Reentering the world of the frustrating little white ball...
 

And I'm not talking about ping-pong.

I pretty much quit playing golf after my daughter was born about 12 years ago, right after I had a set of clubs fitted for me (Taylormade knockoffs). Now, my kids think they want lessons and my wife has been approached by a friend about joining a local country club (the price is right).

I'm thinking about getting a different set of clubs, something designed for medium to high handicap. I know past of my budget ought to go towards lessons. Part of my thought process for getting clubs also is pretty superficial - if I'm going to be playing at a CC, I don't want to have some sucky knock-offs. I remember being the kid with the shoes that looked like the good shoes, and the ribbing I got as a kid, so under these circumstances, getting a decent set of clubs might be a good idea (yeah, I know the status-symbol thing is stupid, but I didn't say I was going to get the most expensive set I could find).

I know the Callaway Big Bertha irons might not be too bad of a choice, but I'd appreciate some suggestions.

Go to globalgolf.com and check out their bargain barrel. I've had two friends who were total golf n00bs that I got completely outfitted (including a bag and shoes) with name brand equipment in excellent shape for less than 300 bucks.

Pm Herzig. He usually has 3 or 4 sets in his garage and he knows what is hot (and cheap) right now.

I have a little poem I'd like to read in honor of this occasion, if I may. Spaulding, get your foot off the boat! :"It's easy to grin / when your ship comes in / and you've got the stock market beat. / But the man worthwhile / is the man who can smile / when his shorts are too tight in the seat"...ah-ha-ha-ha. OK, Pookie, do the honors.

Well, I've got that going for me...which is nice.

If I were you:

For your irons, get a used set of Ping Eye 2s. They are the best irons ever made. You can use Ping's static fitting tool at pinggolf.com to give you an idea of the color code of irons you would need.

These will run you 150-200 dollars

For woods, look at some that are a couple of generations old, as the increase in technology in drivers plateaued in about 2005-06. Any model designed thereafter is going to offer you the same type of benefits.

Taylor Made's Burner Series are cheaper and easier to find use, and Callaway's BB Series (not the FT) will be easy to find at a reasonable price.

I'd shy away from Titleist (too hard to hit), even though the second hand market is flooded.

Your wedges will also be very important, but what is best for you depends on the kind of course you play. Given that you are a high handicapper, you'll want a SW with a lot of bounce for bunker shots, but that same wedge will be very hard for you to hit from the fairway without blading it. Turf conditions of the course also play a big factor into your decisions.

Putters are personal preference. A lot of people still swear by the Odyssey Two Ball Series or the Ping Anser and its related clone designs.

I'm about to go deep into Golf myself, I'll check this out.

I'm looking on Pinggolf.com, and kind find anything about the different colors of Eye2s. I'm looking at some used ones now, and don't know what the colors are about.

A buddy of mine sent this site to me. One of his coworkers ordered a Callaway driver and some Pro-V's. Apparently the Callaway looks and hits flawless, but he could tell that the Pro-V's were cheap knockoffs.

My buddy decided the risk was worth it and ordered a full set of Nike's (1,3,5W 3-9I, SW, PW, P & bag) for like $270. They haven't come in yet.

I'm not sure if I'd take the chance or not. I have a pair of Tommy Armour 345's that I've been playing with for 10 years now, so I'm past due for a new set.

i'd worry more about your swing and technique than the brand of clubs.

you talk about getting mocked for having knockoffs, but i can tell you that it's just as funny to see a total hacker sporting a nice set of sticks.

IDK what your budget is but I love my TaylorMade R7 XD Irons. Some of the best irons Ive ever played with.

The color code is a system that tells you what lie angle the club should be at.

Generally, taller golfers, and those who fight a fade need a more upright lie angle on the club (the toe of the club raising off the ground more)

Shorter golfers and those who hook the ball need a flatter angle.

This is not a universal system. YMMV, but it is a good idea of getting clubs that fit better than merely off the rack sets.

98% of people will fall in this range

Orange-2* flat
Red-1* flat
Black-standard
Blue-1* upright
Green 2* upright
White-3* upright.

Maroon, gold, (flat) and silver (upright) are the really whacky codes.

I used to shoot low-80's before I tore up my right knee, so I'm not a total hacker on the golf course. These days, when I've gone out, I've shot mid-90's, so I haven't completely lost control of my body mechanics.

I started playing golf two years ago. My golf score is still higher than my bowling score. And I'm not a bad bowler.

Most of my supplies that I don't buy from my pro I get at tgw.com. You can get a new set of Taylor Mades right now for about $350.

the equipment costs a s**tload, the rounds cost a s**tload.

no wonder i started playing disc golf instead. now i just have to figure out what to do w/ the small fortune in clubs i have in my garage.

i looked at that stuff the other day and then i looked at the piles of disc golf discs in the other corner and i calculated that all of my spare discs cost about as much as my wedges and my bag.