Equipment

Bargain Challenge 2: Putting together a $500 set of clubs for a mid-handicapper

Published

7 years ago

Dec 17, 2018

Last week, I posted about what clubs you can get with $500. I built a set that I would use myself to show that even golfers with particular specs can find what they want for a decent price. Overall the feedback on the post was good, but I did want to follow up since one of the commenters put me up to a challenge. See below.

Well alright James, challenge accepted.

Challenge: A set of mid-handicap clubs with stiff shafts for less than $500.

Driver

Since I was going to be building a set of a mid-handicapper, my goal was to find a driver that got solid distance, but was also forgiving. I found this R9 460 in 10.5 degrees for $65. While the paint has seen better days, this should perform exactly how we want it to. Plus it is adjustable.

Wood

The 3-wood search stumped me for a bit. I couldn’t figure out what I wanted to go with. I knew I didn’t want a strong three wood and I knew I needed something with forgiveness. After some searching I found a Ping K15 16 degree with a stiff shaft. While the loft is higher, I have found that many higher handicap amateurs can find good use out of a higher lofted 3-wood. On top of that, the K15 is an incredibly easy to hit and forgiving head.

Hybrid

I knew what most mid-handicappers would have a hard time hitting a 2 or 3-iron, so my mind immediately went to a 3-iron hybrid. After some searching, I stumbled on this Ping Rapture V2 with a stiff shaft. Historically, the Raptures have been really easy to hit which makes this a great addition to the bag.

Irons

I had the hardest time in this entire process finding irons. There were just too many to choose from. You had great player irons like the Ping S57 and you also had the super game improvement Adams irons. To find something slightly more in the middle, but still easy to hit, I went with the 2012 TaylorMade CBs. A great year for TaylorMade irons and easy to hit with the irons only going down to the 4. This is where someone can have some fun with their choices if they want.

Wedges

Wedge shopping was still hard this time around. Since the PW in the iron set was strong, I knew I needed a stronger gap wedge. I found a Callaway X-Jaws 50-degree for $24. Really, the entire point of the 50 is to have another iron and bridge the gap to the sand wedge. Speaking of the sand wedge, I went with the 56-degree Ping Gorge SS wedge. It has good grooves and will get the job done around the greens. For the lob wedge, I went with the Cleveland RTX 2.0 60 degree: A really solid wedge with good groves to give you the zip you need around the greens.

Putter

And finally, I went with another great blade putter for $55. Honestly, there were a lot of different options in the range from mallets to blades, so don’t be afraid to search around.

Total

In summary, anyone and any skill level and swing speed can find something in the used market. In fact, it was even easier to find clubs in stiff than X-stiff because most X-stiff clubs are custom and are in less demand making, them more rare and expensive than stiff clubs. Take a look, you never know what you may find.

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Forum Thread of the Day: “What’s the best budget wedge?”

Trey Buchanan

Trey is a former D1 golf recruit and the owner of College Golf Mentors, a consulting business helping kids achieve their dreams of playing golf in college. When not golfing, Trey is either paying the bills with his advertising job or powerlifting.

25 Comments

JACOB

Jan 16, 2019 at 9:01 am

RAZR HAWK TOUR DRIVER $80
ADAMS SUPER LS 3 WOOD $50
RAC MB TP 3-W $110
AKIRA 52 $50
CALLAWAY PM GRIND 56 AND 60 $80 EACH
CLEVELAND FORM FORGED III PUTTER $30
$480 TOTAL

Reply Report comment
Dave in Fallbrook

Jan 14, 2019 at 10:27 pm

I’d suggest an Adams XTD ti driver. Much newer technology, in fact you’d be getting the same head slot technology that TM have in their latest m5 m6 drivers (arguably why they bought out Adams). Plus a couple of Adams super LS or xtd ti hybrids, I’ve tested with all the latest models and they still can’t be beat. Irons, either Cal Apex 2016 or even TM rac OS (yes they are still competitive). Wedges – Nike (VR), Cleveland or just about any big brand (maybe except Vokey) can be had super cheap in a non latest model. Putter? mallet or blade? Any old model ping blade. An older odyssey mallet, “Yes”, never compromise or Rife mallet can all be picked up cheap. My biggest splurge on any club in the last few years was $110 for a used Bettinardi Inovai mallet. My best purchase, a 19 deg Adams Idea Super XTD Hybrid for $9.99!!!. I bought it just for the fubuki shaft but after trying it out it is now a favorite in the bag, almost 5 wood distance but very accurate.

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Ej

Jan 5, 2019 at 6:34 pm

That r 9 is the domb diggity

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Joe M

Jan 2, 2019 at 11:12 pm

My (mostly) eBay sourced set.
Ping G30 driver $125
Ping G 20 3 wood $55
Ping G 15 21* hybrid $30
Mizuno JPX 800 4-GW $130 (Used rack @ Roger Dunn Golf)
Mizuno JPx 56* SW $40
Odyssey White Hot #9 $40
Total $410 just enough left over for a bag, tees and balls
All shafts are stiff OEM,
Not a beginner, just cheap.

Reply Report comment
WhoDat

Dec 28, 2018 at 12:32 am

Wow you have poor taste in old clubs… I mean the clubs are great but you don’t have to go back that far to find cheap clubs. Hell I bought a Big Bertha Alpha 816 for $50… You could get a Jetspeed driver for that price too. The older you keep going back the price of the club starts to rise again because it becomes more rare especially if in good condition. Golfers are very nostalgic so playing an old club they loved previously is worth more to them than the performance they may get from it.

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BC3

Dec 26, 2018 at 10:06 pm

So I gave this a shot and came up with the following from the GWrx classifieds and a couple of other places:
Titleist 915 D3 9.5 Diamana stiff $135
Titleist 906F2 15 4375 r flex $15
Hogan Radial 5 (Old school) $5 (I was curious and didn’t know about hitting a hybrid)
Titleist Forged 704 CB True Temper Dynalite Gold S300 4-P $49
Brand New Cleveland RTX-3 CB 52, 56, 60 at $57 a piece, $171
Odyssey Rossie $35
Total $410

Had some other items to add or swap out.
New Adidas Tour360 Boost $70
TecTecTec rangefinder $41
TaylorMade V Steel 5 wood $15
Titleist 917 5W $125 7W $105
Ping 5W $120

Reply Report comment
Peter G.

Dec 21, 2018 at 3:14 pm

You should try this challenge on 2ndSwing.com, a bigger selection of clubs. For my buddy who is a lefty, found a set of X-Hot Pro irons with Pxi 6.0 shafts for only $145. They have a ton of Srixon Z355 drivers ($50), woods ($44), & hybrids ($33) for cheap. Ping Gorge wedges (50, 54, 58) all $35-$30 each and in very good condition. Ping Sigma G Kushin for $94. You add some headcovers to that and I’ve got $508.88. For a lefty too! Most of those clubs in righty also.

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The Dook

Dec 19, 2018 at 7:37 pm

Wait a minute…. what about us high handicappers???? Us mere mortals need some love too!

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Bogey Barker

Dec 19, 2018 at 3:37 pm

I recently did the same over the last several months, but fared way better.

Here’s my bag:

(Note: Each club came with the stock stiff shaft. Almost everything came from a certain online retailer, too, and I think they own 3balls — except otherwise noted.)

TaylorMade Rocketballz 10.5 degree bonded driver in near mint condition off the letgo app. $40.00.

TaylorMade Aeroburner 3 and 5 wood in excellent condition. $90 for both.

Ping Eye 2 Red Dot irons 3-PW, plus a 54-degree Ping Eye 2 Sand Wedge in value condition. $100.

Ping Tour Gorge SS 58-degree Lob Wedge in very good condition. $30.

Ping J Blade 5 Putter in very good condition. $30.

Hot-Z 3.0 Stand Bag new from Rock Bottom Golf. $38.

Puma Ace Men’s Golf Shoes from Amazon. $54.

Dozen Wilson Staff Duo Golf Balls from local pro shop. $20.

Foot-Joy Golf Glove from local pro shop. $11.

All that for just a shade under $400. Just need a push cart.

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Kevin Grate

Dec 19, 2018 at 11:32 am

Why not just buy a box set of Tour Edge they make quality clubs for the right price and you definitely will be spending less than $500 and your new

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Blake O

Dec 18, 2018 at 7:00 pm

I’ve scored some good deals on used clubs negotiating with the sales person. My bag was just over $500 until I upgraded my driver this spring.

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Scheiss

Dec 18, 2018 at 12:59 pm

Don’t you have any friends or family who have old clubs they’re not using in their garage? Why would you need to buy junk like this when your close ones have exact same types lying in their storage

Reply Report comment
- James
  
  Dec 18, 2018 at 2:46 pm
  
  Good job Trey. I didn’t realize I’d be getting my 15 minutes of fame via GolfWRX! My set, while playing to a 2-4 handicap, is all used with stiff shafts. My experience on used club websites is that the most popular shaft flexes are also the most expensive.
  
  Here are my clubs (also bought my Titleist bag used):
  Taylormade driver
  Titleist 3 wood and hybrid
  Callaway XR Pro irons
  Vokey wedges, very close to new for best face condition. 4 of ’em.
  Oddyssey #7 Tank putter
  
  For fun I priced them out. $860, not including shipping.
  
  Reply Report comment
McSlice

Dec 18, 2018 at 10:45 am

This was my set that really got me into golf, took me from 30 to a 16 handicap:
Driver – Cleveland Classic XL (matrix ozik: new): 60
3 wood- Ping K15 – Diamana shaft : 60
hybrid – Ping K15 : 40
Irons and wedges- Ping Eye2’s : 55
putter and stand bag – Ping Anser BECU and some knockoff bag : 28

243 bucks all purchased on ebay and local used stuff site. So yea if you are willing to put a couple weeks effort in you can get some decent clubs and a bag to boot.

Liked that set, but really quite loved the Eye’s and the driver (driver is still in my bag). I’d happily game the Eye’s and the putter still as well.

My latest iteration is pretty cheap as well and so far I am very happy indeed and sold some of the previous clubs to pay for it. Gotta keep it real!

That said, the article said for a mid handicapper. .. so maybe a bit of an upgrade… I would say the irons that I have now: Mizuno JPX 850 forged (270 – 290 for them on ebay), the same driver (60 bucks), a cobra 3 wood or even a hybrid for about 60 bucks, I use a Vokey 460 : 08 Lob wedge I got for 2 bucks at a random garage sale, a Mack daddy sandwedge from Roger Dunn for 58 bucks and grab any used putter that feels semi ok, I personally still love the old Anser putters that you can get for nothing.

Something like that. Would be nice.

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Doug

Dec 18, 2018 at 2:32 am

What is a mid handicapper?

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Gun Violent

Dec 17, 2018 at 8:56 pm

Why did you get those terrible looking irons. Poor condition, and there are far better ones out there in that category at better prices. You’re not looking hard enough

Reply Report comment
- Greg Conner
  
  Dec 17, 2018 at 9:15 pm
  
  Agree w/the comment on the irons; Why would a mid-capper use those? Definitely better options out there…
  
  Reply Report comment
Tom

Dec 17, 2018 at 6:20 pm

Buy used, re-grip and you (regardless of you playing level) will have clubs just a good as anything being introduced, “new” and “better performing” as USGA equipment rules made it impossible to go beyond their established limits. Remember next time you see an equipment ad making improvement claims, Sellers be Sellin! That’s how these guys stay in business, a shrinking business, just look how many manufacturers have disappeared!

Reply Report comment
Bob Baker

Dec 17, 2018 at 4:00 pm

Punched shank by mistake…………my bad

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JuannyBravo

Dec 17, 2018 at 1:10 pm

Spot on about the Lefty stuff being cheap. I’m a lefty and here’s what I’ve spent on my current setup, which is mostly 2016 or newer except for a few single clubs:
Ping G Driver w/ Speeder 661 shaft: $105 total, head, tip and shaft were purchased separately.
Fairway: Callaway X2 Hot 3 Deep $50 or so
Hybrid: Cobra T-Rail $22 on ebay
Irons: Taylormade M1 with DG Pro Shafts: $320 total, irons were new eBay ksouth9 listing but had senior flex.
Wedges: Ping Tour S, Cleveland Precision Forged: about $70
Putter: Odyssey o-Works tank in red: $169.00 brand new.
Total of $736 including all grips, supplies, etc for anything that needed reshafting or new grips.

I’ve also made back some of that money on certain things such as the old iron shafts and old 3 wood shaft that I relisted on eBay.

Reply Report comment
the dude

Dec 17, 2018 at 12:40 pm

IN YOUR FACE JAMES!!!!!…..

Reply Report comment
- James
  
  Dec 18, 2018 at 12:35 pm
  
  Dude… please see my follow up comment to Trey.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - James
    
    Dec 18, 2018 at 1:00 pm
    
    Follow up comment for some reason isn’t showing. GolfWRX, what’s up? It was complimentary and reasonable with no swear words. Frustrating that I would craft a kind response and you won’t publish it. Takes all the fun out of engaging. Where can I find your comment publishing guidelines?
    
    Reply Report comment
JJ

Dec 17, 2018 at 11:48 am

If you want some bargains on used clubs, check out the course that your local First Tee operates out of. Clubs are donated to them and what they don’t give to kids gets sold at bargain prices to help support the program. I have a friend in Pittsburgh that gets great deals all the time

Reply Report comment
twh

Dec 17, 2018 at 11:38 am

I feel you on the iron issue. So many really good older sets out there to be had. With all of the promos callaway pre owned puts on this time of year, you could probably go even cheaper. Good read, thank you

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Equipment

Then and now: Comparing Rory McIlroy’s current setup to his record-breaking 2019 Canadian Open victory

Published

2 hours ago

Jun 11, 2026

Alistair Cameron

In Rory McIlroy’s first appearance at the 2019 RBC Canadian Open, he crushed the record books to earn his 16th PGA Tour title in dominating fashion, winning by seven shots over Shane Lowry and Webb Simpson.

McIlroy’s score of 22-under-par 258 is the lowest 72-hole score to date at the Canadian Open, and his closing 61 is also the best final-round score in the history of one of golf’s oldest tournaments. Finally, with his win in 2019, McIlroy became only the sixth player to win the career Triple Crown, adding to his victories at the U.S. Open in 2011 and The Open Championship in 2014, joining Tommy Armour, Walter Hagen, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino and Tiger Woods in a coveted list.

So, with that, why not compare his current setup to the clubs he used to break all the records?

Driver

2019: TaylorMade M5 (9 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70 TX
2026: TaylorMade Qi4D (9 degrees @8), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7X (45 5/8 inches)

McIroy led the Tour in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee in 2019; he’s doing the same in 2026. Between now and then, McIlroy has switched from the Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 70 TX (a shaft with slightly more feeling in the tip) to the original Fujikura Ventus Black 7X, having just made the change to the heavier version from playing the 60X.

What’s interesting about McIlroy’s 2019 setup is that the weighting on his driver is actually set in the high-draw setting, using the T-Track weighting system, whereas in the Qi4D, he’s currently using a heavily rear-weighted setup. (Two 13-gram weights in the rear and only two 4-gram front weights.)

The TaylorMade M5 driver he played in during his Canadian Open win was the company’s first head that they claimed to design to initially exceed the USGA’s COR limit, and then injected with tuning resin to bring it back in bounds.

Fairway woods

2019: TaylorMade M6 3-wood (15 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 80 TX; TaylorMade M5 5-wood (19 degrees), Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro White 90 TX
2026: TaylorMade Qi4D 3-wood (15 degrees), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 8X; TaylorMade Qi4D 5-wood (18 degrees), Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 9X

The TaylorMade M6 fairway wood that McIlroy was using during the 2019 season is still in the bag of some of the best golfers on Tour in 2026. Just check out Justin Rose’s winning setup from the Farmers Insurance Open earlier this year. This year, though, McIlroy has still been searching for his top-end-of-the-bag setup, having played both the new Qi4D and the Qi10, which he won the Masters with.

The same shaft swap can be seen in the fairway woods as the driver, along with slightly less loft on the 5-wood.

Irons

2019: TaylorMade P750 (4) Buy here, TaylorMade P730 (5-9), Shafts: Project X 7.0
2026: TaylorMade P760 (4), TaylorMade Rors Proto (5-9), Shafts: Project X 7.0

The biggest difference between McIlroy’s custom set and the stock P730s is the groove design. While the P730s were constructed with 14 MX-9 grooves on their milled faces, McIlroy’s proto heads instead use the higher-spinning, 16-groove layout of the TW2 grooves. Other big differences between the sets are that McIlroy’s 7- and 8-irons have thinner toplines, are 1 degree stronger in loft, and are 1/4 inch longer than the original P730 builds.

With McIlroy’s 4-iron, the switch from P750 to P760 sees a transition to a two-piece construction with Speed Foam in it, which allows McIlroy to launch the ball slightly higher, with more workability.

Wedges

2019: TaylorMade Milled Grind (48-09SB), TaylorMade MG Hi-Toe (52-09SB, 56-09SB, 60-LB09), Shafts: Project X Rifle 6.5
2026: TaylorMade MG5 (46-09SB, 50-09SB, 54-11SB, 60-08LB @61), Shafts: Project X 6.5 (46-54), Project X 6.5 Wedge (60)

Between 2019 and 2026, McIlroy’s focus on his short game has been much more apparent. It was the reason why he switched back to the TP5 golf ball, to help with launch, spin and control with his wedges leading up to his career Grand Slam victory in 2025. The most apparent changes to McIlroy’s wedge setup are his lofts and bounce. He’s slowly delofted his pitching to a sand wedge, but has increased the loft on the lob wedge, bending his current 60-degree to 61. With that, adding more loft to his lob wedge also slightly increases the bounce and leading-edge sit point, so, as a result, he plays a lower-bounce lob wedge compared to 2019. The MG5 wedges are also softer than the first Milled Grind option from 2019. McIlroy also no longer plays the full-face grooves found on the Hi-Toe.

Putter

2019: TaylorMade Spider X
2026: TaylorMade Spider Tour X

Notice anything similar. Yes, the copper finish on Rory McIlroy’s Spider X putter in 2019 is a slightly more reflective finish than the recently released torched PVD finish. McIlroy was using the True Path alignment system, but now uses only a single white sightline.

Ball

2019: 2019 TaylorMade TP5 (#22)
2026: 2025 TaylorMade TP5 (RORS)

As mentioned above, McIlroy had transitioned from the TP5 to TP5x golf ball since his victory in Canada in 2019, but now is black with the same style of golf ball as his victory at Hamilton Golf & Country Club.

Grips

2019: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
2026: Golf Pride MCC

Interesting, McIlroy actually used Golf Pride’s Tour Velvet Cord grips during his victory in 2019 (it was during a 2+ year switch to the corded TV) as opposed to his usual MCC grips, which he has played for most of his career.

Equipment

From the GolfWRX Classifieds: Titleist Vokey Proto Wedges 54M, 60T

Published

5 hours ago

Jun 11, 2026

Will Schube

At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.

It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.

Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @Putt4Dough is selling some prototype wedges from Vokey Wedgeworks. These include a 54 degree wedge with the M grind and a 60 degree wedge with a T grind.

From the listing:

(1) Titleist Vokey Proto Wedge 54M with a Tour Issue DGS400 shaft and Golf Pride Tour Velvet (logo down). Standard length, lie, and loft. BB&F ferrule. Raw wedge in good condition. No initials. Price is $200 shipped. Buy both wedges for $380 shipped.

(2) Titleist Vokey Proto Wedge 60T with a KBS Tour 130X shaft and Golf Pride Tour Velvet. Standard length, lie, and loft. Raw wedge in good condition. No initials. Price is $200 shipped. Buy both wedges for $380 shipped.

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules.