New or used? newbie help

[tomekkplk]

This probably has been beaten to shreds at this point but I'm looking at getting back in to the game and have been out for about 12 years. Not sure where to start. I heard the Callaway Edge set from Costco ($550 for steel shaft and $580 for graphite and comes with a putter, driver, and 3wd, 5hybrid) is pretty good for the price but also checked out the Callaway used site and found iron sets: 2015 XR 5-pw,aw,sw $386, x-forged 4-pw $408, 2019 Taylormade M6 7-pw, aw $280, and a Taylormade M CGB 5-pw set for $410.

All iron sets have at least one that has been reshafted. I'd need to buy a driver and putter etc for the used iron sets but in your opinion what do you think is a better choice atm? I've read about people buying cheaper sets that they grow out of after the first year and some say buy good so you grow in to it.. idk. Any help is appreciated.

[GolfSpy_BNG]

This is a tough topic to provide advice for. It all comes down to you and your budget. Are you getting back into the game to stay or just as a couple times a year hobby.  If it’s just a few times a year then any full set will do. If you are planning on playing as much as possible and want to improve I’d look at something with a used set that may hold value should you want to move to something different later on. 

[RickyBobby_PR]

More info is needed.

how long have you been playing?

how serious are you about the game? Ie how offed do you practice, how often do you play. 
 

Do you just go out to have fun or are you trying to get better?

[tomekkplk]

Not going to say I have a limited budget but also not going to say budget is no option since I do not want to "waste" any money. I'm looking to go more than a few times a year. Definitely want to get my game up and improve. The only brands I remember from back in the day are Taylormade and Callaway which are the only ones I posted. Not going to say I have a limited budget but also not going to say budget is no option since I do not want to "waste" any money. I'm looking to go more than a few times a year. Definitely want to get my game up and improve. The only brands I remember from back in the day are Taylormade and Callaway which are the only ones I posted. I use my friends old set of clubs when we go out but he doesn't go out as much as I'd like so that's why I'd like a legit set for myself. Even range days to get more familiar with my future set. 

[Cshull09]

Do a little research on which sets are actually decent and buy the cheapest decent set you can. eBay, yard sales, forums etc are good places to look for deals. Buy some noodles from Walmart and go hack around for awhile. This will tell you if you actually want to invest more money or if you just got a wild hair. Don’t waste money on buying a set you can “grow into” unless you used to play TONS of golf and know what to expect/how quickly you’ll improve. 
 

If you’ve got some golf buddies I bet you could almost make a full set of clubs out of their spares. I have a full set of titleist blades laying in my trunk right now lol. They’d be a steep learning curve but they’re free to borrow. 
 

also if this gets posted twice, sorry. It didn’t post the first time and I had to retype it haha 

Edited June 2 by Cshull09

[GolfSpy_BNG]

There are a ton of brands nowadays that can hang. Don’t be afraid to look at DCT brands. Sub70, Stix, and even Vice is now in the club game. 

[No3PuttLaLa]

Get fitted. Doesn’t mean you HAVE to buy the clubs from there. But gives you a baseline of what you need. From there, you can order you clubs specific to your needs or buy used and take to retrofit to your needs.

Off the rack clubs are not designed to fit everyone as is. There is no one correct swing pattern or human size. All things play a part. Once you get playing some more, go get fit again and see what’s changed, if anything. 

[Donn lost in San Diego]

1 hour ago, tomekkplk said:

This probably has been beaten to shreds at this point but I'm looking at getting back in to the game and have been out for about 12 years. Not sure where to start. I heard the Callaway Edge set from Costco ($550 for steel shaft and $580 for graphite and comes with a putter, driver, and 3wd, 5hybrid) is pretty good for the price but also checked out the Callaway used site and found iron sets: 2015 XR 5-pw,aw,sw $386, x-forged 4-pw $408, 2019 Taylormade M6 7-pw, aw $280, and a Taylormade M CGB 5-pw set for $410.

All iron sets have at least one that has been reshafted. I'd need to buy a driver and putter etc for the used iron sets but in your opinion what do you think is a better choice atm? I've read about people buying cheaper sets that they grow out of after the first year and some say buy good so you grow in to it.. idk. Any help is appreciated.

where do you live?  are there retailers ?  how much do you know about matching your swing to current shafts?  Saving money on the wrong clubs is no deal.  A local fitter/repair guy here says most of his business is fixing mistakes people made buying on the internet.  If you can, try picking up stuff at garage sales/swap meets/thrift stores, buy some stuff for very little money, go to the range, and learn.

[RickyBobby_PR]

2 hours ago, tomekkplk said:

Not going to say I have a limited budget but also not going to say budget is no option since I do not want to "waste" any money. I'm looking to go more than a few times a year. Definitely want to get my game up and improve. The only brands I remember from back in the day are Taylormade and Callaway which are the only ones I posted. Not going to say I have a limited budget but also not going to say budget is no option since I do not want to "waste" any money. I'm looking to go more than a few times a year. Definitely want to get my game up and improve. The only brands I remember from back in the day are Taylormade and Callaway which are the only ones I posted. I use my friends old set of clubs when we go out but he doesn't go out as much as I'd like so that's why I'd like a legit set for myself. Even range days to get more familiar with my future set. 

If you are trying to play more frequently then go to a fitter and find out what works for you. Then use that to buy a used set that will at least get you into a bag that fits you better than just randomly buying some box set or some random used set from a used club website 

[CY71]

There is nothing wrong with getting a reliable set from eBay then upgrading from there. Do some research and make sure length and stiffness are appropriate for you and it’s a decent set. But then you can pick and choose what clubs to upgrade as you go along. The newest models won’t correct for errant swings so while getting back into the groove I think it’s better to go a little cheaper then build based off what works for you down the line.

[Preeway]

I think you have two options. Go with a major name brand that’s 1-2 years gently used or go with a quality, but lesser known DTC route like Haywood or Takomo. Both have upsides and down. If I’m in your shoes I probably go the DTC route and get new at a good price and work to get my game in a good place before investing in something expensive like Taylormade or Callaway. 

[WhoaNellie]

Two words - used PING

[MarvChamp]

As was said, go pay some $ for a fitting, so you will have info about clubs for your swing. You don't have to buy the clubs they recommend at that point. But jeez! Give yourself a chance to make a decent choice wherever and whatever you buy. Best and good luck in your search, -Marv

[Hacker60521]

Some great suggestions here. I would definitely check out 2ndSwing and GlobalGolf. If you choose clubs that are 2 years old you’ll still have great tech at a great value. Plus there will be tons of reviews that can help you. 
 

I really like the idea of a fitting but I’ve only seen them sell new clubs. 

[russtopherb]

If you have a PGA SS or Golf Galaxy around you, you can pay for a fitting and just let the fitter know your goals - as a new golfer, you want to make sure you're in the right setup for shaft flex, lie, shaft length, etc. Then you can use that info to see what's available used in your budget that'll fit you.

Failing that, it's not a bad idea to go to a place that sells a lot of used clubs and has a launch monitor you can hit a bunch of clubs on. You're going to rely more on feel and overall distance/dispersion numbers from the monitor vs a pro's input, but even that may save you money in the long run if you buy the complete wrong clubs for you. 

[ChitownM2]

The recommendation on this site is always going to be to get fitted and it's a good recommendation if you have the money to spend on a full bag fitting, but that is going to cost a chunk of the cash you are looking to spend.  Likely ~$150-250 if you're not buying any clubs from them.  Depending on where you live it may also be difficult to find a competent fitter as there are a ton of people out there doing fittings that really shouldn't be or aren't very good at it. 

With that said, like others mentioned we need more info to really be helpful.  You said you've been out of the game for 12 years, where would you judge your game back when you last played?  Were you shooting in the 70s or 100+?  Where are you located? What  is your physical build?  Are you average height with average arm length or are you 6'-6" with the arms of a 5'-6" guy?  How much are you realistically looking to spend to get started?  There is a lot of up-front cost for golf and it can add up quickly, you'll need a driver, a fwy, a hybrid or two, iron set, a wedge or two, putter, bag, balls, glove at a minimum which even going used is going to add up to over $1k.  

If you have access to any clubs at all, I would go out to a driving range with top tracer, create an account on the app and hit the clubs you have access to and post the results.  A lot of those style driving ranges might also have clubs you can borrow.  An alternative would be an X-golf location or similar indoor simulator place where you can do the same, just be sure to screen shot the results.  X-golf may also have a fitting cart that you could hit if you can't find clubs.  This will give you club head speed, path, and show what the ball flight is doing. 

Assuming that you are an "average build" guy without any physical restrictions and you weren't shooting in the 80s or better when you stopped, in my opinion, you would be better off getting out and playing some golf before going to a fitter.  If you don't have a swing that you are comfortable with then the fitter is only going to be able to really help you if you are playing with clubs that are clearly too long, too short or upright/flat for you and it will turn into more of a lesson than a fitting.  A good coach / lesson should be able to tell you if your clubs are way too long or short if that is really the case.

Once you post some basic info it would be easier to guide you towards a set of (probably used) clubs that you could get started with and then once you've got a swing down you can take it from there as far as getting a fitting and maybe getting a set of clubs that is a perfect match for you.  For now, I would definitely not buy the Callaway set from costco, you can get a better set of used irons for probably less money from the classifieds here or other places.  2nd swing is also another seller of used clubs with a huge selection.  As far as brands, the big 5 are Callaway, Taylormade, Titleist, Ping and Cobra.  There are also tons of other trustworthy name brands to choose from such as Mizuno, Srixon, Cleveland, Bridgestone, Honma, PXG, Tour edge, & Wilson.  There are also some DTC brands that offer quality products but these would probably be something that has to be purchased new as there just aren't a lot of used options out there since their market share is so small at the moment.  

Long story short, if you're really just getting back into the game and don't have a consistent swing yet just pick up some cheap clubs and play with a look towards getting fit later in the year or next year.  If you're already at that stage or you were a high level golfer before then you could probably just go straight to a fitting and get something newer but be advised that golf is even more expensive than it was 12 years ago, a full set of new clubs will easily run $3500 so it may be necessary to get something used and then "build" your bag with custom fit clubs as budget permits.  Other than in-person visits to 2nd swing I don't know of any fitters that will fit you into used clubs or even last years models but some are better than others and could at least make recommendations towards that.  If not, there are people here smarter than me that could probably point you towards used clubs based on the results of a fitting for new clubs.

Edited June 3 by ChitownM2