Beginning playing golf is difficult. The sport itself isn't easy, that's why we love it so much, but for beginners even selecting the right clubs to buy can feel like a daunting task. With so many different clubs and brands it's easy to feel overwhelmed by it all. That's why we'd encourage anyone beginning their golf adventure to opt for a package set.
To make the task of choosing the right set as easy as possible, we've put together this guide of our favorite sets that we've tested to help guide you through the process. We've tested sets across a range of brands and price points to help with your selection, but we'd encourage you to have a read of our guide on how to choose golf clubs for beginners first - it will walk you through what type of clubs to buy, whether you need them custom-fitted, and how much you should look to spend.
The best golf club sets are designed for new players and all the clubs in the bag will provide plenty of forgiveness. These clubs will have slightly chunkier heads to inspire confidence, sporting thicker top lines and weighing less than regular clubs. Not all of these sets will include 14 clubs, but they'll all have what you need to get going: a driver, fairway wood, hybrid, irons and a putter.
If you'd rather buy your clubs separately, and spend a bit more money in the process, check out our guides on the best golf irons for beginners or the best game improvement irons to find clubs that can take you to the next level.
The Quick List
An outstanding package set from Callaway that offers exceptional performance right through the bag from driver to putter. We especially loved how easy to hit the irons and woods were.
We found that the driver, hybrids and irons were all forgiving while offering plenty of distance, making this a great value and expansive set for beginners.
Combining mart looks with ample forgiveness, this impressive 12-club line up from TaylorMade delivers a superb all-round performance.
With its modest price tag that delivers a lot for your money, the Wilson Prostaff SGI is an impressive set that will definitely suit the golfer beginning his/her journey.
The Tour Edge TE-400 does an excellent job of providing premium feel at an excellent price point. Packed with quality, it offers more than enough options for even very experienced golfers.
For those just getting into the game and want a new, good-quality set as a starting point, the Cobra Fly XL package set is a superb option.
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Featuring a strong performing driver and hybrid, the quality and performance of this set should also appeal to many golfers looking to upgrade for an appealing price.
These functional, easy-to-use clubs from MacGregor really impressed us with their ability to get the ball up in the air, making the set an excellent option for those looking to begin their golfing journey.
A premium package set that is well thought out and beautifully built. Each club is very user friendly with attention to detail that is unparalleled in the package set space.
This all-encompassing 16-piece package set from Strata is perfect for beginners or lady golfers wanting something more user-friendly. In our view this is the best package set for high handicap women golfers or those just starting out.
The Reva is engineered for premium performance, it is luxurious in looks and is made from high-quality components. In short, it's the Aston Martin of women's package sets.
A near-perfect introduction to the game for the beginner and keen improver, the Magnolia has everything you need from tee-to-green plus a complementing trolley bag in a stylish blue.
Best Golf Club Sets For Beginners 2025
Top pick
The Callaway XR Package set is our top pick for beginner sets
After just minutes of testing, we already knew the Callaway XR Package Set was one of the best golf club sets out there. The premium-feeling clubs really help inspire confidence at address and help get the ball airborne with ease, arguably the two most important aspects to a set of beginner clubs.
This is a set nearer the higher side of the price scale, hence their premium looks and feel, but you very much get what you pay for here. When you take these clubs out of the box, you can tell a lot of time and effort has gone into it. The driver is 10.5˚ (which is slightly lower lofted than other drivers available in package sets) and has a really premium look. It sits a little closed too, which will help slicers.
The fairway woods also provide a generous footprint down behind the ball and we found them very easy to flight. As for the irons, it's a similar story. You can tell by the fairly rounded toe area and the top-line that these are clearly a Callaway design.
I loved the putter during testing as well - the head shape is excellent and features helpful alignment features to give the best chance of success of the greens. Also included is a great-looking golf bag with plenty of style and storage on offer to round off what is a fantastic set of beginner golf clubs.
- Read our full Callaway XR Package Set Review
Best set choice
A very popular model, there are several options to choose from in this Strata set
If the Callaway set is out of your price bracket, then this Strata Men's Golf Package Set is a fine alternative at a significantly lower cost. For us this is one of the best cheap golf club sets money can buy as you get a considerable amount of bang for your buck!
The set is comprised of driver, fairway wood, two hybrids, 6-iron to pitching wedge, plus a putter and a stand bag. The forgiveness on offer with this set is second to none, which will please any new player of the game. Each club has been designed and manufactured with the rookie golfer in mind, allowing for high, easy launch and a confidence-inspiring look at address thanks to the thick top line, oversized heads and flexible regular shafts provided.
The one critique we have with this set is with the putter, an area of club sets that manufacturers all-to-often try and cut corners with to save a little money and increase those profit margins. This putter feels a little on the cheap side, but that shouldn't put you off buying the set - why not simply replace it with one of the best cheap putters on the market? Aside from that one small gripe, this is an excellent value option that new golfers will love.
- Read our full Strata Men's Golf Package Set Review
Best mass appeal
The RBZ SpeedLite from TaylorMade will suit a wide range of players
TaylorMade are one of the leading brands when it comes to golf equipment, so any new golfer with even the most remote knowledge of the sport will naturally be drawn to a name they know. As a result, the RBZ SpeedLite set is on the premium side of the price scale, but does the performance of this set fit the price tag?
The 12-club line-up includes woods that feature a grey finish on the crown with small flashes of green that we absolutely love. As you would expect the irons have thick toplines which we think strike a perfect balance of inspiring confidence at address without being too clunky and uninviting. It's a similar story with the wedges and compact, mallet putter.
These clubs were dead easy to launch high into the air and provided loads of spin which is very helpful for approach shots. The one major criticism we had was the quality of the golf bag - although it catches the eye and looks great, we didn't feel it matched the quality of the golf clubs within it. This can be easily rectified by opting instead for one of the best cart bags.
- Read our full TaylorMade RBZ SpeedLite Package Set Review
Best forgiveness
The Prostaff SGI set is ideal for those golfers looking for more forgiveness
As mentioned numerous times above, there are two main things that new golfers need more than anything else; help getting the ball airborne and forgiveness when they don't hit it out of the middle of the club face. This Wilson set will provide both at an excellent price.
This set comes with a 10.5° driver, a three wood, a hybrid, a 6-iron to sand wedge and also features an impressive putter too. While other sets may come with more clubs (this is a 10 piece set), there is an advantage in having a few less as in reality you don't need 14 when you're just starting, but you can add specialist clubs as your game improves. Usually that would be an extra hybrid and more variety in the wedges.
The first thing we noticed in testing is how big the sweet spots are - obviously this is a massive plus, allowing greater opportunity for the higher handicapper to get a good contact on the ball given the struggles of finding the center of the club face. Like all the best golf clubs for beginners, the clubs sit nicely at address to help inspire confidence before the swing. The CG of the irons is lower than usual which helps promote high launch, another feature that is very useful for inexperienced players - particularly with the longer irons. The wide sole on the sand wedge is another big plus in my eyes, providing assistance for those tricky bunker shots or tight lie chips from around the green. Overall this is a really well-rounded set that will compliment a beginners strengths and weaknesses very well.
- Read our full Wilson Prostaff SGI Package Set Review
Best value
To begin with, the TE-400 from Tour Edge features 12 golf clubs that are tailored towards the upper end of the bag. For example, there is a driver, 3 and 5-wood, 4 and 5-hybrid, as well as 6-iron to sand wedge and a putter. Because there are two free spaces left to complete the full 14-club line-up, players may opt to add one or two more of the best wedges to the bag but, overall, there's a lot there for your money.
Performance-wise, the TE-400 felt solid on impact, was easy to launch and, most importantly of all, were extremely forgiving on mis-hits, something which is crucial when starting out the game of golf. All the clubs performed well, but the main stand-out was the driver which, for the modest price tag, certainly over-performed!
Admittedly, the looks of the fairway woods and putter in this package set won't set the world on fire. Personally, we felt the small ‘T’ logo on the crown looks a long way out of alignment, whilst the putter features some unnecessary colors and some less-than-optimal paintwork. We appreciated the effort that had gone into it, but it could have been executed better.
- Read our full Tour Edge TE-400 Package Set Review
Best bag
A model with an excellent bag, the Fly XL from Cobra offered good performance
When it comes to aesthetics the Cobra Fly XL set certainly looks the part and we were thoroughly impressed with how good these clubs looked when taking them out of the wrapper. In fact, you could even say they look pretty 'Fly'. Sorry, couldn't resist!
Cobra is a brand known for providing excellent performance with great value and, with the Fly XL set, they have continued this theme throughout.
We think Cobra are one of the most underrated brands in golf and they've delivered their usual high levels of performance and value for money with this Fly XL set - a 10 club configuration complimented by a sturdy, stylish lightweight stand bag. It also includes a fleece-lined pocket and a handy rain hood for when the heavens open midway through your round. We also really liked Cobra giving us the option to choose between a stand bag or cart bag when opting for this set - a choice rarely given to players shopping in this market.
When it comes to performance it was obvious in our testing that Cobra have thought a lot about the target market. The set features a 5-wood instead of the 3 that you find in most package sets. This is a smart move as the extra loft on the face of the 5-wood will benefit golfers who lack swing speed and/or ball-striking prowess. In other words, beginners. Our other big take away from testing is that all of the clubs have been designed with forgiveness in mind, and we would even say that the irons could give some of the most forgiving irons a run for their money.
- Read our full Cobra Fly XL Package Set Review
Best looking
Vice Golf has traditionally been known for offering premium quality golf balls at an affordable price direct to the consumer and this extends to their package set offerings via the Boost Starter Set. It's a slick, sleek and premium feeling set for those looking an easy avenue into the confusing world of purchasing golf clubs.
The nine clubs included in this set look and feel top quality which is something we can't say about every package set I test. The driver, for example, feels and looks as if it would compete with some of the best drivers on the market. Admittedly, perhaps the 10 degrees of loft may be a little low for some beginners, but it is worth saying this is a driver players can continue to use as their skills develop, rather than outgrow it quickly. It is worth saying it is still an oversized, confidence-inspiring driver head as well.
I was impressed with the distance output and feel from both the driver and the 4-hybrid, whilst the irons felt and looked fantastic in hand. The set provides you with a 6-iron through to sand wedge, the perfect combo for a beginner golfer or higher handicapper looking to upgrade. Although there was a decent amount of vibration for shots that missed the center of the face, when struck well the feedback was superb and deliver a high ball flight which is perfect for beginners.
Capping off the set is the putter and the bag, both of which are superb. I thought the milled wide-bladed putter felt great off the face, offering a softer sensation through impact and the golf bag is lovely and lightweight. A great all-rounder that looks fantastic.
- Read our full Vice Boost Starter Set Review
Best high flight
If you need help hitting it high, MacGregor's CG4000 set can help
Out of the box, the MacGregor CG4000 comes with everything you need to start your golfing journey, with a stylish green and black bag making way for 10 golf clubs and decent quality headcovers.
Although the feel isn't something to shout to the hills about, it's solid and consistent throughout the bag and the ease of use of each club, all the way from driver to wedge, is really commendable. The putter in particular drew my praise, providing excellent forgiveness. However, it doesn't come with a headcover, so I'd recommend picking one up to avoid it bashing against your irons as you carry the bag and getting chipped as a result.
In terms of clubs, you get a 460cc, 13-degree driver, an 18-degree fairway wood, and a 24-degree hybrid. Furthermore, there is a 6-iron through sand wedge and a putter. Like the Cobra set, you're given the rare choice of a stand or cart bag with this set, a really nice touch.
- Read our full MacGregor CG4000 Golf Club Set Review
Best for versatility
Is this the most comprehensive package set we've ever seen? It could well be...
The Wildcat set is designed for beginners and those casual players who don't want to dedicate too much time towards the game, prioritizing the fun aspect of things. But what's also excellent about this set, which includes a driver, a 5-fairway wood, a 6-hybrid, a 7-iron through sand wedge (SW), and putter, is that each club can be bought individually. This means those who want to keep it simple can slowly build up their bag as their game improves, allowing for lots of purchasing (and playing) versatility.
Performance wise, throughout the bag I was seriously impressed. The driver has a deep face and 16 degrees of loft which made it so easy to launch and those with slower swing speeds will likely experience a high ball flight and peak height. In short it was very user-friendly, and this continued with the irons. They feature large head profiles, a low CG, and super wide soles that all add up to create high levels of forgiveness and ease of launch.
Aside from the unique driver, the putter may have been the highlight for me. The Black Hawk was a treat to test thanks to the milled pyramid face which really gave a good roll on the ball.
Finally there has been zero compromise on quality or design to hit a price point, which is absolutely reflected in the performance throughout here. Speaking of price point, it is worth saying the Wildcat is at the top end of the spectrum, but if you can afford it, you won't be disappointed.
- Read our full PXG Wildcat Package Set Review
Top women's pick
Our favorite package set for women right now
We have already mentioned the Strata men's set above, but the women's option is equally as impressive if not more so. It comes with a 12° driver, fairway wood, 4 and 5 hybrids, 6-9 irons, PW, SW and a putter, as well as a nice stand bag.
These clubs look sensational. The irons have a glossy chrome finish and a distinctive shaped cavity back, wide soles and thick top lines that makes them very pleasing on the eye, both over the ball and in the bag. More importantly, they're also super easy to hit.
Our testing showed impressive results in terms of both distance and forgiveness. While the big-headed driver is not as advanced in terms of technology as some of the best drivers for women, we found that it was easy to use and performed well. We were also pleased with the performance of the other clubs in the set too, although if we have one slight gripe it would be that the blade putter is a strange choice for a package set as most beginners are better suited to a mallet putter. That being said, the putter itself is fine and does boast a very sleek aesthetic and handy alignment aid on its top line which did help us line up putts accurately. We just feel a mallet would be more suitable for the target market.
- Read our full Strata Women's Package Set Review
Best premium women's
Arguably the Aston Martin of women's golf package sets
Much like the Callaway XR Package Set on the men's side, the Reva Package set is arguably the highest quality set of clubs on the market. This is a set aimed at players of all abilities but we think the biggest beneficiaries would be those more inexperienced in the game, be that beginning for the first time or those who are still learning their craft.
The Reva comes with a driver, three wood, 5 and 6 hybrids, 7-9 iron, a pitching and sand wedge as well as a putter. You also get a snazzy cart bag plus five headcovers, so there's plenty there for your money. In testing it was the driver performance that really grabbed our attention. The high launch and ball flight was matched by a powerful feel, and the big circular target-style sweet spot on the face looks impossible to miss. Both the three-wood and hybrids continued this theme as well and beginners should quickly gain confidence from using these woods.
Moving down the bag and the large, oversized cavity back irons are designed to help on mis-hits and our testing confirmed this. We found them to be effortlessly light to swing and there was plenty of stability and forgiveness on offer. As impressive as the woods and irons are though, the thing that really makes this stand out as one of the best women’s golf sets is the putter, which includes the Stroke Lab shaft you find in the best Odyssey putters. The fang design, coupled with the Stroke Lab technology, is aimed to help you with tempo and consistency and we loved it, especially in the blue finish.
- Read our full Callaway Reva Ladies Package Set Review
Most stylish
A stunning combination of style, looks and performance
This stylish-looking Wilson Magnolia Ladies Set of clubs retails at around $500 RRP, making it a great value option that we absolutely love. The set includes a high-lofted driver, easy-to-hit 3-wood, 4, 5 and 6 hybrids, 7 iron through to sand wedge, putter and a trolley bag.
The driver has a very rounded, oversized head with lots of loft that serves the dual purpose of providing confidence as well as helping to launch tee shots nice and high. New golfers need all the help they can get with driver and this one certainly deliveres on that front. Further help comes from Wilson's decision to replace the longer irons with easier to hit hybrids. The mid-short irons have oversized heads that have the weight positioned to the perimeter to provide better balance and forgiveness.
I did notice in testing that the irons were a little heavy in the head, but they remained easy to launch. The bespoke sand wedge worked well for us around the green, while we liked the fang-shaped putter which has a huge eye-catching head and will provide a lot of reassurance behind the ball for the new golfer still trying to get comfortable on the greens. A stylish blue cart bag rounds off the set, a bag that is lightweight and easy to transport, whether that be from your club locker or from the trunk of your car. Overall, this is a set that ticks a lot of the necessary boxes.
- Read our full Wilson Magnolia Women’s Package Set Review
How we test
We take our testing very seriously here at Golf Monthly and golf club sets are no exception when it comes to our testing ethos and methodology. We want to find the best golf clubs in the game so we can pass on our experience and advice to you, in order to help you make the most informed decision you can when spending your money.
All the package sets featured in this guide have been tried and tested by our review team, both on an indoor simulator to gauge performance metrics like carry distance, spin rates and launch angle, as well as out on the course. This is done to ensure the fairest test possible, putting each set through their paces in a range of different settings, conditions and contexts.
We take pride on in our reviews here at Golf Monthly because we have the goal of providing the best informed buying advice to our loyal readership. Our reviews are free from bias - no manufacturer gets preferential treatment over another, nor can a brand 'buy' a good review. Instead, we base our reviews off the thousands that have come beforehand and compare directly, which means if we give a good review it's because we really like a product!
How to choose
Deciding on your beginner set can feel overwhelming at times given how many options are out there. To make that decision a little easier, here are a number of factors to look out for to help you decide and narrow down your search:
What comes in the set
The great thing about golf is if you want to buy single golf clubs for your bag you can, but you can also get entire sets with one purchase too. When doing the latter, it is worth checking which clubs come as part of the set to make sure you have all bases covered, and it is also worth getting a bag with the set too. You do not need to buy a full set when you're just starting out, as you can always add more specialist clubs (wedges for example) at a later date when you have honed your skills a bit more.
Budget
If you're only beginning to play golf or can only manage to get out for one or two rounds a year, we'd lean you away from the more premium brands that cost upwards of $1000 - this is because there are a load of really good, more budget friendly options on the market. However, if you're quickly becoming a golf nut or don't have many financial limitations, splashing out that bit extra on a premium set could be well worth the difference in price - try and decide where you land on the price scale and go from there.
Quality
A common problem for beginner sets can be quality. Unlike the models we picked above, many can be poorly made and have issues with the head, shaft or grip, or even all three. You might think you are picking up something for a great price, but if you have to quickly replace it because clubs are broken or just not delivering on performance, then you are actually losing money. Therefore we would strongly advise that going for brands that are well-respected in the game of golf because the products will have been made properly, and have also been designed to give as much help to beginners as possible. Wilson and Callaway are especially strong names in this particular market.
Forgiveness
The main factor when specifically looking at the clubs themselves is forgiveness. The most common problem for beginner players is mishit shots which limits distance and hinders accuracy. Beginner golf clubs are designed to have larger heads and sweet spots, and therefore more forgiveness to help players still make solid contact with the golf ball. A less forgiving club (those aimed at low handicap players for example) are not going to be much help to a new golfer.
For more beginner buying advice, check out our best drivers for beginners, and best putters for beginners.
FAQs
What is the exact price point for a good beginner set?
This is a difficult question to answer because some sets have been designed to come at a cheaper price point, whilst others are made by recognisable brands like TaylorMade or Callaway, and as a result come with a higher price. Realistically you can spend anywhere between $200 all the way to $1,000 so whilst this does not have an exact answer, we can say that you should be aware of how much you are willing to spend on a beginner set, and then choose accordingly. It's worth pointing out that for a beginner, a more expensive set does not necessarily equate to better golf and you may not see too much difference, so keep that in mind. You don't need to spend big but you might want to in order to have a set you're proud of and that you'll feel good about showing off to your friends.
What's the main difference between buying a set and buying clubs individually?
The main difference, or should we say advantage, of buying clubs individually is that you have a lot more freedom. There are lots of professionals out there who don't have equipment contracts because they want to be able to chop and change as they wish, and use different clubs they like the looks, performance and feel of. At the other end of the golfing spectrum, buying a set is ideal for beginners because it often saves a lot of time and money because all it requires is one purchase which can be very inexpensive as well.
What clubs should be in a beginner set?
A beginner to the game of golf needs to keep things simple and the same can be said for the clubs. Most good beginner sets, as a result, come with a driver, some kind of fairway wood or hybrid (or both), a half set of irons with regular loft gaps, some kind of wedge and obviously a putter. We usually see good beginner sets come with 9 or 11 clubs and once a player becomes better at the game then they can find out how to fill the last few spots in the bag.
Should a beginner get fitted?
At Golf Monthly we usually recommend most people get fitted for golf clubs these days but as far as beginner players go we think a better way to spend money is to invest in some lessons because this will allow them to get better faster. Once a beginner has started to improve, through personalized tuition or reading golf tips for beginners, and starts to see some success with their shots, then would be a good time to think about getting fitted for a proper set of clubs.
We hope you enjoyed this guide on the best golf club sets for beginners. Additionally, we also recommend checking out our guide on the best golf club sets for kids if you want to get your children into the game.
