Golf experts: need advice
 

Planning to buy a set of decent golf clubs, (obviously for a beginner) .
Price range less than $500. Any suggestions? TIA

Yeah, do yourself a favor, take up stamp collecting instead, it's less stressful :)

I'm in the same boat.... went down to a couple of shops and one of the guys pointed out that different clubs/shafts have a completely different comfort level and feel to each person (ie weight distribution). He suggested the best way to find what was good for me was to have a swing with the set. I thought he was full of it until he let me try my way through the whole store. I have to admit, what felt comfy is not what I expected to buy.

I ended up selecting a set of RAM clubs which was middle of the road in price and I love using them. I had them altered to suit my height/grip and have been a happy camper ever since.

LVR is right, swing as many clubs as you can. See if you can find a dealer with a mini range so you can actually hit some balls. I would definitely stick with steel shafts in the irons. they can take the wear and tear better than graphite. They are also easier and cheaper to replace when you wrap it around a tree.

I picked up a set at Costco for around 300. Pretty cheap but decent clubs. They are i believe they are golden bear. i like them because if you break one just return it at costco or exchange it. Its been a good first set


OH and hey gotcho whos your avatar?

VF1-X5 has some good advice - buy the set at costco. It even comes with a decent stand bag. But more importantly, buy a set of lessons. A good instructor can simplify the difficult process of learning the golf swing.

Pre bolemic Lindsay Lohan ;)

Ah i see it now:doh: ...Thanks SG:thumbup:

As an avid golfer who tinkers with equipment all the time, I would also recommend getting 'fitted'. Go find a golf pro store that has a launch montitor, so you can be fitted correctly. You go thru a bunch of different sets of irons and woods. If you were like me who got hooked very quickly, I would say throw out the $500 min and buy a good set of clubs now (not top of the line, but maybe upwards of $700. I say this b/c there IS a big difference in equipment at the low end; however, big names may not necessarily mean good. TaylorMade/Calloway/Titleist are big names and have good clubs, but a lot of what you're paying for is R&D/marketing. Look at lesser known brands like Tour Edge (very good), Adams, Cobra, Cleveland b/c they have a cheaper price point. You may find that getting better clubs now will allow you to keep them longer, and as you get better, you'll want new clubs anyway b/c golf technology changes just as fast as PCs.

iop: All good opins, above...but, here's mine based on not complete
info from you:
-Most $500 "sets" have 3-PW irons and maybe a so-so driver, 3 wood, et al. Also, most "iron sets" of all quality still stick to the 3-PW; if you are
"beginning", you will not like or, hit those 3 or 4 irons very well. Thus, you paid for 2 clubs you will rarely use and never master.
-Fitting is a good rec'd, but if you are a high 20s to mid 30s HDCP/beginner, most swing analyzers are not going to see much of a good swing from you during that diagnosis period. And, the best tools on the planet are not going to shave 5 strokes off any neophyte's game.
Also, that "fitting session" is not going to be very indicative of your
swing as it improves and becomes more repeatable a year or so, from now.
-Many of us as beginning golfers, feel we need 14 clubs in the bag;
doubtful and prob. unnecessary. A beginning swing will offer lil'diff in distance from 3 wd to 5 wd, etc.
-If the clubs are for you and, you are truly a beginner, I'd do the Costco or the Golf Warehouse, or the like: http://www.tgw.com/main.jsp

Noodle the site, see "closeouts", buy sumpin'you like and give them a whirl. Say, 5-PW, SW...3 Wd,7Wd. Driver is less friendly and accurate than a good 3 wd, will seldom go further for beginner and is mainly an expensive marketing contest for most companies, imo.

Go play with this <500 buck buy for a season, take some lessons from a teaching pro, practice on range and On Course...see if you become addicted and really like it and, have the time to do the game.

Then, a yearish or two, go get fitted and spend that 700-grand.

I began 5 years ago as a rank rookie...it has been frustrating and a struggle and is usually sadness or euphoria, but it's a helluva game.

The above is not to offer my "credentials" as a good player, (currently 13.8 HDCP Index, down from orig 36 4 yrs ago), but to throw opin that
fitting/dropping serious dough as a beginner is like learning to drive in a F1 car.

GL, & my Qtr's up.
BR, md