Played a few games and now I'm hooked; Looking to buy my first set of clubs.

[MustangFanatic]

Hello all, first off I wasn't sure if this should go here or the clubs section of this website, so please forgive me! I have been playing a few games with some friends (who are also very new to the sport) with their father's clubs and I happen to love the sport. The clothes, the beauty of the landscaping of the courses, the elegance of the clubhouses, the relaxation, and of course, the sheer difficulty and the addictiveness that comes with it.

Anyways, I'm almost 18 years old and when I was a kid I used to drive at driving ranges. I (for whatever reason) always swung left handed, but now I'm getting used to swinging right. I'm 6'2, 150 lbs, and am fit. I got fitted at a local golf store and was told I'm good for standard sizing, maybe even +1/2 inch. I asked the guy (I know he's not a pro, but just wanted an idea) what the good brands are and what might be most forgiving for a new guy like me. I toured his shop and didn't like the prices, so I checked out craigslist. I found these listings:

http://wausau.craigslist.org/spo/3983705514.html

http://wausau.craigslist.org/spo/3920316509.html

http://wausau.craigslist.org/spo/3885277026.html

http://wausau.craigslist.org/spo/3911682624.html

They're all around my budget as a young adult and near the area. Was wondering what you guys thought of them, and which set I should look into.

Thanks a lot everybody!

[Hacker James]

I like the Wilson's BUT you might not want to start off with a stiff flex. The Golden Bear may or may not be forged I am not sure, and also might prove to be a little hard to hit for you starting out. The Northwesterns look a little beat up, but at that price, it might not be a bad idea then once your swing gets decent, go for some new sticks, or try EBAY for good set i.e. quality used.  Also do not forget to check out the veterans and thrift stores. You can find some really nice ones there for next to nothing. I personally will snap up any Olimar Tri-Metal fairwood I see there, and seldom have to pay more than $5.00.  On ebay, there are tons of Ben Hogan Irons. The Hogan Edge are excellent and a little more forgiving than some of the true blades. I would suggest regular flex. It is usually marked on the shaft with an "R" while "S" is stiff. Make sure they are standard length and not juniors. You can google that to see what the measurements for each are.

Good Luck

[tspring182]

Lots of great deals on eBay.

[MustangFanatic]

Alright, thanks for the hint of staying away from stiff and the other tips. I will continue trying craigslist and look at thrift shops a bit more before I go on ebay, just because of the ease.

I just found this set, it looks pretty nice. http://wausau.craigslist.org/spo/3967653988.html

Thoughts?

[BirdieNumNums]

What's your game like?  I wouldn't necessarily say stay away from stiff shafts yet just because you're new.  What did the professional fitting you mention?  If you're fit( by this I take, athletic) then without seeing your swing I'd say you want to go with stiff.  If you're already pretty decent(scoring under 100) then think clubs you can play for awhile and improve into.  Unless you're planning to buy new sticks rather soon after these once you see improvement.

[MustangFanatic]

,You could say I'm basically completely new to the sport. I'm sure my swing isn't pretty but at the driving range I shot a few solid 200-250 yarders straight on, but then id miss the next shot completely. So I'm new to the sport without knowing anybody talented in the sport to teach me anything. The games I played were very loose and relaxed, so I don't know how well of a golfer I am. I'm hooked on the sport and I doubt I'm going to just suddenly not like it because that's not how I am. I stay dedicated to things I set myself up for. Being that I'm 17 and just recently bought my mustang, and put money into that, and only have one more year before college, I have a limited budget. So id like to spend not too much on golf to start off (modding the mustang is already enough of an addicting money sucker). So whatever set of clubs seems to suit me best with a nice price tag I'll go with. I'll make sure it's the right size. Thanks for the advice everyone.