You can buy golf clubs in the Netherlands three easy ways: online, in a big sports store, or second-hand from another golfer. All three are good. The right one for you depends on how sure you are that golf is your new love — and I already hope it is.
Let me walk you through it, the way I would if we were standing together on the range.
Where can I buy golf clubs in the Netherlands — online and near Utrecht?
For a first set, the fastest route is online. GolfDriver.nl has been selling since 2009, ships free over €100, and sends before 15:00 for same-day dispatch. Golfstore.nl and GolfShopsOnline (free shipping over €75 in the Netherlands) are solid too. If you like the paper-catalogue feeling of holding a club first, Decathlon has stores all over the country and their own Inesis 100 beginner set — driver, a 4/5 hybrid, irons 6–9 and a mallet putter, seven clubs — costs under €500 and is built to get the ball up in the air with very little effort. Many Dutch beginners start exactly here.
For a bigger physical shop, Jumbo Sports is the largest golf retailer in the country, with six-plus stores and a webshop. Their flagship in Amsterdam is 3,500 m². There is no Jumbo Sports inside Utrecht city, but the chain is nationwide, and every store gives free club fitting by appointment.
Not sure yet which sticks you actually need? Start with my guide on the clubs a beginner needs before you spend a euro.
Should a beginner buy new or second-hand clubs?
Second-hand, almost always, for your very first bag. Used clubs can be up to 70% cheaper than new, and modern clubs are tough — they last for years. The Dutch used market is well stocked because golfers here trade equipment often.
New clubs shine when you already know golf is for you and you want something fitted to your swing. I go deeper into that choice in new versus used clubs . One small thing people forget: grips wear faster than anything else and should be replaced every two to four years. When you buy used, add a little budget for fresh grips. Grip thickness is personal, and worn grips make you squeeze too hard.
Is a club fitting worth it before I buy?
Yes — more than most beginners expect. Here is a story I like. One man had swung the same old irons from 1992 for years, casual golf, nothing serious. He went for his first fitting almost as a joke. A lighter shaft and thicker grips lifted his clubhead speed by nearly 4 mph, and his club face, which came into the ball open, started arriving square. His shots went straighter, and the thicker grips alone let his hands relax so he could swing freely. He was a casual player, not a pro, and still he gained something real and measurable.
You do not need to fit before your first cheap set. But once you are ready to invest, a fitting stops you buying the wrong length or the wrong flex — and most beginners need a softer shaft than they think, regular or even senior flex.
What actually happens during a club fitting session?
A fitting takes about 60 to 90 minutes. The fitter measures your swing speed, ball flight, shaft flex, club length, lie angle and grip size. For a beginner the four that matter most are length, lie angle, shaft flex and grip size — simple things, big difference.
Lie angle is the sneaky one. If the club toe sits too high at impact, the face points left; too flat, and it points right. Fitters put tape on the sole and hit off a lie board to see it. So a “pull” you blame on yourself might really be your clubs. This is why I never let a student feel bad about a crooked shot before we check the equipment.
Where can I get fitted for clubs in or near Utrecht?
The most convenient spot for my students is Chi Chi Golf on Gageldijk 1 in Utrecht, where I teach. A PGA fitter comes here with Flightscope technology and measures your height, wingspan and hand-to-ground distance — a personal, non-binding session at the same place you take your lessons.
About 40 minutes away in Gorinchem is DutchGolfClubFitter, the best-known used-club and fitting specialist near Utrecht. Around 95% of their stock is lightly used Ping, Callaway, TaylorMade and Cobra, and they use a FlightScope monitor to read your swing speed, direction and distance. Dutch golfers describe an unhurried visit: the fitter asks about your level, age and build, then tests clubs with you in the cage until something fits — often an affordable used set that simply works. Purefitting NL is worth knowing too, because they mix shaft and clubhead brands freely, where most fitters are tied to one brand.
A good moment to book your first fitting? After four or five lessons, when your swing shows steady tendencies the fitter can actually read. If you want to build that consistency first, that is exactly what my lessons are for.
How do I find quality used clubs in the Netherlands?
Start with specialist resellers, then classifieds. Golfclubtrader.nl and SecondChanceGolf.nl keep large curated stock. Golfbidder is one of Europe’s biggest used-club sellers, an official PGA partner since 1997, and ships next-day across Europe — reliable, quality-checked clubs from TaylorMade, Callaway, Ping and Titleist. Marktplaats often has 1,600-plus golf listings, and the Facebook group Golfspullen te koop Nederland has over 11,000 members buying and selling.
One golf.nl writer tested this properly. He bought four second-hand hybrids and found the idea genuinely worthwhile — but one club had slight shaft damage he only spotted by inspecting it closely. Surface scuffs are normal and fine; a bent or cracked shaft is not. So if you cannot check a club in person, buy from a specialist who does the checking for you.
Once you have your sticks, two more of my guides help you get value from them: how far each club goes and the right golf balls for beginners .
Buy simple, buy used, and come play. When you are ready to make those clubs really work, I will be at Chi Chi Golf, waiting to help you.