Driving a hard bargain

Paul Gallagher gives you the low-down on the best and most popular drivers on the market, how prices compare, and where to buy.

Each new golf season invariably brings with it the desire to buy new toys for the fairways. Although drivers are used on less than 20 per cent of the shots in a typical round , they are still at the top of the shopping list.

This week we have selected six of the most popular drivers on the market in order to indicate how much they cost and where to buy them.

When it comes to golf equipment, particularly clubs, it is most definitely a buyers' market and the prices shown in the tables are recommended retail prices only.

Such is the competitive nature of this market the buyer is king, a point worth noting when negotiating the purchase of a club with your local pro or retailer.

The big discount stores such as McGuirks Golf, Nevada Bob's or Golf Works offer the biggest range of clubs and because of their buying power it is difficult to beat them on price.

For example, McGuirks and Nevada Bob's are selling the Callaway Big Bertha 454 at the knock-down price of €209, representing great value at virtually cost price.

"Callaway is our big seller at the moment," says Phil O'Keeffe from Nevada Bob's. "It has broad appeal for golfers of all standards, but is very forgiving and therefore suits mid-to-high handicap golfers."

The most expensive driver featured here is the new Titleist 905.

The consensus across all the outlets consulted is this driver is geared towards the low handicap player.

"Titleist tend not to bring out a new range as often as other manufacturers, but when they do, it's most popular with the better player," says Brendan McGovern, professional at Headfort Golf Club in Meath.

The advantage of buying from your local pro is the obvious expertise on hand, plus the opportunity to try it out before you buy.

In some cases they may be a little more expensive than discount stores, or buying over the internet, but the trade-off is the service and advice you can only get from your pro.

Adrian Wallace of Galway Golf Club, and Malahide Golf Club's John Murray, have both found the Ping G2 immensely popular.

"Ping have come up with a winning formula in the G2 for three reasons," explains Wallace. "Firstly it's affordable like never before; it has the maximum cubic capacity (460cc) for any driver; and it conforms with Royal and Ancient regulations."

A quick sampling of the internet fare on offer brought us to directgolf.co.uk where, as expected, the prices are competitive - when converting from sterling to euro. One drawback, though, is you don't get to feel the driver before you buy it, plus standard postage to Ireland is an extra £12 (€18 approx).

There is plenty of fun to be had bidding for clubs on the auction-style website ebay, but the advice is to bid with caution and don't exceed your limit. Generally, clubs are sold by individuals who were given a new driver as a birthday or Christmas present and want to sell it because they already have one.

Two points. You don't have the same comeback as when buying from a recognised retailer and the quality is never guaranteed as more often than not, the sale is based on a photo or description. Postage and packaging also needs to be considered.

There are numerous methods of buying golf clubs and such a vast choice out there. However, if you heed only one piece of advice - remember the buyer holds the upper hand in today's market.