This 2023 review guide is aimed to help you discover the best starter golf clubs that suit your needs and meet your requirements. As a beginner golfer, you might think that you need a lot of golf clubs to get started—after all, you are allowed to use 14 clubs on the golf course.
For one round of golf, you only need at least six different types of clubs that can be used in various golf situations. You can easily switch clubs depending on what situation you’re faced with.
For your first set of clubs, you would need a driver, a fairway wood, mid-irons, short-irons, pitching wedge, sand wedge, and a putter.
Beginners do not typically use long irons because they’re hard to hit so that they can be replaced with hybrids.
Now, the challenging part is figuring out the best starter set that will match your play style and skill level. But more than that, you should have a complete set that will help you accomplish every shot at every situation to make the game more enjoyable.
Your first set of clubs would not be your last. As you improve and gain more knowledge of the sport, you’ll need to upgrade your clubs accordingly, but for now, you only need to have the necessary clubs to get started.
How Much is a Beginners Set of Golf Clubs?
Prices vary widely depending on the brand, package inclusion, and features. Evidently, a complete set of top of the line equipment would set you back a few thousand dollars.
If you prefer to purchase golf clubs individually, it can get very expensive fast. For beginners, it’s not advisable to get the pricey clubs because your skill and style will still change as you gain more experience, which will require you to change clubs.
So, splurging on a cheap beginner half set may not be the best way to go.
To get more value for money, it’s recommended to purchase a complete package set. The price can range from $200 to $500 depending on how many clubs are included in the set.
Our 2023 Top Rated Starter Complete Golf Sets
Expect to spend more for premium brands with extra features. Typically, there are at least nine different golf clubs included in the package and that’s more than enough to get your golf game started.
By buying a complete set, you stand to save more money.
Callaway Men’s Strata Tour Complete Golf Set
This 16-piece tour golf set is Callaway’s offering for beginners who want to help improve their game. The set includes a driver, 3 wood, 4 and 5 hybrid, 6-9 iron, pitching wedge, sand wedge, putter, 4 head covers and stand bag.
It improves the tee off dramatically and can achieve longer distances. There are no movable weights or adjustable features. The fairway wood, on the other hand, has an aerodynamic head shape designed to give a little boost after impact.
It helps achieve long high-flying shots. That extra loft helps get the ball to maximum distance.
The four irons in the Strata 16-piece set starts with 6-iron all the way through to 9-iron. Their cavity-backed design pushes extra stainless steel to the outer rim of the head to give more control and better balance overall.
They’re designed specifically for mid-range and shorter shots so that the beginner golfer can get the ball quicker into the air with added loft so that it gets to where it needs to be.
What’s noticeable is the extra heft. The irons are a little bit on the heavy side for starter irons. This can be a good thing if you want the club low to the ground for better contact, however, you can lose some swing speed.
The perimeter weighting on the wedges helps get more distance even on off-center strikes and they perform very well inside 100 yards. The sand wedge exceeds expectations because it gives a lot of bounce which can be useful to get the golf ball out of the bunker.
Callaway’s wide-soled hybrid is a great alternative to a 5-iron because it’s designed for better launch and more ball height. Meanwhile, the Strata set’s blade-style putter comes with a visual alignment aid for better accuracy.
Pros
- Each club in this golf ensemble is designed for more forgiveness to improve accuracy, gain greater distance off the tee and help with short game.
Cons
- Extra heft on irons may affect swing speed.
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Wilson Golf Profile SGI Men’s Complete Golf Set
Right off the bat (or tee), Wilson impresses with its custom fit in a box system with 13 size options. It’s available in standard and tall sizes for both right-handed and left-handed golfer.
The 460cc oversized 10.5-degree driver with graphite shaft offers a larger sweet spot to improve performance off the tee even on off-center hits.
It’s designed for greater lift and better launch so the ball can gain longer distances even on mishits. The low profile fairway wood performs amazingly well from the tighter lies of the fairway.
The irons are designed with a low center of gravity and hot thin face to help achieve better accuracy and longer distance. All four irons are cavity-backed and surprisingly thinner and flatter than the typical starter irons.
Wilson’s easy launch sand wedge has a noticeably wide sole for better greenside control. It’s much easier to get the ball out of sand traps because it gives immediate lift and more bounce.
The Heel/Toe weighted putter comes with a soft alignment grip that provides a better feel and increases accuracy in putting the ball into the cup or at least closer.
The lightweight self-activating bag has plenty of storage space and pockets. It comes with an airflow double shoulder strap and flannel-lined head covers with all-weather grips.
It combines form and function in one stylish ensemble.
Pros
- Custom fit system has plenty of size options to fit any-sized player.
- Exceptional performance of fairway wood in tighter lies.
- The features of each individual club are designed with the beginner in mind: more forgiveness, easier and more comfortable grip.
Cons
- The golf bag is not as durable as it looks.
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Cobra Golf XL Speed Complete Golf Set
Cobra’s XL Speed Golf Set is a diverse collection of golf clubs designed for beginners and high handicappers who are just getting into the game and learning the ropes.
They fit snuggly in a premium cart bag with 14-way top, 7 compartments with zipper, and a velour-lined pocket. The bag comes with a beverage cooler pocket big enough to carry up to fourteen 12-oz cans.
The 10.5-degree titanium driver with graphite shaft can produce more distance for faster swingers. For beginners, it’s an opportunity to improve their swings. The oversized head and low back/heel weighting add more forgiveness that helps achieve better accuracy and longer distances off the tee.
The set comes with two fairway clubs with a shallow profile that makes it easy to hit and deliver consistent performance in various fairway lies. Similar to the driver, the fairway clubs have low back/heel weight to allow for a higher ball trajectory when hitting the ball in the fairways.
With two hybrids in the mix, you can alternate (or replace) with the standard #5 iron. The hybrids are designed to give a higher launch so the golf ball can move as straight as possible where it needs to be.
But what’s noticeably is that it has an improved stopping power to keep the ball in the green.
The iron pitching wedge and sand wedge feature a cavity-back design and perimeter weighting that increases launch and improves stability even on mishits.
Rounding out the Cobra XL Speed Golf set is a premium putter with machine face pattern that adds more control on short and long putts.
Pros
- Perfect for beginners to pick up and get started.
- Design of the clubs make for a more forgiving starter set.
Cons
- A little pricier than the comparable sets in its class.
- Lack of customizability.
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Wilson Golf Men’s Ultra Plus Package Set
It’s hard not to be impressed with the Wilson Golf Men’s Ultra Plus set because it has the right configuration of high-quality golf clubs that beginners need to improve their game.
Wilson uses steel shafts on the clubs in this set instead of graphite, which helps beginners to get used to the feedback from more vibrations sent to the hands.
The set is perfect for golfers who play with naturally high swing speed because steel is heavier than graphite. It may not work particularly well with beginners who still have slow swing tempos. A reduced ball speed translates to a loss in yardage in the fairway.
But then again it’s all a matter of preference. As it stands, the Wilson Golf Ultra Plus is a good option because it somehow sets a benchmark so that beginners can assess their performance and figure out what they prefer.
The oversized 460 cc titanium driver is designed to have a low center of gravity and hot face to achieve higher launch and hit longer drives off the tee.
The irons feature larger sweet spots and perimeter weighting to allow for better performance even with off-center hits. The putter has a soft paddle grip and alignment aid to help improve aim, accuracy, and distance.
This 10-club golf set comes in a lightweight ergonomic golf bag with a self-activating stand and plenty of pockets.
Pros
- Very forgiving set of golf clubs that allow beginning golfers to improve their game by achieving distance, accuracy and high flight trajectory.
- Reasonably priced for a high-quality golf set.
Cons
- No sand wedge.
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MDXII Men’s Complete Golf Clubs
Here’s a golf set that would appeal to beginners who are not prepared to spend hundreds of dollars to get started with golf. MDXII’s full package is the ultimate budget-friendly golf set that you can get under $200.
Beginners can start playing with just five or six clubs in their arsenal. MDXII understands this quite well and offers a basic configuration that enables beginners to start right away.
The 460cc titanium driver performs nicely off the tee. Woods and irons have graphite shafts but there’s an option to get temper steel shafts on irons. Either way, you’ll get durable clubs. With the very affordable price of this set, it’s not uncommon to question the durability of the clubs.
You’ll be pleasantly surprised that durability is not going to be an issue. But it’s important to mention that the clubs are lightweight so if you have a slow swing speed, this will work well.
If you have a high swing speed, you may need to make adjustments to ensure that the ball speed will still be along the intended trajectory.
Aside from being one of the best starter golf clubs for the budget-conscious, it is also starting to be a favorite among seniors. This is because of the adjustable flex on the shafts.
Senior flex shafts are suitable for players who have slower swing speeds of about 75-90 mph and carry a driver about 200 yards.
All factors considered, the Precise MDXII complete golf set ticks all the right boxes when it comes to meeting the needs of a beginning golfer and is one of the cheapest golf sets for beginners.
Pros
- Very affordable golf club set.
- Adjustable flex to suit different swing speeds.
Cons
- Missing a sand wedge.
- Durable and cheap complete set but will need to be upgraded as you improve your game.
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Are You Ready to Get Started?
Beginning golfers do not need to have a full set of 14 clubs to play a round of golf. A typical starter set will have a driver, a fairway wood, a hybrid, irons, a pitching wedge, and a putter.
That about 6 to 9 decent clubs you can start with. Clearly, the quality will vary considerably across brands and oftentimes, the price is the deciding factor when purchasing a starter golf set.
While it is a sensible thing to do, you also need to consider the durability, design, extra features, suitability, and enjoyment factor.
The best starter golf clubs are those that are more forgiving so that you can hit good shots, get faster ball speeds, decrease ball spins, and achieve greater distances off the tee.
The clubs should help you determine your style of play and see your progression as you move from a high handicapper to a mid-level golfer.