Thinking about buying second hand golf clubs in Australia? Smart move. New club prices have gone through the roof, and the performance gap between this year's release and one from two or three seasons ago is smaller than the marketing wants you to believe. But the used market has traps, and knowing what to look for is the difference between a bargain and a headache.
Here's the honest, no-fluff guide we wish existed when we started.
Step 1: Know what actually wears out on a golf club
Not all wear matters. A scuffed sole or a small paint chip on the crown changes nothing about how a club performs. What you actually need to care about:
- Face wear on wedges and irons. Grooves generate spin. If the grooves in the centre of the face look shallow or polished smooth, the club has done a lot of work and your spin numbers will show it.
- Sky marks and cracks on drivers. Cosmetic crown marks are fine. A crack or a caved face is not - modern driver faces are thin, and a dead spot means dead distance.
- Shaft condition. Look for dings or creases in steel shafts and any splintering on graphite near the hosel. A compromised shaft is a snapped shaft waiting to happen.
- Grips. Worn grips are almost irrelevant to the buying decision - a regrip costs $15 to $25 per club. Never pass on a great head because of a tired grip.
Step 2: Only buy from sellers who grade honestly and show real photos
This is where most people get burnt. Marketplace listings with two blurry photos and "great condition" in the description are a coin flip. A trustworthy seller does three things:
- Uses a published, transparent condition scale so "Good" means the same thing on every listing
- Photographs the actual club you'll receive - face, sole, crown, shaft - not a stock image
- Tells you the bad news as well as the good
Every club we list is photographed individually and graded against our condition scale, because every club we sell is a one-of-one. What you see in the photos is exactly what lands on your doorstep.
Step 3: Understand why Japanese-sourced clubs are the sleeper pick
Australia's second hand golf market is small and picked over. Japan's is enormous, meticulously cared for, and full of gear that never officially made it here. Sourcing from Japan gets you:
- Better condition for the money. Japanese golfers are famously careful with equipment, and clubs typically see fewer rounds on softer, better-maintained courses.
- JDM models and shafts. Tour AD, Diamana and Tensei shafts, Japan-only head models, and premium forged irons that rarely surface in Australian retail.
- Real price advantage. The depth of the Japanese market keeps prices honest, and that saving flows through to you.
Step 4: Match the club to your game, not the tour
The best second hand buy is the one that suits your swing today. A few quick rules of thumb:
- Mid-to-high handicappers get more from forgiving, game-improvement heads than from blades, no matter how good the blades look in the bag.
- Slower swing speeds should look at regular or senior flex shafts and higher lofts - a 10.5 or 12 degree driver is not an ego problem, it's a fairway solution.
- If you're unsure, buy the club a better player would call boring. Boring goes straight.
Step 5: Check the total cost, not just the price tag
Shipping, returns and payment options all matter. We keep it simple: flat $30 shipping Australia-wide from Adelaide, free over $600, and Afterpay if you'd rather split the payment into four. No games, no surprise fees at checkout.
The short version
Buy from sellers who show you the actual club and grade it honestly. Ignore cosmetic wear, respect groove and face wear. Look at Japanese-sourced stock for better condition and rarer gear. Match the club to your swing. That's 90% of buying second hand golf clubs well.
Can't find the exact club you want?
Because our inventory is one-of-one, the club you're chasing might not be in stock today. That's what our club sourcing service is for. Tell us the exact model, loft, shaft and condition you're after, and we'll hunt it down on our next buying run in Japan.
https://www.risingsunclubs.com.au/pages/club-sourcing