The Auld and Ancient

[bobmac]

No, this isn't about you Smiffy
I've watched with interest and sometimes dismay at the amount of club buying and selling on here and it has to be said some of the juniors are the worst culprits. Sorry guys, it's true.
Its a shame that some adult golfers here cant even afford to join a golf club due to family commitments when juniors are flashing their e-money under everyone's noses.
But anyway, back to my questions.....
1. Who has the oldest club in their bag still being used on a regular basis, or does everyone have new shiny stuff?
2. Is there a junior in here (under 18) that hasnt bought a club this year?

 

[mono217]

Sorry to hear this bob but I have not bought one club my mum bought me a present but that is that at the moment I am trying to shift some stuff as im saving up.

Next year I want to join a second club not meaning to sound e-flashy or nothing just stating a fact.

I only buy a new club if I need it.

 

[feary]

I am a junior and i must admit i have bought a set of irons this year. I would have to agree to some extent about your statement. Some junior i know has gone through 6 drivers in the past year. That's ridiculous though.

Age- 14
h/c- 11

 

[krokodil]

Bob,

A set of Mizuno Tp-9 irons, I bought circa 1995 and they were 2nd hand when I bought them. Absolutely love them.

 

[mono217]

I am a junior and i must admit i have bought a set of irons this year. I would have to agree to some extent about your statement. Some junior i know has gone through 6 drivers in the past year. That's ridiculous though.

Age- 14
h/c- 11

Wow...

What is doing my head in is people requesting clubs on the site and you come up witht he exact one about four times they say they have hte money oon the OP then say oh I think ill buy this other one or I havnt got the money.

 

[Herbie]

When I was a teen it was a case of saving up weekend job money or paper round money for about 2 yrs to buy a set of golf clubs. Now its just flash that teens credit card or mummy and daddy open your wallet. Times have certainly changed in that respect.

I think most young people know the cost of everything today yet Im not so sure many of them(even some of their parents) know the value of anything much?

 

[Sneds]

These kinda threads bore me to tears.

Are people meant to stop posting about their new acquisitions because some people are struggling to pay golf fees? Or is it a specific gripe with juniors?

 

[DCB]

bobmac,

I think it is a sign of the times I'm afraid. When I was a youngster I had to make do with what I could afford, or rather what my parents could afford for me. I played with a mixed bag of clubs until I was working. Even then it took me a couple of years to buy a secondhand bag and some secondhand Irons. I thought I was made when that happened.

The youngsters of today are definately better off than we were. My parents couldn't afford to fund new clubs every time I wanted them. Neither could I. I must admit, I have put my hands deep into my pockets to get my own daughter new clubs this year. However, she will now have to make do with those for a considerable time.

When I was playing as a teenager, we used to be up to play before the starter arrived at Silverknowes in Edinburgh. We would then play another round in the early afternoon, we paid the extotionate sum of 5p for a round in those days. With 25p a week pocketmoney, we had to be carefull when we played. We walked to and from the golf course twice in a day. Not dropped off by our parents in the car.

Bottom line is, did I enjoy it ? Well I'm still at it so.....

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I agree up to a point where juniors have far more disposable income as individuals and through their parents and I'm not adverse for them to be bought a shiny set of the top of the range kit and their fees paid for. I do agree with Bob though that it smacks of being spoilt when you see these juniors then wanting an upgrade at the start of the next season just because they were last years model.I saw one 15/16 year old almost in tears and having a right hissy fit because daddy had said no at my local AG the other week. I don't know how the saleman kept a straight face. He had bought a set of X20's in October and now wanted the X20 tours. I overheard the guy say he was off 18 and thought (maybe incorrectly) that if he couldn't get lower with the X20's the Tours wouldn't help matters. His argument with dad was they would be better for him as they "looked better and had better shafts". I had a little smirk as he got redder and redder in the face and left him to it

 

[PeterPumpkinEater]

Unfortunately I think that we're in an age where the majority of kids are spoilt, they ask and they get.

I grew up in the 80's (born in 72) and had paper rounds, washed cars and did jobs around the house to get my money, which I saved and then bought the things that I wanted. It certainly taught me the value of money.

Time for the Monty Python sketch? The were 17 of us living in a shoe box in a septic tank........

 

[Imurg]

Of course - we 'ad it tough.........................

You tell the kids this today....................

Albatross!

I've got an old Seal 7 wood - shaped a bit like the TM Burner's of the early 90's. Steel shaft and Tour Velvet Wrap grip - it still goes 200 yards dead straight. Don't really know why its not in the bag - probably doesn't look the part!?

 

[John_Findlay]

Up until about 2 years ago I had an old bladed John Letters 1 iron which I had bought 2nd hand from a friend around 1987. Used it unerringly for 20 years. I loved the sensation I got from hitting a proper shot with that butter knife.

Unfortunately it suffered an ignominious demise at the hands of a fellow golfer.

Picking up a rather befuddled and still hungover friend for a round of golf in my car one morning I used it to wedge open my hatchback which was broken and wouldn't stay open at the time. I told my friend I was just popping to the shop for ciggies whilst he put his clubs in the boot. Yip, you guessed it. When I returned it lay shattered in half in the back. He hadn't noticed in his state of insobriety and just thought the door was stiff. See. Smoking does kill.

Funnily enough I haven't played with him since.

 

[JustOne]

Golf is a luxury. If you can't afford it go kick a ball round a field.

Not sure what the point of the post was but I couldn't care less what juniors are buying or not... all I can say is that if it helps their game then it's worth every penny.

 

[madandra]

Bob, I think we are missing the underlying problem here.

I think the pressure on the younger generation to have all the latest fashion, sneaks and gadgets may be finding its way into our golf clubs. I know a kid who played to a good level (off 10 at 15 years old) and he was slagged rotten because he used old clubs. Kids can be nasty to each other and they are the Meterialistic Generation so it is all about WHAT YOU HAVE GOT.

On a recent outing a guy was waliking up and down the bus showing anyone who was interested his 17 year old sons WATCH which cost him ......



.
.
.
.
£9,000


That is just sick.

 

[haplesshacker]

Bob, I think we are missing the underlying problem here.

I think the pressure on the younger generation to have all the latest fashion, sneaks and gadgets may be finding its way into our golf clubs. I know a kid who played to a good level (off 10 at 15 years old) and he was slagged rotten because he used old clubs. Kids can be nasty to each other and they are the Meterialistic Generation so it is all about WHAT YOU HAVE GOT.

On a recent outing a guy was waliking up and down the bus showing anyone who was interested his 17 year old sons WATCH which cost him ......



.
.
.
.
£9,000


That is just sick.

What the 'eck was he doing on a bus! Was the Bentley in for a service! Rhymes with Mossa!

With regard to the materialistic side of things. It's as ever it was!

When I was approaching my teens in the early 80's. It was what brand of portable tape player (Walkman) you had, how small it was etc. There was a lot of 'pen' snobbery as well. And god help you if you had the wrong bag. Same with shoes (slip on), socks (white terry towelling), school ties general were in two camps. Either the very short fat tail and huge knot worn loosly (the girls) or the boys used the thin section on show and had tiny knots. Ear rings, left ear only. Then there was footall teams (I didn't much care for it then either), music. Again I wasn't 'main stream' for my age group. And on and on etc.

Kids are cruel. Fact! Kids will pick on kids that are different. Fact!

It has always cost parents money to see their kids 'happy'. It was always thus, and will continue to be. And what you can be certain of. Is that what we think is cool, right etc. Won't be!

I don't agree with it. But it just 'is'!


How am I going to get round this with my son. Firstly he'll whip any kid in his choosen sport, and secondly he'll just have to beat the bejuse out of the kids that think he's different!

Not sure if that's the answer really. But it will cost me less!!

 

[backwoodsman]

Back to the first half of the OP...

I have a 18 (approx) year old Mizuno Widec 7 wood - been in the bag ever since I bought it new.

(Have to admit everything else is shiney new though - most recent stuff arrived only yesterday )

 

[haplesshacker]

Here's something from the archives. Well earlier this year!!


As the title says.

How spangly new is the gear in your bag? With so much stuff constantly being thrown at us, how tempted are we really?

For the hybrids / resues, degrees are approximate. Driver
Users may choose 1 (70 total votes)
Less than 6 months
22 31%

6 months to year
18 26%

1 to 2 years
20 29%

2 to 3 years
6 9%

3 to 4 years
2 3%

4 to 5 years
1 01%

5 years plus
1 01%


3 Wood
Users may choose 1 (60 total votes)
Less than 6 months
17 28%

6 months to year
11 18%

1 to 2 years
18 30%

2 to 3 years
7 12%

3 to 4 years
4 7%

4 to 5 years
1 2%

5 years plus
2 03%


5 Wood
Users may choose 1 (39 total votes)
Less than 6 months
9 23%

6 months to year
6 15%

1 to 2 years
11 28%

2 to 3 years
3 8%

3 to 4 years
3 8%

4 to 5 years
2 05%

5 years plus
5 13%


7 Wood
Users may choose 1 (7 total votes)
Less than 6 months
0 0%

6 months to year
0 0%

1 to 2 years
1 14%

2 to 3 years
2 29%

3 to 4 years
2 29%

4 to 5 years
0 0%

5 years plus
2 29%


17 deg rescue
Users may choose 1 (22 total votes)
Less than 6 months
7 32%

6 months to year
2 09%

1 to 2 years
9 41%

2 to 3 years
2 09%

3 to 4 years
2 09%

4 to 5 years
0 0%

5 years plus
0 0%


20 deg rescue
Users may choose 1 (34 total votes)
Less than 6 months
14 41%

6 months to year
8 24%

1 to 2 years
8 24%

2 to 3 years
3 9%

3 to 4 years
0 0%

4 to 5 years
1 3%

5 years plus
0 0%


24 deg rescue
Users may choose 1 (16 total votes)
Less than 6 months
4 25%

6 months to year
4 25%

1 to 2 years
6 38%

2 to 3 years
1 06%

3 to 4 years
1 06%

4 to 5 years
0 0%

5 years plus
0 0%


Irons
Users may choose 1 (72 total votes)
Less than 6 months
23 32%

6 months to year
14 19%

1 to 2 years
17 24%

2 to 3 years
9 13%

3 to 4 years
2 3%

4 to 5 years
2 3%

5 years plus
5 7%


Gap Wedge
Users may choose 1 (45 total votes)
Less than 6 months
18 40%

6 months to year
7 16%

1 to 2 years
14 31%

2 to 3 years
3 7%

3 to 4 years
1 02%

4 to 5 years
1 02%

5 years plus
1 02%


Sand Wedge
Users may choose 1 (66 total votes)
Less than 6 months
25 38%

6 months to year
13 20%

1 to 2 years
13 20%

2 to 3 years
3 5%

3 to 4 years
4 06%

4 to 5 years
1 2%

5 years plus
7 11%


Lob Wedge
Users may choose 1 (50 total votes)
Less than 6 months
16 32%

6 months to year
9 18%

1 to 2 years
14 28%

2 to 3 years
5 10%

3 to 4 years
3 06%

4 to 5 years
1 02%

5 years plus
2 04%


Putter
Users may choose 1 (73 total votes)
Less than 6 months
23 32%

6 months to year
13 18%

1 to 2 years
17 23%

2 to 3 years
4 05%

3 to 4 years
5 7%

4 to 5 years
0 0%

5 years plus
11 15%


Cart Bag
Users may choose 1 (48 total votes)
Less than 6 months
11 23%

6 months to year
10 21%

1 to 2 years
19 40%

2 to 3 years
5 10%

3 to 4 years
1 02%

4 to 5 years
0 0%

5 years plus
2 04%


Stand Bag
Users may choose 1 (54 total votes)
Less than 6 months
18 33%

6 months to year
12 22%

1 to 2 years
13 24%

2 to 3 years
6 11%

3 to 4 years
2 4%

4 to 5 years
1 2%

5 years plus
2 4%


Shoes
Users may choose 1 (71 total votes)
Less than 6 months
30 42%

6 months to year
17 24%

1 to 2 years
14 20%

2 to 3 years
8 11%

3 to 4 years
2 3%

4 to 5 years
0 0%

5 years plus
0 0%


Waterproofs
Users may choose 1 (65 total votes)
Less than 6 months
12 18%

6 months to year
17 26%

1 to 2 years
18 28%

2 to 3 years
5 8%

3 to 4 years
4 06%

4 to 5 years
3 5%

5 years plus
6 09%

 

[iwtuk]

I have a set of Mizuno tcd irons that I bought in about 1992 I think (on the back of a Faldo high, if memory serves!)

(1) Don't play enough really to warrent new sticks (although never say never...) and

(2) Love the look of the clubs even though they aren't the most forgiving in terms of how technology has moved on.

Still, new set of grips, a good clean, and voila - same of pile of you-know-what for a swing!

Ian

 

[Deleted member 1147]

As a junior I had a set of Howson Derby's, £60 worth of lead weights with the feel of 2by4.
I would go in the pro shop and lust after the shiny blades but couldn't afford them.
Then at 17 I got a deal from the pro for the TM Burner bubble irons which I kept for 10 years.
Now I have my Titleists which are 2-3 years old.
I recently got rid of my 10 year old wedge.

 

[slugger]

I started playing this brilliant game just before the start of last season and have since had to buy everything i need to play... every single club i have has been 2nd hand, vastly reduced from ebay or gifted to me.

It's the relatively recent clubs that you can get so cheap that amazes me. Folk must use clubs for about 2 months before upgrading.

I'm not complaining though...

It's their money so they can do what they want with it... sometimes though, i sit and think that money could be spent on more useful things that would lead to better golf or more enjoyment of the game - lessons, golfing holiday abroad, game at a top club etc etc.