hi guys, beginner here looking for club advice

[golfingnooob]

hi everyone

I'm going to start playing golf soon, and at first I will just be hitting the driving range and playing pitch and putt to get used to it. I played once before with someone else's clubs and enjoyed it. now I am going to go quite regularly with another friend, and on my own as well, but neither of us have clubs.

I was thinking about getting a 5-wood (also, is a 5-wood the same as a 5-iron?), an 8 or 9-iron (or both), a sand wedge and a putter. I could pick them up quite cheap brand new. I'm not too bothered about the brands right now.

will this be enough for a pitch and putt, and the 5-wood for the driving range? I tried a driver before and could hardly hit the ball straight

could I get by without a sandwedge and just use a 9-iron?

so it would be

5-wood (or 3-wood if you guys recommend it)

8-iron or 9-iron

sandwedge (if needed, could get an 8-iron and 9-iron instead)

putter

would you guys recommend getting anything else for a start?

thanks

[SCfanatic35]

Welcome.

A 5 wood is not the same as a 5 iron.  My 5 wood has a 19 degree loft and goes about 200 yards and my 5I has a 25 degree loft and goes about 175.

My suggestion is to get a full set of clubs from Dick's or another sporting goods store.  You can find decent beginner sets that are inexpensive and you don't have to do it all piece mail, probably for the same price.  This way you have all of the clubs when you decide to switch to playing on a championship course.

[golfingnooob]

Thanks.

The used ones I've seen are all collection only and far away, but I could get the following for £30 ($45) new in total tomorrow

Dunlop Tour Graphite Iron (8)

Dunlop Tour Graphite Iron (SW) (do I need this?)

Dunlop Tour TP12 Graphite Iron (PW)

Dunlop Tour TP12 Steel Wood (5) (or 3-wood if you would recommend it)

Dunlop TP12 Putter

Would they be decent starting clubs for pitch and putt (and the 3/5-wood for the driving range to practice long(ish) shots)? Right now I'm not even considering playing on a full course, I just want to go out to the range and play pitch and putt while we have some nice weather over here and I'm off work, which is why I don't really want to invest in a full set.

I can't guarantee that I will take up the sport forever, but I know I will play enough to warrant buying some clubs instead of renting them.

I mean, could I get by on pitch and putt without even getting an 8-Iron or SW? and then I could go on to buy a set if irons if I want to play on a full course

I was actually struggling to decide between the 3 and 5-wood because I've used my friend's driver before and found it so difficult to use, I thought the 3-wood may be similar, and the 5-wood is a better choice for a beginner.

Thanks again

[SCfanatic35]

It all depends on how long the holes at the pitch and putt are.  We have a par 3 course close to my house, and most of the holes are from 100-150.  It does have 2 holes that are in the 160-190 range depending on the tee and hole placements.  For me at that course I use everything from my 3H, 4H, 5I, 6I, 7I, 8I, 9I, PW, SW and Putter.

The best thing for you is making consistent contact with the clubs you do have.

IMO, yes you do need a SW unless you are good enough to never go in the sand.  The way a SW is designed makes it easier for you to hit a ball out of the bunker than other clubs.  That doesn't mean you need to use the SW in the bunker.  I have a friend I golf with who uses his PW out of the sand, which works for him.

Do you have a friend who has clubs that you could borrow and use at this pitch and putt to see what you really would use?

[golfingnooob]

Originally Posted by SCfanatic35

It all depends on how long the holes at the pitch and putt are.  We have a par 3 course close to my house, and most of the holes are from 100-150.  It does have 2 holes that are in the 160-190 range depending on the tee and hole placements.  For me at that course I use everything from my 3H, 4H, 5I, 6I, 7I, 8I, 9I, PW, SW and Putter.

The best thing for you is making consistent contact with the clubs you do have.

IMO, yes you do need a SW unless you are good enough to never go in the sand.  The way a SW is designed makes it easier for you to hit a ball out of the bunker than other clubs.  That doesn't mean you need to use the SW in the bunker.  I have a friend I golf with who uses his PW out of the sand, which works for him.

Do you have a friend who has clubs that you could borrow and use at this pitch and putt to see what you really would use?

hi thanks for the reply

this is a "par 3 course with holes varying from 77 to 118 yards"

last time I played I used a friend's 7I I think, but if I got good contact it went way too far, although I was hitting it quite weak to focus on actually hitting the thing lol. the guy I will be playing with soon is left handed though so I won't be able to use his clubs

how about these?

Dunlop Tour Graphite Iron (SW)

Dunlop Tour TP12 Graphite Iron (PW)

Dunlop Tour TP12 Steel Wood (3)

Dunlop TP12 Putter

then, if I decide to continue playing and aim to play on the proper course I can get a set of irons?

Thanks again

[dbuck]

The problem is you have a big gap between the 8 iron and 5 wood. A 5 wood is about 40 - 42 inches long with a fairway wood shaped head and a loft of around 18-23 degrees. For most of us mortals it goes around 185-220. I know a lot of folks on here hit an 8 iron 150 or more, but most of us don't. I think you would have better coverage to go 5 wood-5 iron - 7 iron- 9 iron- SW. If you do this, you would really be set for a while. You will have some gaps, but you can choke down on the longer club in this set up without too much difficulty. You could add just a 6 iron to what you are looking at, but that still leaves a pretty good gap between that and 5 wood.

[SCfanatic35]

Originally Posted by golfingnooob

hi thanks for the reply

this is a "par 3 course with holes varying from 77 to 118 yards"

last time I played I used a friend's 7I I think, but if I got good contact it went way too far, although I was hitting it quite weak to focus on actually hitting the thing lol. the guy I will be playing with soon is left handed though so I won't be able to use his clubs

how about these?

Dunlop Tour Graphite Iron (SW)

Dunlop Tour TP12 Graphite Iron (PW)

Dunlop Tour TP12 Steel Wood (3)

Dunlop TP12 Putter

then, if I decide to continue playing and aim to play on the proper course I can get a set of irons?

Thanks again

Yes I think those would be good for what you said you were intending to do.  If I went to your same place with the yardages you told me I would only bring a PW, SW and Putter.  Practice with the 3 wood at the range.  It would also help to have a mid iron to practice with at the range, maybe a 6I or 7I.

[dbuck]

Oh, I was talking and not listening enough. I agree with SC that those clubs are fine for 77-118 and also agree you should leave the 5 wood at home for that courses.

[golfingnooob]

Originally Posted by dbuck

Oh, I was talking and not listening enough. I agree with SC that those clubs are fine for 77-118 and also agree you should leave the 5 wood at home for that courses.

no worries :)

always good to have extra info/opinions

I went ahead and ordered anyway

Got a PW, SW, Putter and I actually went with a Driver instead of a 3 or 5 wood

decided that I can then just buy a set if irons after

[WUTiger]

Will you be playing actual pitch and putt courses?

Pitch and putt is a distinct subset of golf. For USA-based TST golfers, the PNP holes generally range from 80 to 120 yards in length, and plays get to carry a maximum of three clubs - one of which must be a putter. Here's a PNP site with a pull-down for rules: http://murdofrazer.com/golf-equipment/pitch-and-putt-golf-clubs

If at all possible, take a couple of lessons to start. A good pro can show you the basics which will give you a quicker start.

If you will play both PNP and full length golf, consider getting a "boxed set" which will give you woods, a hybrid,  irons, a wedge or two and a putter - and a bag. You get everything in a box, and don't have to get this club and that club. IF at all possible, try out the boxed sets after you have a couple of lessons and find the one you like best.

As for clubs, according to the PNP descriptions - hazards lurking everywhere - a SW would be quite helpful.

[golfingnooob]

went to play today. 80 balls on the driving range to practice and then pitch and putt, really enjoyed it.

found the driver so difficult to hit though, but did well with the PW and was quite consistent. wish I had bought some irons so I could practice hitting some balls a bit further than with my PW.

also, once on the actual pitch and putt course, I found it much more difficult to hit it properly. I don't know if it was the weather or just the difference in grass length/texture compared to the range.

Originally Posted by WUTiger

Will you be playing actual pitch and putt courses?

Pitch and putt is a distinct subset of golf. For USA-based TST golfers, the PNP holes generally range from 80 to 120 yards in length, and plays get to carry a maximum of three clubs - one of which must be a putter. Here's a PNP site with a pull-down for rules:http://murdofrazer.com/golf-equipment/pitch-and-putt-golf-clubs

If at all possible, take a couple of lessons to start. A good pro can show you the basics which will give you a quicker start.

If you will play both PNP and full length golf, consider getting a "boxed set" which will give you woods, a hybrid,  irons, a wedge or two and a putter - and a bag. You get everything in a box, and don't have to get this club and that club. IF at all possible, try out the boxed sets after you have a couple of lessons and find the one you like best.

As for clubs, according to the PNP descriptions - hazards lurking everywhere - a SW would be quite helpful.

funnily enough I hit it straight into the bunker on the first shot, and after 4-5 attempts I just couldn't get it out with the SW, so me and my friend (as we're both beginners) just agreed I could put it back on the green next to the bunker

[bddarnell]

As for bunker shots, the advise that I've heard that makes the most sense is to blast the sand behind the ball. I have had the most success in bunkers when I hit the sand just behind the ball and the ball goes for the ride.

[golfingnooob]

Originally Posted by bddarnell

As for bunker shots, the advise that I've heard that makes the most sense is to blast the sand behind the ball. I have had the most success in bunkers when I hit the sand just behind the ball and the ball goes for the ride.

I tried that. It just sprayed sand all over the green

[bddarnell]

Originally Posted by golfingnooob

I tried that. It just sprayed sand all over the green

Sand shots are one of the most tricky in golf and you are new to the game. Don't feel embarrassed, do some reading and watch some videos about methods for handling bunker shots and then practice.