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Tour Quality Clubs On The Cheap/Bernie's Bargain BagOct 25 '06 (Updated Apr 27 '07) Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Look around! Do your research! Then hit ebay and all the second hand shops you can find.
I believe golf is a thinking man's game, and as a thinking man, I really want to get the most for my money when investing in golf clubs. I consider it an investment, as leisure time and recreation are all that separate us from the Proverbial Case of Burn Out. None-the-less, it's hard to enjoy your leisure time or vacation if you know you've over paid for it. To this end, my reviews on The Big Boy's (Major Golf Companies) are oft times riddled with caustic remarks when they come out with the latest $500-700.00 Driver, and/or $800-1200 set of irons. It truly burns me up when they toss the techno jargon about like so much snake oil in an attempt to sell you an overpriced product w/the promise of TW type performance. Believe me-TW gets re-fitted every week, and the clubs are tweaked and re-tweaked in order to fit his swing du jour. Off the rack clubs, w/out a fitting, are simply not going to give you anywhere near this type of performance. As we all have different swings, it should be more than obvious that one size does not fit all. Furthermore, as we age, (and I've found this out the hard way), our swings change with us. This further emphasizes the point that, though we cannot get re-fitted on the tour van every week, we owe it to ourselves to at least check the loft and lie of our clubs every season. This can have a significant impact (pun fully intended here) on your overall game, and your actual club selection through each and every game thereafter. There are many makers out there in the golf world besides, Callaway, Ping, Taylor Made, etc.. Some of the secondary makers, (Nickent, Yonex, Makser)and some of the previous players now gone belly up (Orlimar, Carbite, MAC) have offerings that were, and oft times still are, on tour. As they are secondary (small marketing budget), or bankrupt (no marketing budget)we often miss the opportunity to even try some of these fabulous clubs. --It's hard to try something that you've never heard of. I have reviewed many such offerings on Epinions, and it never ceases to amaze me the emails I get when somebody tries their first Volvik Crystal Golf Ball, or Nickent Golf Club. Some people even feel inspired to go on and write their own review of the product after switching over to their new found brand. Last but not least, be sure to check the models you've admired in the past that have gone out of fashion w/the advent of said companies new -"Techno-Gizmo." In an effort to give you a real life example of how a bag of absolutely top notch clubs can be had for pennies on the dollar, I am going to list my current set that will be with me for some time to come. You can also go back and read my other reviews if you care to. On a review by review basis, I fully stand behind everything I have written on all other products. The clubs in my bag are all secondary or bankrupt makers, as well as models that have gone out of fashion. You would have a hard time finding the irons, but suffice it to say that within my other iron reviews you may find something you like. Let me also say that you could find yourself a set of KZG irons. I have not reviewed them yet, but they were in my bag for a long time. Phil Mickelson used to shoot KZG's exclusively until he got his first professional endorsement contract w/Yonex. Driver I currently shoot an Orlimar Hip Ti 420. I paid a whopping $79.99 for it. It is long, accurate, and has exceptional feel. It easily outplays the vast majority of the current lot of 460 cc Volkswagens on a Stick. Previously, I played a Nickent 3DX Draw Spec. It too is an amazing piece of kit. It cost me a whopping $75.00. I only replaced it because I have regained my natural draw (in part thanks to the Nickent) and am now in need of a neutrally weighted driver. Hybrids/Fairway Metals. Nickent is a well documented success story in the Hybrid market. Their 3DX and 3DX DC Hybrids can be seen all day long on tour. They are actually the hybrid of choice on The Nationwide Tour, and usually 2nd or 3rd on the PGA Tour. I personally carry an Orlimar Hip Steel 12* fairway metal that knocks the ball out of the park. I paid a ridiculously low $24.00 for it. It replaces a KZG Maraging Power 12* w/Apache Shaft that I bought for $30.00. The KZG is basically a souped up Orlimar Tri-Metal which also knocked the ball clean out of the park. Both clubs are easy to hit, but the Hip Steel is a slight upgrade. I carry three hybrids 15*, 18*, and 21*. All of them are Makser hybrids w/Grafally Blue Shafts. Makser is a superb club maker that has been big on the European Tour for quite some time. Their Driver holds the tour record 408 yds. They tried to make it over here, but the competition is just too stiff for those w/out gargantuan marketing budgets. They pulled up stakes and headed back across the pond where they remain very popular. If you want a bargain on a fairway metal or hybrid, or just need a tour proven driver, their stuff can be had at majorly cheap prices. Most was bought up wholesale from dealers and pro shops at Liquidation Pricing. My hybrids originally retailed for $200.00+ apiece. I bought each and everyone of them for $49.99. The Fairway Metals can be had for a similar price. Their Drivers, (remember they own the distance record) can be had for $99-149.00, and all of this stuff is tour quality as witnessed by the European tour. You know--those guys who whipped our @$$ in the Ryder cup. Good Stuff. Irons I play a set of Bulldog MX 2000's. These are an amazing little iron w/a thin Maraging Steel Face. The Company basically tried to build a souped up Orlimar Tri-Metal Iron, and succeeded beyond anyone's wildest dreams. They originally came w/Rifle High Modulus Filament wound Graphite Shafts. These are truly amazing irons, but exceptionally hard to find. The store I bought them from did not know what they had since it didn't say Ping, Callaway, etc.....Price Paid $59.00. Previous to this I shot KZG CHII's. An older KZG model that is a hollow head 1/2 blade design. Truly amazing clubs, but someone stole my 6 Iron. It proved impossible to replace, and thus the Bulldogs were discovered and purchased. The KZG's (any model---just find them) are a club I'd recommend to anyone. You can hunt them out on ebay super cheap. Price paid for set---3I-Lob Wedge (unbelieveable huh?) $139.00. Nickent also makes some amazing irons. Read my recent review of the 3dx Hybrid Irons. (Not to be confused withthe 3DX Irons, or the 3DX DC Hybrids.) The clubs are amazing, but the low budget marketing sure does lead to some confusion amongst John Q. Public. Lastly, Yonex--very big in Europe, can't seem to break the major ice here. Look around and you'll find $1,000-1500.00 sets of irons for $250-400.00. Wedges KZG's are a good buy, as are MAC's. If you like a head heavy wedge go w/the KZG's, if you prefer a lighter wedge w/amazing buttery feel go w/the MAC. MAC's can be found brand new for $29.99. KZG's can be had for this price and under on e-bay. If you're stuck in the Ping Eye 2 mode Trinity Wedges--also Bankrupt Maker of the Stilleto Driver and Fairway Wood Line, made an exact copy of the EYE 2. I shot the Beryllium Copper Models for a while. Price will vary from $19.99-79.99. (Only trouble w/these is you have to find them, and when you do-- how badly do you want them.) Still pennies on the dollar versus an Eye 2 Copper. Flatstick I currently carry a Never Compromise Alpha 1 putter. I bought it for $5.00 because it is an older model. (No moveable weights or "Ultra High Tech" insert. As you know, back in their heyday, these putters started in the $150.00-200.00 range. There is no limit to the kind of putter bargains that can be had. My Never Compromise replaced a Carbite that I still switch to from time to time, which cost me only $15.00. This is the same Carbite Putter that was lighting up the tour just a few years back. After their first banruptcy, it was no longer fashionable to carry one. WHO CARES!!! Two other putters I have looked at which were all the rage just two years ago are the SEE MORE brand (Famous hosel based alignment system), and ASSERTA (Famous for making Top Spin an issue). I've found both of these in several of their former glorious models ranging from $19.99-39.99. Again, we're talking flatsticks that sold in the $150-200 range. If you like the old/new (comes back in vogue every 10 years) roll and bulge theory on a flatstick--I own a couple of Teardrops that I purchased for $1.99 each. They are great practice putters. There is a tour quality putter for every taste, and you don't have to spend JACK SH___ to get one. In Summary If you realize "It's The Indian and not The Arrow", you can build a tour quality bag for pennies on the dollar. Sure you have to look around, but if you do you'll save a proverbial fortune. That money saved can be spent on re-fittings and lessons. These are guaranteed to shave the strokes off your game much quicker than the latest "Off-The Rack" techno gizmo from Big Brother's Golf Company.  |
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