If you’ve never played the game of golf, it can sometimes seem an intimidating sport to take up. You may like the look of hitting balls, making putts and socialising with friends, but objects of accessibility and price may keep you at bay.
The reality is however, that golf doesn’t have to be expensive! Many public golf courses offer less than $20 for a green fee, and municipal membership can make that average fee much cheaper over the course of a year. If you just want to take up the game and enjoy striving for par, then all you really need to splurge on are some golf clubs!
And you’re in luck, because we here at Longest Shot Club have rounded up the best golf club sets for beginners available to buy! You can go looking for premium equipment if you like, but the value on offer with these sets of clubs, some being from top brands, will serve you much better when you’re starting the game.
After going through these sets, we’ll take a look at some important things to know regarding your fist golf clubs, and then you’ll be ready to go!
Table of Contents
What golf clubs are needed for a beginner?
When starting out this wonderful game for the first time, what you need is extremely relative. If you have immediately caught the golf bug, and you’re playing all the time, perhaps you would elect to try premium clubs. You can try premium clubs too even if you don’t play regularly, but in reality any golfer taking up the game is unlikely to know the difference between the feels of different golf clubs.
Feelings are an integral part of the game of golf, and they can sometimes take decades to truly cultivate. Tommy Fleetwood, one of the best players in the world, has played with the same Nike driver for so long that Nike have since stopped making golf equipment altogether! If his driver breaks, he can’t just get a new one!
If Tommy Fleetwood is using old clubs over all the new premium technology, then there is no reason for anybody taking up the game to be using premium clubs either. The difference they will make is marginal, and the money you save by buying the sets below can be reinvested in lessons or a membership at a nice club.
You’ll enjoy the game more this way, and when you gradually get better, the time will come when you decide to upgrade. I can guarantee, you’ll get better faster by practicing and learning at a good course than by spending top dollar for your equipment.
So what clubs do you need? The answer is quite simply, clubs that feel solid, look nice and fit inside a lovely bag! For ladies, women’s sets have slightly whippier shafts and slightly shorter stock club lengths, but if you’re a lady who is 5’6” or over, then both men’s or women’s sets would suit you fine!
If you can get all these elements in one, including clubs that have truly forgiving performance over power, then you’ll be all set and ready to begin your golfing adventure.
So without further ado, here are the best golf club sets for beginners on the market.
Best Men’s Golf Club Sets for Beginners
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1. Callaway Edge Men’s 10-Piece Golf Set
10 Pieces: D, 3W, H, 6i, 7i, 8i, 9i, PW, SW, P (No Bag Included)
We start with the best in class. This set was recently featured by Rick Shiels on his YouTube channel as the ‘secret’ golf set from one of the biggest brands in golf, Callaway. It’s not hard to see why they’re kept a secret.
These clubs offer a high percentage of the performance of Callaway’s premium line for a fraction of the price. While the options are limited for better players, and the price of these clubs are still quite a bit higher still than other options on this list, beginners need look no further if they want high quality, powerful and forgiving clubs from a high profile brand.
The driver is powerful and keeps off centre hits straight, while the fairway wood and hybrid are easy to hit and get airborne. The irons are chunkier, easy to hit and very forgiving, while the wedge options are simple too for short game purposes.
The real star of the Edge set however is the putter, which is an Odyssey branded flat-stick. Odyssey, which is owned by Callaway, is arguably the best putter brand in golf and so a chance to play with an extremely high quality putter when starting the game is a very appetising prospect indeed. This set will help you become a better putter straight out of the gate.
The Final Word: A top-class set from a top-class brand for a budget price. There are few, if any, full beginner sets out there with the quality of this one, and none with the same brand power. The lack of bag is the only downside, but it is available as an inexpensive add on.
Longest Shot Golf Rating: Price:3/5 – Looks:5/5 – Performance:5/5 – Overall:13/15
2. Wilson Ultra Men’s Complete Golf Set
9 Clubs: D, 3W, H, 6i, 7i, 8i, 9i, PW, P (Bag Included)
If the Callaway Edge clubs are far and away the best budget clubs in terms of performance, then the leader in the clubhouse in terms of overall value is most certainly the Wilson Ultra full set.
Wilson Ultra has long been associated with golf balls, but the full golf sets that fall under their name are far more impressive. While some sets in this list can be found cheaper, the Ultra provides a sleek looking set with wonderful aesthetics and performance for the price.
Like all sets on this list, performance is relative, but if you are reading this you likely won’t know the difference between a Cobra Speedzone driver and the Wilson Ultra package driver. You certainly won’t know it relative to the price gap.
The Final Word: In short, these clubs look great and inspire confidence. That is well over half the battle, and for the price, they provide simply phenomenal value in terms of overall performance
Longest Shot Golf Rating: Price:5/5 – Looks:4/5 – Performance:4/5 – Overall:13/15
3. Callaway Strata Men’s Complete Golf Club Set
9 Pieces: D, 3W, H, 6i, 7i, 8i, 9i, PW, P (Bag Included)
The Strata brand is another brand owned by Callaway that, like the Wilson Ultra, is known predominately for its golf balls. Unlike its sibling Edge line however, the Strata brand is not linked to the same performance as the recent Mavrik or Epic ranges. What Strata does offer however, is incredible value for a brand new set of golf clubs.
Coming with a bag available in two colour options, this Strata set enables golfers just taking up the game to get everything they need, bar balls and tees, in one handy set. The bag is a stand bag too so it works if you prefer to carry or drive in a cart.
There are no difficult clubs to hit in this bag, and they are designed solely to help golfers just starting the game get the ball in the air off the tee and in the hole from on the green. What more could you want?
The Final Word: All in all, this set has all the essentials that a beginner golfer will need to play the game with a durable bag to make mobility easy for them. That all makes this set highly recommendable for beginner golfers and well worth the relatively small investment to play this game we all love.
Longest Shot Golf Rating: Price:5/5 – Looks:3/5 – Performance:3/5 – Overall:11/15
4. Callaway Strata Men’s Ultimate Complete Golf Set
11 Clubs: D, 3W, 4H, 5H 6i, 7i, 8i, 9i, PW, SW, P (Bag Included)
As an expanded version of the Strata set, the Strata Ultimate set comes as an all-around set that will give you more variety than the regular set. The new line from the renowned manufacturer brings a bag with plenty of space and some excellent equipment.
The set itself comes with 11 clubs, packing everything you might need on the fairways and around the greens into one small set. Even though the product is labelled as a 16-piece set, Callaway include the bag and the four headcovers you’ll get as pieces. The headcovers are a nice touch, although the bag is the key element here.
From the full titanium diver to the forgiving hybrids and the thick wedges to the putter, this set offers something for everyone. Forgiveness is the first feature you’ll notice in this product, which in a budget set like this is crucial. The durability is not excellent however, but for the price that is to be expected.
Additionally, variety can occasionally be a detriment to some players, as keeping the game simple is an excellent philosophy to take with you not just in your early days as a golfer, but your whole golfing life. However, the variety in this set will absolutely help those who put more emphasis on their short game. Long game lovers perhaps should stick to the basic set.
The Final Word: Like the basic set, this product has all the essentials that a beginner golfer will need to play the game, with added variety that will help short game lovers. Although durability is questionable, there is little to complain about thanks to the price.
Longest Shot Golf Rating: Price:4/5 – Looks:3/5 – Performance:3/5 – Overall:10/15
5. Tour Edge Men’s Reaction 3 Complete Set
11 Clubs: D, 3W, H, 5i, 6i, 7i, 8i, 9i, PW, SW, P (Bag Included)
Tour Edge are making major moves in the premium market at the moment, but they still produce high quality full sets for beginners. The Reaction 3 set comes in many options, including women and senior specifications, and is good for all golfers taking up the game, regardless of swing speed.
All the clubs you need for virtually any lie are included in this Tour Edge Golf-Reaction 3 set, which features a lifetime warranty upon purchase. That warranty seriously alleviates any durability concerns and adds a certain degree of security to an already great value product.
Although slightly more expensive than the Strata clubs, the performance of the Reaction 3 set is superb and enables beginner golfers to have a good looking, affordable set that will not compromise too greatly on performance. Golfers will find these clubs are some of the best game improvement clubs around, let alone amongst full sets!
The bag is also very comfortable and the heel/toe putter will suit all strokes great and small, which is definitely good news for beginners!
The Final Word: As the Tour Edge brand grows its premium reputation slowly but surely, it is not losing sight of helping new players get started in the game. This set illustrates that perfectly.
Longest Shot Golf Rating: Price:4/5 – Looks:3/5 – Performance:4/5 – Overall:11/15
Best Women’s Golf Club Sets for Beginners
1. Wilson Women’s Ultra Complete Package Golf Set
9 Clubs: D, 3W, 4H, 6i, 7i, 8i, 9i, PW, P (Bag Included)
While the Strata set for ladies offers a great option, once again the Ultra complete set from Wilson comes up trumps. Like for the men’s set, this set provides ladies with everything they need to play with.
What sets this set apart however, is once again the design and customisation options upon purchase. Players can buy this set in three different colours, with all the clubs and bag matching whatever colour scheme chosen.
To top it all off, this set comes in very cheap and with a super lightweight bag. With only 9 clubs in the set too, this bag is perfect to just pick up and go play! You won’t even need a trolley, let along a cart!
The Final Word: This set will work well for any golfer of any skill level, not just beginner golfers, so is an excellent option whether you’ve been playing your entire life or you just picked up the game today!
Longest Shot Golf Rating: Price:5/5 – Looks:5/5 – Performance:3/5 – Overall:13/15
2. Callaway Strata Plus Women’s Complete 14-Piece Set
10 Clubs: D, 5W, 5H, 6i, 7i, 8i, 9i, PW, SW, P (Bag Included)
For ladies beginning the game of golf, the major difference in club requirements compared to men is simply the length of the clubs needed. In reality, men beginning the game and women beginning the game can very easily use the same clubs, if it were not for differences in height.
For women over 5’6”, all club sets are on the table, as men’s sets as standard are designed for people ranging from 5’7” to 6’0”. For women smaller than that however, it is certainly advisable to invest in a women’s set specifically. These clubs are shorter in length and enable beginners to swing the club more comfortably, an integral aspect to developing a good swing early on certainly.
For women’s sets then, one of the best available options is the Strata Plus Women’s set. Coming with lofted fairway woods, an easy-to-hit driver and a mallet putter, which many golfers will love, this set has everything you could possibly want from a starter set.
Last but not least is, of course, the wonderfully designed bag. It is comfortable to carry and has a lot of pockets and compartments, as well as a rain hood and a backpack strap system.
The Final Word: This Strata set is perhaps better than the men’s equivalent products, with the bag a true standout for the product.
Longest Shot Golf Rating: Price:4/5 – Looks:3/5 – Performance:3/5 – Overall:10/15
3. Believe Ladies Complete Golf Set Purple
11 Clubs: D, 3W, 4H, 5H, 6i, 7i, 8i, 9i, PW, SW, P (Bag Included)
The Believe Ladies Complete Golf Set by Founders Club is a lovely looking set designed to improve not only your game but your golf experience too. The superb forgiveness and decent power these clubs possess are all anybody would need to get out on the course and perform to the best of their ability.
Believe’s lightweight Designer Fashion Bag is the full package too, with a 14-way divider top and seven-zip pockets to sort all your clubs out and hold your items. The real luxury lies with the umbrella sleeve, glove holder and towel ring however, which all set this bag apart from other sets on this list.
It is also worth mentioning that this set displays the internationally recognized of the pink ribbon emblem for the fight against breast cancer. For every set purchased Founders Club will make a $5 donation to provide free mammography screenings and breast cancer prevention research.
The Final Word: A nice set with a top-class bag and a good cause behind it. This set is perfect for any lady looking to take up the game.
Longest Shot Golf Rating: Price:3/5 – Looks:5/5 – Performance:3/5 – Overall:11/15
4. Confidence Lady Power III Golf Club Set & Stand Bag
9 Clubs: D, 3W, 4H, 6i, 7i, 8i, 9i, PW, P (Bag Included)
This set does exactly what it says on the tin. It provides confidence. A wonderful bag with a violet colour scheme holds nine clubs that are designed to be as easy as possible to hit.
The clubs themselves in this set leave a lot to be desired, as they don’t look very good and certainly don’t perform exceptionally well. They do however do the job, and are certainly easy to hit from the rough.
The putter is also noteworthy from this set, as is the seller’s customer service. If you have any problems with the set, the seller will help you out and may even send you a full replacement set should you experience any problems.
The Final Word: Not the best set performance wise but a good-looking set for a brilliant price with good customer service, which to some would be all that is needed.
Longest Shot Golf Rating: Price:5/5 – Looks:4/5 – Performance:2/5 – Overall:11/15
5. Precise Premium Ladies Women’s Complete Golf Set
10 Clubs: D, 3W, 4H, 5i, 6i, 7i, 8i, 9i, PW, P (Bag Included)
This set from Precise Golf is unique in many ways. Coming with the standard ten clubs that many on this list have, it looks fairly innocuous at first, but purchasing options stand it apart from the crowd.
You can buy this set in three sizes depending on height, which as previously noted is the biggest consideration for beginner ladies with these sets. The three sizes will suit players 5’3” and under, 5’3” to 5’8” and 5’8” and over, enabling women of all heights to have a set that fits them. The bag also has a unique double strap and is both small and sturdy.
As for the clubs, they’re light, well balanced, easy to swing and inspire confidence even in the hands of the least confident golfer. Couple that fact with the 100% graphite shafts in each and every club and you have a high-performance product for a very reasonable price.
The Final Word: High performance in these clubs stems from the three different size options and an excellent lightweight feel. This set looks good, feels good and performs well, without breaking the bank at all.
Longest Shot Golf Rating: Price:4/5 – Looks:4/5 – Performance:5/5 – Overall:13/15
Understanding Golf Clubs for Beginners
Driver
The driver is the club everybody wants to hit when they just get started with golf. The old adage ‘to tee it high and let it fly’ is very appealing to new players, and the big stick often gets a full workout early in its career.
However, another old adage of ‘drive for show and putt for dough’ may not quite hold true. Statistics from the PGA Tour show that the driver is actually the most valuable club in the bag and provides a bigger advantage than any other club.
For beginners, accuracy with the driver translates to far greater success. Using a higher lofted driver between 10° and 13° will enable you to achieve the more distance and air time with their shots.
Furthermore, you should aim for drivers with a larger club face which increases the size of the “sweet spot”, the centre of the clubface that creates an optimum ball-flight. In combination with higher loft, larger club faces also prevent swaying and sliced balls that often happen to beginners.
Fairway woods
The fairway wood is notoriously, with the exception of a bladed 1-iron or 2-iron, the hardest club to hit in golf, particularly off the fairway. Once conquered however, fairway woods are an excellent alternative to a driver and provide great length in early rounds.
While they are ideal for long fairway shots, they can also be used, if needed, from off the tee. For those that are still in the learning process, a 5-wood or even a 7-wood is going to be the best option because they are easier to hit.
Similar to drivers, higher loft in fairway woods gives you more air time and adds more space to your shots. They differ from drivers with having a low centre of gravity which in return generates backspin. Backspin is important as it will counteract with the slightly missed shots giving the ball a straight trajectory.
Hybrids
Hybrids are, as you have naturally assumed, a crossbreed between two types of golf clubs. Woods and irons, to be more specific. The club head resembles a wood, although somewhat smaller, and the shaft resembles that of an iron club. This combination allows golfers to have the best of both worlds with stability, power and launch that neither woods nor irons can match on their own.
Hybrids have been a hot topic in recent years and have emerged as a key club in any beginner set. Many sets on this list have two or even three hybrid options to go along with just four irons.
The reason for this is that hybrids are incredible clubs for beginners to get the ball airborne, straight and a decent distance down the fairway. They are also remarkably good from the rough in the fairway and around the greens, hence why they are often referred to as ‘rescue clubs’.
They are the easiest club to hit in the bag and really stand out for many beginner golfers. Any golfer should strive to have at least one in their set, and should take that into consideration when making a purchase.
Irons and wedges for beginners
Irons are the heartbeat of any golf bag and are the most common golf clubs around. They are almost always used for approaches into greens and good iron play is integral to shooting a good score.
Without getting too far into the subject of explaining the numbers on irons, you should know that the lower numbered irons for beginners are much more difficult to hit correctly and are rarely used nowadays, hence the uptick in hybrid usage.
Wedges have higher lofts than irons, and are essentially the clubs golfers use when close to the green. Chip shots, pitch shots, flop shots and bunker shots are all played almost always with a wedge of some kind. The most interesting wedge is the sand wedge, which some sets listed here include, as that club was created by Gene Sarazen to get out of bunkers in The Open Championship.
If it worked for him, it can most certainly work for you. In the bunkers, it is important to play those shots differently. You have to take some sand before the ball but it is vital you don’t slow your swing down. Then, the sand wedge loft will do the rest of the work for you… Simple!
Putters
The putter is the most hit club in golf and are perhaps the most difficult to master. You cannot have a golf club set without a putter, but choosing the right one is not simple. Even though all putters share certain characteristics such as a flat club face and low loft, it all comes down to personal preference as to which one works best for you. It is the most individual part of golf, which is already the most individually unique game there is!
The length and weight of the putter are the main factors when it comes to “feeling” the ball while putting, but it will take experience to feel the right one. For the sole reason that the putter is so prone to subjectivity, we recommend that beginners start by testing several different putters before choosing one.
Our list of what golf clubs you should look for in a golf club set suggests that learners should carry around 10 golf clubs, but keep in mind that the limit is 14 and you are more than encouraged to experiment. If you start with 10, you can always add clubs whenever you get a hold of one!
Bear in mind that long irons are easily replaceable by hybrids, something the pros have been doing for a while, while higher lofted irons can replace woods. You will probably find out that you are by default more adept at playing with a certain type of club, so the set should meet your style and preferences.
Remember that fewer golf clubs means more practice with each one and less time spent thinking about the correct club. Less clubs then, often translates to having more fun on the golf course.
How to take care of your golf club set?
There are quite a few tips and tricks in taking care of a golf club set, but we have decided to highlight those that are tried and tested and have proven themselves to be worthy practices.
- Always store golf clubs inside as opposed to garages or cars where they can be affected by heat or humidity. This can lead to premature rusting.
- Headcovers are important for longer clubs and putters. Maybe not as much for irons, but definitely use a headcover for putters and other fragile clubs.
- Wiping the golf club after each shot is a great idea – just think of them as fine Japanese kitchen knives.
- Warm water, soap and a fine brush are all you should use to wash clubfaces in order to avoid damaging. A clean of the full set should take less than 5 minutes.
- Check your clubs for worn areas, dents and similar damage markers. It is much better to react in time than let a worn-out grip ruin your game.
- Remember that rain is not a friend of your golf clubs. Wipe the clubs thoroughly after the round and allow them to dry in warm temperatures to avoid rusting.
Now that you have all the right equipment, the only thing left for you to do is get out on the course and do your best.
Remember, there is no actual winning in golf – the sport is about self-improving and having fun!
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