Golfers

[ReignOnU]

Looks like you have Golfsmith locations all over the place in Texas. My recommendation is to not buy the "newest" clubs on the market. Like the Ping G30s are current... the Ping G25s are discounted. Go with the 25s in that scenario. Also, try a variety of different irons. Grab a 7 iron from each set and be prepared to hit balls for a good 30-60min with them in their simulators. You want to be sure you're comfortable with how they look at address, how they feel when you swing them, etc. Advanced custom fitting is free at Golfsmith, with the purchase of the clubs.

Full List of Clubs:
Putter: $100 (a nice Odyssey, TaylorMade of Nike Method in this range is great)
SW: $70 - $100 (the only one under $50 I might consider is the Wilson Black for $40)
Iron Set: $450 - $500 (Callaway X-Hot, Ping G25, TaylorMade SpeedBlade... all good options to try)
Hybrid: $100 - $150 per (depending on the iron set, you may only need a 3H)
Driver: $150 - $200 (I prefer to try to find a Hybrid and Driver that I can get in a deal... right now I have an older Nike Sumo SQ of each)

That's replacing every club in the bag for $1050 on the high side, before tax. If you get them regripped, you can probably negotiate that into the price.

[Cnasty]

I feel like its the chicken or the egg thing with me.

I said I was going to get some lessons the first time I went back to playing and then get clubs. But it seems that clubs are needed first in order for the lessons to help?

[ReignOnU]

development in terms of scoring maybe. but i don't play to score as much as i do to have a hobby. it hasn't stopped me from having fun.

my point was i spent my money on 'new technology' before i knew if i was or wasn't going to play the game in 07. i played for maybe 3 weeks then i put them away. then about 8 months ago when i got back into it, i had the clubs but they were outdated. i wish i had just borrowed my buddies old set back then and now knowing that i enjoy playing just went and got fitted and spent the money.

Good point. If it's just about going out for fun 2-3 times a year, I definitely wouldn't go crazy with it. In my case, with kids now and getting older, I've realized that this is it for sports. No more basketball/softball/football 5 days a week.

I actually stumbled into my first set of clubs (Callaway X14s). Back when I was running a CompUSA location, my sales manager won a contest and the prize was the set of clubs, a Callaway bag and Odyssey White Hot putter. He had them for about 6 months and never took them out of the original plastic bags. I ended up offering him $400 for everything and he was thrilled. Worked out great for both of us!

[ReignOnU]

I feel like its the chicken or the egg thing with me.

I said I was going to get some lessons the first time I went back to playing and then get clubs. But it seems that clubs are needed first in order for the lessons to help?

As long as you don't have a hideous swing, like hunching over the ball like Lurch, then I'd get the clubs, then get the lessons.

[Uuaww]

I bought the cheapest iron set with hybrid woods I could get and they do solid work. went with the easiest to hit. Adams is the brand I think. Bought a driver that is rocket ballz I think or some goofy shit but its crap for me. ive never been able to hit a driver far. 200 on a good shot which is very rare.

[Cnasty]

If it's just about going out for fun 2-3 times a year, I definitely wouldn't go crazy with it.

Another piece to this for me is career wise. I get invited to a lot of "business meetings" with guys for a round and I am so embarrassed of how bad I play and have only known these guys for like 6 months that I can't bring myself to go yet.

Some are VPs and the like and I am not gonna be that hacker during that round.

But yea I have a friend that wants to go once or twice a month if we can get it in as well which is nice too.

[Seeitsaveit13]

I feel like its the chicken or the egg thing with me.

I said I was going to get some lessons the first time I went back to playing and then get clubs. But it seems that clubs are needed first in order for the lessons to help?

As long as you don't have a hideous swing, like hunching over the ball like Lurch, then I'd get the clubs, then get the lessons.

I was about to say the opposite. Assuming the clubs aren't the biggest POS's imagineable, and they actually fit you well enough, I'd go with the lessons. Unless you KNOW you're gonna love it again, practice, and play 10-15 times a year or more, I'd wait on clubs. The worst thing would be to buy the clubs and then decide you don't wanna really do it, or baby #2 takes too much time away, or blah blah.

I had irons from 8th grade, and even with my level of play and amount of times played I still couldn't justify upgrading until recently. Unless they're just absolutely the worst set imaginable (or 1k isn't that big of a deal to you) I'd prove to yourself that you actually want to play more before doing it. Completely your call though, as what Reign said has plenty of merit too

[dakshdar]

No need to spend money on a brand new set. You can easily find a very lightly used set out there through a golf shop or craigslist. When I got my irons I spent $300 on a set that was played twice (I couldn't even tell they were used) vs buying them new for $600. Before that, I played for several years with a cheap knock-off set.

[Cnasty]

They are a set of Top Flites from Target about 10 years old. Yea, they are pretty bad

[shel311]

Another piece to this for me is career wise. I get invited to a lot of "business meetings" with guys for a round and I am so embarrassed of how bad I play and have only known these guys for like 6 months that I can't bring myself to go yet

NDL:F golf outings...never forget!!!

[Seeitsaveit13]

No need to spend money on a brand new set. You can easily find a very lightly used set out there through a golf shop or craigslist. When I got my irons I spent $300 on a set that was played twice (I couldn't even tell they were used) vs buying them new for $600. Before that, I played for several years with a cheap knock-off set.

C- Top Flite = bad. You're right. But what Joe is saying is good too.

Check ebay. Their prices have come up a bit, but if you can find a company based in the US you can get a good deal. 2nd Swing Golf is a good one too.

You could go to a golf galaxy or Golf smith, try some clubs (casually), and if you find some you like, go for it on one of those sites.

Maybe take the first lesson (if you're going that route) with the top flites, and see what the pro (whom you're already paying) would recommend brand and size wise. You might get a free "fitting" out of him by doing that, along with your lesson.

[shel311]

This thread makes me want to get back into it as well...but I won't. A combo of I sucked too bad and ain't nobody got time for that!

[Cnasty]

I sucked pretty bad as well but having someone to consistently go with now and being invited a lot has gotten me excited to get back into it.

Probably won't happen until September/October though as this Texas dry heat is nothing to F with and of course moving.

I will say the Florida heat is still worse than the dry Texas heat. That humidity is a killer.

[Weasel]

Using golf as a business tool is a fantastic way to network. I've developed great rapport with some of the surgeons simply through golf, and getting along with the surgeon makes my life much more pleasant

[shel311]

Probably won't happen until September/October though as this Texas dry heat is nothing to F with and of course moving.

I will say the Florida heat is still worse than the dry Texas heat. That humidity is a killer.

So what you're actually saying is it's not really the heat, it's just being old lol. Back in our good old days, summertime was our prime to go play and get the deals. I think we make have even put in a couple of 36 hole days in the middle of the summer.

Maybe I'll start sneaking out of the office every Friday at noon and playing with Travis.

[Cnasty]

It definitely has age factored in there. The heat here is like an oven hot. It consistently feels as if you are burning but there is a nice breeze most of the time.

In Florida it just feels as though you were walking through a field of hot, muggy mist that would just drench you within 5,10 minutes.

Pros and cons of both but I can handle the Texas heat better than I did the Florida heat so far.

[shel311]

It definitely has age factored in there. The heat here is like an oven hot. It consistently feels as if you are burning but there is a nice breeze most of the time.

In Florida it just feels as though you were walking through a field of hot, muggy mist that would just drench you within 5,10 minutes.

Pros and cons of both but I can handle the Texas heat better than I did the Florida heat so far.

Nothing compared to the heat I felt in August in Vegas. South Louisiana and the constant 100% humidity days, Florida...nothing.

Vegas in August was immediately, noticeably worse than anything I've ever experienced, which is odd because I thought most people say that the dry heat isn't as bad as the heat in the south, but I'm not in that camp.

[Cnasty]

Vegas heat is the same as Texas heat.

I am in camp humid/Florida heat being worse. I can do dry heat all day with sunscreen and hydration of course

[The_Niddler]

i bought clubs when i first started and spent about 1000 bucks (this was back in 2007). i still have the same set now and i'm just starting to get to the point where i'd consider getting clubs next year since i play enough now to warrant it.

if i was to do it all over again, i'd probably have just got someones hand me downs for the first 6-8 months i played then spent the money when i knew it was something i'd get value out of.

when my clubs were 'new' they sat in my closet and were never used.

+1

I have had my Nike slingshots for over 10 years and paid $1000 back then and that is just my iron set.
I would recommend getting a nice used set from GolfSmith or somewhere where they will fit them to you and then see how much you will play over the next couple years and then jump into a better set if it is something you will continue on a regular basis.

[ReignOnU]

Dave and Dan make great points. Golf equipment has an insanely high turnover... very much like exercise equipment. It's going to really come down to what you feel comfortable with. You can get absolute (and probably literal) steals on Craigslist for a set of clubs. If you want to look around on there and throw up some links... or give us the general area that you're in... we can give you some good advice on if it's a good value or not.