Need help: Cleveland or Ping?

I'm getting back into golf after 3 years and I need some new clubs. I wanted to get Titleist clubs, but I don't really want to spend $1800+. So I'm looking to get some clubs for around the $1500 mark. I'm looking at Ping and Callaway right now because it seems I can get a complete set for about $1500 from each of them. I don't know which to choose though.

Here's what I'm looking at for each.

Cleveland:

Launcher Ultralite SL290 10.5* Driver

Launcher Ultralite FL 15* 3-Wood

CG16 3-PW Irons

CG16 56* Wedge

White Ice #9 Putter

$1450

Ping:

G15 460 Titanium 10.5* Driver

G15 15.5* 3-Wood

G15 3-PW Irons

Tour-S 56* Wedge

White Ice #9 Putter

$1445

I know I don't have to get every club from the same brand, but I have OCD for this kind of thing and it will kinda bother me otherwise. I still might get a couple brands and deal with it though. But for now I just want to decide between Ping and Cleveland. Also, I will eventually get a better putter and another wedge or two, but for now I just want to get back out on the course.

So what do you prefer? Cleveland or Ping, and why?

Thanks

I buy what I hit best. In your case I would go for whatever has the best resale value. I think that's the Pings.

All 3 brands have their advocates. Someone playing the Pings is not going to say I should have bought the Clevelands. But, you will probably end up saying I should have bought the Titlists since you already consider the Pings and Clevelands to be second best.

Spend the money and buy what  you really want the first time. It usually ends up being cheaper in the long run.

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My irons are expensive and broke my budget.  What they are is not important to anyone else, I hit best with them. To buy them my wedges and woods are used, and I'm lucky in that I like $11.00  Bulls Eye putters from the junk shop.

Thanks for the reply Mark.

I do want to get the Titleists, but if I did that then I wouldn't be able to afford a bag to put them in or shoes to wear.

I'll play whatever I have, I'm not the kind of person to criticize everything about the clubs. I'll just use them and have fun. I'm dying to get back out on the course. But with that said, I still want to get the best clubs I can.

I'm leaning towards Ping, so I'll probably go that direction.

One thing that I'm slightly contemplating is getting a hybrid, irons, wedge and putter and playing with those for a while and then getting the driver and 3-wood later. I played tournaments in high school without woods and it was a disadvantage, but I was good with irons and still scored well. Maybe get a 3-wood too, but no driver.

I'll look some more at my options though, I still have about a month until I get them.

Id suggest just going to a golf shop and demoing clubs to see what you like.  Personally, Im partial to Cleveland and have never much cared for anything Ping other their Anser putters.

I have hit them both and liked the clevelands far better.  Feel, distance, just overall Clevelands feel seemed better, mishits went farther, and on a solid hit got good distance and felt like butta.  I actually tested the pings against the CG7s and still liked the CG7s better.  I like the CG16s better than the CG7s.  Club feel and selection is somewhat personnel....alot of people will go pings for reputation...but the cleveland irons just felt all around better to me.  With that said, i went the Ping G15 driver and i hit that against everything i could demo...great feeling driver and hits well...to me, by far one of the best drivers out there.

Yeah, I'll definitely go demo some soon. Although, I'm going to go to the range with an old club 7 iron first just to see how my swing is. Then go demo some clubs and make my decision.

Reputation for what?  Other than putters Ive never known that Ping had a great rep.

You're either joking or you don't know very much.

I hope joking because I don't want everyone to have to name off all the highly rated Ping lines.

Quote:

Check around and see if you can find some slightly used AP1 or AP2 irons in the flex you need. Or, you might find a new AP1 or AP2 set at a spring golf expo as pro shops try to clear out the previous generation of irons.  That way, you can go with Titleist.

LOL...actually, I wasnt joking.  Other than putters Ive never read or heard anything about Pings that rated them as anything better than average.  Even in putters they dont seem to get the love that Camerons or Odysseys do.

I dont mean to disrespect Ping or the people who are loyal to them.  I was merely stating that I wasnt aware that Ping had much of a reputation.  Great clubs, yes; but Ive never heard many people claim them to be the best in anything.

Yeah, you might want to try this out... Used is never a bad way to go... it'll be a lot easier on your wallet and they will still perform great for you.  With all the money you save you can play more golf.