6 hacks for finding golf clubs on a shoestring budget

Me, in 2021, when I took a beginner golf 4 part instruction series at Little Miami Golf Center in Newtown, OH, with Aunt Norma's old clubs

Golf is an expensive sport. If you want to get started learning, there’s no way around it: you need clubs. Sure, you can rent golf clubs if you are going to play once or twice in a season. If you intend to practice and play golf more often than that, you are going to want to get a set of your own. But if you don’t have it in your budget right now, can you find clubs without spending $300-$600 on a new beginner golf set? The answer is YES.

Good old Aunt Norma

For MANY years, I played with my aunt's old set of clubs that she gifted me for free. The bag was ugly, the grips were worn, and the clubs were pretty heavy to be honest. However, this was good enough for me as I played sporadically (I’m talking once or twice a year or less) through my 20s and early 30s. When I became committed to practicing and playing more golf in 2020, I continued to use my aunt’s old set for an additional 2 years before deciding to invest in new clubs. During this time, I learned the foundations of grip, stance and posture, I learned how to make contact with the ball pretty consistently, and I was becoming more comfortable on Par 3 courses and the driving range. I learned a lot using my old set even though it wasn’t “perfect” for me, so trust me when I say that spending hundreds on new clubs is not necessary.

Time is your friend here

To find a bargain set, you will need to spend a little time looking. You’ll also want to try out clubs prior to buying any - just because you want a low cost set doesn’t mean you’ll just buy just anything that you come across. Read further and I’ll give you some idea of what to look for. Before you buy, pull the golf clubs out of the bag to look at them, check how heavy they feel, ideally you take a few swings or hit a few balls with the club(s).

Actually you really only need…

At thrift shops you may come across vintage tapestry-style golf bags like the one shown here - they are gorgeous!!! Snatch one up if you find it. 

Most new in box beginner sets come with 9 or 10 clubs. But you are on a shoestring budget, so what is the bare minimum you need to piece together a set you can work with? Answer: four clubs. Yes, that’s it - just four. Four clubs will be perfect for practice at the driving range, participating in beginner clinics, taking some 1-1 lessons, and playing Par 3 courses. Here are the four clubs you want to look for:

• Putter

• Wedge (anything marked SW - sand wedge, PW - pitching wedge, or even a 9 iron works)

• Mid length iron (7 iron or 6 iron)

• Wood (example: a driver, 3 wood, 5 wood, 7 wood)

Check out my beginner golfer checklist for an explanation of club types and where you use them on the golf course.

Golf club shopping is a little like shoe shopping but more fun (imo!)…

Me in 2021 - putting with... you guessed it... Aunt Norma's old putter.

Shopping for golf clubs is a little like shopping for shoes. I could borrow my friend’s shoes but she wears a size 9.5 and I’m a size 8 - so her shoes would be a bit loose on me. I’d probably have to stuff the toes with tissues to keep my foot from sliding around in them. Catch my drift? Without getting too technical, here are a few things to pay attention to as you look for your bargain clubs:

• Length of the clubs - most women’s sets you’ll come across will be standard length which is designed for those who are average height, roughly between 5’2” and 5’8”. This means that if you are taller than 5’8” you may need longer shafts or if you’re shorter than 5’2” you may need a petite set. If you’re short, you can make a standard length set work for you by “choking down” or gripping the club a bit lower than where you’d normally place your grip. If you’re tall and can’t find a women’s extended set, then look at men’s golf clubs. Other than marketing, there is nothing unique about “women’s” clubs - the differences are all in the specifications such as length of shafts, weight, material, how much flex, etc. What I’m saying is: consider “men’s” clubs too - they might be fine for you.

• Material of the shafts: There are two main materials - steel and graphite. Steel shafts are heavy… graphite may be more suitable for you if you can find it on a bargain. Shafts also have something called “flex” - in general beginners benefit from more flex in the shafts. Like I said, we aren’t getting too technical in this post because with a super tight budget, a “good enough” set now is better than “the perfect set” that is too expensive and will likely continue to get de-prioritized in the budget.

• Grips: any used clubs will likely have worn out grips. So inspect the grips to see just how worn out they are. Replacing the grips will cost you between $10-$20 per club, so factor in that cost. The grips don’t have to be perfect but you’ll want to replace anything that is really rough, sticky or peeling.

6 hacks to find a bargain…

If you don’t have a big budget, spend some time scanning the below list of places you might find your bargain set. In general, people are “cleaning house” in spring and fall so this is the best time to check. Golfers upgrade their equipment at all times of the year and look to re-home their old gear. Estate sales and yard sales in warm weather months are great places to find bargains. The key here will be to consistently check these sources over a period of a several weeks or even a couple months, and you will find something that will work for you.

• Friends and family - like I said, Aunt Norma gave me her old set for FREE and that was just fine for me to start out with. Tell your friends and family that you are interested in learning golf and ask them if they have golf clubs or know anyone who is willing to give you their old clubs. Someone may have clubs sitting in their basement that need a good home.

• Your local public golf course - believe it or not, people leave golf clubs at the golf course ALL THE TIME… and they don’t come back for them. Walk into the pro shop at your local public course (or two, or three) and ask them if they have any clubs that have been sitting around for a while which they would be willing to give you. You will be surprised at what they have in the “lost & found” that’s been there for a year or more.

• Facebook - many communities have “Buy Nothing” pages. Consider posting “ISO (in search of) women’s golf clubs” multiple times over a several week time period so more people will see it. Search for local golf-specific Facebook Groups - guys are on those groups constantly posting trying to offload their old gear for a discount, likely trying to recover some $$$ on whatever they just upgraded to. In Cincy we have “Cincinnati & NKY Golfers” and “Cincy/Dayton Golf Gals” FB groups, and there may be groups local to you.

• Thrift store or organizations where you might find or even qualify for a donated golf club set - again, check several times over the course of a few weeks

• A local or online used sports equipment store - while this will not be free it will be at a considerable discount. Play it Again Sports has physical locations across the US. A few online retailers you might consider are: 2nd Swing, Next Round Golf, Sidelineswap. Before you purchase in store or online, be sure to check the return & exchange policy, and of course look at online ratings & reviews of any seller. Your local brick & mortar golf equipment stores may have deep discounts during their end of season sales - equipment that has been around the longest is often the cheapest so ASK THEM to see the deals.

• Check if you have a local golf non-profit like First Tee or LPGA Amateurs. Get involved in these organizations. They rely on volunteers to help organize all of their events - and even if you are not a golf head yet, you likely possess a skill that you can contribute as a volunteer - whether it be social media, finance, marketing, running events, etc. The First Tee is a national organization empowering kids & teens through a life skills & golf program that is affordable and inclusive. They are focused primarily on junior golf. LPGA Amateurs supports women golfers of all levels. While neither organization is in the business of giving away or selling golf clubs, by getting involved you will inevitably make connections and opportunity will abound.

But wait, what about the golf bag?

I have 4 mini golf bags with just 4 clubs each. I use these for Queen City Links Ladies clinics & events. You can get these bags in any color - I have a teal green, 2 pink and one purple.

What if you piece together a minimalist golf club set … but now you need an affordable golf bag? You can get a mini golf bag online (Amazon) that holds 3-6 clubs. I love using these mini bags for my golf clinics. Many women want to join our clinics but they do not have golf clubs. I have several mini-sets (that I have pieced together over time using the above strategies) and they work out great. The mini golf bags are the perfect size!

So what are you waiting for?

I can definitely understand being on a tight budget but don’t let that hold you back from getting started learning to play golf. You don’t need a big budget to obtain a set of golf clubs. Once you score your starter set, you can participate in affordable public golf clinics, hit a bucket of balls with friends at the driving range, and play the local public Par 3 golf course… The world of golf is opened up and waiting for you! So get started.

Have other suggestions or ideas on how to get a set of golf clubs on a tight budget? Maybe you have specific suggestions relative to your geography if you are not in the US - I’m all ears so comment below or email me at queencitylinksladies@gmail.com