Equipment

11 golf clubs/sets you owned and what they're worth now

By T.J. Auclair
Published on

Getty Images

Are you a golf club junkie? When the newest, latest and greatest technology is revealed, are you one of the first people in line? It's okay. There are a lot of people like us.
But what about all those older clubs collecting dust in the corner of the garage, some of them no doubt classics? Have you ever wondered just how much they're worth?

Here's a look at 11 classic golf clubs or sets of clubs from the past and what they're worth today.


11. Tommy Armour Silver Scot 845 irons
These beauties were released to the public in 1988. According to a piece from our friends at Hacker's Paradise from 2010 in a Q&A with clubmaker John Hoeflich, "The original forecast was 7,500 sets and I think we shipped over 30,000 in 1988."
Imagine that. That set of irons costs a pretty penny in the late 80s and were the envy of many.
Estimated resale value today for the set: $27
10. Ben Hogan Apex PC Forged Blade irons
Gorgeous... But probably better to use when applying butter to toast today than taking out on the course. Foregiveness? These irons were designed for elite players. This particular set came out in 1984.
We found a set in mint condition on eBay with a "Buy it Now" price of $1,499.25. Chances are, if you have this set lying around, they're not likely to be in perfect condition. In that case...
Estimated resale value today for the set: $279.
9. Callaway Big Bertha War Bird driver
Introduced in 1998, this was a "must-have" for players craving more distance. Check out the size— or lack thereof—of the driver head. That, along with the club's low center of gravity, made the club playable off the fairway since it was able to get airborne quickly.
Estimated resale value today for the set: $7.49-$19.99
8. Callaway Steelhead fairway woods
The Steelhead family— including the + and the Steelhead 3—are the best-selling Callaway fairway woods ever. This was the original. Just a delightful club to see.
Estimated resale value today for a 3 wood: $10
7. Titleist 975D driver
Released in 1998, Tiger Woods had this big dog in his bag for a long time. The head size? A measly 260cc. Drivers today are 460cc. The price for the much-desired 975D when it first came out was a whopping $500.
Estimated resale value today: $13.99-$25
6. TaylorMade Burner Bubble driver
A bubble at the top of a graphite shaft?! Yes, please! Plus, that vintage, persimmon-looking head made this driver with the sweetest new technology also look like a throwback when it came out in 1995.
Estimated resale value today: $5.99-$19.99
5. Cleveland VAS 792 Irons
Can we all agree that these might be the funkiest set of irons ever made? That offset look was crazy. However, looks aren't everything; performance is. Corey Pavin won the 1995 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills with this set, taking down Greg Norman.
Estimated resale value today for the set: $54, however we did see "Buy it Now" options on eBay for over $100.
4. Spalding Calamity Jane Hickory Shaft Leather Grip Putter
OK. So, vintage putters are where you can start to see some serious value. This putter is a remake of the model Bobby Jones used in the 1930s and features a head made from nickel plating over copper plating over forged carbon steel.
Estimated resale value today: $199.99-$295
3. PING Anser Putter
This is, hands down, the most copied putterhead design in the game's history. Karsten Solheim, founder of PING, developed this wildly popular design in 1959. Today, all the big manufacturers carry a putter with the same head design as the Anser.
Estimated resale value today: $10
2. PING ZING Irons
Introduced to the public in 1992 for a price of $1,200, these irons became an instant classic. They've held better value over time than a lot of other iron sets, but the resale value still feels as though you're giving them away.
Estimated resale value today for the set: $81
1. Arnold Palmer Peerless Chattanooga P31 Wood Set
This set of woods, manufactured when Palmer owned Peerless, came out in the mid-80s. And obviously having a persimmon set with Mr. Palmer's name on them today has to be pretty cool.
This set of three is selling on eBay for: $299.95