B0bBarker:
[...]
I'm cheap and would like to avoid spending money if I could. I plan on playing for awhile so I have no problem slowly adding credits over time. However, since it takes me awhile to earn them, I'm weary of what to purchase. I purchased a driver and even though it is a low end one, I've improved dramatically with it. What's the next thing I should purchase to help with my game?
Given a low budget game plan, all "buy" proposals must be taken with care.
Any buy best be checked with the question "Do I need it urgently
NOW?" because at the next level better equipment will be available, and
at Master tier the distances grow substantially, calling for the best equipment available then!
I object foremost to the proposal of custom balls. Since they wear and get lost, playing them means a steady cash flow to the Company. A player must be ready for this in two aspects:
* Ready to spend the credits (I estimate 6 cr per 9 hole strokeplay game with nearly the cheapest balls available),
* and ready to take profit from their costs of use. Spin as probably the most important feature will better the game when the balls are hit straight, not when frequent misses of the ding spread them all over the place.
Therefore check your purse before committing to custom balls.
I also object to the proposal to buy three wedges - this can only go wrong for Bob.
There are two fairly good and reasonably priced wedges available at level 30: The Pings. Buying three would mean to buy a lower quality WGT wedge, with laughable yardage stepping (these Pings and WGTs are available with 60° and 54° only), or high-priced and low-level Clevelands, wreaking havoc to his purse. Plus, nobody knows how long he might use them and how they'd fit to his next or final irons.
My proposal for the first buy: If urgent, get the 60° Ping, replace the Starter LW. At level 42, get the 64° (and possibly 60°) Ping replacing both LW and SW.
Regarding the putter, I'd see the Spider putter only as an optional buy. IMO, the Starter putter is the best club of this set, and a prerequisite for a replacement is fairly good hitting of the ding. This might have to wait until level 44 (Redwood) or 55 (Daytona Rossa), both with excellent critics, unless one of the other fancy & expensive putters becomes inevitably necessary :)
As for irons, there are many nice sets available now which all have one major fault: Their trajectory is only med/high. The first "high" clubs are the level 59 G20s, and "high" it should be for the Master tier.
Another basic feature of choice would be the meter speed. Will you stand the fast Tour Burners or go for the slower Raptures?
Take your time to look & listen and take into account the complete sets which may be a real bargain.
Most of all: Have fun!