Hello From Sunny Newcastle - Newbie Golfer needing Some advice

[ribuck]

I'm going to pop over tomorrow but looking on their website they seemed to have limited stock in the beginner or Game improvement category. Either way, i've narrowed my choice down to 5 sets, be it used or new, so it just depends on what i can find on the 2nd hand market and if nothing starts coming up, i'll just buy new.

Would love to get peoples thoughts / views on these sets of Clubs for a beginner.

1. Clevland HB Turbo
2. TaylorMade Sim 2 Max OS
3. Callaway Mavrik Max
4. Ping G400
5. TaylorMade M6

Rich.

 

[BiMGuy]

The easy answer is, buy a set of second hand Ping G something irons with black or blue dot. These will suit the majority of golfers and are as forgiving as you will get for a beginner.

The bonus being. If you later decide to buy new clubs, you won't lose much when selling the Pings on.

 

[ribuck]

Thanks BiMGuy - i'll do a bit more reading about the G400 on my list. The only thing is that just about every single article i read when search for best irons for beginners list the first 3 clubs on my list but none of them mention the G400 or other G series clubs.

 

[BiMGuy]

I have the G400. They are fantastic clubs.

Very forgiving, but will also be absolutely fine as you improve.

 

[rudebhoy]

Hi All, Many thanks for all the replies. I'm more than happy to get second hand clubs, so putting the second hands vs new to one side, as complete beginner - how do people feel about more traditional "Game Improvement" clubs vs the Hybrid clubs like the Clevlands as reading reviews and watching youtube, they appear to be the most forgiving, but not sure if the design would hinder me later on before i buy a new set

So out of the many different more traditional style or cavity back "game improvement" clubs - are there any that stand out as being just that little bit better ?

RudeBhoy - I'm having lessons at Tynemouth Club at the moment, but haven't decided which club will eventually be my home club.

Cheers,
Rich

Buy a cheap set of second hand GI irons and a few more lessons. Technique is much more important than technology.

Have played Tynemouth 4 or 5 times as it's just down the road from me. It divides opinion, but I quite like it. Happy to give my thoughts on the local courses if you are thinking seriously of joining somewhere and are based at the coast.

 

[ribuck]

Hi RudeBhoy - at the moment i'm not focusing on courses - more or haivng some lessons and going to the range then in a few months when i feel more comfortable striking the ball i'll start to think about courses. In regards to courses, you're not the 1st one to say that people have mixed opinion about Tynemouth. My nearest clubs are as follows :-

1) Backworth (only 9 hole and Fee's seems a little expensive for a 9 hole course)
2) Whitley Bay - looks a lovely course but i refuse to pay £600 just for the privilege of joining a course and then having very expensive Fee's on top of that)
3) Tynemouth - seems to have a few deep Gulleys - fee's slightly more expensive
4) Parklands - Good practice range and reasonable Fee's
5) Bedlington - A little further to travel, but heard good things about it from some of the lads at work who play there.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Hi RudeBhoy - at the moment i'm not focusing on courses - more or haivng some lessons and going to the range then in a few months when i feel more comfortable striking the ball i'll start to think about courses. In regards to courses, you're not the 1st one to say that people have mixed opinion about Tynemouth. My nearest clubs are as follows :-

1) Backworth (only 9 hole and Fee's seems a little expensive for a 9 hole course)
2) Whitley Bay - looks a lovely course but i refuse to pay £600 just for the privilege of joining a course and then having very expensive Fee's on top of that)
3) Tynemouth - seems to have a few deep Gulleys - fee's slightly more expensive
4) Parklands - Good practice range and reasonable Fee's
5) Bedlington - A little further to travel, but heard good things about it from some of the lads at work who play there.

Have a think about Gosforth, known locally as The Bridlepath. Smashing course, not too long but still interesting. A good course to cut your teeth on and not feel intimidated by.

Perhaps Blyth as well, decent course.

Both are no further away than Bedlington or Parklands to you.

Use the likes of Golfnow to get cheap rounds on these courses and try them out.

 

[Sats]

I say this every time a new player asks about equipment. Just get enough to get out there first, then once you know for sure, this is your hobby of choice - then go nuts and get shiny.

Also, regardless of skill if you're spending £600+ on a set get it fitted.

 

[sweaty sock]

I personally wouldnt go with the taylormades or callaways in your list, they are generally a half baked effort to shift some irons on the back of driver sales, the Ping G400 are stand out quality from your list.

I'd add in

Titliest AP1.
Mizuno JPX range.
Srixon 5 series.

The clevelands are good and will help you get the ball airbourne, but Ive never seen a player use them, and suggest if golf becomes anything more than a pastime, youll grow out of them pretty soon, all the others in my list and the pings I've seen used right up to the highest standard players.

 

[Fabia999]

Hi RudeBhoy - at the moment i'm not focusing on courses - more or haivng some lessons and going to the range then in a few months when i feel more comfortable striking the ball i'll start to think about courses. In regards to courses, you're not the 1st one to say that people have mixed opinion about Tynemouth. My nearest clubs are as follows :-

1) Backworth (only 9 hole and Fee's seems a little expensive for a 9 hole course)
2) Whitley Bay - looks a lovely course but i refuse to pay £600 just for the privilege of joining a course and then having very expensive Fee's on top of that)
3) Tynemouth - seems to have a few deep Gulleys - fee's slightly more expensive
4) Parklands - Good practice range and reasonable Fee's
5) Bedlington - A little further to travel, but heard good things about it from some of the lads at work who play there.

I really enjoyed Parklands as I played it as a beginner, would be a great place to start.

I've played Gosforth and that was an interesting course. I want to play Tynemouth as I've spent so much time through there, heard good things about Whitley Bay too.

 

[ribuck]

Well I went to the golf factory in killingworth, the guy was very helpful, but he was very expensive. He was selling used & nearly new clubs at a higher price than i could buy new online. But on the plus side, it was fate as i came home and had another look on the internet and found fairly local golf pro shop over in Boldon called Golfworx. The guy was super helpful and his new clubs were cheaper than the golf factory used ones.

So he tested my swing and it turn out at the moment as beginner i have a very slow golf swing - approx 70mph, so he recommended so he recommended graphite shafts as he said my swing speed is not likely to increase more than another 15mph even with experience.

Either way i tested out the Clevland HB Turbo's and absolutely loved them - I found them much easier to pick up off the carpet, so bought a set with Graphite shafts for £470 which i thought was a fair price. I asked about the other clubs in my list and we talked through them - but he recommended the Clevland set, and i tried a few different clubs and none of them felt as nice as the clevland.

Rich

 

[rudebhoy]

Hi RudeBhoy - at the moment i'm not focusing on courses - more or haivng some lessons and going to the range then in a few months when i feel more comfortable striking the ball i'll start to think about courses. In regards to courses, you're not the 1st one to say that people have mixed opinion about Tynemouth. My nearest clubs are as follows :-

1) Backworth (only 9 hole and Fee's seems a little expensive for a 9 hole course)
2) Whitley Bay - looks a lovely course but i refuse to pay £600 just for the privilege of joining a course and then having very expensive Fee's on top of that)
3) Tynemouth - seems to have a few deep Gulleys - fee's slightly more expensive
4) Parklands - Good practice range and reasonable Fee's
5) Bedlington - A little further to travel, but heard good things about it from some of the lads at work who play there.

1) Backworth is pretty basic, but ok for beginners. Bunkers are terrible, more gravel than sand. You'd get bored of it pretty quickly if you joined it.
2) Whitley Bay is a cracking course, but has always been very busy when I've played it (3 or 4 times, midweek). It's the nearest course to me, but the joining fee and the fact it is rammed put me off from joining.
3) Tynemouth is a decent course, not as nice as Whitley. Quite a few holes are surrounded by houses, and as you say, a massive gully which you need to play over twice.
4) Parklands - I started off there. Good range as you say. Course is not a patch on Whitley or Tynemouth. Was always busy when I played it, which can be offputting when you are are just starting out.
5) Bedlington - never played it, but have heard good things about it. It is supposed to be long, not ideal for a beginner.

I'm guessing you are situated near the coast? These are also potential options

6) Gosforth (The Bridlepath). I echo the comments above, a very enjoyable course. I've a mate who is a member and I play it a couple of times a year with him. Friendly clubhouse, I like just about everything about it, however travel from the coast is a pain during rush hour, it's just too far for me to consider joining.
7) Blyth. Only played it once, was ok, nothing more. Have heard they have sold a couple of holes for housing.
8) Centurion Park (Wallsend). The worst course I have ever played. Easy to lose balls on the fairways, the grass is so long! to be fair, I have heard it's improved recently. It has a pretty grotty driving range, which I use because it close to me and it's cheap.
9) Arcot Hall (Cramlington/Seaton Burn). I've been a member here for 4 years and love it. Great course, well kept, staff and members all very friendly. Used to be wet in the winter, but has improved a lot over the last couple of years. 15-20 minutes drive for me from Monkseaton.

Hope this helps.

 

[ribuck]

Hi RudeBhoy - I never thought about Arcot Hall, that's a very good suggestion as i'm just up on the outskirts of Shiremoor at the Bellway estate just up form earsdon, so not far away from you at all. For me Arcot hall is probably a 10 minute drive. Going to going and have a look at their website.

 

[rudebhoy]

Hi RudeBhoy - I never thought about Arcot Hall, that's a very good suggestion as i'm just up on the outskirts of Shiremoor at the Bellway estate just up form earsdon, so not far away from you at all. For me Arcot hall is probably a 10 minute drive. Going to going and have a look at their website.

Pre-covid they used to have an academy for beginners. It was a cheap way to join the club and a good way to meet other beginners. Hopefully they will start it up again soon. I'll ask the pro about it next time I see him.

 

[ribuck]

Cheers, appreciate it, as it looks like a nice club and the same price as Tynemouth.

 

[BiMGuy]

Well I went to the golf factory in killingworth, the guy was very helpful, but he was very expensive. He was selling used & nearly new clubs at a higher price than i could buy new online. But on the plus side, it was fate as i came home and had another look on the internet and found fairly local golf pro shop over in Boldon called Golfworx. The guy was super helpful and his new clubs were cheaper than the golf factory used ones.

So he tested my swing and it turn out at the moment as beginner i have a very slow golf swing - approx 70mph, so he recommended so he recommended graphite shafts as he said my swing speed is not likely to increase more than another 15mph even with experience.

Either way i tested out the Clevland HB Turbo's and absolutely loved them - I found them much easier to pick up off the carpet, so bought a set with Graphite shafts for £470 which i thought was a fair price. I asked about the other clubs in my list and we talked through them - but he recommended the Clevland set, and i tried a few different clubs and none of them felt as nice as the clevland.

Rich

Thats where I got my G400s from. Although I purchased over the phone. Very helpful and very good customer service.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Hi RudeBhoy - I never thought about Arcot Hall, that's a very good suggestion as i'm just up on the outskirts of Shiremoor at the Bellway estate just up form earsdon, so not far away from you at all. For me Arcot hall is probably a 10 minute drive. Going to going and have a look at their website.

Arcot is a cracking club and course. If that's an option for you then get it right up the list ?.

Interesting comments about the Golf Factory. I haven't been for a while but the boom in golf has led to an increase in second hand clubs generally so I suppose it is no surprise their prices have increased in line. I'm pleased you are sorted and have gear you are happy with.

 

[Jensen]

Karl the guy at Golfworx is very helpful, based out of Boldon Golf Club. I got some Ecco golf shoes from him at a cracking price. He’s got a well stocked shop and has a good reputation for club fitting.

 

[ribuck]

Yeah the guy at Golfworx was really friendly and helpful and was more than happy for me to try out different clubs and test my swing speed. Clubs will arrive in a week, so dont have to wait too long. I asked about the G400's but he didn't have any in to try and said they were on a 8 week lead time. But that didn't bother me as my heart was always set on the Clevland HB Turbo's and i'm not bothered about any stigma attached to the look of them. I just wanted a good quality set of forgiving clubs.

Well once i can actually hit the ball, i'll maybe look to try a lesson on the course with a pro from Arcot - but thats a long way off yet.

 

[rudebhoy]

Cheers, appreciate it, as it looks like a nice club and the same price as Tynemouth.

have PM'd you about some free group lessons which are starting soon at Arcot.