Your first golf club set

Buying your first set of golf clubs can be a daunting, not to say expensive, task. Especially if you’re not sure whether it’s really the game for you.

If you’re looking to dip a toe or two into golf’s waters before committing yourself fully to the game, then you probably don’t want to spend a four figure dollar sum on a full set of clubs.

There are cheaper alternatives, fortunately.

Say you’re going to muck about on a driving range initially, or play on a small “pitch and putt” course, to get your eye in before moving up to the real thing once you feel confident enough. There’s little point in buying a complete and expensive set of clubs at this stage.

Instead, consider picking out the individual clubs you need for the range or practice holes. You’ll need a driver, a putter and a couple of irons (perhaps a 5-iron and a 9-iron), and maybe a pitching wedge, too.

One of the respected clone sites, like Pinemeadow Golf or GigaGolf, will sell you their latest driver for $99, a good putter for $30-$40 and a pitching wedge for $30. GigaGolf sells individual irons for about $20 a piece.

You can also pick up second-hand clubs (cheap sets or individual clubs) from online auction sites like eBay.

If you’ve already decided to start playing on a full course, but are still wary of spending too much initially, then a clone club set is a good option. You’ll find clone sets suited to all skill levels, and there are some specifically aimed at the starting or beginner golfer.

Take the store I shop at: GigaGolf. For your first set, here’s the combination of their products I’d recommend…

1. Driver: The Power Max GX920 (12 degrees)
2. A 5 wood and a 7 wood: The GX920 Fairway
3. Irons: buy individual irons from the GX920 High Launch set. Get the 6, 7, 8 and 9 iron, plus a sand wedge.
4. Get two hybrids. Again, the GX920…4 hybrid and 5 hybrid
5. Putter: The Ecliptic 3-Ball

Total price: around $400.

The driver has a big head, making it easier for you to hit the ball. The irons are suited to beginners and the two hybrids take the place of those irons that are actually quite difficult to hit.

All in all, a complete package for the newcomer to golf. If you decide the game is not your cup of coffee, then you haven’t thrown away the couple of thousand dollars it would cost to get a complete set of name brand clubs.