What Are The Best Second Hand Golf Clubs?

While it’s impossible to definitively determine which clubs retain their value the best or what the best second-hand golf clubs are, if you’re on the lookout there are some things worth remembering if you want to get the best deal possible.

First of all, you need to do all you can to ensure the item you’re buying is genuine, as the market is rife with counterfeit clubs. You need to be incredibly vigilant about the counterfeit market but there are enough variables to determine whether it's genuine.

“When we receive equipment, and we kind of book it into our inventory we do go through a process of determining its specifications," explains Dean Cracknell from golfclubs4cash. 

“We will measure it for length and swing weight and things like that. Total weight is also a good indication of a counterfeit golf club. Quite often they're a lot lighter because the density of the materials they are using are poorer in quality."

Other things like the replication of the brand logo is not often the same, as you can see in the image above. Even some of the pantone colours, the colour palette of the brands, be it reds or blues or yellows, they're never exactly the same. Sometimes the font is slightly different, or there is variation in its size. Always check images of the club you're looking to buy against those from the manufacturer website, or old reviews from reputable publishers, if you're unsure.

One way to avoid buying a fake golf club is to buy from a reputable retailer, like golfclubs4cash. If you're buying through places like Facebook marketplace, eBay or Gumtree, there is far more scope for you to not be buying the genuine article. These retailers have their own integrity to preserve and they also have qualified, knowledgeable staff on hand to ensure the inventory they buy is genuine. 

In addition, it’s also vital to be realistic and manage expectations. It is really the big four brands of Titleist, Ping, TaylorMade and Callaway that remain popular with buyers in the pre-owned market, just like they do at retail for new clubs and in pro shops.

“For us, one of our fastest-selling brand and product categories is Ping irons," Dean adds. “Ping irons have, in a lot of cases, a good amount of residual value. So the golfer selling them gets a fairly good return. But equally, they are a reputable enough brand that people want to buy them and when they see them at a price that is more affordable than the new Ping clubs then they tend to sell and turnover quite quickly."

But in terms of which specifically are the best-selling second hand clubs, there are some models that stand out. One of the most popular second-hand drivers in 2023 was the TaylorMade M6, a club that Cracknell described as being in “hot demand all year”. This stable all-rounder proved to be a hit with a variety of player types.

Two other TaylorMade drivers made the ‘most popular’ list. Any club that promises to help smooth out a slice, a shot shape that a lot of amateur golfers struggle with, is likely to sell – and sell is what the TaylorMade SIM2 Max D certainly did. Then came the TaylorMade Stealth driver, one of the brand’s best-ever drivers, a club that offered hugely impressive all-round performance in one very fine-looking clubhead.

One driver that still sells well despite its age is the Ping G10 driver, which was released in 2007. Former World No.1 Lee Westwood, one of the game’s most consistent drivers, played this model for many a year, even after successors came and went. It goes to show that once a driver has that reputation (Tour validation like this always helps), even models that are 15-plus years old can still prove popular on the second-hand market place.

Ping’s other strong sellers were the Ping G425 Max driver, one of the most consistent models that we tested in 2022, and the Ping G410 SFT driver, a draw biased model designed for those golfers struggling with a slice.

According to golfclubs4cash, a total of four Callaway drivers made an appearance in its ‘best-sellers’ list last year. The second-hand golf retailer loads up to a thousand new listings to its site every day, but there are a few ‘old’ favourites that tend to go almost as quickly as they appear. The Callaway Epic Speed driver is one of those, as is the Callaway XR Pro 16, a 2016 model that witnessed a spike in 2023. Meanwhile, the Callaway Rogue ST Max witnessed high demand throughout the year.

Titleist also has an older model that finds itself battling it out near the top of the best-sellers league – the Titleist 917D2 driver, an adjustable model that shows no signs of losing is popularity. In terms of the TSR family, the classic-looking Titleist TSR2 driver leads the way, with the Titleist TSR3 driver not far behind.

Scotty Cameron collectibles are some of the highest value second hand clubs. It is one of the few types of club that reverses the trend of value decreasing with age - in fact, Scotty Cameron putters often increase in value if they were made in limited numbers or were part of a Tour Only line, so they are certainly one to look out for.