• Bring the Right Golf Clubs for the Course

• Evaluate and Select Golf Clubs

• Choose Golf Clubs for Lefties, Women, & Kids

• Find Golf Clubs on eBay

• Buy Golf Clubs with Confidence

Bring the Right Golf Clubs for the Course

Bring the Right Golf Clubs for the Course

Aside from hitting a ball toward a hole, full-scale regulation golf doesn't have a lot in common with put-put miniature golf courses. Walking around a regulation course with only a putter in tow won't get you very far. You need different clubs to do different jobs.

A typical set of golf clubs has at least 12 clubs, with many people opting to carry an additional wood and iron in their bag. A basic set includes a driver (also called the 1-wood), 3-wood, 5-wood, 3-9 irons, pitching wedge (PW), and putter.

Drivers and other woods

Players use drivers and fairway woods when they stand more than 160 metres or 175 yards away from the green. The lower the number wood, the lower its loft. Manufacturers can use steel or titanium to make the head of a wood.

• Stainless steel: If you want a classic-looking club, buy stainless steel woods. They look small and weigh more than titanium woods.

• Titanium: Lightweight titanium woods often have larger heads and sweet spots than stainless steel woods.

Irons

Use an iron when you're less than 180 metres or 200 yards away from the green. A standard set of irons includes the 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9-irons as well as a pitching wedge. Most people find it easier to hit with the 7 and 9-irons than the 3 and 4-irons preferred by some seasoned golfers. Choose which type of steel you want in your irons:

• Cast/Perimeter-weighted: These irons have more weight on the outside of the club, creating a large sweet spot. They work well for mid-to-high handicap golfers.

• Forged steel: Softer metal makes forged steel clubs more difficult to hit. They work best for mid-to-low handicap players.

Wedges

Wedges have a lot of loft with a high trajectory. Use one when you want to fulfill a specific task.

• Pitching wedge: Use the long pitching wedge for shots from the fairway into the green.

• Sand wedge: Dig your ball out of a bunker (sand trap) without causing a lot of damage with a sand wedge.

• Lob wedge: Use a lob wedge to make short-distance shots around the green.

• Gap wedge: Use a gap wedge when you want results between those you could achieve with a pitching wedge and lob wedge.

Know your handicap

If you know how well you play on a regulation par-72 course, you can get a rough idea of which clubs you need. How far over par (the standard number of strokes for a course) you play reflects your golfing ability. Always try for a lower score.

Evaluate and Select Golf Clubs

Evaluate and Select Golf Clubs

Not all golf clubs are created equal. If you don't find your new clubs comfortable, you won't use them. Know what type of clubs you want to buy before searching out a good deal.

Club head sizing

Club heads come in three sizes: standard, midsize, and oversized.

• Standard: Easy-to-control club with a small sweet spot.

• Midsize: Weighs less than an oversized club and offers a larger sweet spot than a standard club.

• Oversized: Offers a large sweet spot, but users cannot control it as well as clubs with midsize and standard size heads.

Select a shaft

Woods and irons can come with steel shafts or graphite shafts.

• Steel: Heavier than graphite, steel offers durability and control.

• Graphite: Lightweight graphite can cost more than steel, but offers a little less durability.

Set flex vs. uniflex

Consider shaft flex (the amount of bend in a shaft) when you shop. Beginners will want more flex than experienced golfers

• A: Geared toward seniors.

• Regular: Designed for average players with a 75 to 90mph swing speed.

• Stiff/ Firm/ Extra stiff: Designed for people with a swing speed between 90 to 110mph.

• Uniflex: Varying flex to fit most swing speeds.

Choose Golf Clubs for Lefties, Women, & Kids

Choose Golf Clubs for Lefties, Women, & Kids

Left-handed players, women, and children need to take special care to buy proper golf clubs designed just for them.

Don't leave out lefties

Golf clubs come designed for left-handed (lh) players and right-handed (rh) players. Make sure you buy the correct orientation.

Women on the green

Women often find clubs designed for men too heavy. Lightweight clubs designed for women, often with graphite shafts, come in a standard size for people between 1.65 m/5' 5" and 1.75 m/5' 9" and in variable lengths for shorter users.

• If you want a larger hitting area, replace the 3-iron and 4-iron with a 7-wood and 9-wood.

• If you're shorter than 1.65 m/5' 5", buy a 33" putter.

• Look for clubs with an L flex shaft designed for women.

Clubs for kids

Kids learning how to golf shouldn't use adult-sized clubs or rigid cut down adult-sized clubs. To determine how long a club will work for your child, measure him or her from just above the waist to the ground. You'll find plenty of junior golf clubs, including complete sets, on eBay. Sets geared toward kids don't include as many clubs as adult sets, reducing the weight of the bag. These sets usually include the 6 through 9 irons, 3-wood, 5-wood, and may include a driver.

Find Golf Clubs on eBay

Find Golf Clubs on eBay

Now that you've figured out which clubs you want to buy, find them quickly on eBay. While you shop, don't forget balls, tees, shoes, and appropriate clothing for the course. To start shopping, go to the Sporting Goods portal and click Golf.

• Categories: The Categories list on the left side of each page will help you narrow down your listings by item type. You'll find links for men, women, juniors, lefties, sets of irons, individual fairway woods, and more. As you dig deeper into the site you'll also be able to narrow down your choice by brand.

• Finder: Use the drop-down menus on the Golf Clubs Finder to quickly narrow down item listings by type of club, brand, model, condition (new or used), and shaft material.

• Keyword search: Search eBay listing titles for specific words. For example, if you want to find new right-handed golf clubs for men, type the keywords "rh men new" (without quotation marks) into the Search box. Click "Search title and description" to expand your results. Visit eBay's Search Tips page for more tips on searching with keywords.

If you can't find exactly what you want, try shopping eBay Stores, tell the eBay Community what you want by creating a post on Want It Now, or save a search on My eBay and eBay will email you when a match becomes available.

Buy Golf Clubs with Confidence

Buy Golf Clubs with Confidence

Before making your purchase, make sure you know exactly what you're buying, research your seller, and understand how eBay and PayPal protect you.

Know your purchase

Carefully read the details in item listings.

• Figure delivery costs into your final price. If you spend a lot of money, make sure the seller will insure the item when it ships.

• If you want more information, ask by clicking the "Ask seller a question" link under the seller's profile.

• Always make sure to complete your transaction on eBay (with a bid, Buy It Now, or Best Offer). Transactions conducted outside of eBay are not covered by eBay protection programs.

• Never pay for your eBay item using instant cash wire transfer services through Western Union or MoneyGram. These payment methods are unsafe when paying someone you do not know.

Know your seller

Research your seller so you feel positive and secure about every transaction.

• What is the seller's Feedback rating? How many transactions have they completed? What percentage of positive responses do they have?

• What do buyers say in their Feedback? Did the seller receive praise?

• Most top eBay sellers operate like retail stores and have return policies. Do they offer a money-back guarantee? What are the terms and conditions?

Buyer protection

In the unlikely event that a problem arises during your transaction, eBay and PayPal are there for you.

• Pay safely with PayPal: PayPal enables you to pay without the seller ever seeing your bank account or credit card numbers. In fact, PayPal protects buyers 100% against unauthorized payments from their accounts. Plus, with PayPal Buyer Protection, your purchase can be covered up to C$1,250.

• eBay Security & Resolution Centre: Visit the Security & Resolution Centre to learn how to protect your account and use eBay's quick and efficient resolution tools.