Equipment

The best golf clubs for the money

Published

4 years ago

Jul 2, 2020

What are the best golf clubs for the money?

It’s a common question golfers ask, and depending on your skill level and budget, the answer can vary greatly. So, to help you figure out what the best clubs for you are, we’ve broken it down into a few categories to help you in the decision making process.

Best golf clubs for the money

Beginner Golfer – Entry-level budget

Getting your first set of clubs is all about maximizing value to get enjoyment out of going to the course or the range and most often involves buying a complete package set. Could you go directly to a high-end fitter to have them set you up with thousands of dollars would of gear? Of course, but it would be like getting handed the keys to a supercar without ever having a driver’s license—drive over a few curbs with a starter car before taking those skills to a four-lane highway.

Now just because you’re looking at a box set doesn’t mean you don’t have options. Wilson, for example, offers various sized sets for golfers based on static height measurements—which is a perfect starting point. It’s important for you to start off on the right foot, and even if they aren’t a perfect fit, the closer you are to the ideal set will make getting started a lot easier and a lot more fun.

The other option is to buy used, and with so many resources available online including used specialty sites like GolfAvenue.ca, you can find clubs in the 5-plus-year-old category that are going to offer tremendous value if you know where to look. This way of shopping for clubs often requires a bit more research to make sure you are buying the best clubs suited for your game, but depending on what you buy, you could get many years out of clubs purchased this way.

Check out the podcast link below for the GolfWRX, On Spec Episode- Building a $500 golf bag:

Play a lot of golf, and looking for value

This is where I believe most golfers tend to fit in, and it is also where you have the greatest number of options when looking for equipment. The idea of value will mean different things to different people, but when looking to get the most out of your equipment, getting fit is going to offer the best long term value for your game.

Depending on where you are buying your equipment, you can still buy “new” but purchase a previous generation model to save sometimes up to 30 percent, and if you are one of the lucky ones that happen to fit into “off the rack” irons and wedges, minus a grip or lie adjustment, then you can once again shop for previous-generation gear and see huge savings while still getting the best equipment for you.

The other option of getting great value and great quality equipment is shopping DTC—direct to consumer. There are a number of brands that have forgone the traditional selling channels and allow you to purchase custom-fit clubs direct for up to half the cost of traditional manufacturers including Ben Hogan, New Level, and Sub 70. These brands offer top-of-the-line gear, but thanks to their marketing approach and streamlined operations you can get fantastic value and high-quality gear built just for you.

Play a lot of golf – spare no expense

If you fit into this category, you are going to have the greatest number of options when it comes to finding equipment. Just like with any consumer product/experience, this approach is the most expensive, but it also puts the highest value on maximizing performance over anything else.

The most common scenario is working with a brand agnostic club fitter and if you are looking for one near you, check out our GolfWRX best drivers of 2020 article for our list of some of the best club fitters and facilities in North America. Brand-agnostic fitters won’t limit your set by brand and will instead go through every option within your fitting parameters to make sure you are getting the most out of your clubs.

The best golf clubs for the money but will ultimately be based on your budget but the price doesn’t have to be a reflection of the amount of fun you can have playing golf.

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Equipment

A shocking Backstryke putter appearance + 7 interesting gear photos from the Zurich Classic

Published

48 mins ago

Apr 25, 2024

Andrew Tursky

Welcome to New Orleans, where TPC Louisiana plays host to the 2024 Zurich Classic. In between breakfast beignets and nightly Creole feasts, PGA Tour players are also competing in the unique two-man format at the Zurich this week.

Although the vibes in Nawlins are a bit lighter-fare than the recent back-to-back competitions the Masters and the RBC Heritage signature event), the gear news was no less serious this week.

We spotted some recent changes from Rory McIlroy, a very rare Odyssey Backstryke putter, dove into the bag of legendary New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, and spotted Patrick Cantlay continuing to test new equipment.

Get your beads out and crack your crawfish, because it’s time for an equipment rundown from The Big Easy (meaning New Orleans, of course, not Ernie Els).

See all of our photos from the Zurich Classic here

Rory’s on-and-off lob wedge

Since the end of 2023, Rory McIlroy has had an on-again, off-again relationship with a Titleist Vokey K-Grind lob wedge. In his last start, it was on, and the wedge is back in the bag again this week. We got a great look at the complicated grind that McIlroy uses.

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A full look into McIlroy’s bag above also shows that he switched out of the TaylorMade BRNR Mini Copper that he used at the RBC Heritage, and he’s back into the Qi10 core 3-wood. As we discussed last week, McIlroy will likely keep the BRNR around as a course-specific club, trading it in and out for the 3-wood.

See Rory McIlroy’s full 2024 WITB from the Zurich here

Turning Back the clock

Unless Tommy Gainey is in the field, it’s unlikely you’ll ever see Odyssey’s Backstryke technology make an appearance on the PGA Tour.

But then, when you least expect it, Russ Cochran shows up.

For more than a decade – since the 2013 Sony Open in Hawai’i – Cochran has been stuck on 599 PGA Tour starts. This week will be his 600th.

Cochran is in the field at the Zurich this week playing alongside Eric Cole, whose regular caddie is Reed Cochran, Russ’s son.

The Backstryke putter was first released back in 2010, and its unique design helps shift the axis point of the putter closer to the CG of the head. And, the putter is getting a nod this week at the Zurich Classic, thanks to Cochran’s 600th career PGA Tour start.

The putter is certainly awesome, but don’t forget to check out Cochran’s full WITB from this week.

Drew Brees with a Super Bowl winning Scotty Cameron putter

Drew Brees, a legendary retired quarterback for the hometown New Orleans Saints, made an appearance at the Zurich’s Wednesday Pro-Am, playing alongside Zach Johnson, Ryan Palmer, and current Saints QB Derek Carr.

Brees’ bag included a TaylorMade Stealth2 Plus driver, a BRNR Mini 13.5-degree, a Stealth 5-wood, a mixed set of P-790 and P-760 irons, Milled Grind Hi-Toe wedges, and a custom Scotty Cameron “New Orleans Saints” putter, which Scotty made for Brees following his Super Bowl MVP-winning performance in 2010.

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It should also be noted that Brees has his Venmo QR code as a bag tag.

If you’re gambling with Brees on the course, just know that not having cash won’t work as an excuse.

Brilliant.

See Drew Brees’ full WITB from the Zurich here

Stricker’s unrecognizable putter

Steve Stricker has made numerous upgrades to his bag recently, including a new TSR3 driver and T100 irons, but his longtime Odyssey White Hot No. 2 putter is still going strong. It’s the most recognizable unrecognizable putter ever.

Here’s a better look at Stricker’s flatstick, which he started using back in 2007.

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Patrick Cantlay has opened the equipment-switching floodgates

Over on the PGA Tour’s Equipment Report this week, we covered Cantlay’s recent switch into Ping Blueprint S irons, and a Titleist TSR2 driver.

Cantlay hadn’t switched irons for about seven years, so the iron switch he made at The 2024 Masters came as a shock to the norm. He simply isn’t one to change gear very often, so anytime Cantlay makes a switch, it’s news.

It seems the floodgates of equipment testing have opened up a bit for Cantlay, who was also spotted testing a custom Scotty Cameron blade putter on Tuesday this week. By Wednesday, Cantlay was back practicing with his familiar Scotty Cameron T5 Proto mallet, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on going forward.

Daniel Berger’s custom Jailbird site lines

Berger, who’s currently using Odyssey’s Ai-One Mini Jailbird mallet putter, has a unique 3-dot, 2-line alignment on the crown of his navy-white-navy-white mallet putter. Looking down at the putter, it’s easy to see why this alignment system would help; it just seems impossible to set up to the ball off-center, or misaligned to the target.

Also, for anyone worried, you can rest easy. Yes, he’s still playing the 2013 TaylorMade TP MC irons, which we highlighted in our recent “Modern Classics: Old vs. New” video testing series.

FitzMagic teams back up

Brothers Matthew and Alex Fitzpatrick are teaming up once again at the Zurich this year, and Bettinardi Golf hooked them up with some festive “FitzMagic” headcovers to match this week.

See what else is in Alex Fitzpatrick’s WITB here

And, with that, we say goodbye to the Zurich Classic in New Orleans. Don’t forget to check out all of our photos from this week, including 30 unique photo galleries full of equipment photos.

We’ll see you next week in Texas for the 2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson!

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