I finally decided to do what I’ve put off for over five years; take golf lessons. Consequently, I also decided to upgrade my golf clubs. A little confidence goes a long way on the golf course. I equate it to being well dressed in a perfectly pressed suit with a symmetrical windsor-knot tie for a job interview. This is my post-mortem of my buying experience after successfully upgrading my entire golf bag (driver to putter) from “hand-me-down/Play-It-Again” to pro-line equipment in a over a month’s time… You can also read this as a “How to spend $800 on new golf clubs”.. (By the way, I’ll disclaim this entire entry by saying that this has probably been written before…).

DRIVER - Cobra HS9: I made a rookie mistake with this impulse purchase. I strolled into Golf Galaxy hoping to test a few drivers priced between $150 & $200. Though I was very successful in finding a club that I liked, it would have behooved me to have scoured eBay before making the purchase at $199. It wasn’t a bad price considering that the original retail price was $399 a year ago. eBay probably would have saved me $50… I will say that all drivers are not created equal and that you need to just go out there and find the one you’re most comfortable with (this is true of all golf clubs). My disappointment exists because I didn’t complete more due diligence after finding the right club.

HYBRID - Cobra DWS Baffler 3 (20 degree): I got this one on eBay (thanks to kmgreensman) who won it at a golf tournament. This was a case of getting a great deal and having a great first eBay buying experience (you’ll notice I just joined this month). I got the club for about 25% under the retail price but the communication with the seller made the purchase better than clicking “buy” on any retail site or walking into a store and dealing with a sales associate who’s just trying to make a sale. I’m actually looking for the 18 degree 2-iron Baffler now…

IRONS/WEDGES - Cobra FP Steel (4-GW): My two cents on buying irons as a beginner. I found a pro-line brand (King Cobra) that I’m comfortable with and after that, just tried to find a set below $350-400.. eBay was ideal. Ironically, I ended finding this set on EdwinWattsGolf.com for $350. So, anyway, that’s all I can really say about irons and give a heads up to anyone looking for a set of these not to bid over than $355 all-in. Edwin Watts has a $5 S&H policy. It might be worthwhile to pick up extra balls or gloves since the $5 is the standard S&H for your entire order. At this price point/value, I would recommend Nike CCi’s or Taylor Made r7 Draws. Again, personal preference…

PUTTER - Taylor Made Corzina: I found a putter I liked and bought it. I actually went to Golf Galaxy, Dick’s and Sports Authority to hunt for putters… then I did the bidding/buying on eBay. Got the putter for $50 below retail.

The managers I work for love bullet points, so I’ve succumbed to the same fate and summarize my experience in bullet point as well:

> Do your homework: I’ll recommend going to Golf Galaxy, Dick’s Sporting Goods, or Sports Authority to “test drive” clubs. You should be able to do this for free without any hassle or pressure to have to purchase. These retailers typically have a fitting fee, but you can go swing some, not get fitted for “custom” clubs.

> When you’re ready to buy: Find out what those three aforementioned retailers are selling the products for then check some online retailers. I probably hit TGW.com (The Golf Warehouse), Golfsmith.com, and GolfDiscount.com over 100 times. If your timing is better than mine, you might be able to find some online discount codes/coupons for these sites.. (i.e. holiday season, July 4th, Father’s Day, etc.)…

> Have fun. It wasn’t never stressful (outside of hoping to win clubs at lower prices) and it probably didn’t help that I was a completely new eBay buyer… But if you’re a more seasoned eBayer, I’m sure you already know how this all works. I’m a rookie, but it was enjoyable and I was lucky to run into great sellers.