GolfRoots: The Used-Club Startup Turning Transactions Into Transformations

Most used-club companies focus on one thing: move gear, move on. GolfRoots isn’t one of them. In fact, founder Benjamin Stromberg will tell you outright that selling clubs is the least interesting part of what they do.

“We don’t want to be just another used-club company. We wanted to be a golf company that sells used clubs. The clubs are the tools — golf is the destination.”

That mindset alone puts GolfRoots in a different lane. Yes, they move a ton of pre-owned gear. Yes, they’ve carved out real space in the second-hand market. But at its core, GolfRoots is a service organization: a guide for beginners, a value port for experienced golfers, and a community-builder in an industry that desperately needs more of all three.

And it all started with two college students in their parent’s garage.

Chapter One: A Scrappy Garage Hustle With Serious Purpose

Most of us have a box of old clubs collecting dust. Stromberg had the same thing—he just turned his into a business.

“It started my senior year of college with some clubs I had sitting around the garage… I consigned friends’ and neighbors’ clubs because I didn’t have any money, sold them, reinvested, and did that over and over. That’s how the business got started.”

What began as a few Facebook Marketplace listings is now a team of 20+ people shipping gear nationwide. But the part that’s most interesting? GolfRoots isn’t limited by demand — it’s limited by inventory. Golfers want what they’re offering. They just can’t stock clubs fast enough.

Their sourcing model is clever:

Private-club trade-in events Partner/OEM channels Direct consumer buybacks

At a GolfRoots Trade-In Event, a club member drops off old gear with a GolfRoots team member and receives pro-shop credit. GolfRoots pays the pro shop for that credit, collects inventory, and ships everything to HQ.

“It creates incremental sales at zero cost for the club, we get inventory, and the member cleans out the garage.”

Win for the club. Win for the golfer. Win for GolfRoots. That triangle is basically the blueprint for how this company operates.

The Mission: Remove Barriers, Build Belonging

GolfRoots’ logo features three roots, symbolizing the three barriers Stromberg believes block golfers from entering—and staying in—the game.

Cost of equipment Confusion about gear, rules, and etiquette Feeling like you don’t have a place in golf

They attack all three with the same level of intentionality.

1. Cost: Premium Gear at Fair Prices

GolfRoots offers curated used equipment and previous-generation premium clubs at prices that would make even the most frugal golfer nod in approval. They also build full club sets, offering pre-made, high-quality options across all budgets.

And they don’t upsell. They don’t gatekeep. They don’t force “newest = best.”

“Older TaylorMade and Callaway sell so fast. You can still play with older equipment and get similar results.”

If you’re a bargain hawk, you’ll fit in here just fine.

2. Education: Helping Golfers Feel Confident

Their content isn’t “here’s the new release.” It’s:

Here’s what matters. Here’s what doesn’t. Here’s what’s worth your money. And here’s how to enjoy golf without overthinking gear.

“We create educational content so people understand rules, etiquette, and equipment — and we try to build a community by making it fun and approachable.” 

Both GolfRoots and MyGolfSpy share in that value, as both brands believe knowledge is the great equalizer.

3. Community: Helping People Belong

The company partners with “welcoming, chill, as-serious-as-you-want-it-to-be” spaces like Golf Ranch to host events that take the pressure off newcomers.

“We want to be a guide, especially for new golfers. With our ‘Root Sets’ we call and check in… It shouldn’t be transactional — it should be transformational.”

In a sport that can be intimidating, someone calling you to ask how golf is going?
That’s different. That matters.

A Better Used-Club Experience — From Start to Finish

GolfRoots refuses to sell through eBay or big marketplaces. Not because they can’t — because they don’t want to give up control of the experience.

“Controlling the experience is how we set ourselves apart. If demand generation was our issue, we’d sell everywhere.”

That control allows them to:

Inspect every club Clean, photograph, and grade consistently Ship fast Stand behind what they sell Interact directly with the customer if things go wrong and especially when things go right

Golfers who can buy anything still come to them for one reason: value without BS.

Why GolfRoots Matters in a Growing Resale Market

The used-club market is exploding. But most platforms fall into one of two categories:

The big-box aggregators — huge volume, inconsistent quality The peer-to-peer apps — buyer beware, good luck with returns

GolfRoots sits between the two:

More trustworthy than random marketplaces More personal and education-focused than big-box resellers More mission-driven than both

Their model fills a gap for beginners and experienced golfers chasing the best bang for their buck.

OEMs should be paying attention too.

“We do so much free marketing for them — teaching people about the brand and the clubs — and we introduce newer golfers to their equipment, building brand loyalty early.”

Translation: the resale world isn’t a threat. It’s a pipeline.

Innovating Where the Market Says “No”

When ball manufacturers wouldn’t accommodate lower pricing for grow-the-game initiatives, GolfRoots built its own solution.

A three-piece polyurethane ball for $24.99 a dozen, or $18.99 in bulk. An even more affordable subscription model and revised bulk pricing are coming soon.

“Are they the best ball on the market? Absolutely not. Are they good? 100%.”

Next up are putters: three models priced under $100. These putters are designed for use with their “Just The Roots Set” players and full sets, and they will also be available for individual purchase.

The message is clear: if the industry won’t help beginners play better golf for less, GolfRoots will.

A Culture That Had to Break to Grow

Stromberg openly admits he had to change.

“We had a bad culture at one point. I was micromanaging… We rebuilt with people who were the right fits, and I stepped back.”

Today the company is built around “intrapreneurs” — people who experiment, build, and solve problems without needing rigid playbooks.

That startup-style agility is rare in golf. And it’s another reason GolfRoots stands out.

What Golf Really Needs Right Now

GolfRoots’ story is bigger than resale.

It’s a story about access.
About service.
About helping golfers stay in the game — not just get in.
About building a business model that aligns with growing the sport rather than squeezing it.

“Our mission is to make the game more accessible and sustainable… We’re a golf company — and the goal is helping people belong.”

In a world where so much of golf can feel transactional, GolfRoots is a reminder that golf can be transformational too.

And for golfers searching for great gear, fair prices, and genuine guidance? This is a company worth rooting for.

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