Golf has a funny way of forming relationships. We all bond with our golf clubs over time and begin to learn the intricacies of their use.
A good set of golf clubs will turn into an old friend quickly.
Choosing your equipment is arguably the second most important part of the game of golf (the most important part about golf is getting out there and playing it!).
Deciding on what clubs to buy can be a daunting task without some experienced guidance.
There are more options available for choosing golf clubs than a Ben and Jerry’s ice cream shop offers.
Everybody approaches equipment in their own way and having a solid starting point is important.
Professional players club selection is much different than your average golfer.
How Expensive Are Pro Golfers Clubs?
On average, a professional golfer’s bag of clubs can cost between $3500 and $5500 if you were to go to your local golf store and purchase each club individually.
The PGA created a blog series called “Winners Bag” that began in 2015. Winners Bag highlights the professional golfer that has won the most recent tournament.
Patrick Cantlay is the most recent victor to be featured and we’re going to break down how much a set of his golf clubs would cost to the average golfer.
- DRIVER – Titleist TSi3’s are currently listed at $549 on the manufacturer’s website.
- 3-WOOD – Titleist 915F’s are listed for resale at $130. It is important to note that this is a 2014 model.
- HYBRID – the Titleist TSi2 is retailing for $299 for a new club
- IRONS – Titleist 718 AP2’s are a set of irons ranging from a four-iron to a nine iron. These have to be custom fit by a Titleist representative. The sets available on resale sites range from $670 to $860. We’ll split the difference and call it $750.
- WEDGES – Titleist Vokey Design SM7’s (three different degrees) and a prototype SM8 run about $175 a piece for a total of $700.
- PUTTER – The Scotty Cameron Phantom X5 putter boasts a whopping $429.99 price tag.
- SHAFTS – We completely skipped the custom shafts that Patrick upgrades his set of clubs to. They are all the Mitsubishi manufactured Diamana brand and cost nearly $350 apiece for the Driver, 3-Wood and Hybrid. His irons maintain a more obtainable $25 each.
That brings us to a hefty price tag of $2857.99 (so we are cheaper!)
Do Pro Golfers Pay for Clubs?
Professional golfers do not pay for clubs. Golf brands sponsor the players and provide equipment for them, free of charge. The best golfers in the world secure sponsors for every part of their golf game from clothing and shoes to clubs and gloves.
Most golf brands maintain a semi-truck-sized equipment trailer that travels from event to event and supports the players on-site at tournaments.
There are instances where players will purchase their own equipment with one reason being that they have not secured sponsorship to the specific brand of clubs that they prefer to play with.
This could be for specific drivers, fairway woods, irons, wedges, or putters.
A famous example would be that of Tiger Woods.
The eighty-two-time PGA winner has notoriously used a Scotty Cameron GSS Newport 2 for most of his career.
He is not specifically sponsored by the brand Scotty Cameron but uses their equipment anyway.
His next equipment choice is directly conflicting with some of his sponsors.
The grip on his putter is manufactured by PING and has been consistent almost as long as his choice of putter has.
This goes to show that a professional golfer will sometimes choose equipment that ‘feels right’ rather than equipment made by their sponsors.
What are the Best Name Brand Golf Clubs?
The best name-brand golf clubs are Titleist, Ping, Taylormade, Cleveland, Odyssey, Callaway, Mizuno, and Cobra. They each have a rich history and are all used by professional golfers on the PGA tour and are available to the average golfer.
Titleist
This brand that originated in 1932 is one of the biggest and most well-known. Their products dominate the market and include golf clubs, balls, grips, gloves, clothing, and more.
They sponsor more professional golfers than any other brand and are a major sponsor of the PGA.
You’ll have noticed that Patrick Cantlay almost exclusively uses Titleist products.
Ping
Although the company did not kick off until the 1960s it quickly became a major player in the golf equipment industry.
The product development team at Ping focuses on golf clubs and golf club bags.
Their contributions to the forging technologies in irons revolutionized how we manufacture the clubs.
Taylormade
Taylormade is Titleist’s biggest competitor for drivers. The company has gone through many changes in ownership and direction since its inception in the 1970s.
Although the company has changed hands many times it has never faltered on making premium products and satisfying sales goals.
Along with Titleist, they are the only golf brand to reach a billion dollars in sales.
Cleveland
While Cleveland golf is most well known for its contributions to iron technology in the form of individually milled lines on the face of clubs (granting more control of the ball), they are trendsetters in many ways.
In the early 2000’s Cleveland unveiled the largest driver head (at the time) as well as offering the first bounce options on individual wedges.
This trend has continued to this day with all other manufacturers.
Odyssey
Putters and Odyssey go hand in hand.
Although the brand is owned and marketed by the Callaway golf company it is famous as a stand-alone putter brand.
Players using the putters won four championships on the PGA tour in the 2019-2020 season.
Are Expensive Golf Clubs Worth It?
An expensive set of golf clubs isn’t going to make you a better golfer, however, an ancient or damaged set can hold you back so yes, generally speaking, expensive clubs are worth it because they are made from higher-grade materials that perform better and last longer.
Understanding what type of club and how to use them is the most important part of the game.
Many beginners start off using only a few clubs in their bag (with some variation between players of course) and as their skill level progresses will start using the other clubs regularly.
The common clubs for beginners to focus on are:
- Driver
- Hybrid
- Iron Set
- Pitching Wedge
- Putter
Your skill level progresses very quickly when you first start and before long you will be expanding the number of clubs you use every round.
At this point, people begin experimenting with fairway woods, long irons, and full wedge sets.
Remember though, you can only carry 14 clubs at any given time in professional golf.
Is Getting Fitted for Golf Clubs Worth It?
Getting fitted for golf clubs is worth it. A custom-fit set of clubs will help your swing become more consistent. Your swing can be negatively influenced by using the wrong clubs and lead to bad form.
Most beginners end up acquiring a rag-tag set of golf clubs that have inconsistent club fittings. If this happened to you, get fitted.
Professionals offer many options to analyze your swing and fit you for a set of golf clubs.
Ask an employee at your pro shop or golf store if they provide fittings.
Most places that sell golf clubs will have the ability.
If that isn’t an option, golf club manufacturers regularly hold events that fit people to new clubs.
You generally have to purchase a new club or set of clubs to get the fitting for free. The process of determining your fit varies from professional to professional.
Some will physically measure you to factor in things like the distance from the tips of your wrists to the ground or how long your arms are.
Others take a more scientific method and monitor swing speed or the angle between the club shaft and the ground.
Ultimately all methods provide the same result, a pair of custom-made golf clubs that are fitted just for you.
How Much Should I Spend on First Golf Clubs?
Your first set of full golf clubs should cost around $600 to $1000. This will provide you with a complete set of modern clubs that will last for many years.
You can shop around on the secondary market and put together a solid golf bag for less than $1000 dollars.
If you still have questions about what brands, shaft types, or club grips are good for you then head to your local pro shop or golf store.
Your driver and fairway wood(s) can be sourced for less than $500 using online marketplaces.
A full set of irons will run you about $200 and add in a good pitching wedge for around $50.
This leaves you with some funds left over to purchase a putter and golf bag.
Most golfers treat their equipment very well and buying used is almost always close to the same as buying brand new.
There are two schools of thought on purchasing golf clubs as a beginner. The first one thinks that a new player should not buy new clubs and be fitted.
Their reasoning is that the skill hasn’t been developed enough to justify the purchase.
The second one stands by the theory that in order for a new player to develop their skill in a timely manner they must buy a new set of clubs and get fitted.
How Long Will Golf Clubs Last?
Golf clubs will last on average for 6 years. As a general rule, technology developments make a club obsolete before it would ever quit performing or degrading to such an extent that a replacement club is required.
The lifespan of golf clubs depends (mostly) on one factor, the person that is using the clubs.
The golfer who throws clubs hits them on the ground and dumps their bag into the pond off the 14th green isn’t doing their clubs a favor.
Most players are a little more realistic in their game and treat their tools with a little more respect.
Assuming that you are the latter, a set of golf clubs will last you a very long time.
The technology does increase at different paces for different clubs.
Irons, wedges, and putters generally do not evolve as quickly as drivers, fairway woods, or hybrids.
Many golf bags will boast a brand new driver and still hold a twenty-year-old putter.
Play for Fun – Get Better with Experience and Practice!
All in all, choosing whether to invest in a new set of clubs or purchase a used set comes down to your personal preference and the depths of your pocketbook.
Used equipment tends to function just as well as brand new equipment.
Your local pro shop and golf stores are filled with fellow enthusiasts that will assist in your decision to get a club fitting or not.
Every single opinion will be different.
A golfer’s reality is that a few lessons from a golf professional will cost far less than a new set of clubs and save you a lot of frustration in the long run.
Your first lesson should come from this guide on how much do professional golf clubs cost.
There is nothing simple about the game of golf.
On the surface, it seems like you should just be able to pick up some clubs, whack a ball and chase it with a golf cart but the game of golf has hidden depths and takes years to master (in a fun way!).