OriginalSunshine

I've just started learning golf, and I'd like recommendations for places to buy a set - also any thoughts on brand, what clubs to get etc welcome.
Obv as a beginner I don't need a professional set, but neither do I want a cheap set that's heavy and will fall apart after a year or two.
If it helps, I'm a lightweight, and I found borrowing the club's set with graphite cores really nice, but I'm guessing those are super expensive?!

scrubbedexpat141

Golf club. Any out here, get a pro to help you a the club and see if you can try first?

Don't limit yourself too much. I got bought a half set of irons and sometimes not having a 4 or 5 is a bit frustrating.

OriginalSunshine

Ah -ok, but I don't live in the UAE, but will be visiting for shopping in a few weeks time.

So golf clubs are better than shops for buying a set?

scrubbedexpat141

I think so, unless big shops let you try; golf shop in Dubai Mall might be worth a visit. It's behind the fountain with men stuck out te wall.

Where do you live? In the UK? There a decent online golf stores if you work out what you want.

'Welivehere' will hopefully see the thread and give some more advice

OriginalSunshine

Nah, the non Iranian side of the Gulf.....

OriginalSunshine

found an online US store and apparently they ship here with around US$150 shipping costs... which is about the cost of a flight to Dubai for me, so cost neutral there.

so for a "full" set of clubs, what do I need?

scrubbedexpat141

This could be open to debate but:

Irons; '3-PW' it might be labelled but that's a 3,4,5,6,7,8,9 iron + Sand Wedge and Pitching Wedge.

Woods; Driver, 3 wood, maybe a 5 wood or a hybrid

That's a set of 12 clubs which will be fine...as well as letting you keep progressing on for a while.

NB:

Big loft driver (12 degrees) will help a lot to start.
Don't buy 'blade' irons, they're harder to hit, 'beginner' are fatter and more forgiving.
Get lessons

Welivehere

For a beginner I'd suggest a half set but if you do want to lean more towards a full set you'll want to look at something along these lines:

3 Wood
hybrid
5,6,7,8,9 irons, pitching wedge and sandwedge
and a putter....

The clubs in bold all usually come together ... You'll still need to add a driver, more wedges etc but you do that as you get more into the game.....

Brand is entirely up to to you, there really are so many and it really is budget dependent. Having said that unless you have cash to burn until you are convinced you're going to stick with it focus on a sets that are game improvement or super game improvement and I'd avoid high end brands like Mizuno, Titleist, Ping etc.

Cobra used to be a good mid-range buy....

Caveat: Offering advice on buying clubs is soooo hard and if there's anyway you can get advice from a pro that really would be the best route. Best bet, if you have a golf club near you is go talk to them, get their advice on what to buy and then ship in from the US.

Getting the right clubs really can make the game much harder / easier.

scrubbedexpat141

Err...I forgot to say putter.

WLH is right, 3 and 4 irons are probably not going to be much use initially.

Welivehere

Mate the only thing I use my 3 iron for is as an alignment aid on the range....

scrubbedexpat141

At least you've got one, smart arse.

Jokes aside, I get frustrated when I'm still, say, 180+ from the green and I've got my 6 iron that might get close to 160ish or a hybrid or 3 wood...neither of which are easy to hit straight (think I've fixed that for the hybrid which I now quite like hitting...but the 3 wood is just generally a shit club that only tossers can hit off the turf - as I shout after duffing it)

Welivehere

I'd take a hybrid over the 3 iron any day. I don't actually even carry the 3 iron any more : driver, 3W, 20deg hybrid, 4i-PW, 52, 56 and putter....

And 6 iron followed by a decent pitch is still a good shout. Anything at 180 - 200+ I always consider two easier shots as opposed to the Tiger shot which had disaster written all over it...

OriginalSunshine

what about this set?

http://www.edwinwattsgolf.com/ADAMS-...034971/Product

StublueKPL

golf clubs in dubai are more expensive than the UK.

I have just taken up golf last year and really struggled to get a decent set at a reasonable price. I found it next to impossible to get a left handed set as well.

I ended up ordering in the uk and getting them sent out. they took the VAT off and it ended up around half the price for the same set in the UAE (after delivery etc had been included)

mentalist

Have you tried Dubizzle? From my experience, it's rarely worth buying anything brand new here, especially as you probably don't really know how long you will be needing it.