Golficity’s Bargain Golf Club Guide for Beginners

Let’s start with the most important thing: welcome to the golfing community! We’re happy you’re looking to join us on this beautiful, fun, and always challenging game.

Now that the pleasantries are out of the way, the next most important question is, what are you going to be playing with? Whether you’re brand new to the game or have been a longtime listener or first-time caller, deciding what equipment to start with can be a daunting, potentially expensive process.

So allow us to help you find a cost-effective way to begin playing a game you can enjoy for the rest of your life.

Sub 70

Sub 70 is the first brand I’d like to highlight. They’ve been doing this since 2018 and offer everything—your proverbial budget-friendly, one-stop starter golf shop.

In addition to being one of the longest-tenured DTC (direct-to-consumer) brands, the simple truth is that their stuff is good. That’s right, despite selling drivers for less than $300—or basically, half what a driver from a mainstream OEM costs now (and that’s before getting into specialty shaft options) and irons (ranging from better player’s forged blade and cavity iron sets to hollow-body game improvement sets), Sub 70 literally has everything you’d need to piece together a complete bag.

Indeed, after putting together a Sub 70 complete replacement set for what I currently play (Driver, 3 and 7 Woods, 4 through Pitching Wedge, Three Wedges, and a Blade Putter), I came in for less than what my metalwoods cost.

And yes, the DTC brands won’t offer the same range of specialty shafts and bounce/grind options on wedges as the OEMs. That hasn’t stopped Sub 70 from locking down awards for best-in-class equipment. Combine proven performance with quality pricing, and Sub 70 is the obvious choice for anyone who’s starting the game and needs to put together a full set of 14 clubs to learn and play with.

Plus, Sub 70 also sells golf bags you can put your new set in, so that’s a win, win, win.

haywoodgolf

Like Sub 70, Haywoodgolf has been in the DTC golf equipment game since 2018 and offers everything you’d need to put together a set: drivers, fairway woods, driving irons, irons, wedges, and putters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Haywoods’ products don’t get the same praise and attention as Sub 70’s, but that certainly doesn’t mean they’re any less quality.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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In fact, for nearly half what comparable equipment (driver, fairway woods, iron sets, wedges) would cost from a more established, mainstream OEM, the Haywood alternative offers similar—if not identical—performance.

The biggest difference between Sub 70 and Haywood may, honestly, come down to aesthetics.

Takomo Golf

This may be the brand you’re most familiar with, largely because Takomo has taken a page out of the OEM’s playbook and amassed a list of notable influencers—the Bryan Bros, Luke Kwon, Claire Hole, and the guys from Busta Jack, among others—who play their equipment.

Fortunately, signing influencers hasn’t caused Takomo’s prices to inflate too much. Yes, there is a slight premium over Sub 70 and Haywood’s offerings, for example, but we’re certainly not even close to what the same forged irons would cost from TaylorMade, Callaway, PING, etc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Speaking of irons, that seems to be what Takomo is most well-known for theirs. Whether it’s their forged cavity backs (the 301 CBs) or their hollow-body, game improvement irons (the 101Ts), Takomo offers some great performing irons that can be paired with a wider range of shaft options than many of the DTC alternatives.

New Level Golf Co.

If you were making your decision solely on awards and accomplishments, New Level Golf Co. may be the DTC brand you’d want to look at first.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Like Sub 70 and haywood, New Level started in 2018 and, since then, is one of the few DTC brands that can tout a PGA Tour victory, along with numerous top finishes.

But while Sub 70, haywood, and even Takomo offer basically everything you need to put together a full bag, New Level focuses on the scoring clubs—irons and wedges. And that’s why New Level has so many options—some more creative look than others—in its iron lineup, ranging from several fully forged, cavity backs to game improvement.

Because of New Level’s commitment to building top-performing irons and wedges at a friendly price point, they can offer some additional extras that the others can’t—customizing your set with cool BBF&Co Ferrules and a range of steel and graphite shaft options in a variety of weights and flexes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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So whether you’re building your first set, a backup set, or maybe thinking of trying a different style of irons or wedges, New Level should be one of the brands on your radar.

VICE Golf

Finally, there’s a brand most well-known for its DTC golf balls: Vice Golf. Earlier this year, Vice decided to expand its product offerings and add irons, wedges, and putters to the mix.

While the fact that this is Vice’s first foray into club-making may raise some concerns, it’s worth noting that Vice worked with HIO Labs—Europe’s largest fitting studio—when developing this lineup, so plenty of R&D went into their development.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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What’s most noteworthy about Vice’s offerings is that they take customization to a completely different level. The irons, wedges, and putters are all available in a wide range of color options, which vary from tasteful and accepting to completely different colorways depending on the specific club—the VGP02 Mallet Putter in Blue Rush, for example, gives off serious Captain America vibes.

The biggest drawback is that the Vice stuff is more expensive than the foregoing alternatives. The VGI01 forged irons, for example, are just under $1,200 for a 4-through Pitching Wedge set—basically double what a comparable set from any of the foregoing brands would be. The VGI02 game improvement irons, similarly, are a little over $800 for a 5-iron through Pitching Wedge set. And that’s unfortunate because that price point may be too high for newcomers to give this DTC offering a try.

PGA Tour Superstore, Manufacturers, Forums, etc. — Trade-Ins

The final option isn’t actually a DTC brand. Instead, if you’re committed to getting something from a more established, mainstream OEM, then it’s time to start digging through the used bins at PGA Tour Superstore, Manufacturers directly, golf forums, yard sales, friends, etc.

The pros and cons of going this route are obvious. The pros include getting some name-brand irons at a reduced price point. That could be a huge advantage, as you can get “fit” for the current generation irons, take those specs, and start hunting for the immediately prior generation (which may only be a year or two old).

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Cons, sadly, are more numerous. You need to be careful where or from whom you’re buying to ensure you’re not buying a set of fake, counterfeit clubs. Additionally, you’re stuck with what’s available—whether that means the clubs have been loved or abused by the prior owner(s)—and may be buying equipment sight unseen.

That said, you may walk away with a steal of a deal. I, myself, have gone this route, and was able to build my dream set of irons—Miura CB57s—at a fraction of the cost had they been bought brand new. But I would also be lying to you if I didn’t mention that there was some anxiety about the purchase before a fitter confirmed they were authentic Miuras (and not some cheap knockoffs).

Simply stated, buyer beware.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I’m gonna close this out by saying golf is an incredible game, and as stressful as the process of buying your first clubs may be, you’re not going to make a bad decision. What matters is that you’ll have your own clubs to practice and play with.

But in the event, that you think you got the “wrong” stuff (or, more likely, that it’s not working and preventing you from playing your best golf), you can do exactly what the rest of us addicts do and get new stuff.

Cover Image via Medium