Equipment
Bargain Challenge: Putting together a set of clubs for $500
You have a golf trip planned in two weeks. One day after work, you head to your car to hit the range and get some grinding in for the trip. As you walk to your car you notice your car has been broken into and your clubs are gone. Not good. You need new clubs for the trip but aren’t in a position to shell out the $2,000-$3,000 for a brand new set. What are your options? I recommend hitting the used market.
Every year, thousands of used golf clubs go on the market. Some of the clubs had a rough life and some have barely been hit. As an exercise to see what you can get for your dollar, I browsed one of the web’s largest used golf equipment sites (3balls.com) with a budget of $500 for a full set of clubs in my specs. What I found was really interesting.
Rules: 14 clubs for under $500 shipped. As close to my specs as possible.
Driver

Since I play a low loft driver with a low launch, low spin shaft, I knew I was in for a challenge with finding a driver. Once I took a minute to search, I found this beauty of a driver. I remember hitting the Ping G10 back in the day, and it was one of the most forgiving drivers at the time. Plus, it was very close to my specs at standard length, 7.5 degrees, and a mid-launch Grafalloy shaft.
Wood

While searching for a 3-wood, I had two things in mind, I needed a X-stiff shaft, and I needed it to be heavy. After about five minutes, I found this great Titleist 913 with a heavier X-stiff shaft. Normally I play a 13-degree 3-wood, and this 3-wood would allow me to loft it down to get the desired flight. Really a solid deal for $50.
Hybrid

In an ideal world, I’d be hitting a 2-iron or a driving iron here. The problem is that driving irons can sell for $100-plus fairly easily, so that was out of budget. After searching, I found a nice 17-degree hybrid from Ping with an X-stiff shaft. The shaft is a little lighter than I would like, but it is not a bad pick up for 80 bucks.
Irons

I knew I would want to spend the majority of my money on some solid irons. After searching, with the parameters being a 3-PW set with X100 shafts, I found this great Titleist combo set. I current play a MB/CB combo from another company, so this set fits well with what I am looking for if I was to replace my current set. All of this for $200.
Wedges


Wedge shopping was hard because I needed a lob wedge with good grooves and a gap wedge that wasn’t trash. I got really lucky with the Ping lob wedge. It is in very good condition which is really what matters for the grooves since I will be using it greenside. Since it is blue dot, I can get it sent to ping to be adjusted for my specs. For the gap wedge, I picked up a heavily used 52-degree. Ideally, I would have more money for a slightly better grooved GW.
Putter

Can’t go wrong with a White Hot in my preferred length. Not much more to say.
Total

Equipment
Why Rickie Fowler is switching to a shorter driver at the PGA Championship
In a golf world where players are looking to eke out every yard possible, usually by lengthening their drivers to add clubhead speed, there’s one player at the PGA Championship who’s going in the opposite direction. In fact, for Rickie Fowler, his goal off the tee is not about gaining extra distance or yards north to south, but rather about shrinking the misses from east to west.
Ahead of the PGA Championship and the week prior at the Truist Championship. Fowler mentioned to Cobra Tour Rep Ben Schomin that the driver didn’t quite swing feel the same as everything in the bag. As a result, and with Schomin’s suggestion to try and sync everything up with the big stick, Fowler decided to test out a shorter length shaft.
“He’s been at 45 (inches), and he’d been at 45 for a few weeks, 44 1/8 (inches) is really is where he is been living really for the most part, for the last couple of years, and is where he is been comfortable,” Schomin told GolfWRX. “It just felt like it was a little long and loose on him.”
Interestingly, Fowler ranks 40th in Driving Accuracy this year on the PGA Tour. It’s his most accurate season with the driver since the start of the decade. But sometimes for players, feel is more important than statistics.
“It was really more of a trying to get the swing to feel the fluidness from club to club to club to try to get it to feel the same,” Schomin added. “And so we took it down to 43 and a quarter, and it was a touch of a ball speed loss, just based on that overall club head speed. But honestly, he squared it up probably a little better. The right miss wasn’t nearly as far. So really, overall down-range dispersion tightened up a fair amount, and he felt confident in swinging it.”
The change in length had Fowler’s caddie, Ricky Romano, beaming at how well he had driven during Tuesday’s practice round at Aronimink. So much so, he was asking Schomin not to suggest changes anymore.
Fowler’s shaft-shortening is one of a few driver adjustments he’s made this season, and to Schomin’s credit, it’s thanks to the fact that he and the rest of the Cobra team had Fowler fit very well into three of the four heads in the Cobra OPTM lineup.
“He had three distinct drivers and the biggest decision was trying to decide which worked best at that time,” Schomin told GolfWRX previously. “He’s played the majority of the season with OPTM X, but has also played a couple of tournaments with OPTM LS. His overall driving stats have been good.”
At the RBC Heritage earlier this spring, Fowler switched drivers, changing from his Cobra OPTM X and into the Tour, low-loft Max K model that Gary Woodland used to win just a few weeks prior.
Now for the PGA Championship, Fowler’s back in the X head, but still using the UST Mamiya LIN-Q PowerCore White 6TX shaft, just a little bit shorter.
“Will he stay there? I’m not sure,” Schomin added. “Could we end up say at like 43 and 7.5 (of an inch). If it’s giving him the same feel of consistency through the bag, then I think we might end up just a touch longer. But if he likes where he is at, he’s confident where he is at, that’s really all that matters.”
If there’s more testing, though, just don’t tell his caddie.
Equipment
GolfWRX Launch Report: 2026 Titleist GTS drivers
What you need to know: As is customary for the Fairhaven-based company, Titleist officially announced today that its GTS drivers are headed to retail, following a successful tour release. The GTS2, GTS3, and GTS4 drivers will be available in golf shops June 11.
Since debuting at the Texas Children’s Houston Open, the new GTS lineup has quickly gained traction on the PGA Tour, with more than 50 players already making the switch to a GTS2, GTS3, or GTS4 driver. Among them are Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth.

Justin Thomas’ Titleist GTS2 driver (Greg Moore, GolfWRX)
According to Titleist, the GTS series builds upon the performance foundation established by the GT Series, while introducing several major technological advancements, including a new Split Mass Frame construction, refined aerodynamics, and an updated Speed Sync face design.

2026 Titleist GTS drivers: What’s new, key technology
Split Mass Frame and thermoform body
At the center of the new GTS lineup is a redesigned internal structure: the Split Mass Frame. This technology works with a full-thermoform body made from Titleist’s Proprietary Matrix Polymer (PMP), a lightweight composite that enables engineers to reposition mass more efficiently throughout the head. Compared to the previous GT generation, GTS drivers feature nearly double the PMP material, increasing from 13 grams to 26 grams, while maintaining the sound and feel preferred by better players.
The weight savings from the thermoform construction allowed Titleist engineers to strategically separate mass placement inside the head. Specifically, more weight is pushed rearward to improve stability and forgiveness, while additional mass is positioned low and forward to optimize speed, launch, and spin.
In short, golfers are able to maintain ball speed and consistency across both centered and off-center strikes.

Faster aerodynamics
Titleist also refined the aerodynamic shaping of the GTS heads to help players generate more clubhead speed.
The tails of the new GTS2 and GTS3 heads have been raised compared to previous models, helping airflow stay attached to the crown and sole longer during the swing. According to Titleist, the improved airflow reduces drag and increases speed without affecting launch conditions or center of gravity placement.
Typically, aerodynamic gains can compromise forgiveness or launch characteristics, but the weight savings from the Split Mass Frame allowed engineers to preserve preferred CG locations.

New Speed Sync face
The new Speed Sync Face design is engineered to improve ball speed retention across a larger portion of the face. A reinforced perimeter structure helps maximize face deflection and COR on centered strikes, while the upper portion of the support ring is opened up to increase speed on high-face impacts, a common strike location for many golfers. The face also features a variable thickness design to preserve speed and performance across a wider impact area.
Expanded adjustability
Each GTS model includes a dual-weighting system to fine-tune launch, spin, and shot shape more precisely than previous generations. GTS2 uses interchangeable forward and aft weights, while GTS3 and GTS4 combine a rear weight with an adjustable forward track weight system.
Tour-inspired face graphics
The new lineup features redesigned high-contrast face graphics to improve alignment and framing at address, according to Titleist. Sharp visual lines are designed to make it easier to center the golf ball and to perceive loft more easily at setup.

Additional model details
GTS2

- The GTS2 is the most forgiving model, designed for golfers seeking maximum stability and consistent speed across the face.
- It produces high launch with mid spin and features a larger, confidence-inspiring profile behind the ball.
- Standard weighting includes an 11-gram forward weight and a 5-gram rear weight, with additional fitting configurations available.
GTS3

- The GTS3 is aimed at players who want more control over launch, spin, and shot shaping.
- Compared to GTS2, the GTS3 offers lower launch and spin while featuring a more compact profile and deeper face design preferred by many stronger players.
- The head features an adjustable forward-track weight system to further fine-tune center of gravity placement.
GTS4

- The lowest-spinning option in the lineup, GTS4 is built for golfers looking to reduce excessive spin and maximize total distance.
- Unlike previous “4” models from Titleist, the new GTS4 features a full 460cc profile that improves forgiveness and stability while retaining its low-spin DNA.
- Like GTS3, it includes a forward track weighting system for precise fitting adjustments.

What Titleist says
“When we talk about driver design, it’s never about the one feature or benefit — it’s about all of them,” said Stephanie Luttrell, Titleist’s Senior Director of Metalwood R&D. “Ball speed, forgiveness, spin stability, adjustability, exceptional sound and feel… these are all attributes that golfers care about. It’s our job to design a lineup that elevates performance across the board without sacrificing in key areas, and we feel we’ve done that with GTS.”
“We know that forward CGs drive speed with great launch and spin characteristics, but you need to be able to do that with an inertial stability that still preserves ball speed, launch and spin consistency on off-center hits,” Luttrell said. “We’ve never before been able to hit these CG positions and inertia properties at the same time, and we’re achieving that because of GTS’ construction.”
Club Junkie’s take
I feel like every time there is a new Titleist wood release, I figure they can’t outdo their previous driver. And every year, I am wrong and impressed with the performance. The GTS fits right into that narrative again, as I didn’t know where Titleist could go from GT, but they pushed the limits again, and my fitting proved the smart people there found ways to improve.
My past four Titleist drivers have been a 2 series as my swing typically requires a little height, spin, and forgiveness so I figured I would just get a new GTS2 and be on my way. During the fitting, I was impressed by the new GTS construction, its added PMP material, and the advanced adjustability on each model. My fitter, Joey, got to work putting together a GTS2 and we started there. The launch and spin were great, and the consistency on misses was very tight. My average ball speed with the GTS went up a little bit as the new Speed Sync face creates more speed away from the center.
Joey then built up a GTS3 in 11 degrees, but I figured this wouldn’t have the stability I needed for tight dispersion on my miss hits. That thought was quickly erased after a few shots, and I really liked the more center start line and reduced draw on the misses I was seeing. We tried a few different settings and shafts to dial in the details in order to get the best fit. Having a forward and rear weight in the head allowed Joey to set up the GTS3 with a heavier rear weight to keep the launch and spin up, while the Sure Fit hosel set flat created a more center start line for me. My misses were not nearly as far left, and I was really impressed with the consistency on the spin and launch when I didn’t hit it in the center.
Titleist again created a wood line in GTS that delivers improvements over previous drivers while keeping the traditional look and feel you expect. More adjustability, better off-center speed, and 3 drivers that are playable over a wider range of players should make these extremely successful in fittings.
Pricing, specs, availability
GTS2 lofts: 8, 9, 10, 11 degrees (RH/LH)
GTS3 lofts: 8, 9, 10, 11 degrees (RH/LH)
GTS4 lofts: 8, 9, 10 (RH/LH)
Featured shafts
- Project X Titan Black
- Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White
- Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Blue
- Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Red
Premium shafts
- Graphite Design Tour AD DI
- Graphite Design Tour AD VF
- Graphite Design Tour AD FI
Available for fittings and pre-sale now.
In golf shops worldwide beginning June 11.
Price: $699 (standard), $899 (premium)
Equipment
Titleist launches new GTS2 and GTS3 fairways
Titleist has today introduced its new GTS2 and GTS3 fairways.
Lower and deeper center of gravity (CG) positions, new adjustable heel-toe weights and advanced clubface innovations drive total performance in the two tour-proven models.
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Duncan Cheslett
Dec 27, 2018 at 1:12 pm
This guy went one better.
A set of clubs for £25 ($30)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrmZ1v_N0ns
Big White Eggplant
Dec 20, 2018 at 11:03 pm
The guy talking about the Wal Mart set is trolling. Don’t take the bait. It would have been a better experiment if the clubs had to be made in the 1999s.
ChipNRun
Dec 20, 2018 at 12:27 am
It’s hard to play this game with the limited graphics of this Comment box. I assembled a set for $632 – including a bag which is a handy way to carry clubs. The specs were for someone who wanted basically S-flex, right-handed clubs.
I can’t paste the JPEG summary grid for the set with Comment box limitations. Here is line-item report:
* Titleist 909D3 Driver 10.5°/ $49
* Tour Edge Exotics EX9 4W 16.5° / $51.99
* Tour Edge Exotics EX9 3H Hybrid 19° / $51.99
* Titleist CB 714 Forged Irons 4-PW / $244.99
* Edel TRP Trapper 50* & 55* & 60* Wedges / $99
* Ping ANSER 2 Putter / $49.00
* GoPlus Blue 4-Divider Stand Bag / $45.99
(Shipping costs, when not free, totaled $41.00
Rick
Dec 17, 2018 at 1:03 am
I can afford a better driver if I spend less on those Hybrid and fairway 3 wood. Maybe enough for a Golf balls, tees and shoes… don’t forget lunch!
Loc
Dec 15, 2018 at 1:26 am
Don’t you need a bag to carry these, lol!
Kirk
Dec 15, 2018 at 1:12 am
Very easy to build a great bag for cheap, golf clubs drop off quickly once you move away from current year….after owning all current stuff last 5 or yrs now my gamer bag is all 3 yr or older clubs…(do have new stuff but not played consistently) and there is no loss anywhere in performance….can buy brand new set of Hopkins cb irons for $199, new gear is nice to have but extremely highly over rated usually by those who have inconsistent games….anything within last 10 yrs is sufficient if you have anything that resembles a decent swing….
bj
Dec 14, 2018 at 7:31 pm
905R 8.5
Vsteel 16.5
Adams boxer 20*
R9TP irons 4-pw
TM Y Cutter wedges 50,54,58
cameron futura or odyssey 2ball 33″
James
Dec 14, 2018 at 8:47 pm
So? Did you buy all that for under $500?
Maxflier
Dec 14, 2018 at 5:29 pm
“Bargain” condition clubs can be pretty rough sometimes…
shawn
Dec 14, 2018 at 6:59 pm
… particularly the chipped and scarred graphite shafts on the driver and fairways. Be prepared for a clubhead flying off the shaft or snapping the shaft at the hosel. Never a s s ume the graphite shafts are secure and solid. Caveat emptor…
Shallowface
Jan 14, 2019 at 9:55 am
Agree completely. $500 is a lot of money if one ends up with a bag full of junk. When I read something like this I come to the conclusion that it’s no wonder so many people are broke if this is any example of the decision making process they use in making purchases.
Jagbor
Dec 14, 2018 at 3:58 pm
OR you could just go to a reputable custom clubmaker,like me, and I can build a set that is actually fitted to your game/swing etc. All the shafts would be the same instead of a mixed bag of…… Anyways…a bit ridiculous in my opinion…sorry
Dave r
Dec 14, 2018 at 3:47 pm
Hey Ogo are you the Smiz in cogneto . Relax buddy
ogo
Dec 14, 2018 at 7:00 pm
Who is “Smiz”? … in congeto[sic] …. lol
Dave r
Dec 14, 2018 at 7:35 pm
Sorry ment to say incognito the Smiz sometimes went postal on here (lol) also
Scott
Dec 14, 2018 at 11:31 am
You need better car / home insurance. You should be able to get your set replaced with a $250 or $500 deductible instead of sorting though a rummage bin.
SkiBum
Dec 14, 2018 at 1:55 pm
It’s a hypothetical, it’s not about car insurance. And the clubs he acquired are hardly “rummage bin” quality. Hey, it’s everyone’s choice. If people want to open your wallet and overpay for new release, they’ll add 10 yards, overhyped clubs, have at it. The club makers are hoping people will fall for the hype. But as Trey showed, with a little searching on the internet, you can put together a whole set for about the same as that new driver.
Hell, if that Web.com Q school guy could shoot 63 and qualify for the tour using a made up set after his clubs were stolen, it helps to prove the old saying, “it ain’t the wand-it’s the wizard wielding it”
James
Dec 15, 2018 at 8:04 pm
If your insurance covered replacement clubs would you buy the same clubs you already have?
Speedy
Dec 14, 2018 at 1:59 pm
Bingo!
Gerald Teigrob
Dec 14, 2018 at 4:54 pm
I would stay away from Ping myself and I was able to get some demo Cobra irons from my golf course as an employee for trading in my own clubs – Adams Redlines and Adams A7 irons. So I ended up with better clubs (Bio Cells and Baffler XLs) than I came in with.
Sydney
Dec 14, 2018 at 10:58 am
I think you can do better than “bargain” condition…. unless you are brand new to the game, why buy woods with sky marks and irons with worn grooves?
joro
Dec 14, 2018 at 10:56 am
Newer is not alway better, just more expensive.
golfer
Dec 14, 2018 at 10:55 am
Adams.
fanboy
Dec 14, 2018 at 9:46 am
had to do this in college after a mishap with clubs. Put together a bag built around some nice used ping irons and hand me downs from teammates for less than 400$ and used it in competition.
James
Dec 14, 2018 at 9:43 am
I’m thinking the author got a skewed deal on his clubs… usually clubs that are senior flex, EXTRA STIFF FLEX and left-handed are significantly less expensive to buy used. I’d like to see a similar set-up with Stiff shafts. Bet we’re talking around $800 now.
Cyril Zupan
Dec 14, 2018 at 8:46 am
Good work….
Nothing wrong with those setups!
Lots of good shots left in those sticks!
shawn
Dec 14, 2018 at 12:50 pm
Not for a 15 y.o. boy who is just starting the game! Get him new clubs from Walmart and he will be happy.
Dad
Dec 28, 2018 at 3:39 pm
Shut the hell up Shawn. Literally no one wants to read your shit comments.
Rob Ever
Dec 14, 2018 at 12:27 am
Everything in my bag is used. My bag is used. I don’t buy much from shops like 3balls as their trade in prices are low and their resale prices are high. Find a local shop that deals in used clubs and you’ll walk out with a full set of clubs and a bag too!
ogo
Dec 14, 2018 at 12:57 pm
Obviously you are not a WRX forum gearhead who looooves his exotic golf clubs… all made in China even though they are branded with a USA or Japanese company.
Simms
Dec 14, 2018 at 12:16 am
Whats really sad is to take that same idea and look at the trade in value places sale used clubs offer verse what they sell them back for…that $500 comes at about $250 or less in trade in value…..if you have any time at all Ebay will save you the most…
Aristotle
Dec 13, 2018 at 9:49 pm
“I recommend hitting the used market.”
-Socrates
Tommy
Dec 13, 2018 at 6:31 pm
A few months ago I took on the challenge to put together the best set I could for a friend’s 15 year old son who is taking up the game. Here is what I was able to purchase, mostly on eBay (including from some larger resale companies). All of the purchased clubs are in excellent 9/10 condition and the driver and 3 wood were virtually new. Here is what I was able to put together for $290
TM Burner Superfast 2.0
Cobra Bio-Cell 3-4 FW
Adams 9031 Pro Black Hybrids- 20*, 23*
Taylormade R7 Irons 4-9, SW
Cleveland CG10 PW- 46*, 54*
Cleveland 588 Black -60*
Ping Karsten Anser 2
New SuperStroke TX-1 Grips
Titleist Stand Bag
Includes all headcovers, etc
Robert S. Sewell
Dec 13, 2018 at 6:21 pm
What about a bag?
ogo
Dec 13, 2018 at 6:07 pm
Why is the Odyssey putter $65 while the full set of Ti tleist 3-PW irons only $200 ?!! You can buy a brand new $25 Walmart zinc die cast knockoff that will do the job equally well… unless you are ashamed and need a used status putter for your fragile ego!!!
ogo
Dec 13, 2018 at 6:12 pm
HEY.. GOLF WRX STAFF…. WHY IS THE FORUM SWEARBOT FILTER SO SENSITIVE TO A PERCEIVED SWEAR WORD BURIED IN A LONGER WORD…. LIKE “T I Tleist” ????!!!!!!
CAN’T YOU FIX OR SHUT OFF YOUR STUPID FILTER TO ELIMINATE THIS LUDICROUS SITUATION ??!!!!!
RJ
Dec 14, 2018 at 8:57 am
Hey OGO – Are you sponsored by Nitro Blasters Golf from Walmart?
Shopping for golf clubs st Walmart is like saying a Yugo is the same as a Corvette.
ogo
Dec 14, 2018 at 12:54 pm
… and you are obviously a gearhead who has impeccable taste and solid opinions on overpriced OEM clubs…. from Japan.
ogo
Dec 14, 2018 at 1:00 pm
I bet you looove to shop for new golf clubs on a weekly basis at yer local big box golf store… and you know all the sales people with whom you can discuss all the technical stuff.
Funkaholic
Jan 17, 2019 at 8:43 am
OGO just say you are too poor to play this game even at a discount and move on.
ogo
Dec 13, 2018 at 6:06 pm
Why is the Odyssey putter $65 while the full set of Titleist 3-PW irons only $200 ?!! You can buy a brand new $25 Walmart zinc die cast knockoff that will do the job equally well… unless you are ashamed and need a used status putter for your fragile ego!!!
JP
Dec 13, 2018 at 5:41 pm
Best and most spot on article I’ve seen here in a while. Good job.
Hard to debate any of those choices. All well done
Chris Stallard
Dec 13, 2018 at 5:37 pm
Fantastic choices…. only query I have is hybrid is $80 and driver is $50…. I’d try to flip that around and perhaps get a better driver
ht
Dec 13, 2018 at 5:22 pm
love this! I have this conversation with my buddy all the time and, in my opinion, I think it can be done cheaper
Adam
Dec 13, 2018 at 4:16 pm
Fully endorse the Odyssey. I game an Odyssey White Hot that I bought on eBay for $22 and it’s awesome and works for me like magic. Would not give it up even if someone handed me a $500 putter right now.
ogo
Dec 14, 2018 at 1:02 pm
… but how can you flaunt your status clubs if they are not bought new?
Seth Mischke
Dec 13, 2018 at 2:40 pm
Would totally bag that set up and feel great about it! Overrated technology CAN be.
Shu
Dec 13, 2018 at 2:19 pm
I started this same experiment last year and my original goal was under $100. I quickly realized this would be harder than I thought so I raised it to the price most spend on a new off the rack driver ($400). Goal was to shoot around my handicap (4) with the setup. Mainly to prove to my friends that keep blowing money on new clubs that learning how to hit them is more important. Current setup is Titleist 910 driver, Adams rpm 3 wood, Adams hyrbid, Titleist 762 3-P, Cleveland 588 wedges, Oddyssey putter. Total cost was around $350. It’s actually been a pretty fun project.