Donnie Mac is back! Back to learn he is now known as “Donnie Mac!” And to give you his expert advice on how to buy used golf clubs. This is fantastic stuff. Be sure to give him all due thanks when you score some great deals on clubs. – Joel

Let’s say you need to put together a set of golf clubs or you want to upgrade what you have, but you don’t want to drop a mortgage payment at the golf shop on a set of shiny new sticks. No problem, thanks to the robust market for used golf clubs that now exists.

Buying used golf clubs used to be a pretty sketchy proposition. Some golf shops might have had a barrel full of beat-up old clubs in the corner, or you could go the Play It Again Sports route of general used sports gear. Either way, you were looking at limited selection, scarcely any recourse if you got the clubs home and they immediately fell apart, and usually no expertise from the sales person.

Thanks to the rise of eBay and the rapid proliferation of golf club models—the lifespan of a driver or set of irons has dropped from three years or so a decade ago to 18-24 months at the high end, and more like 12 months with drivers and putters—there’s now a glut of product out there for you to tap into. And, better yet, there are reputable resellers that can actually back the products they sell you to make sure you’re satisfied with what you’ve bought.

You can save big money if you choose to go the used route. For example, a new TaylorMade r7 SuperQuad driver will run you $399. Last year’s r7 460 driver is available as a closeout model for $299. But a TaylorMade R580XD driver from two years ago—in good condition—will only set you back in the neighborhood of $130. If you’re an avid golfer or love having the latest and greatest, you pay a premium. If you don’t mind something with a little mileage on it, going used can save a bunch of money.

Find out where to score the best deals on used clubs and how to make old beaters look like new after the jump.

On the Internet, I strongly recommend 3balls.com as the place to buy used golf clubs. The site is run by golf professionals who really know their stuff, and they have stringent standards for what they make available—and detailed descriptions of the condition of each club they sell. Another good web-only used club source is callawaygolfpreowned.com, which has good deals on clubs from Callaway Golf, one of the game’s top brands. In addition to “pre-owned” (how very Lexus of them) clubs, the site also sometimes has deals on closeout products or clubs that have cosmetic imperfections but are otherwise sound for use on the course.

Among the big box golf retailers, Golfsmith, Edwin Watts and Golf Galaxy all offer a good selection of used clubs in their stores. Their policies differ slightly, but you generally have a chance to buy used clubs and try them out for a short period of time. If they don’t fit your swing, you can usually bring them back to exchange them for other clubs. Since “try before you buy” is the rule of new club purchases, having the chance to swap out clubs after trying them is a good way to go with buying used.

Once you’ve decided where to buy your used clubs, here are my general guidelines for making smart purchases that will help you look good and play better:

Drivers - Gentlemen, size does matter. Don’t buy any drivers smaller than 400 cubic centimeters in head volume. The max size allowed under the Rules of Golf is 460cc, but you’ll be fine if you want to go with a slightly smaller model from a couple years ago. Also, look for driver that doesn’t have “idiot marks”—scratches across the top, or crown, of the club from the previous owner hitting underneath the ball. These marks won’t affect performance, but they look bad and will make you look like, well, an idiot if you’re using a club that has them. If a driver has any dents anywhere on the clubhead, avoid it altogether. Some good driver models from the last few years to look for used include Callaway’s Great Big Bertha II 415, TaylorMade’s r5, Cleveland’s Launcher 460 Ti, Ping’s G2 and Titleist’s 905 series.

Fairway Woods/Hybrids - Same advice goes for these as for drivers: avoid idiot marks. Drivers are usually in decent shape because they’re generally hit off a tee, but fairway woods and hybrids go through all sorts of abuse. If you can, look at the sole (bottom) of the club to see if there are any gouges or dents. Good fairway wood models to look for used include TaylorMade’s V Steel, Callaway’s Steelhead line (especially the Steelhead Plus models), Titleist’s 904 series and Tour Edge’s original Exotics line. As for hybrids, look for TaylorMade’s Rescue clubs, Nike’s CPR line, Tour Edge’s Bazooka hybrids and Adams’ Idea hybrids.

Irons - Irons also have a hard life, getting hit out of bunkers and other less-than-perfect areas of the course. But most of the cavity back-design irons I would suggest you try are made from durable stainless steel. A few nicks on the edges of the clubs—called “bag rash,” since this type of damage usually comes from clubs banging together in your bag—are OK, as are wear marks on the face. You’ll want to avoid irons with a lot of rust on them, though it is usually superficial and can be scrubbed off with an good brush. Also check the shafts: steel shafts can become bent, and graphite shafts can have nicks and gouges. Either way, you’ll looking at a club that could become a projectile, so stay away. There are several good user-friendly iron models you can check out, including any of Callaway’s X-series (X-12, X-14 and X-16 models can be had for great prices), TaylorMade’s 300 series, Titleist DCI Gold or Black models or Ping’s i3 or G2 irons.

Wedges - I wouldn’t recommend buying used wedges. A big part of wedge performance is the spin imparted to the ball by the grooves on the clubface, and a significantly worn wedge can short you on spin. If you can find wedges that have been very gently used, they may be worth taking a chance—ask a sales person to check out the wedges and give you their opinion. Also, focus on wedges that have been made of more durable grades of steel through a casting process instead of softer forged wedges, as cast wedges will stand up to more abuse and maintain their grooves longer. Good examples are Cleveland’s 588 series, Titleist’s Vokey wedges and TaylorMade’s RAC wedges. And if you happen to see an old Ping Eye 2 wedge while shopping, snap it up. These wedges are enduring favorites, but hard to find. Some tour players hoard them because even after 20 years, they are still among the most versatile, easy-to-use wedges out there.

Putters - Since visual appeal is key to putting, avoid any used putters with a lot of bag rash or scrapes and scratches. Also watch for rust, as many putters are made from carbon steel, which is very susceptible to oxidation. Otherwise, the used putter bin is a great place to find bargains. Some players go through putters like Paris Hilton goes through Greek shipping heirs, and you can pick up their castoffs like you’re Lindsay Lohan. Anything from Ping or Odyssey is a good buy, and finding a used Scotty Cameron by Titleist putter is the easiest way to get into ownership of that expensive putter line. And if you come by a really beat-up Cameron that you really love and have some extra scratch, you can send it in to Scotty’s Custom Shop and have it restored to original condition and even customized with your initials. That’s a premium investment, but starting with a rusted out old putter is cheaper than buying one new and doing the same thing.

If you do buy used clubs, I also suggest the following steps to make your sticks look and play like new:

• Get a grip: Have your clubs regripped by a club repair specialist. This service is usually offered by any golf shop that would have used clubs on hand, and costs anywhere from $3-$8 per club depending on what style of grip you like (I like the Golf Pride New Decade multicompound grip, which goes for about $7 each). Old, slick grips can hurt your swing by causing you to hold onto the club with too much pressure, and they can hurt other people when your 7-iron goes flying out of your sweaty hands. Some used club outlets do include regripping in the cost of a club.

• Protect your investment: If you’re buying a driver, fairway woods, hybrids or a putter, check to see if the clubs come with headcovers. If they don’t pony up a few bucks and buy your own. They’ll cut down on bag rash and random damage, and there are some fun designs out there (college mascots, cartoon characters, old school sock-style covers with tassels on the end).

• Keep it clean: When you get your clubs home, fill a bucket with warm soapy water and let your clubs soak for a few minutes. Then give them a good going-over with a toothbrush or towel to get caked-on dirt or grass out of the grooves. Mr. Clean Magic Erasers do a good job of getting other marks off your clubs, and Turtle Wax can help make the painted crown area of drivers and fairway woods nice and shiny (and protect them against any idiot marks you might accidentally make).

(Photo: S2 Art’s Flickr)