Fairly new player (2nd time around)...where and what to start with??

[Tom Reed]

In college (15 years ago...yikes!) I picked up golf. Went to the local Nevada Bobs and bought a set of Prima OLS with graphite shaft relatively cheap; I know, you get what you pay for. I didn't know much and thought they looked cool. I played a lot that summer but for various reasons stopped playing.

Fast forwards 15 years...I played last weekend for the second time in 2 years, got hooked again and am in a better position to play the game in a way where I feel I can get better. I still have the same crappy irons, no woods and an old Zebra putter.

I hit some irons yesterday at the local Golf Galaxy (Callaway apex, Ping i25, Mizuno MP-54 and 850 forged and cast) and they felt great. I am sure they would help lower my score but I have a fairly consistent draw and somewhat inconsistent with the sweet spot because I am basically a beginner. I am a little bit hesitant to go with the game improvement irons because I would rather not buy new clubs in a couple of years.

My question is where do I start? Should I get fitted for clubs then take some lessons? Take lessons with my Primas then get fitted? I am pretty much trying to fill out a golf bag starting with nada, except maybe the putter for now, but even that is open for replacement. I have been researching lots of irons lately and the amount of information is staggering.

Any advice on where to start is greatly appreciated!

[inthehole]

You may not need SGI (super game improvement) clubs, but you definitely should get GI (game improvement) clubs like G30's, JPX 850's, TM RBDZ, etc).      I made the mistake of buying clubs I wasn't ready for & took a beating selling them - unless you have true dedication & are willing to put a shit ton of range practice in, don't buy clubs you're not ready for - in my case it was an exercise in frustration.   Golfsmith by me has JPX800's (new, but  2 or 3 yrs old models) for $399 with 2 hybrids. Great deal.

[scorpion12]

Tom Reed there are plenty of places on the internet that sell perfectly good used clubs... I think there's a marketplace here as well... but GI irons are ones that you could probably use for a few years and not have to worry about out growing...

Go hit several different irons and see which ones you seem to hit best... and cast around looking for a used set of those clubs...

[GangGreen]

You're story sounds similar to mine (started in college, 15 years off, took it back up again last summer). I'd recommend the game improvement clubs, you'll likely get many years use out of them. I'd also suggest trying out some hybrids (I carry a 4H and 3H myself), very forgiving clubs compared to their iron counterparts in my opinion. Also, if you can, I'd highly recommend getting lessons. Best thing I did this year. Don't get me wrong, I still stink but I stink less because of the lessons. Good luck and welcome back.