When shopping for golf equipment online, many people think of eBay (particularly for used clubs) and the ‘major’ online golf stores. However, there are many more options available to buy golf clubs online.

AUCTION SITES

Yes, there’s eBay, and it really is unbeatable for online auctions. eBay is unmatched when it comes to options and volume. However, it’s possible to get stung on eBay if you’re not careful (see the tips section below). Here are some other auction sites you might want to try:

o Online Auction (US) – I found over 200 golf items available for auction here. Mainly golf balls, gloves and other bits and pieces…not much in the way of clubs. It may be worth taking a look

o Golfbidder (UK/Europe): Sells primarily second-hand golf clubs, sourced from golf club professionals across the UK (a small percentage is sourced directly from the public). While most clubs are sold as ‘Instant Buys’, some are auctioned off. Usually more than 30 items are auctioned at any given time and you may be able to get a good deal.

o Grays Online (Australia): Sellers on this site are primarily manufacturers, distributors, or retailers trying to move excess or slow-moving stock…not consumer-to-consumer auctions. Not necessarily a bad thing, as this reduces some of the risk, but it also reduces the range. While there were only about 40 golf items up for auction when I last looked, there were some good deals. worth a look

In general, I would avoid buying new golf equipment through online auctions. While you can take some precautions, it’s hard to tell if you’re getting the genuine article or just a knockoff. The big, well-known eBay sellers are probably an exception.

MAIN ONLINE STORES

There are quite a few well-established online golf stores that stock a wide variety of equipment and have invested heavily in their brand. Some are better than others, but don’t be surprised and expect quality service, fast delivery, a refund policy, and lots of information for buyers (eg buying guides). Some of the best include:

or Golfsmith
or The Golf Warehouse
or Callaway Golf
or Rockbottom Golf
o US Golf Outings
or Golf Discount
or Austad Golf
oGolf Galaxy
Snainton Golf
online golf

ONLINE GOLF FORUMS

Some great online golf communities have formed in recent years and now you can choose from literally dozens of online golf forums to be a part of. Some of the largest have an area for buying, selling and exchanging golf equipment.

Because golf forums are small (sort of) communities of people with a shared interest, it’s a fairly safe and supportive environment to buy and sell equipment. If you are not sure if a golf club seller is genuine, you can simply ask other members of the forum.

There is a lot of combined knowledge on these forums, so bad apples are quickly discovered.

I find these to be the best and they have a very active buy/sell/trade area:

or Golf WRX – approx. 79,000 members (mainly US)
o Magic Golf – approx. 77,000 members (mainly UK/Europe)
iseekgolf – approx. 75,000 members (mainly Australia)

OCCASION GOLF EQUIPMENT STORES

Stores that sell used equipment are a very good alternative to eBay, classified ads, and other online auction sites. Larger online stores typically have: (1) a used club inspection and certification process, (2) no-questions-asked return policy, (3) 12-month warranty; and (4) shipping damage warranty.

While many of the big online golf stores sell used and new golf equipment, there are some online stores that only sell used equipment:

ONLY USED

o Second-hand Callaway: also sells other brands, eg Nike, Titleist, Ping, TaylorMade. Offers 12-month warranty, 90-day money-back and buy-back guarantee
o TaylorMade Pre-owned: 14-day money back guarantee and 12-month warranty
o Golfbidder (UK) – 7 day ‘no quibble’ return policy, 12 month warranty and some good buyer’s guides to help you choose the right clubs

USED ​​AND NEW

o Golfsmith – 30 day return policy. No Warranty – Differs from the manufacturer’s warranty (which has probably expired!)
o Edwin Watts Golf – 30 day return policy. No Warranty: Differs from the manufacturer’s warranty.
o Direct Golf (UK): Used clubs obtained from trade-ins at Direct Golf stores. 14 day money back guarantee. No warranty

AMAZON

The Amazon marketplace is big…very big. And here is a good variety of new and used golf equipment.

The Amazon marketplace is a bit like eBay in that sellers (big and small) sign up with Amazon to sell their new or used golf equipment. The difference is that the items are not auctioned, they are sold at the advertised price. It’s also a little less risky with Amazon’s purchase guarantee: they’ll refund your money if you don’t get the item you paid for or if it’s not what you expected.

Amazon also offers a free subscription to Golf Digest or Golf World if you spend more than US$25 (US only).

Take a look at Amazon Golf.

EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS SITES

There’s really only one premium club manufacturer that sells online, and that’s Callaway. The others, like Titleist, Ping, Nike, etc., obviously have websites to market their equipment, but they usually sell clubs through retail stores.

Some manufacturers (listed below), while not selling equipment online, do provide information and tools that would be helpful to online shoppers:

o Titleist: Titleist provides a comprehensive description of its products (including Vokey wedges and Scotty Cameron putters) as well as a catalog of its past models. There is also information on how to spot fake Titleist equipment.
o Ping – The Ping site has an online club setting tool that would be helpful if you plan to purchase Ping equipment online elsewhere. Ping also has information on how to spot fake computers.
o Odyssey – here you can find a pretty good online tool to find the right putter. You can buy Odyssey putters on the Callaway website
o Callaway: You can buy gear directly from Callaway on their online store

ONLINE CLASSIFIED

Online classified sites are another option, primarily for used golf clubs. The local classified newspaper has moved online, so there’s a good chance you’ll find a classifieds website for your local area. While you may not find the largest variety of golf clubs, if the seller is nearby, you can drive by to see the clubs.

Craigslist hosts classifieds that serve the entire world, so you should take a look here as well. It is the 8th most popular website in the US, with around 50 million unique visitors per month!