IRONS: Out of the 14 clubs you’re allowed to carry under the Rules of Golf, most golfers will carry eight irons. Traditionally golfers carried a 3-iron (21-23 degrees) down to a Pitching Wedge (46-48 degrees). Increasingly, though, golfers are starting their iron sets with 4- or 5-irons and replacing the long irons with fairway woods and hybrids, which are much easier to hit (more on them in a minute). Some golf instructors think that irons could go the way of the dinosaur in the next decade. I don’t agree with that assessment, but I do agree that five or six irons are plenty for most golfers to carry. The design of an iron is ideal for hitting shots from 160 yards and closer to the hole, but for longer shots most of us are better off with a fairway wood or hybrid club.

So look for an iron set that runs from 5-iron to a Pitching Wedge, and make sure you get a set with a cavity-back design. These are irons that, on the back, have a big hollowed-out area that allows for weight to be transferred to the perimeter of the clubhead like a tennis racquet. This makes them much more forgiving that traditional “blade” irons, which don’t have a cavity and are meant for highly skilled players. Ask your sales person about the difference between getting graphite shafts or steel shafts, but I’d recommend steel—it will save you $100 or so on a set of irons, and if you don’t play a lot you won’t see much of a difference.

As with drivers, you can get some closeout deals on irons. This spring, Callaway’s X-18 irons and even X-16 irons are on good sales now that the X-20s are out, and older models of the Big Bertha irons are also available for as low as $400 for a full set. Other brands that have great reputations and also make cavity back irons that will perform well for you are Titleist (look for the 804.OS or 775.CB), Cleveland (the Launcher or QuadPro models), TaylorMade (RAC OS models) and Ping (G2 or G5).

After the jump: Woods and hybrid clubs.

FAIRWAY WOODS/HYBRIDS: These clubs are the bridge between your driver and your irons, and you use them to hit shots from 175 yards and farther off the tee or off the ground. Fairway woods look a lot like smaller versions of drivers, but are easier to use because they have more loft – a 3-wood has 15 degrees of loft, for example.

The biggest trend in golf equipment in the last couple years has been the rise of hybrids—a combination of design elements from fairway woods and irons that is easier to hit and more versatile. I’d suggest that you still carry a 3-wood, but have one or two hybrids in lofts around 21 degrees (close to a 3-iron or 7-wood) and 24 degrees (close to a 4- or 5-iron).

In fairway woods, Callaway and TaylorMade make excellent, easy-to-hit products and have closeout products available this spring. Look for Callaway’s older Big Bertha models and TaylorMade’s r5 models under $200 each. In hybrids, good brands and products are available from TaylorMade (Rescue clubs), Nickent (3DX) and Sonartec (Md). Nickent offers excellent value with models well under $100, and the brand is building a buzz as a hot product.

WEDGES: Most iron sets come with a Pitching Wedge, but you’ll want one and maybe two more wedges to round out your set. I’d suggest a gap or approach wedge of 50-52 degrees for chipping and short shots around the green, and a 56-degree sand wedge for bunker shots. A sand wedge is designed with a special sole that cuts through sand like the keel of a boat, and you’ll want that to avoid the embarrassment and frustration of not being able to extract your ball (and yourself) from bunkers.

For your gap wedge, see if you can get one to match your irons. Most iron sets have gap wedges available as add-ons at a single-club price, and the continuity of design—and the forgiveness of a cavity back design—will make things easier for you. As for sand wedges, Cleveland Golf is a great wedge maker with a great reputation in the game. I’ve seen multiple models from Cleveland, including the venerable 588 and the newer CG10 models, on sale for under $100 this spring. Titleist’s Vokey Design and Callaway’s X-Tour wedges are also well-known and respected.

How much is this all going to cost you? If you’re buying a full set, probably $1,000 to $1,200. But you can pick your spots—maybe $300 will get you a driver and putter that will make the rest of whatever set you might already have look fresh and more substantial. Or you can buy a couple pieces new, then supplement them with used clubs if you’re building a set from scratch.

More on how to buy used clubs tomorrow.

(Photo: Greywolf2006)