Best Time to Buy Clubs?

Hey All,

New to the game of golf. Have taken about 5-6 lessons so far this summer. Been hitting the driving range as often as possible and played my first 9-hole last weekend. I'm hitting up an 18 this weekend and probably another one next week (with some driving range practice in between), as well as taking a few more lessons in the coming weeks.

I don't have a set of clubs so far since I've been getting them "free" at the range due to the lessons I paid for and have been renting half-bags so far for my 9-hole and 18-hole outings. I'm looking at buying my 1st set of clubs and was wondering when the best time would be to buy them? Are there big sales on golf equipment in the fall (or end of summer) in order to make room for next season's models and because the summer season is ending? Should I be buying now or hold off until August/September/October? Will the prices be dropping?

Thanks in advance for any help. Really appreciate it!

Cheers,

You can find deals all year round. Sure, the big retailers will have sales towards the end of the season. However, anytime a brand is coming out with a new line, the prices on the current line drops considerably. I'd recommend looking on ebay, but be very cautious as there seems to be more and more counterfeit clubs showing up. If you do go the ebay route make sure the photos aren't stock and are of the actual product. I bought my irons on ebay for 40% off of retail brand new.

I've checked out eBay on and off (as well as Kijiji, Craigslist, and some local online golf forums), but I always get turned off by the shipping which when added up usually doesn't have me saving all that much money in the end. Another reason is that I'm a lefty and there aren't as many options out there as if I were a righty. Finally, and probably most importantly, I don't know enough about golf clubs to be comfortable just buying anything without having tried it first. I guess I could always check eBay, find something, go to a local shop and hit the same brand/model (if they have it) and then see if I like it. The reason I'm more comfortable in store(s) is that I can get fitted (or at least a static fitting). At this point, I have no idea what length, flex, style of club I need or should be using. I don't really mind spending the bucks to get a set of clubs, but I just want to know whether there are typical sales on equipment a month from now, cuz there's nothing like buying something and then seeing it at 50% off 2 weeks later. Then again, I'm sure it doesn't feel any better buying it and then seeing it at half the price on eBay either... At this point I just feel more comfortable having some live feedback rather than just pulling the trigger on something online. I also live in Canada, which comes with it's own troubles shipping-wise sometimes for big items like full golf sets...

Thanks for the help so far! I really appreciate it. Keep it coming :D

Cheers,

One thing to consider is whether or not you want to get custom fit or buy off the rack... Most will advise that you get custom fit, but if that is not a realistic possibility or if you just want to buy a "starter set" check golftown.com... Some really good deals and shipping is fast and usually free...

Buy either used or a year or two old new clubs. They are pretty much the same price year round.

I can get fitted, if it's worth it. The way I see it, since I'm just starting off (and taking lessons), won't my swing be changing for at least a while longer? I may be wrong, since opinions do differ on this (as to what I've been reading on these forums and others). Some say that beginners should absolutely get fitted, while as others say that there is no point. I'm guessing that I should at least get a static fitting? Like I mentioned, I don't know what length, flex, loft, etc I need on my clubs. Golf Town is definitely a possibility for me, since there are a number of them in my area that I can drive to (and have already). I've checked some deals on their site as well and they look pretty good, but again, I'm not sure whether I'm a regular flex, men's regular length, etc.

Thanks again for the help so far!

Cheers,

You just have to keep your eyes out for deals...look at websites such as www.rockbottomgolf.com , www.tgw.com for new clubs, but also look for used clubs at www.globalgolf.com or www.3balls.com . Also, check out the Marketplace forum in this site, as you get fellow golfers offering their clubs, sometimes at great prices.

The bottom line is that you have to make up your mind as to what you want have and hunt it down. On eBay, if it's too good to be true, it probably is.

Be patient when buying. Since this is your first set, you should go used for game improvement or super game improvement irons, and you can get good deals on these used.

Good luck, and happy hunting!!!!

Since your so new to the game, I'd just buy a starter set or piece together some used clubs. What fits you now wouldn't fit you as you improve. You can get older clubs really cheap on ebay from reputable sellers. Be cautious though, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. I wish you lived here in my area. I've got a garage full of LH clubs that would work great for a beginner and I'd sell them cheap. How tall are you? That is the one thing that wouldn't change so if you are really tall or short then get them fit.

I'm 6'0", around 170 lbs. What about flex? Loft? Etc. Should I be paying attention to that at all at this point?

I agree with the idea of looking on Ebay because I regularly check to see what's available in Ping clubs and I've seen some pretty good deals. Left handed Eye 2s, i3s, Zings, and ISIs tend to go at favorable prices because there's not quite as much demand for them. Additionally, a lot of reputable mail order golf outlets sell new and used clubs on Ebay such as 3 Balls Golf and Dallas Golf. I've bought clubs from both and am very satisfied with the way the deal went. Obviously you might do a little better in the off season with individual sellers on Ebay but most of your golf outlets that do business on line offer pretty good deals all year round. I personally lean toward 3 Balls Golf because I got a great deal on my Callaway driver ($129 "open box" special) and got a free 1 yr subscription to Golf Digest.

If you're a little uneasy about mail order you might want to see if there's a Play It Again Sports store near you. They often have some very good deals on used clubs.

Thanks again for the replies! I really appreciate it.

I'm not uneasy with buying stuff on eBay or online, heck I do it all the time. I'm sure there are some great deals out there that I just have to look for. My question is really then, how do I know which club length, flex, and all that jazz I would need (or be best suited for)? I know that at this stage it's 99.999% the swing, but if I'm going to spend some money, I'd like to at least get something I would be half-suited for. I have no problem buying stuff I know on eBay or online, such as snowboarding equipment, electronics, etc. But there are so many specifics and details in golf clubs that I really have no clue about. I mean, I know what they are, having been reading these forums and reviews and what not, but I have no clue as to what I would need. Like I said, I've been playing with rentals so far. I guess if I can find out the tinks, I could be more suited to pull the trigger on some online deals?

Cheers,

A swing speed analysis would be a good place to start. If you know how far you typically hit a 7 iron you could go to www.pinggolf.com and do a static fitting that will give you some idea what your lie angle is. You'll have to enter your height in inches so that would give you an idea as to whether you need lengthened, shortened, or standard length clubs.

You started out taking lessons, which is the smart thing to do. Why not ask your teaching pro for advice on type and mix of clubs?

You don't want to spend money on a dynamic fitting, as your swing is not yet stabilized and "grooved." But, at least get a static fitting - fitter checks to make sure the shafts are correct length and lie angle for your physical build. (Lie angle is possibly what you meant above, rather than loft.) Stay away from eBay in the early going. Go to a golf shop or golf course which will let you test hit the clubs, and give you a static fitting. Used clubs would be good since you ahead of most beginners. it's always a good time to buy used clubs, since the shops need to get the money back from the trade-ins. Or, you could check out boxed sets: http://thesandtrap.com/bag_drop/club...der_boxed_sets And, welcome to golf!

Good advice, I just went to that site and I thought it gave a pretty good online fitting. I am just about in the middle, maybe a tad blue. But, I found out that I am aqua for grips, meaning I might want to buy a tad smaller next time. Thanks.

Thanks for the help! I like the online fitting on the Ping site. Now I just have to figure out what my actual distance is with a 7 iron. I guess just hit the range and see where the balls are falling?

Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it. I definitely am happy that I decided to take lessons to start off. I get pretty competitive when it comes to sports and love being good at them and seeing improvement. I told myself better to learn it the proper way at first rather than build bad habbits that will be hard to change later. I'm definitely looking to go through at least some kind of static fitting, so I'll probably hit up a Golf Town or something in order to see what I should be looking at and to get to test some different clubs and brands. Other than that, would you think that the deals this time of year will be just as good as in the fall? I'd love to be using my own clubs rather than keep renting, but I'm more than willing to hold off for a couple months if it means that I might get quite a bit of a better price on the same equipment.

Thanks again for everyone's help! Keep the advice coming, I'm soaking it all up :D Cheers,

One suggestion I'd have is too go with a higher lofted driver at first. As far as flex, it really just depends on tempo, how fast you swing. Lots of stuff. But honestly, at this point in golf your clubs aren't going to make or break you unless they are just absolutely the wrong clubs, but if I saw a good deal on some lets say callaway x-16s with steel shafts in decent shape they would be fine. I would think regular flex shafts would be better at first since the more flexable shaft the more it promotes drawing the ball. Most beginners are big slicers. I'd also want so offset to help square the face as well. These are all generic suggestions but what I think an average beginner would need. Also, if you get a good deal, you can sell them as you see needed and not lose much.

Honestly, I think the best time to buy is when you're really happy with your ballstriking - when it's been consistently good for a while, not just one round. There are a lot of nice sticks in the shops right now that might be gone at the end of the season. I was drooling over some new irons yesterday (and the girl who works there, but I digress very much) and if I was seriously in the market, I'd want to demo them all at once.

Stay away from Ebay!! To many people get burned trying to save an extra buck! There are plenty of deals at any of the big golf shops.