Women's Mailbag
Is it a bad idea to buy used clubs? Can I wear leggings on the golf course? Your questions, answered
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Welcome back to the women's golf mailbag, where we answer all of your questions about women's golf. If you have a question you would like to have answered, you can submit it here. While we're focusing on women's questions, guys, if you have a question, we’re not going to ignore you. Let's get into it.
Can I wear leggings on the golf course?—Clare, Nevada
I’m able to admit, I wasn’t on board with leggings when people started wearing them on the golf course. I’d wear them to hit balls at a public range, but not to play. I have a few old-school tendencies when it comes to golf, I guess that's one of them. But leggings have changed, and so have I. Leggings with pockets feel very much golf appriopriate to me. The pockets dress the leggings up just a little bit, and add some function: a place to store your glove, scorecard, ball mark and tees. That said, it’s a personal preference. If you’re comfortable wearing pocket-free leggings and you know they’re not against the golf course’s dress code, go for it.
If you're looking for some golf pants, here are a few pairs our female editors love.
I’m just starting to play and golf clubs are so expensive. Can I buy used women’s clubs, or is that a bad idea?—Jessica, South Carolina
The price of golf clubs can catch both seasoned and new golfers by surprise. I completely understand the allure of the used club market. But it does have its drawbacks, so be careful if you venture down that road. I spoke with Monica Stratton, a fitter at Carlsbad (Calif.) Golf Center about buying used clubs.
She said she advises against it because women’s used equipment is hard to find. “What you do find is so old. It’s like 10-to-15 year-old product. Would you ski on 15 year old skis? Probably not. It’s the same concept. Technology has changed. For women, it’s changed tremendously. It’s worth trying new clubs if you can," Stratton said.
But if the best financial decision for you is to go with used women’s clubs, Stratton says to take a measurement to make sure women’s clubs are the correct length for you. Stand up straight with your arms hanging naturally at your sides and have a friend measure from the ground up to your wrist.
“If you’re measuring 32 to 34 inches from the floor to wrist, you’ll fit in standard women’s clubs," Stratton said. "Look up the clubs you’re looking at to see when they were released to try and not get anything that’s more than five to eight years old.”
Remember, you don’t need a full set of 14 clubs to start. Stratton says it’d be a better idea to get a few new clubs than a full set of used clubs.