Budget golfing can be tough. Buying a new-to-you set of clubs can certainly save you a ton of money, but what if you really want to have that ‘new bag feel’ just once in your life? Believe it or not, it’s really possible to build a budget set for far less than you think, you may just not recognize all the names in that bag when it’s finished. So, let’s get started with “our new $500 (or under) bag” and see what we end up taking to the course.
Driver – Bullet Golf- B52 Bomber 460cc Driver – Uniflex Graphite Shaft – $69.99
While Bullet Golf isn’t a household name, they do make some reasonably good quality clubs that perform pretty well for the price. You won’t be able to dial this one in too much, but it will have that new club smell that you really want to have in your new bag, so for $70, it’s a winner.
Runner’s Up - Srixon Golf Z-355 Driver - Wilson Golf- Staff Triton Driver
Fairway Wood – Bullet Golf- .357 Fairway Wood – Stiff or Regular shaft in 15° model – $29.98
Sticking with the Bullet woods for this round as well. A “3 wood” isn’t a club that will be used often, but if you need a bit more accuracy off the tee, the extra loft of this club will do wonders for your game. The $30 price tag will easily make the cut and the forgiveness in the head will help you make a bit better shots into the green or offer you a bit more control for those tighter tee shots.
Runner’s Up - Tour Edge Golf- Exotics XCG7 Fairway Wood - Affinity Golf- Xplode Fairway Wood
Irons - Tour Edge Golf- Exotics E8 Irons (7 Iron Set) – Stiff or Regular shaft – 4-PW - $199.99
The Tour Edge Exotics E8 Irons are a pretty impressive setup for the beginner/forgiveness seeking player. Overall, these rate very well with entry to casual players with the only complaint being the grips. Still at $200 for a full set of irons, it’s hard to argue with a full setup that performs this well.
Runner’s Up - Tour Edge Golf- Exotics E8 Combo Irons (7 Club Set) - Tour Edge Golf- Hot Launch 2 Irons (8 Iron Set)
Wedges - Ray Cook Golf RCX Black Nickel 3-Wedge Set – Uniflex 52°-56°-60° – $69.99
The Ray Cook RCX Black Nickel wedges may not be the most durable, long-term wedges around, but they will look good in your bag and perform beautifully for the casual player. They are available in both Black Nickle and a Silver finish to customize your look. The 52°, 56° and 60° will gap nicely with the Exotics E8 set and should give you a nice range down to short yardage situations. The best part, they cost under $25 a wedge when you purchase the 3 pack.
Runner’s Up - Wilson Golf Harmonized SG Chrome 3-Wedge Set - Solus Golf 420CS 3-Wedge Set
Putter - Ray Cook Golf- Silver Ray SR500 Center Shafted Putter – $39.99
Is that a TaylorMade Spider in your sub $500 bag? Nope, it’s a Ray Cook Silver Ray center shafted putter. The SR500 is easy to line up and get the ball rolling on the correct line and it does it at an extremely budget friendly price. For just $40, you get a top notch design that will help you make some putts – though practice will help way more than a putter ever will. The black finish will help you block out the sun reflection, but if you want to pony up $10 extra, they have Green, Red and White finishes also available.
Runner’s Up - Dunlop Golf- Tour #1 Putter - Ray Cook Golf- Silver Ray SR600 Putter - Dunlop Golf- NZ9 Putter
Bag - Ergonomix Golf Pro K 10-Way Stand Bag – $39.99
I’ll be the first to admit, if a bag is comfy to carry, it’s good enough for me. The Ergonomix Pro K is that type of bag, without many of the frills that drive the cost up. It doesn’t have a dedicated pocket for a water bottle or a range finder. It doesn’t have a separate putter pocket on the outside of the bag for when you cart your clubs. It is just a nice, lighter weight bag that carries your essentials on to the course and it’s priced aggressively to reflect that. At $40, it’s a deal to be had, even if it only comes in a strange black and green combo.
Runner’s Up - Hot-Z Golf HTZ Sport Plus Stand Bag - Ray Cook Golf- Polaris Stand Bag
Balls - OnCore Caliber Golf Balls – 2 dozen balls – $25.00
I was pretty impressed with both the Caliber and Avant balls from OnCore Golf. I preferred the Avant over the Caliber, but there may not be a better ball on the market for slower swing speeds than the Caliber. Around the greens, the Caliber performed amazingly well, but my 110+ MPH swing was just a bit more than the Caliber wanted to take on longer shots. It resulted in a fractional loss of distance for me verses the Avant, but that’s not saying you shouldn’t play it. The best part is, with the 2 dozen sale price, you get them for just over a buck a ball, which is much nicer if they find the water or woods compared to a $4 Titleist.
Runner’s Up - Wilson Staff TD Soft Golf Balls - Nitro Tour Distance Golf Balls - Dunlop DDH Golf Balls
That put’s the entire bag cost at $475.00, which leaves a bit of room for some tees, a towel and a few other fun gadgets. Here’s a small selection to get running on those:
Tees - 4 PTS Step Golf Tees (50 Pack) - Towel - Greens Towel- Microfiber Golf Towel Duo Pack - Divot Repair/Ball Marker - Softspikes Golf- Divot Repair Push Tool - G;pve - Snake Eyes Golf MLH Pro-Fit Tour Leather Glove
That should take us pretty close to the $500 mark total and includes just about anything you may need for a brand new bag setup. Now, before you ask, no, I do not get a dime from Rock Bottom Golf for this post, they just have some of the more aggressive pricing on budget gear that I have seen. You can also check out Budget Golf and of course, look at quality used gear as well to save a fortune on top brands (remember, after you hit them once, they aren’t going to be “new” anymore) that still have plenty of play left in them.
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