Budget Golfer: Purchasing/Gaming 15-20 + Year Old Clubs

[subrew]

I’ve been building a “few” sets of older irons recently.  Lots of Mizuno, Honmas, Maruman, Bridgestone etc.  Most sets for under $100-150 in heads only, plus I look around for great deals on shafts. 
 

 

Edited May 8 by subrew

[lefthack]

I scored some NOS KZG blades from like 2000 or something. They were amazing, but not groove compliant. 

[jplroper]

    I like this thread, I've been playing and tinkering with older clubs for quite some time. I been regripping and re shafting my clubs as needed. When a golf store went out of business I bought their loft and lie machine.

     Woods that I like, Titleist 975d, 983e, Callaway Steelheads and matching fw's

     Irons, Titleist 962, 990, Tommy Armour 845, Ping eye 2

[Mcfly]

On 5/6/2024 at 8:46 AM, Bow Hunter said:

I've spent the past week adding various sets of 2010s era Mizunos to my favorites list. 3-PW or 4-PW sets are around $300-$400 shipped. 

 

I currently game Ping G425s, but I have a sweet spot for Mizunos, especially older models. I am 2 hcp, so I can usually get just about any set of standard irons with DG S300s working for me.

 

Anyone else a fan of shopping for/gaming older iron sets?

I sold a set of really nice MX 1000 irons a year or so back.  They looked almost new and still keep up with anything in the GI/SGI market today.   I should have kept them. 

[Bow Hunter]

Well my local shop has some Titleist CB10s that I am going to regrip and give a go. 

[kthomas]

I'm very much a value buyer in golf. And with irons? Absolutely. I still play irons that are from 2006, and when I bought my FIL a set of golf clubs, I got him a set of Ping Eye 2's. 

 

I get a little pickier when it comes to wedges or drivers/woods. For these clubs, I'll shop new (wedges) for product that's one or two cycles out for example to save $. Or used and a model or two out for drivers/woods (CPO is great for this). 

 

I really want to get a set of J15 CB's - that's on the list for some day. Plenty of used sets available for a decent price, especially from Japan. 

 

 

[Tpfol]

On 5/7/2024 at 11:56 PM, subrew said:

I’ve been building a “few” sets of older irons recently.  Lots of Mizuno, Honmas, Maruman, Bridgestone etc.  Most sets for under $100-150 in heads only, plus I look around for great deals on shafts. 
 

 

That looks like heaven

[Bow Hunter]

Set of Titleist 710 CBs in very good condition I found in the basement of my home golf course. I shined them up and will re-grip them. Range session today showed the DGS300 shafts I grew up playing still fit like a glove. The CB710s have a great feel to them. Soft with a very subtle “click” I find appealing. 
 

Edited May 11 by Bow Hunter

[ShortGolfer]

Reshaft ladies clubs.  The heads are in much better condition than the usual men's clubs.  A combination of low use, slow swing speeds, and soft balls is ideal for keeping  clubs in mint condition.

Ladies tend to be sweepers rather than diggers, further reducing club head wear.  On rare occasions the heads will be lighter but most of the time the heads are identical except for the colors.

 

Finally, you may as well swing the clubs "as is" before you take them apart.

Who knows?  You might be surprised at what you learn!

 

 

[Dan Drake]

On 5/7/2024 at 11:56 PM, subrew said:

I’ve been building a “few” sets of older irons recently.  Lots of Mizuno, Honmas, Maruman, Bridgestone etc.  Most sets for under $100-150 in heads only, plus I look around for great deals on shafts. 
 

 

Do you need an older son to adopt?  (Not asking for a friend)

[Dan Drake]

52 minutes ago, ShortGolfer said:

Finally, you may as well swing the clubs "as is" before you take them apart.

Who knows?  You might be surprised at what you learn!

This is my only non-negotiable rule of club fitting.  No matter what it is, you give it a couple of swings as is before operating on it.  

 

Because you never (truly) know...........

[oskaru]

I'm gaming a set of MP-37s 3-9 (wedge is in storage) that I bought ten or so years ago for £70. They came with +1/2" S300s and I play standard length so they're pretty leaded up to play at D2.5 the way I like them. The grips have obviously been replaced a couple times over the years, but can't imagine getting a better set for cheaper.

[Maine Golfer]

Endlessly amount of cool irons from blades to easier to hit under $300. 

[NRJyzr]

On 5/6/2024 at 8:47 AM, MN Moose said:

Man, I would love to work on my own stuff!  Sure it is pretty straight forward but the equipment needed to do everything is not cheap.  I'm tall so in most cases I would need to adjust the lie angle so it's more than just re-shafting/re-gripping for me.  I feel that if I invest in everything needed, I would need to run a little side business for people out of my garage to try and recoup the costs. 

 

Late to the party, but you only need to go as far down the path as you wish.  My own efforts started with regripping, using just a paint tray and a Black & Decker Workmate.  Still using the same Workmate two dozen years later.  Picked up a heat gun to do reshafts, eventually setting that aside in favor of a butane torch.  Edit: also got a tube cutter for steel shafts, and hacksaw for graphite.

 

I've also picked up a swingweight scale.  Eventually bought an auditor club ruler, but was fine for years without that,  using only a 48" ruler.

 

Use Dixie paper plates to mix epoxy with simple wooden stirring sticks.

 

Haven't wanted to go to the loft & lie machine point, just take the clubs to a local shop.

 

Fairly modest in total cost.  <shrug>

 

Edited May 12 by NRJyzr

[mustang]

5 hours ago, NRJyzr said:

 

Late to the party, but you only need to go as far down the path as you wish.  My own efforts started with regripping, using just a paint tray and a Black & Decker Workmate.  Still using the same Workmate two dozen years later.  Picked up a heat gun to do reshafts, eventually setting that aside in favor of a butane torch.  Edit: also got a tube cutter for steel shafts, and hacksaw for graphite.

 

I've also picked up a swingweight scale.  Eventually bought an auditor club ruler, but was fine for years without that,  using only a 48" ruler.

 

Use Dixie paper plates to mix epoxy with simple wooden stirring sticks.

 

Haven't wanted to go to the loft & lie machine point, just take the clubs to a local shop.

 

Fairly modest in total cost.  <shrug>

 

Minimal can get it done!    I use wooden matches to mix and apply epoxy.  I use just about anything to mix epoxy on.  The thicker pages of a magazine--- cardboard from 1/2 rack of beer..    I picked up a quick clamp for gripping that is by FAR the handiest item I have.   I have a hydraulic shaft puller that was VERY useful prior to the advent of the interchangeable shaft adaptors for woods.    Still useful when pulling shafts from older stuff.  Less and less every day.

 

I use a cutting wheel on the bench grinder I inherited from my dad.  The grinding wheel on the other side is useful to abraid steel for epoxy.  

[achappy]

I recently stumbled upon a set of 2009 TM Burner TP Japan versions.  Finally settled on C-Taper Lite's and these are phenomenal.  Hard to believe these are cast and with the 5-7 being cavity they are pretty forgiving.  I also love the traditional lofts as it allows me to keep my 52*/58* wedge combo.

 

Prior to these, I played RBZ Tour "F" heads for 4 years.  They were great and the only main difference is the Burners feel much better being 431SS vs 17-4.

 

Iron technology has not changed significantly (other than lofts) that you can easily play irons 20 years old with no loss in performance.

[circa3182]

Have had a bit of an iron carousel the last year or two. Had pretty much everything and finally said enough is enough and put some old Rac LTs in the bag. Plan is to play those the rest of the season and revisit it next spring. Great irons 20 years ago seem just about as good as today’s stuff. 

[ChrisATL]

On 5/7/2024 at 11:56 PM, subrew said:

I’ve been building a “few” sets of older irons recently.  Lots of Mizuno, Honmas, Maruman, Bridgestone etc.  Most sets for under $100-150 in heads only, plus I look around for great deals on shafts. 
 

 

Wow - what an incredible collection.  I have to ask - how do you choose which set to play???

 

On the original subject - I've been looking at purchasing an old set of MP32s.  I don't think I'm good enough to game them consistently (yet), but I absolutely love the look of them!

[No_Catchy_Nickname]

I've a number of old iron sets. My most modern are MP-4s, but I tend to favour TP era Mizunos. In my modern bag right now, I have SS-151 (TP-18s in Europe) irons in the 4i to SW slot.

 

I find the older irons blend pretty well with the top of my bag, which goes driver, 5w, 7w (a v-steel), then 23° hybrid.

Then go 4i to PW (around 50°) or SW (usually 56°), add a lob wedge and putter and I've covered all my gaps.

[lil'mike]

Last year I picked up a set of graphite shafted Cobra 3100 I/H's for a very good price.  I put them in rotation and shot my two lowest rounds with them ever.  Shot a 79 using Paradym driver and woods with the irons, then the following week shot a 78 using a Ping G410 LST driver and old Ping Rapture 5wd/7wd with the irons.

 

I keep debating on whether or not to get rid of them as I have a couple of other sets! lol