Full bag custom fitting

tritri5

Hi folks looking to get a full bag done and wondering if some places are better than others for a full bag. I'm still fairly new to the game, currently playing with 15 year old callaway irons and taylormade hybrid and driver. Do they do discounts if you buy a full bag? I've got a voucher for mcguirks for 330 euro and planning on spending max 1500. I'm female and a long hitter. So not sure if male or female clubs would be best hence why the custom fitting. I don't want to be pawned off with Wilson or spalding clubs.

So any help would be great.

benny79

Hi Tritri,

I personally wouldn't go to Mcguirks or any golf shop for that matter as they are very hit and miss. I would use your voucher for trolley, bag, Clothes, Golf balls or at a push wedges. For a total bag fit you could go to Foregolf (meath I think) or the academy in Carton house (Kildare) If these are not near and it was me I would go to a local Pro in a golf Club who has a good set up. Bernard Quigley in Naas golf club has a good set up ie Trackman etc.

big_drive

Id avoid a shop too.

I'd go some place with plenty options like foregolf, where if needed they could use a men's clubhead and pair it with a lighter shaft if needed or whatever combination works. Shop would be more limited I think

kod12

is there anywhere you can go and get fit pay the fee and get your exact specs the use the voucher that way. I know some places will not give you the specs unless you buy off them.

tritri5

I'm fairly new to this so not sure who does this? I know Mcguirks charge 50 euro but take it off your purchase of clubs if you do purchase.

coillcam

McGuirks will do a fit for you of course.

What the other posters are getting is that there are far superior specialist fitters out there. If you're spending a lot of money, the consensus is to put that towards a specialist fitter with a good reputation. They're much more experienced and have a wider range of options available.

There are also plenty of local pro shops that are highly competent fitters like Bernard from the Naas GC mentioned previously.

The hierarchy in quality/options is always:

Specialist fitter > local pro > chain stores like McGuirks .

The likes of foregolf or carton house academy have a lot of reviews and built a well known rep. There are plenty of others.

For reference and to give an idea of costs for new fitted clubs:

Driver = €500-€600

Irons = €1k - €1.3k

Hybrids/woods = €250-€350 each.

Wedges = €150+ each

Putter = €300+

All depending on brand and model of course. Figures above are low-average but you can easily put €2.5k+ into a new bag from premium brands.

The fitters and McGuirks all have a fitting fee, if you buy it'll be included in the cost. If you don't buy, you walk away with the fitting specs on paper/email minus the fitting cost....

S_D

just did a full bag fit in foregolf and it was a great experience, but note it isnt cheap. But its great and for me personally was well worth the investment

spacecoyote

Worth checking with your home club to see if they'll be running any sessions in near future.

All the manufacturers are launching at the moment, so they usually have their fitters run some sessions at clubs that can support a fitting.

You'll only be seeing one brands clubs at an individual session, but you should be dealing with a pro fitter

tritri5

Did you see a massive difference in price and clubs selection in foregolf? I don't think I can afford to go over the 1.5k mark

awec

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121598514#Comment_121598514

You won’t get a full bag for that unfortunately. Irons alone will swallow the bulk of that.

Dr Turk Turkelton

There is s guy comes over from England every so often and goes to certain clubs each time.

Tour Tolerance Golf is his Instagram handle.

I got fitted with him last August for irons. He charges €90 for the fitting with no obligation to buy.

I ordered them at the end of the fitting but didn't even think to ask the price, just had an idea they would be expensive.

When he brought them over to me he looked on McGuirks website and price matched them!

He did a very detailed fitting and I couldn't recommend him highly enough.

I got it done at Royal Tara.

S_D

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121598514#Comment_121598514

best way to judge is look at RRP prices and that will be what foregolf will be roughly. I did a lot of research on the pricing side of it and i've seen several posts saying the same...its in and around the online RRP of the likes of mcguirks. If 1500 is budget then i'd prob look at 2nd hand as a set of decent irons these days is 1300+

willabur

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121598514#Comment_121598514

you could do a fitting then get onto Golfbidder and build your bag from last years clubs, there really isn't that much difference from year to year. Once you hit the club once then they are second hand already.

Have done the full fitting experience with McGuirks and with Halpenny, had a putting fit with concept golf. So much of the experience is down to the fitter, I had a fairly disinterested guy in Mcguirks, ended up giving them business but kinda regretted not going our to foregolf. That was 5 years ago so time for another fitting I think. The guy with Halpenny was great and concept golf was absolutely brilliant. Only downside is that it was indoors.

Ivefoundgod

The difference with Foregolf and likes of concept golf etc. is you get access to shaft and head combos that McGuirks and Halpenny don't have. I got fit into Modus 105 Stiff shaft in my irons a few years ago. Went to McGuirks a while back for a hybrid and while there tried a few irons but they only had 2 or 3 shaft options to try, they can order a wider range but a bit pointless when you can't try it first. Not sure was that the store i was in but i've heard the same from others. If you are fit into anything that isn't a stock shaft you'll struggle to find them second hand too, vast majority of used clubs have stock shafts.

RoadRunner

Just a suggestion... if I was going full bag with your budget, I'd probably try to save money with my iron selection. I think I'd try look at direct to consumer or second hand irons. Take with a pinch of salt, this is just me, and I already have a good idea what shafts and heads I'd want.

https://takomogolf.com/products/iron-101t?variant=45253934416182

I don't think I'd be mad for a direct to consumer driver/fairway wood as I think the big companies have invested very heavily in R&D on these.

Also putters can go from very cheap to very expensive, without there being any noticeable difference in how is affects your game. The putter you currently have might be fine.

willabur

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121605941#Comment_121605941

This is true but given the context the OP has given in terms of budget they need to set their expectations in terms of options with the budget that they have in mind

billy3sheets

@tritri5 I had an iron fitting about a year ago in McGuirks. The fitter tried several heads and shafts from different manufacturers before recommending a set. I had no sense that they were limited in this respect. My spec was Mizuno MX923, regular shafts, half inch longer. I splurged around 950 on 4-PW. I reckon I could have picked these up the previous year's model MX921, with regular shafts for around 600 and there would be not much noticeable difference.

@tritri5 1500 is a fair whack to spend on clubs. You say you're still fairly new to the game, so I'd say lessons will bring you more benefits than club fitting. I'd suggest you get the fitting and if it's not really wacky, see if you can pick up similar irons cheaper. Same for a driver.

charlieIRL

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121606636#Comment_121606636

I love the look of those irons. Would love to try them.

Russman

Op,

I've no affiliation with them, but I can't recommend Concept Golf highly enough. I got fitted for my irons there in 2022 and had a driver fitting there last summer. They're brand agnostic so you have plenty of choice. Mark's a top bloke and very easy to deal with. Their online booking system makes it easy to pick a time that suits and you can give additional info so he'll know in advance where you're coming from with regard to clubs, your game etc. There's no hard sell either, you get your specs and can buy from them or not.

bakerbhoy

Went for a club optimisation this week.

Disturbing to find my custom fit/build clubs bore little relation to my specs.

Clubs wrong length, swing weights all over the shop, lie angles off also.

benny79

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121627443#Comment_121627443

Where did you get the club optimisation done? never heard of that been done. Plus where did you buy the clubs? I'd be going back if well out!

kod12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121627443#Comment_121627443

Interested to see where you got this done too

coillcam

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121627443#Comment_121627443

Loft and lie can move over time. My local pro mentioned to check them every year, especially if you play a lot. I'd imagine forged heads being softer can be more prone to it.

Weight and length don't, that's a flat out bad job or wrong specs given to the manufacturer/club builder.

bakerbhoy

Requested current spec settings of clubs from optimiser to relay back. Weights went from C7 up to D1.5 no consistancy.

Definitely going to get back in touch with fitter/builder but won't be trusting them again.

Reputable practice, clubs built in his own premises by another.

I'm not going to publically name them here but report any feedback i do receive.

Henry Ford III

If you are a relative newcomer to golf your money might be much better utilized in getting a few lessons.

You can have ideally fitted clubs but if your swing has recurring faults or is inconsistent a good shot will still be hit and miss.

dan_ep82

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121627886#Comment_121627886

Only 3 of my irons needed loft changed in 5 years and a lot of golf. Think they slipped 1-2°

I would’ve been practicing on grass ranges more than mats so maybe there’s something in that.

bakerbhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121628290#Comment_121628290

I'm nearly 60. Playing over 40 years. Low index of 9. Fairly well up on the details. Swing weights not even close to each other, Shafts 1/4 '' longer than spec, lie angles off, is a build issue. It will only exacerbate any tendency in the golfers swing. The fitter didn't recommend these specs. I have my specs from that fitting. Clubs don't match.

Henry Ford III

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121628662#Comment_121628662

I was addressing the OP.

Your golfing case is obviously quite different.

spacecoyote

Weird @bakerbhoy you were fitted to longer shafts given (and I'm sure you're not going to be offended by me saying this) you're not the tallest guy?

Infoseeker1975

Perhaps use your budget for a combination of both; assess your game and see what you think is the weakest area - driving, irons, wedge distance in or putting & how often you use those clubs on your home course. Then use part of the budget to get custom fitted.

For me, I would go 2nd hand with the putter, yes you can get custom fit but practice, a lesson and repeating drills will make you a far better putter than a custom fitting.

I used Foregolf about 6/7 years ago & I got a driver, 3 wood and hybrid. I found it very worthwhile though I had never put any effort into equipment before that, I was a 4/5 handicap player at the time. With newer technology and the correct shaft [most important part] for me, I hit balls with the old equipment and the new options whilst I was there, there was a big difference in distance and in the dispersity, based on that I purchased the clubs & they definitely helped me to get a lot lower in terms of my handicap.

bakerbhoy

@spacecoyote 😂 5' 8" and a smidgen. No offense taken ,but there will be retribution.

They were supposed to be 1/4" short.

For this shortarse.

spacecoyote

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121631575#Comment_121631575

😂

I didn't doubt there'd be retribution for one minute

bobster453

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121627443#Comment_121627443

How in the name of all thats holy did we manage to win our match with all those things wrong?.

Be afraid to see my specs😂

bobster453

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121631575#Comment_121631575

And so it begins...the annual Boards Golf Society wind up😂😂😂....love it

RoadRunner

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121634367#Comment_121634367

No, the correct question to ask is: "if his clubs WERE all in spec would yous still have won your match?"😆

spuddy4711

BGS retribution. Friday 13th Sept, the Octogon Dungarvan.

IMG_3495.png

bobster453

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121634660#Comment_121634660

"The cream always rises to the top"..nuff said

bakerbhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121634367#Comment_121634367

Well Bob. As you've have sooo many times.... we rise above it.

Gen boomers .... Nothing fazes us.

bakerbhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121634754#Comment_121634754

Missed your smile spuddy.

Hope you to see a little bit more this season.

bakerbhoy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121634660#Comment_121634660

To Hackney your ego.☺️

You are the only one with wizardry abilities.

kod12

Is there any particular branch of Mcguirks or Halpenny in the Dublin area that has good fitters? Cheers I have a voucher for both

dan_ep82

Lucan Halpenny is who I went to 4 years ago to confirm the numbers and fitting from foregolf. We ended up at the same specs. Big bay aswell, nothing worse than a cramped bay

billy3sheets

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121648497#Comment_121648497

Mcguirks at Kinsealy Grange have a fitting bay where you can hit balls onto the driving range. Fitters might change over time.

irish_man

I got a fitting in ForeGolf and didn't rate them. The driver I got is an inch shorter than usual to help me find the middle of the club face but as a shorter hitter an extra 2/3 mph would help me on longer holes. I felt they were very expensive too. I got a driver shaft that 'will never go left' and was told it was €300 resulting in my driver costing €700, (3 years ago).

I have since got new irons with a pro who has known me for years. I like the look of them but didn't find a significant improvement in my game. Apparently I'm average and most off the shelf clubs suit me, maybe the manufacturers know something!

My advice would be to go to someone who knows you. If you don't attend any pro, pay for a fitting and ask for the results. Don't buy any clubs on the day. The second hand market offers such value and my favourite club is the only one I didn't get fitted ironically.

big_drive

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121728620#Comment_121728620

I couldn't imagine paying €700 for a driver. I'd be expecting a full set of irons for that 😄

bobster453

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121728784#Comment_121728784

Haha I would be looking for full set plus driver plus tour bag shoes and electric trolley for that.

Mind you at this stage maybe a golf buggy would be needed.

Abugarcia

I had a fitting in foregolf with Dave 2 years ago. Found it really good and im still using that Driver. I also had a fitting for a set of irons in McGuirks in leopardstown range just before Christmas .I to had vouchers but i have to say the fitter was exceptional, i was really surprised 😁 I got a good deal also on the price.

kod12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121753450#Comment_121753450

Would you happen to know the name of the fitter in there? Cheers

Abugarcia

Dave in foregolf and it was Robbie in McGuirks. Not sure of either of there 2nd names 😆

dan_ep82

Pretty sure Dave has left foregolf.

kod12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121765678#Comment_121765678

Thanks for that is that in the racecourse one or the Leopardstown Foxrock?