Category: Golf Discussions Page 1 of 4

Saving Money By Buying Second Hand Golf Clubs

On October 25, 2022

Are you looking to upgrade what’s in your golf bag? If so, you should definitely consider the second hand golf club market. Pre-loved golf clubs come with many advantages over buying new. Firstly, you will save a lot of money! However there are many other reasons to buy used. In this article we’ll not only explore the benefits of buying second hand, but provide tips on how to save money and what to look out for when dipping into the second hand market.

Benefits of using second hand golf clubs

1) Saving You Money

Golf can be an expensive game and although this is an obvious advantage, buying second hand golf clubs can save you a significant amount of money. When buying the ‘latest and greatest’ gear, you will not find it hard to spend £2000 to kit out your entire bag for the season, however the second hand market has a price point for everyone, you can pick up a perfectly good set for £500 and then maybe you can put that extra money towards some lessons…

2) Try Before You Buy

One of the key benefits of buying used over new from a reputable retailer is that you can try your clubs out on the course before making your final decision. Nearly New Golf Clubs offer a 30 day money back guarantee on all used gear, no matter what your reason for return is, allowing you to give your clubs a trial run, commitment free.

3) A Variety of Choice

As the top manufacturers continue to innovate and release new models every year, that opens up the second hand market to an array of choice. This may give you more opportunity to find the club that is perfect for you. Whether that be an Odyssey 2 Ball putter that you fell in love with many years ago, or a Taylormade Spider putter that always caught your eye.

How to save money with second hand golf clubs

If you’re looking to purchase a new set of clubs, you may want to consider trading in and part exchanging your old clubs. Nearly New Golf Clubs has made this super simple to do: Simply fill out a brief form on their website and they’ll send you a quotation for those clubs the same day. If you’re happy with the quote, they’ll arrange to have your clubs picked up and the money will be in your account as soon as they arrive at HQ. This means that you can save money on your next purchase anytime you’re looking to upgrade, allowing you to game the latest Taylormade driver or the Scotty Cameron putter that you’ve always wanted.

Be careful of fakes when buying online. You might not realise it but these counterfeits are manufactured in China and are sold online at lower prices. As a general rule of thumb, if you think it’s too good to be true, then it probably is. However some fakes can be really hard to pick up, this is why shopping from a reputable retailer such as Nearly New Golf Clubs is a great way to ensure you’re buying genuine golf clubs as each club is individually inspected before being listed by one of their used golf experts on their website.

Don’t be afraid to explore the technological developments within golf clubs. Each year manufacturers will claim to have built a driver that will find you an extra few yards, however are they using more or less the same technology that was in the previous model? If so, why not try second hand? You could reap the majority of the benefits of the latest and greatest, at a fraction of the price.

Building your dream bag

Buying second hand could give you more budget to get the clubs you really want. For example, you may be able to buy a full bag of 14 clubs second hand, rather than the 12 you were going to buy new – giving you a club for every shot you need to make out on the course.

Over the last few years the used golf club market has grown rapidly, this means the range of clubs available to people is huge. You’ll be sure to find something that matches your budget and requirements. And you won’t lose out on quality. Justin Thomas recently won the PGA Championship with a trusty 915 FD in his bag (released in 2015!). You don’t need to buy second hand if you want the latest and greatest and it may not be for everyone, but it can still be a good idea to take advantage of the reduced prices that buying second hand can offer.

In conclusion, when buying used golf clubs it’s extremely important to ensure you’re purchasing from a reputable retailer. Nearly New Golf Clubs makes finding the club you’re after extremely simple with their unique product filtering system. You can filter through any specification to narrow down your search. If you’re looking for a left-handed Callaway driver with a stiff shaft and 9-degree head then you can filter down the results to show only the clubs that match your search. This makes searching for your perfect club easier and quicker than ever before.

The Five Most Famous Pro Golf Courses

By Sully

On December 4, 2019

In Golf Discussions

According to Golf Monthly, the world is home to almost 40,000 golf courses, and many of these have played host to some of golf’s biggest tournaments.

St Andrew’s Old Course

Based in Fife, Scotland, St Andrews Old Course is the oldest golf course in the world and also open to the public. The course also plays a part in golfing history, influencing how the game is played today by reducing the number of holes from 22 to 18.

St Andrews Old Course has held countless international golf tournaments, including the Open Championship 29 times. Most notably, Tiger Woods has won at St Andrew’s twice. In 2005, the course was also ranked as the greatest golf course outside the United States by Golf Digest.

Pebble Beach

Located on USA’s west coast, California’s Pebble Beach is America’s favorite public golf course – renowned for its beauty and open views of Carmel Bay. Playing host to six major men’s world championships, the course has become a cornerstone location in the professional golfing community and will be the first to host a men’s, women’s and senior men’s tournament in the year 2023.

The course itself features a range of varying par holes, with some giving golfers the illusion of hitting straight out towards the ocean. Hole 7 in particular, is known to be one of the most widely photographed holes in the world.

Augusta National

Renowned for its exclusivity, the Augusta National golf club opened in 1932 and is located in Georgia, United States. As well as hosting the annual Masters Tournament, Augusta has also been repeatedly ranked as being one of America’s best courses.

Outside of tournaments, membership of the club is strictly by invitation only and boasts many high-flying members ranging from businesspeople to famous sports players. The club is also known for its strict on-site rules, which include no cheering or electronic devices on the course.

Real Club Valderrama

Real Club Valderrama in Spain’s Cádiz is rated one of Europe’s best golf courses since 1989 – located in the resort of Sotogrande. Designed by great golf architect Robert Trent Jones in 1974, Valderrama was created to test both amateur and professional golfers.

In 1999, Real Club Valderrama was rated the best course in mainland Europe by Golf World magazine. The par 5 fourth hole – La Cascada is one of the most well-known on this course, with a two-tiered green and pond which presents a real challenge for players.

TPC Sawgrass

The award-winning TPC Sawgrass golf course in Florida was designed with balanced play in mind. It’s widely known for hosting several PGA Tour tournaments and is the world headquarters of professional golf. The course is also home to the Players Championship, held annually in March. Designed by Pete Dye, the TPC Sawgrass was created in 1980 and aimed to improve the golfing experience for both players and spectators with its stadium-like concept.

The course has a selection of short, mid and long holes and a signature island green on the famous 17^th hole.

This guest blog post was written by The Golf Travel People – specialists in providing high-quality golf holidays since 2004.

Real Club Valderrama

Golf Courses are Getting Longer: Here’s Why

By Sully

On September 24, 2019

In Golf Discussions

Perhaps you just crushed the ball off the tee on your favorite par 5. As you line up your approach shot, you squint to see that the green is slightly further away than you once remembered.

You’re not alone. Golfers at every level are noticing courses have increased in distance, and nobody has it worse than those on the PGA Tour.

Why Are Courses Getting Longer?

Managers of golf courses are making these adjustments to account for the increase in average distance off the tee. In less than 20 years, the average drive distance on the PGA tour has increased by over 22 yards. But what is causing this increase?

Well, things like clubhead/face technology, shaft Technology, ball Improvements, player athleticism, and swing feedback training have all contributed to more distance.

As for how this will affect golf, for most casual players, the changes will not be too drastic. It’s unlikely that your home course is going to be reconstructing new greens just to extend the overall length. Where you may see some changes is on the tee box, but, if it makes you feel any better, studies have shown that distance is not as closely correlated to higher scores as much as difficulty factors like narrow fairways, small greens, and foliage.

In conclusion, yes, courses are getting longer. Will this affect your score by more than 1 or 2 strokes? Probably not. If you’d like to learn a little bit more about the changing course length epidemic, check out the infographic below by At The Tee!

Executive Golf Courses: What They Are and Why You Should Play There

By Sully

On July 31, 2019

In Golf Discussions

Head out to the local course around your house or watch a round of golf and you’ll quickly notice something about the courses; they’re all par 72.

But what about other courses with shorter holes and lower pars. These junior sized courses are called “executive courses” and that’s what we’re going to talk about this time on 6 Minutes With Sully.

What is an Executive Course?

As we mentioned above, executive courses have a lower par than a full, regulation course. While this is usually due to an increase in par 3 holes during the round it is still possible to have par 4’s and 5’s on executive courses.

This scorecard is from Dixie Red Hills, an executive course in St. George, Utah.

Par for an executive course is usually between 30-34 for nine holes. Three par three’s, five par four’s, and a par five would be one semi-common layout for an executive course.

If you’re wondering where the name comes from, the term “executive course” is actually from corporate America. Executives love to play golf but busy schedules make playing a two and a half hour round out of the question.

To fix this problem, golf course architects started designing shorter, quicker courses that busy players could whip through in an hour and a half; something much more manageable for a lunch break or an evening after work.

What’s so Great About Executive Courses Anyways

While you might not be interested in running into company executives on the golf course, there are other benefits to playing an executive course.

First, as we mentioned above, it simply takes less time to play a round on an executive course.

Where you might spend five hours playing eighteen holes normally, you could cut that down to around three just by playing an executive course. This, of course, depends on the crowds, size of the course, etc.

Along with short round times, executive courses are also great for beginning golfers.

You might be hesitant to bring a new golfer on a regulation course, after all, they’re expensive, crowded, and time-consuming if you’re playing partner isn’t on top of their game.

However, with an executive course, the shorter holes and lower cost should help keep your new playing partner from getting too frustrated as they learn the game.

Finally, executive courses are a great place to practice and hone your skills.

Many of these courses can be found in cities or other densely populated areas. If this is the case, oftentimes an executive course will have a driving range or putting green attached to it.

This allows you to warm up and work on your swing at the range and then apply what you just practiced during an actual round; something that really is the best of both worlds.

Wrap-Up

I’m not going to lie if promises of cheaper, faster, more enjoyable rounds of golf wasn’t enough to sell you on trying an executive course I’m not sure what will.

They may not be as widely known as their larger relatives, but if you know where to look there are amazing short courses all around us looking for golfers to come out and play.

So next time you’re looking to squeeze in nine after work, skip the two and a half hour grind and go check out your local executive course instead. I know you won’t regret it.

Jumbo Grip Putters: How Switching Can Help You Score Around the Green

By Sully

On March 30, 2019

In Golf Discussions, Product Reviews

We’ve all seen them, putter grips so big they can barely fit in the holes in your golf bag. While it might be a newer phenomenon around the game of golf, jumbo gripped putters have taken off in popularity over the past five years.

So what are these jumbo grip putters and why are they so popular around the green?

What are Jumbo Grip Putters?

This might not come as a surprise, but jumbo grip putters are simply that; putters with much wider diameter grips that a traditional “pistol” gripped putter.

Specifically, jumbo gripped putters typically have grips widths between 1.4 – 1.75 inches in diameter.

In comparison, a traditional putter has a grip width between 1.0 – 1.2 inches. This makes jumbo grips almost 40-75% thicker than your average putter grip.

Additionally, many traditional putter grips have a taper which is designed to make the grip skinnier as you get further away from the top of the club. Jumbo grips often do not have a dramatic taper and stay roughly the same width throughout the entire grip.

Above is a standard putter grip. Notice how thin the grip is and how it tapers off towards the width of the putter shaft.

Why Use a Jumbo Grip?

It’s great to know all of the differences between a traditional putter grip and a jumbo one, but you might be wondering; why do people use these monstrous things?

This answer, again, is also quite simple; jumbo gripped putters help golfers score better. And here’s why.

Use of Large Muscle Groups

Many golfers that struggle with putting have problems with the mechanics of their swing, not reading the green.

This problem can be seen in the rotation of a golfer’s hands at impact; something that traditional putter grips do not help correct.

Twitchy or inconsistent wrists can result in a misalignment of your clubhead as it hits the ball. This puts the ball on a different path than the one you had wanted, and ultimately, results in missed putts.

In comparison, jumbo putter grips can help a golfer’s accuracy by increasing the diameter of the putter grip.

This increase in size forces a golfer to use the larger muscle groups in their shoulders and arms when they hit the ball. These muscle groups move less dramatically than a golfer’s wrists do, which results in higher levels of accuracy around the green.

Re-Alignment of Shoulders

Another common problem golfer’s face with their putting technique is shoulder alignment.

In an ideal world, your shoulders would be completely square at setup and impact of the ball. This promotes consistent ball striking and results in good distance control.

In reality, many golfers have a dominant right hand which results in a misaligned shoulder angle. This makes solid ball striking more difficult and results in poor putting.

While this problem can be solved by switching to a left-hand-low or cross grip putting style, increasing the size of your grip is also helpful for many golfers.

With a wider grip, it is possible to putt with your thumbs next to each other during the stroke. This alignment readjusts your shoulder tilt and encourages sound putting technique.

Wrap-Up

Although they have increased in popularity, jumbo putter grips might not be for everyone. A majority of golfers still do not use them, but that margin is shrinking every day.

I, myself, actually switched over to a jumbo grip this offseason and I have really enjoyed the change so far. Only time will tell if it pays off in lower scores during the year.

If you’re interested in checking out a jumbo putter grip as well, I would recommend the Winn Golf Jumbo Excel putter grip; it’s the one I am using right now.

Another great idea is to head over to your local sporting store and try out a few of the different jumbo grips they have for sale. Many of them will vary in size and weight but trying out a variety of different grips might help you find the one that’s best for you.

With that said, thank you for joining me on another 6 Minutes With Sully. I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s topic and learned something about golf’s hottest new grip.