to your fitting

[TheOther1]

Thanks for all the input folks! I've taken a few lessons, but almost a year ago and didn't play through winter.

 

19 hours ago, GaDawg said:

#2 - Purchase a used driver that is possibly more forgiving. Not sure what type Wilson driver you have?

Hey GaDawg! It's a Wilson Profile XD 10.5, regular flex. They are like $45 on eBay.  My brother in law gave it to me when he got a new driver 2 years ago. 

 

21 hours ago, cnosil said:

Basically how well do you hit the ball... issues off the tee,  issues with your irons,  issues with short game, issues with putting?     If you are able to get the ball off the ground fairly consistently I'd probably get some lessons and advice on clubs. 

My shots, both driver and irons, are either pretty good or absolutely terrible.  More than likely terrible.  Slice, top the ball, miss completely, etc. I try to go hit at least a bucket of balls during the week and play Spark Golf on Thursdays. It seems I start off pretty good and get rattled and it all falls apart. I need to remember the only shot that matters is the next one.

 

11 hours ago, Kanoito said:

Since you've shot 63 on a 9-hole course, I believe someone has already introduced the game to you and probably taught you the basics (grip, posture, etc.)
If that's not the case, 1-2 lessons as a crash course would certainly help.

5 hours ago, RickyBobby_PR said:

Take lessons using a 3-5 pack with a pro and spread them out over several months so you can practice and work on the specifics from each lesson.

I'm going to start with more lessons.  I'm holding off on equipment until I get the pro to look at my driver.  He's the one who sold me the cobra irons ($100), but I'll have him check them out, as well. He had a buy-5-for-the-price-of-4 lessons thing. That seemed like a pretty good deal last time. 

 

6 hours ago, Kansas King said:

I don't want to overly push Maltby stuff but it's generally the best bang for your buck in the whole golf industry even compared to used stuff. I would recommend not breaking the bank on equipment as range balls and rounds of golf also add up and you'll likely be wanting to play more as you improve

I think I'll hit up the local PGA Tour Superstore and try some used gear after I get some recommendations from my pro. I'll certainly look at Maltby.  I like the not breaking the bank idea!

11 hours ago, Kanoito said:

Skip the indoor LM for now... 

I don't have the cash to do an indoor golf simulator properly anyway. 

11 hours ago, Kanoito said:

Hybrid for around $60: Cobra Baffler for example

I have a Cobra 3/F Baffler Rail F 15.5° and it plays pretty well. I may get a 5 hybrid to replace the Nitro 5 I have. 

[TheOther1]

21 hours ago, mynerds said:

Are you me? You sound like me!

Unless you’re losing stroke in a very specific spot of your game, I wouldn’t put all of your eggs in one basket.

For me, the biggest improvement came from “lessons” in so far that I subscribed  to Me and My Golf at $149/ year. You could probably get the same lesson content for free on YouTube if you know what to look for, but I didn’t. Having an easy way to get lessons for the absolute beginner was an appeal to me. Everyone has their own style though, so it may not be the way option for everyone.

I would also get a tripod for your phone to self-record your swing for your own evaluation with the M&MG plans, if that’s the route you go. Budget $25 for something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Extendable-Wireless-Compatible-Aluminum-Lightweight/dp/B07VWFYJK1/

I’d be tempted to look for deals on a tempo trainer like an orange whip or lag shot. You might be able to test drive some used clubs at a place like Golf Galaxy or Dicks Sporting Goods to see if you hit any clubs there well, and put it towards whatever club(s) spark joy.

All this from someone who probably is equally bad, so take with a grain of salt I suppose. At the end of the day, figuring out what you need to work on is probably a good first step and then follow your nose from there. That, and making sure you enjoy the journey along the way!

Lol! We might be golf twins! 

I subscribed to Clay Ballard's Top Speed Golf. I'm working my way through drills and practices. 

I have a small tripod with a phone holder and I've used it a few times.  I forgot about watching my own swing! I'll do that next time at the range. 

I do have a Ripcoil RP6 tempo trainer.  I took it out of my bag and haven't used it in a while.

I think I can go to the PGA Tour Superstore and have them help me with picking the right used driver for me. I'm going to hold off on clubs for a while until I get more lessons under my belt. 

[Kanoito]

The lesson package is definitely a good investment... my pro does 6 lessons for the price of 5 or 12 for 10. And I spread them out throughout the year... 1 lesson per month to give me time to practice and play on the course...

[MDGolfHacker]

Not going to say much as I believe a few already said a combo of lessons and from there move to upgrade the equipment if needed and thank you for your service!

 

MDGolfHacker

[tony@CIC]

On 5/16/2022 at 8:15 PM, TheOther1 said:

So let's not pretend I'm even close to good. I suck at golf, but I like it.  I think the best I've ever scored is 63 on 9 holes.  I've got old Cobra bio cell red irons and an old Wilson driver. 

If I had ~$600 to invest in my game, which of these would be the best purchase? 

1. A "good" set of irons fitted to me. 
2. A "good" driver and a couple of hybrids or wedges fit to me.
3. A Garmin R-10 so I can work on my swings and have some fun hitting indoors. 
4. Lessons.
5. A combo of some of the above items.

Thanks for the input! 

I'd start by analyzing where you're losing strokes. Are you 3 or even 4  putting. Misses with your wedges or long clubs? A few rounds analyzed can give you great info to make a more informed decision. Then take that info to an instructor and buy a few lessons with a focus on the misses. Doesn't make sense to buy a new driver if you're hitting fairways in a tight dispersion, or irons and wedges that are working for you. Bright shiny new clubs look good in the bag but won't change your game if there are swing issues. Just my .02. 

 

[Blueberry_Squishie]

4, 4, and nothing but 4.

 

Maybe not nothing but 4, but I'd add an option 6 of ensuring you have access to a facility that you can use at least once a week to rehearse and refine what you're learning in your lessons and see the results, and spend a couple of bucks on a small tripod to mount your phone on to take videos of what you're doing when you rehearse. You can take that footage to your next lesson if there's a particular issue that's occurring so your coach can get a head start on a diagnosis.

[ChitownM2]

I vote for lessons as well with the caveat that your physical size is average or close to it and you don't have any limitations or restrictions that require you to swing a certain way.  If neither of the above apply to you then getting fitted is really going to be about fine tuning things which probably isn't something you need to worry about until you can consistently make the same swing and get consistent results.  I think in a recent TXG video Ian said something along the lines of "if you're not hitting at least 50% of your shots consistently then it is better to get lessons than a fitting and new clubs".  Basically, if you can't see specific changes happening when you change between clubs or shafts then it's not going to be worth it because they aren't going to be able to help fix whatever is wrong with your swing with a simple club upgrade.

[Bitonomics]

+1 vote for lessons as the starting point. 

That should get your score into the 50's --short game in particular can pay huge dividends in scoring by getting rid of 3 putts and reducing errors while chipping. 

After that, I'd upgrade the oldest item in your bag with something a couple years old and/or used. Example, you have a 10 year old driver, find something 3ish years old. Golf gets even more fun when you start to break 50 regularly. 

[revkev]

Lots of good advice already so I'll just wish you luck and great enjoyment from a game that I love.

 

I will add an important caveat - if you take some lessons you will need to practice, if you aren't going to practice what you learn don't take lessons because they will be a waste of your limited funds - I didn't see that as an option by you should allow some budget for practice.  

[Shapotomous]

@TheOther1What driver is your BIL playing now?  Since you seem to be in line for his discards, it might be time to convince him he needs a new driver and then you'll have more money for lessons and other things!!  

[Kenny B]

On 5/16/2022 at 5:15 PM, TheOther1 said:

So let's not pretend I'm even close to good. I suck at golf, but I like it.  I think the best I've ever scored is 63 on 9 holes.  I've got old Cobra bio cell red irons and an old Wilson driver. 

If I had ~$600 to invest in my game, which of these would be the best purchase? 

1. A "good" set of irons fitted to me. 
2. A "good" driver and a couple of hybrids or wedges fit to me.
3. A Garmin R-10 so I can work on my swings and have some fun hitting indoors. 
4. Lessons.
5. A combo of some of the above items.

Thanks for the input! 

Lots of good suggestions so I won't repeat.  I will say that if I had taken lessons when I first took up golf, it would have saved me about 10 years of frustration.  I thought I could learn on my own... I was wrong!  That was back in the days with no internet, so I didn't have the luxury of watching a ton of YT videos.  There are some good instructors on the internet, but as a newbie I highly recommend in-person lessons at least to get started with.  Lessons can save you lots of time trying to undo the flaws that you learned trying to do it yourself.  Interview various instructors in your area; they are working for you so you need to find one that you enjoy working with.

When I started out I played in a company 9-hole league.  My best round was also a 63.  At the end of the season it was still 63 when we had a 3-club tournament; I chose 5i, 9i and putter.  Why?  I couldn't hit any woods straight; I needed a short iron that gave me reasonable distance and to pitch and chip with because I knew I was going to miss greens; and I had to have my putter because using anything else was not an option for me.  I shot 47.  The moral of this story is that if you want to just play and have the most fun, use clubs that can keep you in play and minimize your usual mistakes.  

If you really want to improve, lessons are the best use of your limited funds.  Chances are that your instructor will make recommendations for better equipment as you progress.  Your instructor will have a better idea of what you need than we can offer without knowing anything about your swing and skill level.

[TheOther1]

1 hour ago, Shapotomous said:

What driver is your BIL playing now?  Since you seem to be in line for his discards, it might be time to convince him he needs a new driver and then you'll have more money for lessons and other things!!  

I think he gave it to me to spite me!  

[TheOther1]

On 5/18/2022 at 6:17 PM, Blueberry_Squishie said:

Maybe not nothing but 4, but I'd add an option 6 of ensuring you have access to a facility that you can use at least once a week to rehearse and refine what you're learning in your lessons and see the results, and spend a couple of bucks on a small tripod to mount your phone on to take videos of what you're doing when you rehearse. You can take that footage to your next lesson if there's a particular issue that's occurring so your coach can get a head start on a diagnosis.

I do play weekly in a league, I practice chipping and pitching in my yard almost daily, and there is a par 3 course near my house that I have discovered.  No starters, no crowds, fantastic for real practice.  You can spend all day there for $20.  I'm trying to work in a 1/2 day there each week.  Today I went and hit 2 balls from each tee.  I took the score from the best ball on each hole.  Ended up with a 40!  For me, that is amazingly good!

I have a tripod and have started recording my swing.

[TheOther1]

On 5/18/2022 at 9:48 PM, ChitownM2 said:

I think in a recent TXG video Ian said something along the lines of "if you're not hitting at least 50% of your shots consistently then it is better to get lessons than a fitting and new clubs".

Agreed.  I'm investing primarily in lessons and practice rounds/driving range.

[azstu324]

On 5/17/2022 at 8:41 AM, Kansas King said:

With the exception of your driver, you're equipment appears fine on the surface. I would recommend starting with finding a local pro somewhere and getting a lesson or two. You should be able to find a teaching pro that charges under $60/hour. Ask the pro to look at your equipment and see what they say. They will probably recommend getting a different driver. 

Budgeting breakdown:

$100 - $200: Lessons

$100 - $200: Used Driver

$100 - $200: Additional Equipment (wedges, hybrids, etc.)

Total = $300 - $600 (probably closer to $500)

The total costs are going largely be dependent on lesson costs and equipment costs. If you need irons, you can get the Maltby STi2 iron pack from Golfworks fully assembled to your general measurements for $170 if you need irons although your pro may have other good budget used options. I'm also a big proponent of Maltby wedges as you can pick up most of them for about $50 each and they are high quality. I don't want to overly push Maltby stuff but it's generally the best bang for your buck in the whole golf industry even compared to used stuff. I would recommend not breaking the bank on equipment as range balls and rounds of golf also add up and you'll likely be wanting to play more as you improve. 

I 2nd everything @Kansas King has said about Maltby. The past couple of years, DTC (direct to consumer) brands have been all the talk for quality at lower cost. Maltby is one of the lesser-known because they don't want to be showcased but they're also one of the DTC pioneers.. maybe THE pioneer possibly. Their designs are all original and up to date with tech and probably the lowest priced of the high quality DTC's