About three months ago, my 12-year-old daughter decided she wanted to start learning golf. Like any excited parent, I immediately took her to the driving range. But we quickly ran into a major problem: she was trying to swing her mom’s old golf clubs, which had heavy, stiff steel shafts.

It was incredibly difficult for her. She didn’t have the strength yet, and the heavy clubs were ruining her swing mechanics and frustrating her to no end.

I knew I needed to get her a proper set of clubs engineered for a beginner woman’s swing, but I refused to spend $1,500+ on brand new models, and I wanted to avoid the cheap, low-quality “box sets” sold at sporting goods stores.

After doing some serious research, I turned to Callaway Golf Pre-Owned. Here is a breakdown of exactly what I bought, how much it cost, and why I chose this route in a quick Q&A.

Q: Why did you choose Callaway Pre-Owned instead of a cheap “Box Set” or brand new clubs?

A: Brand new premium club sets from major manufacturers easily cost over $1,500. For a 12-year-old who is just starting out, that is an insane investment.

However, cheap $250 “box sets” from local sporting goods stores are often made with heavy, inferior metals and incredibly stiff shafts. They actually make learning the game harder.

Callaway Golf Pre-Owned was the perfect middle ground for a few major reasons. First, Callaway is an elite, trusted brand, and they actually run their own official pre-owned website. I couldn’t find officially run pre-owned online stores from other major brands like TaylorMade or Ping, which made Callaway the clear winner for safety and quality.

Second, the website makes it incredibly easy to find exact specifications. I was able to easily filter their inventory for exactly what I needed—for example, searching specifically for a 6-hybrid with a graphite shaft and women’s flex. When you go to a local used sports store, it is almost impossible to find that exact, perfect match for a beginner woman. By buying clubs directly from the manufacturer, I got modern, premium technology that will last her for years at a massive discount.

Q: What condition should you look for when buying used clubs?

A: When shopping on Callaway’s site, I chose the “Like New” condition for almost every club.

When the box arrived, I was blown away. Many of the “Like New” clubs were still wrapped in their original factory plastic. They were essentially brand new clubs that had likely just sat on a retail shelf as overstock. For the price I paid, it was an unbelievably great deal compared to buying them locally.

Q: Why are the shaft material and flex so important for a beginner?

A: This was the biggest game-changer for my daughter.

Mom’s old clubs had steel shafts, which are heavy and rigid. I made sure every single club I bought for my daughter had a Graphite Shaft and a Women’s Flex (L-Flex).

Graphite is significantly lighter than steel, and the Women’s Flex means the shaft is designed to bend and act like a whip, helping her generate power even with a slower swing. As soon as she switched to these graphite clubs, her swing improved drastically because she could finally swing freely without fighting the weight of the club.

(Want to know more about this? Read my full breakdown on Steel vs. Graphite Shafts for Women Beginners.)

Q: What specific clubs did you actually buy for her?

A: As I outline in our Ultimate Guide to Choosing Women’s Golf Clubs, beginners absolutely do not need a full bag of 14 clubs. It is overwhelming and a waste of money.

I bought her a perfectly streamlined setup of just 6 essential clubs to get her around the course:

Club Type	Specific Model Bought	Price	Purpose
Driver	2023 Big Bertha REVA	$176.00	For teeing off
Long Hybrid	2023 Paradym X Womens 4 Hybrid	$105.15	For long fairway shots
Short Hybrid	Rogue ST Max OS Lite Womens 6 Hybrid	$61.39	An incredibly easy-to-hit rescue club
Irons/Wedges	2023 Paradym X Womens 7 Iron & Sand Wedge	$162.56	The only irons she needs right now
Putter	2022 Ten Red 2-Ball Slant Lined Putter	$157.29	A premium, highly forgiving putter
Total Cost	Complete Beginner Setup	$662.39

Final Thoughts

For just over $650, I was able to build my daughter a near-brand-new, elite set of Callaway golf clubs specifically tailored to her beginner swing. These clubs are incredibly forgiving, perfectly weighted, and will easily last her for the next 5 to 10 years as she grows into the game.

If you are a beginner woman (or shopping for one), I highly recommend skipping the cheap box sets and building a custom used bag. The improvement in your swing will be worth every penny!