Finding golf gear that fits your budget and still allows you to think you’ll golf your age one day (without living to 120), is shockingly very doable in today’s golf economy.
Budget Golf Gear: 5 Picks for the Weekend Warrior
Let’s get one thing straight, you are not Rory McIlroy. Neither am I. Unless your last name is on a building somewhere, you probably aren’t dropping $600 on a driver that won’t fix your slice anyway. The good news? You don’t have to.
Here are five pieces of budget golf gear that won’t embarrass you on the course, you can do that yourself just fine. More importantly, these won’t empty your wallet before you even tee it up.
1. The Driver — Tour Edge Bazooka, Speed System Golf Titanium, or Callaway Big Bertha (used)
A big forgiving head is your best friend off the tee. Not because it’ll make you hit it straight, nothing will do that, but because it gives your disasters a fighting chance of staying in the same zip code as the fairway. Tour Edge ($149 currently on Amazon) and Speed System Golf ($115 on Amazon) both make drivers in an affordable price range that perform well above what the price tag suggests. Big heads and large sweet spots, just like the beers you’ll have at the 19th hole to celebrate your personal best, a 103! Save the $600 you didn’t spend on a TaylorMade for greens fees. Or the beer. Probably the beer. Also, don’t overthink grabbing a driver at your local used sporting goods store or Ebay. You can find a used and quite forgiving Big Bertha by Callaway for a very decent price on Ebay. And don’t be afraid to make a lower offer, you’d be surprised on what might get accepted.
2. Irons — PGM (Under $250 for a set)
Game improvement irons are designed specifically for peoples like us, folks who need all the help we can get. Cavity back design, low center of gravity, bigger sweet spot. Translation: when you hit it slightly wrong, which is always, the ball still goes somewhere useful. PGM makes a well rated set for sale on Amazon ($247 as of writing this). Again, check out Ebay as well for used sets. I’ve seen Ping Zings on there, offered at $275. Just be sure to get the graphite shafts over steel as a hacker. We need that flexibility. Save the steel for your spine when you show up for Sunday dinner and have to tell your daughter her birthday present money is at the bottom of the pond on hole 11.
3. Golf Balls — Kirkland Signature (Costco, about $35 for 24)
The people’s golf ball. Kirkland Signatures have become legendary among budget golfers and with good reason. These little ‘generic’ looking beauties perform like a tour ball at a fraction of the price. Buy them in bulk at Costco, lose them without guilt, repeat. This is the way. Save some for me you greedy pigs!
4. Putter — PGM, Orlimar or Pinemeadow (Under $50)
Here’s a secret the golf industry doesn’t want you to know, a $40 putter will miss the same putts as a $400 putter. The difference is how much you cry afterward. PGM, Orlimar and Pinemeadow all make solid putters that get the job done. Master your stroke first, upgrade later if you must.
5. Rangefinder — Acer Gadget or FCLPAN (Around $100, or under if on sale at Amazon)
You don’t need to spend $400 on a Bushnell to know you’re 150 yards (that’s a 5 hybrid for you pal) from the pin. Budget rangefinders have improved dramatically, and several solid options exist under $100. Knowing your actual distance instead of guessing is one of the fastest ways to shave strokes. The best part is these things work regardless of what’s in your bag.
One Final Thought
The best golf investment you can make isn’t a new driver. It’s range time working on your short game, a putting drill that actually challenges you, and maybe a subscription to a certain disreputable weekly golf newsletter that shall remain nameless.
Speaking of which, if you found this useful, you’ll love what we serve up every Tuesday. Subscribe to Wormburner Weekly here for free. It’s golf’s most disreputable newsletter, for hackers who love the game more than their handicap indicates they should.