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Golf clubs depreciate brutally and perform for years, which makes the used market the best value in the game. It's also full of worn grooves, counterfeit heads and clubs that don't fit the person buying them.
What's safe used, and what isn't
| Club | Buy used? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Driver | Yes — best value | Depreciates fastest. Faces rarely wear in normal use |
| Fairway woods / hybrids | Yes | Same story, less used, often barely hit |
| Irons | Yes, with care | Check groove and sole wear. Cheap sets are often heavily used |
| Putters | Yes | Technology barely moves. Wear is cosmetic |
| Wedges | No | Grooves are the product, and they wear out |
The inspection list
Grooves. Run a fingernail across them. It should catch clearly on each one. If it slides, they're worn. Check the impact area specifically — the centre of the face wears first and looks shinier.
The face for a driver. Look for hairline cracks, especially near the perimeter of the face. A cracked face isn't always audible before it fails completely. Also listen for a rattle when you shake it — loose internal weighting.
The shaft. Run your hand down it looking for dents, dings or rust at the tip. Check the ferrule sits flush — a gap can mean the head has been off and re-glued.
The sole. Normal wear is fine and tells you honestly how much it's been used. Deep gouges suggest rocks or cart paths.
Grips. Assume you'll replace them and factor the cost in. Worn grips aren't a dealbreaker, they're a negotiating point.
Counterfeits
Fakes are a real problem, particularly on marketplace sites and particularly for popular drivers and premium putters.
Signs to check: badly aligned or fuzzy printing, incorrect serial numbers, a headcover that doesn't match, poor paint finish on the sole, and above all a price too good to be true. Genuine sellers can usually produce a receipt or explain where the club came from.
Buying through a reputable retailer's used programme costs a bit more and eliminates this problem entirely. For an expensive purchase, that's worth paying for.
Where to buy
Retailer trade-in programmes — most expensive, most protection. Clubs are graded, usually with a return window. Best for a big purchase.
Dedicated used-golf sites — good middle ground. Consistent grading, decent selection, prices below retail. 2nd Swing is the one most people end up on: every club is graded, photographed as the actual item you receive, and returnable, which removes most of the risk below.
Marketplaces and auction sites — cheapest and riskiest. Fine if you know exactly what you're looking at, dangerous if you don't.
Your own club's noticeboard or pro shop — often overlooked and frequently the best of all. You can usually hit the club first, the seller is a known quantity, and nobody's shipping anything.
Checklist
- Grooves
- Fingernail should catch. Check the centre of the face
- Driver face
- Hairline cracks, and a rattle when shaken
- Shaft
- Dents, rust at the tip, ferrule sitting flush
- Ask for
- Loft, shaft model, flex, length, lie
- Budget for
- New grips. Assume it
- Never buy used
- Wedges
The best used buy in golf
A two-to-three-year-old flagship driver, in a shaft that suits you, bought in autumn. You'll pay a fraction of new for something within touching distance of current performance, and the money saved covers a proper fitting with change left over. Used drivers at 2nd Swing is a reasonable place to see what that looks like at today's prices.