Brand new Golf Irons are expensive! Have you priced how much a full set of Golf Irons costs lately? Ouch! If you are like me, you'd rather spend your money PLAYING golf than spending the kid's inheritance on golf clubs. Fortunately, there are several options that can save you a lot of money and still give you a great set of Golf Irons.

Option 1: Buy Certified Used Golf Irons

If you are set on getting name brand equipment but don't want the steep price, your best option is to get certified pre-owned golf clubs. These are golf clubs that you buy from a reputable reseller. Certified used clubs have been tested for defects and graded for wear and tear and in some cases refurbished or re-gripped. There are several places to find certified used golf clubs. The best places are:

1. Callaway Irons at Callaway Preowned Golf
2. GolfSmith Pre-Owned Golf Clubs and
3. TGW (The Golf Warehouse).

Please keep in mind that used clubs were not designed specifically for you. The previous owner may have been shorter or taller. He or she may have had a faster swing or a slower swing. So pay attention to shaft type and flex.

Option 2: Forget Used -- Buy New Custom Clubs

Even though this option is listed second, in our experience it is actually the best option. We aren't talking about buying cheap, low-quality, off-the rack irons. You can get serious, quality irons that play just as well as name-brand Golf Irons at a fraction of the price (about 1/4 of the cost). I'm absolutely serious! There are several custom golf manufacturers that sell factory direct to you. They don't pay big endorsement fees to PGA tour pros and they don't spend any money on exorbitant TV or magazine advertising. Instead they build quality clubs, fit exactly to you, and pass the savings on to you. You only pay for the equipment, not the "marketing." The best domestic custom golf club manufacturer we have found is GigaGolf and that is where I personally buy all of my new clubs. If you want more info, check them out. They have Callaway clones, Taylor Made clones and Ping clones as well as some really innovative new Hybrid iron sets. You can buy their irons in sets or individually, and can mix and match fairway woods and hybrids to configure your set exactly how you like it. They have a one year warranty on all their clubs and a 30 day money back playability guarantee - if you don't like the clubs for any reason, just send them back. Their online eFit system will make sure you get clubs that fit to you to a tee. You can't beat that! So be sure to check out GigaGolf before you try these other options.

Option 3: Buy Used Golf Irons on eBay

This is the third option because you should only use eBay if you know what you are doing. Don't get me wrong - there are some great deals to be found on eBay but you have to understand the culture and some of the tactics used by sellers there, otherwise you can get burned. But don't let that scare you away. Because of its worldwide draw, you have lots of available clubs - way more than you could ever find locally. Just beware of prices that seem to good to be true and always read the full description of an item. I once thought I was getting a steel on a Great Big Bertha driver and couldn't figure out why no one else was bidding it up. I finally got suspicious and read the whole description and found out that the head of the driver had been damaged and showed a hairline crack on the top. Fortunately I stopped bidding and didn't win that auction, but I almost got taken. Another time I thought I was bidding on a Callaway driver only to find that it was only the head cover that was for sale. So be sure to read everything carefully!

Here are a few of the current auctions for Used Golf Irons on eBay.

Option 4: Buy Used Golf Irons Locally

This is the last option only because the selection is usually quite limited. I live in a golfing mecca area, and looking in the classifieds of the local newspaper, there are only 4 sets of irons people are advertising today. It's worth a check and if you can find something locally you can also have the benefit of being able to try them out first. Another option is to call your local golf stores. Sometimes they have used clubs for sale. A final option would be to talk to your local pro shop. Sometimes they have demos or returns for sale, but in my experience, they are still way over-priced.

Buying online doesn't give you the opportunity to try used irons out first, but you have way more options and it is extremely convenient. You will also find the best deals for golf equipment online and it can really save you a lot of money (look for free shipping deals to make sure you really do save money)

Whichever option you choose, keep on practicing and have some fun. That's what golf is all about, right?!?

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