Buying used golf clubs

[daly_vision]

I've been slowly trying to upgrade my old hand-me-down clubs, and have noticed some good deals on sites such as Craigslist. Obviously, I'd rather go to the nearest pro shop and buy brand new clubs with warranty's, but being on somewhat of a budget it may take me years to have a set I can be proud of.

I know golf clubs won't fix your game.... but I'm in dire need of some new irons and fairway woods. Which brings me to my question- Is there anything in particular to look for when buying clubs off these sites? I've heard of fakes, damaged clubs, etc. Any stories or tips would be appreciated.

Thanks

[ghalfaire]

I buy almost all my clubs on line or out of the used club bins at the local pro shops. I had one problem with a fake and took it back to the store (GolfSmith) and they refunded my money. If purchasing on line I would stick to the more established site with decent return policies. But no question that there probably is more risk on line than dealing with a local store as the warranty laws tend to be different if you purchase from a store than an on line site. But again, if you stick sellers with good reputations and web sites with decent return policies the risk is pretty small.

[O.B. Right]

I bought my 20 year old Ping knock-offs from a pawnshop. I think I paid $50 for the whole set of irons. They were/are in perfect condition - even the grips were in great shape. I also have a brand new TaylorMade Burner driver that I got for $199. I do a lot better with those irons than I do with that driver, lol, so they must've been a good deal.

As far as tips go, I would say to either stick with reputable sellers or make sure to give the clubs a hands on inspection. I have a few clubs with bent shafts (not my pawn shop irons) and it can be a little hard to tell so make sure and take your time to check - roll it around on a table with the hosel on the edge and the clubhead hanging over the side - watch the gap between the shaft and table for uniformity.

I am actually proud of my irons. They look OK, hit great and only cost me $50. Almost everybody I play with has much more expensive clubs and I don't see their clubs doing anything that mine don't.

Also - I don't know if you have a Play It Again Sports near you . .but that can be a good place to look.

[westcyderydin]

If you look on line callawaypreowned.com is good. i got an odyssey white hot putter in "good" condition for 46 bucks. it was as good as new. you can also get some good deals on new clubs on rockbottomgolf.com or golfio.com. also look for deals at golfsmith.. they have some promotional deals that can save you some money.

[enis750]

nothing wrong w buyind used clubs bro
new irons and drivers at full retail depreciate worse than a new car
for example, a brand new set of Titleist 710 CB's are over $11oo brand new at golf town
where you can buy a set that has been hit for a few rounds for about $500 shipped (and you can barely tell they have been used)

yes you run the chance of buying a "fake" set buying online, but stick to a reputable site to buy from
like the classifieds here, the BST on golfwrx.com, ebay seller that sells only golf gear w a tonne of feedback

buy something that suits your eye, your swing and your game
if you dont like it, sell it and try again
buying used you will always get your money back or very close anyways

only thing i always buy new is wedges - I like FRESH GROOVES ;)

[bwdial]

Of the fourteen clubs in my bag, the only one that came new in a box was my driver, and that was free. I got it through a points program for filling out tracking reports for a manufacturing. I traded in a set of irons that I had gotten used at Edwin Watts to get my "new" irons at Golfsmith. My wedges were purchased at Play It Again Sports. My putter was bought used at Edwin Watts. I honestly can't remember where I bought the three wood, but I do know that it was used. The bag is new, though. :p

Personally, I like being able to see and hold the club. Maybe that's old fashioned, but I've found that Golfsmith is more than happy to let you take a used set of irons to their fitting area and hit some balls to test them out.

[blazingazn]

i also was wondering about buying used.

any risk that they are pre damaged.

moreso graphite shafts concern me.
my friend recently snapped the head off my driver and i had to buy a new one!

[grizfan]

I'm a big fan of buying used, especially for those new to the game. I've had great luck with used clubs from Globalgolf.com, 3balls.com and the used bin at my local Golf Galaxy. As long as you buy from a reputable dealer, you should be fine.

[Pworld]

callawaypreowned has been my best friend, getting back into golf. 2 wedges, and 2 woods off there. And only one was a callaway brand *smiles* I love that they have other brands on their, and in good quality.

[darkhunter139]

Unless you really want brand names gigagolf and pinemeadow are a nice option if you are on a budget. I have clubs from pinemeadow and I like them a lot (I am no expert though)

Have also tried gigagolf clubs and they seem just as good.

[markpf189]

I buy clubs from Craigslist all the time, you can find them for dirt cheap and you get to check em out before you purchase. I just bought a Cleveland Hi-Bore XLS driver the other day off Craigslist for $65 and it was basically brand new, it was in mint condition. Most the clubs on Craigslist for sale are older clubs, but you can find nice ones every now and then for sale.

[themightytimmah]

Craigslist is a great place to look - I got a Nike sumo 4 hybrid and a Callaway FT-I 3 wood together for 70 bucks. I buy pretty much all my clubs off Craigslist/Ebay/forums, and it's worked out well for me so far.

[Mrd19abhs]

I get clubs off ebay all the time just make sure that if you do you only buy from a seller with high number of sales and great reputation and you should never have a problem.

[bigoak]

I have bought a lot of stuff from 3balls Golf on ebay and have never been disappointed. They even tell you the value of the club before you bid.

[max power]

I've heard good things about Callawaypreowned, though I haven't used them. But the majority of my clubs are from 3balls or ebay. Start checking 3 balls every day to see if they have what you want, and just get stuff that's "very good" or better. I haven't been disappointed yet.

[nevets88]

I prefer the used section in Golfsmith, Golf Galaxy, etc... You can put your hands on them and sit some shots with them.

All but 1 of my iron sets are used. Having different sets gives you a perspective on all the different style of clubs out there - forged, blades, offset, no offset, cavity backed, etc... Theoretically, you can buy 3, 4 sets for the price of one new set.

[ChipShot]

Most manufacturers have used club web sites as some have already mentioned. I looked and looked but finally bought a used set of Callaway X-18's off of Craigslist. You just have to be diligent about looking closely at what you're buying and if you don't feel comfortable don't make the purchase just because you are both there and you have money in your pocket. I also just bought a used Taylormade R9 460 but it came from a golf shop, so to answer your question if buying used buy from a trust worthy site or person.

[barrett58]

FYI, if you buy pre-owned clubs from Golfsmith you can return them within 10 days for 90% of the purchase price. They also have a great financing option — no interest if paid within 6 months if you spend 299 or 12 months if you spend 499.