Here are some tips to get your started on buying golf gear:

1. The first thing you must do is determine your budget. How much are you willing to spend on a complete set of golf clubs. When I mean a complete set of golf clubs I'm referring to the irons, woods, putter, and bag. It's important to set a limit on what you want to spend because a complete set can cost from $150 to over $2000.

2. The next thing you need to determine is how often you'll be playing golf. If you're just starting out to see if you like golf then you'll probably want to get the least expensive set that does the job with no emphasis on brand names. A lot of the sports shops carry complete golf sets and they often have great sales on them. I know Costco even carries a nice set by Jack Nicklaus that's around $250. This is a great price for a complete set and it can definitely be used for many years.

3. If $200 to $300 is still out of your range then I would look into used or second hand golf sets. Pretty much all golf shops carry second hand golf equipment and you can get some really good deals on them. The majority of the time you're not going to find a used complete golf set so you'll have to purchase the irons, woods, putter, and bag separately. Later on if you decide you want to get more serious in golf then you can usually trade your existing clubs in and use the money to purchase a brand new set.

4. Now when it comes to determining one brand from the other it's really not something a beginner should worry about. Don't be pressured by a salesman if he's trying to push a brand name set on you. When you're just starting out it really doesn't matter what the brand is. If you're interested in brand name sets then the salesman should be able to provide you with information describing the difference between the brands.

5. I suggest looking through the Saturday or Sunday newspaper for sporting good ads and look for complete golf sets. Golf specialty stores are also a good place to get pricing on sets. I'd also search the Internet because there are hundreds of golf sites offering complete golf sets. eBay is an excellent place to get golf equipment, which includes complete golf sets. I've purchased and sold a lot of golf equipment through eBay and I've been very pleased with the quality. Craigslist.org is also another place you can look for used clubs that are local to you.

6. As a last suggestion I'd ask some of your friends if they have any old sets they'd be willing to sell you, which often time they'll give you an extremely good deal. If they don't have any then they may have a friend who does so there's no harm in asking.

Getting the right golf equipment is a very important part of playing golf. More important than most golfers think. So do yourself a favor and spend the time to get yourself fitted with the golf clubs that are right for you.