You can buy golf clubs from many, many different places. In this article, I’m going to list every single way that you can find and buy golf clubs for sale.
What are the benefits of each avenue though? What are the cons?
That’s what this article is all about!
So, without further adieu, here is every single way that you can find golf clubs for sale.
Buying Golf Clubs In A Sporting Goods Store
Buying golf clubs in a sporting goods store is only a good idea for a small, select group of people.
The only time I recommend buying from a sporting goods store like Dicks Sporting Goods, Academy Sports, or Sports Authority is when you are buying a complete set of clubs.
That is because a complete set of clubs is the only thing that you might actually save some money on when compared to buying online, which includes the high cost of shipping in the price.
If you are buying any other club or club set, you should do so elsewhere, which will save you tons of money. I find the average golf club or set of clubs is about 20-30% cheaper online. This is a decent amount of savings when you are talking about a $200 item.
Plus, if have read a few of my articles, you know that I am not usually a proponent of buying brand new golf clubs anyway.
I think used golf clubs offer way more value, and the money you save is worth the little bit of wear and tear already on the clubs.
If you do go in there to buy clubs other than complete sets, see if you can demo the club(s) that you are wanting to buy.
Make sure you bring in your old clubs (if you have any) to compare the distance and accuracy against your new options.
This is VERY IMPORTANT, because these hitting bays in the sporting goods stores are BLATANTLY LYING to you. No, you are not hitting this new driver 300 yards all of the sudden. The numbers on the ball tracker are boosted on purpose, to make you super excited about the golf club for sale and buy it ASAP with no concerns or regrets.
Pros: Good for buying complete sets. You can try out some clubs. Can walk out of store ready to play.
Cons: Can’t haggle. Golf ball tracker in the golf bay will lie to you to convince you to buy. Overpriced. Sales tax.
Buying Golf Clubs for Sale Online
This is by far my favorite option.
With the popularity of eBay, anyone can become a seller now. With more sellers, prices have gotten much more competitive (lower) in the past 10 years.
Online, you can practically find any club you could ever imagine, with any combination of shaft stiffness too. My advice to you is to check out my “Golf on a Budget” series of articles if you are looking for the best value clubs.
eBay is by far the best website to buy golf clubs for sale. If you are scared about buying from eBay, because “anyone can sell on eBay”, just know that their customer service department 99% of the time sides with the buyer.
This means that you can almost always get your money back if you are not 100% happy with your purchase. Trust me, I have been selling on eBay for a long time, and the buyer has always gotten the upper hand when disputes arise.
You can buy golf clubs for sale on eBay in three ways: buy it now, auction, and make an offer.
I would suggest buying it now if you know you won’t get a much better deal elsewhere. If they have a make an offer button, feel free to use. Just know that most sellers won’t reduce the price by a large percentage.
If you see an auction that you KNOW for sure that you want, add it to your watch list, and make a competitive bid in the last 10 seconds of the auction. If you auction title has a typo or if it ends at a weird time in the day (late or early), you have much better odds at getting a good deal.
There are some other websites as well that offer great deals. Check out 3Balls Golf and Dallas Golf, which are some of my other favorite options for discounted golf clubs for sale.
Pros: Much more options. Better prices. Great customer service for the buyer. Don’t have to pay sales tax.
Cons: Have to wait 2-5 days to actually use them. Can’t try out first. Can be a hassle if the seller doesn’t cooperate.
Buying Golf Clubs For Sale on Craigslist, Facebook MarketPlace, Facebook Groups, and the LetGo/OfferUp Apps
Buying golf clubs for sale that you find on local selling websites and apps is a very much hit-or-miss way to buy golf clubs.
I have had some great finds on Craigslist, such as great condition Mizuno irons sets and a nice putter collection that I flipped for a good profit.
I have also sold a decent amount of clubs through these platforms, because often time they are not worth putting on eBay and shipping out.
On platforms like Facebook, Craigslist, and selling apps, I recommend just typing in “golf” in the search feature of the website and app. Why is this? Because if you type in “TaylorMade irons” you will miss out on every brand besides TM, and you might not even get results for when people type “Taylor Made”.
If you type in “golf clubs”, you’ll miss out on tons of listings of golf balls, bags, shoes, etc. Plus, many people don’t even type the word “clubs” when they are trying to sell their item. They might just list “Wilson Golf Irons”.
So, try to make the search as broad as possible. The downside to this? You will have to filter through all of the old, rusty golf clubs that mom’s are trying to sell for $100. Here’s the way I look at it though: it takes .5 seconds to look and scroll past a bad listing, so just do it!
It’s much better to have this broad search term of “golf” than to miss out on a possible gold mine of golf clubs for sale.
Once you find something for sale that you are interested in buying, send the seller a message like this (not a bad idea just to copy and paste it)
“Hey ______ (Name)! Is your ________ (golf item for sale) still available? I’d be very interested in buying it today if we can agree on a price.”
I have found a lot of success with this “script,” if you want to call it that. Let’s break it down.
- Hey (name)!: shows that you are interested in the club and serious about buying it. Everyone favorite word is their own name, so it’s nice to use it when it’s available. If you know the seller is older, I always like calling them Mr. or Mrs. (Name) to show respect. It definitely can’t hurt.
- Is your (golf item for sale) still available?: This makes the seller put some effort into the conversation and answer whether it is available. The more time and effort that they put into the conversation, the more inclined they will be to sell to you.
- I’d be very interested…: This shows that you are serious about meeting and paying them immediately. Selling golf clubs on platforms like this can be exhausting and often times a waste of time, so once a serious buyer comes into play, the seller will try to close the deal.
Once they reply, ask them the lowest price that they would accept, or make an offer. Don’t be afraid to lowball them a little, because you have to leave some room for them to haggle the price up and feel good about themselves.
Be strong, as I can almost guarantee they would prefer the cash instead of the clubs at that point.
Don’t forget to check different facebook golf club selling groups near you. For example, there are a couple Alabama Golf Club Selling Groups that I see get a lot of actions.
Pros: Can haggle. Can find some incredible deals where people just want the clubs for sale gone. Can research at the comfort of your house. No sales tax.
Cons: Might have to drive far away. Can deal with some creepy people. Have to filter through old golf clubs that no one wants.
Buying Golf Clubs for Sale at Yard Sales
People just want to get rid of the items at the end of the day, so they are typically willing to let everything go for a good price. Take advantage!
I don’t go to yard sales only for golf clubs, but I have found some great items! I bought a Titleist 913 Driver in great condition a couple years ago for $30. I’ve also bought a Bushnell rangefinder for $25.
Check Craigslist “garage sales” section and type in garage sale or yard sale into facebook to see some local ones you can go to this weekend.
In my area, there are typically 3-4 Craigslist posts and 2-3 facebook posts about sales near me each week.
So, I take all of their addresses and determine which ones I want to go to earliest in the morning. The least attractive sale will be my last destination typically. I have found that the earlier the better, as good items are typically bought quickly by yard sale veterans.
Be friendly to everyone you talk to at a garage sale. Say “hello” or “good morning” to those running the sale. It can make negotiating a little easier once you find something you like.
Pros: People want to get rid of stuff. Can haggle. Can use the clubs the same day. No sales tax.
Cons: Have to drive. Some yard sales are absolute crap. Have to find the right neighborhood, preferably one with a golf course.
Buying Golf Clubs at Thrift Stores
Ha! Good luck filtering through all of the junk.
Seriously though, I frequent thrift stores all the time to find stuff to sell on eBay. Maybe it’s just the area I live in, or the fact that people don’t like donating golf clubs, but I have NEVER found a good set of clubs at a good price. It is always those same clubs, most being 20 -40 years old at this point, that no one wants.
Actually, I have bought two clubs. I bought an old wooden driver and a 2 iron to have some fun at the range with.
Now that I think about it, I highly recommend doing this. The clubs are typically just a couple dollars each, but my friends have had at least $30 worth of fun with them! 🙂
I’ve heard of a couple lucky people finding Scotty Cameron putters at their local Goodwill, but I don’t see that in my future, based on past results.
I’m still always going to check though!
Pros: You never know what you will find.
Cons: You know for SURE that the same old, worthless golf clubs for sale will be their for years to come.
Buying Golf Clubs from Friends
Buying golf clubs among friends is probably more common than you might think.
Sometimes a golfer just loses trust in a certain club, and his friend has mentioned many times that he wishes he had it.
Therefore, it just makes sense for the club (and some money) to trade hands and go to a happy home.
Buying and selling anything between friends can be tough though. Should the seller offer you a friend discount? Typically, yes, at least a small one.
But, the seller COULD also just sell the club another way and get more money, so don’t completely rip off the seller just because you are friends.
Pros: Friend discounts. Can use ASAP. No sales tax.
Cons: Can be difficult to sell between friends.
Buying Golf Clubs for Sale on Forums
If you are a frequent member of a golf forum, this could be a good way to buy golf clubs for sale.
Typically, there will be a forum section for buying and selling equipment. This is where members will post their items for sale and allow members to reply or contact them if they are interested in buying.
The more well known you or the seller is on this forum, the better. That way, your reputations are at risk and both parties will probably cooperate.
Avoid buying from new members as they might be scams or counterfeit clubs.
You will probably have to have a Paypal account for this to work. The seller might try to get you to pay through the “friends and family” payment method, which takes no fees from the seller. However, if something is wrong with the item, just know that it will b very difficult to get Paypal to help you get a refund.
Pros: Lots of great options. Multiple forums. Reliable if you use Paypal’s “good and services” feature.
Cons: Need a Paypal account. Will take a while to ship. Complex process overall.
