Sharpen mine as well, with one of those $8 groove sharpeners from eBay. I'd say it's noticable from the first swing if your grooves are pretty worn, especially on wedges.
If you're gonna be firing at greens, probably a hybrid would be best. They're designed to be as controllable as an iron (same length shaft) but will hit it higher so it will land softer. Most folks can't hit a 3 iron high enough as is,...
I'd venture to say they're not after the folks who get tricked into marketing gimmicks, you know. I don't think the "good and aspiring golfer" is gonna play a brand name just because some PGA touring player does (well maybe...
I think it takes three things, and most everybody's got a different mixture of both in them (somewhere):
Practice Time
Natural Ability
Proper Technique
If you can get proper instruction, have some natural athletic ability and the...