Best Golf Wedges For Beginners 2025

If you're new to the game, there are a few wedges buying tips to consider before you part with your hard-earned money. Given the proliferation of technology and the variety of models offered by different brands, you might not need to spend an arm and a leg to get the best golf wedges for your game. Regardless of golf proficiency, there are things to consider though. When investing in a wedge set, you want to ensure you have even gaps between the lofts of your wedges, so you can cover off as many distances as possible.

We also recommend trying to make sure the shafts in your wedges are similar in type to your irons, so they feel the same on full shots. In terms of specific clubhead design, the best golf wedges for beginners often tend to offer a bit more bounce - the angle created between the leading edge and the lowest point of the sole - to help achieve cleaner strikes.

Then you need to consider how many wedges to put in the bag too. If all of that sounds complicated then our piece on what to consider when buying a wedge should explain tings a little better.

Here, we review some of the best golf wedges for beginners to give you a better idea of the models you should be looking to try. Alternatively, we also recommend checking out some of our other beginner golf gear guides too - such as the best golf balls for beginners, best golf drivers for beginners, or even the best golf sets for beginners. Whatever level you are in the game, we are here to help.

The Quick List

Best Golf Wedges For Beginners 2025

Top pick

My top pick for beginner golfers is the Callaway CB 12 wedge which replaces the previous CB model. It comes in a cavity back design that inspires confidence as soon as you put it down behind the ball. Its large footprint and thick topline give it an inviting look at address. The leading edge sits squarely behind the ball and doesn’t have the excessive offset which can put many off.

In my testing it proved to be very forgiving thanks to the perimeter weighting which also adds stability to the head, especially on off-center hits. Additionally the leading edge design means the club won't dig down into the ground so heavy shots are less likely.

While there's a lot of bounce on these wedges, sliding under the ball really was not an issue at all, proving why this is one of the best high bounce wedges around. This is thanks to the new wide tri-sole on the CB 12 wedge which I think is a game-changer in the forgiving wedge space. Lastly, the Urethane Microspheres included behind the face work to provide exceptional acoustics and feel on this very consistent wedge. In our opinion, this is one of the best golf wedges for beginners thanks to the assistance and forgiveness it offers around the greens.

• Read our full Callaway CB 12 Wedge Review

Best wedge set

Kirkland is a brand from Costco that has gathered a lot of talk and backing in the golf world, offering up premium-looking clubs for a fraction of the price. One such example of this is this 3-Piece Wedge Set which I really enjoyed testing. You can get three wedges for around $150 which is good value when you consider the solid performance.

In my testing these wedges had higher spin rates than I see in some of the more premium wedges on the market, which resulted in a touch more launch and I actually enjoyed the versatility on offer from the 60 degree model. From bunkers shots, using the full effect of the bounce, to delicate chip shots where more of the leading edge was needed, it provided good, all-round playability.

I think these wedges look great with a simple and classic look, and have a good-sized head and shape at address. These wedges offer you great value for money giving you great performance at a fraction of the cost.

• Read our full Kirkland Signature 3-Piece Wedge Set Review

Best spin control

The Hi-Toe 4 Wedge is now in it's 4th iteration and offers maximum versatility, performance and boasts some significant improvements over it's predecessor—the Hi-Toe 3 wedge.

In this guide I have selected it as the best for spin control because the face and groove pattern is the same as those found on the TaylorMade MG4 wedges, which we consider one of the top models anywhere on the market in this regard. Additionally the big thing with these wedges is the versatility on offer. Thanks to the new Spin Tread technology on the face, we were able to achieve remarkably high levels of spin and control from both the fairway and the rough. Make no mistake, these wedges performed brilliantly in testing.

Whether you like the overall shape of the head depends on your individual preference, and we feel some will love it and others will not. Moving away from the head shape, I was actually a big fan of the refined look and the copper finish as well.

• Read our full TaylorMade Hi-Toe 4 Wedge Review

Best full face

When it comes to wedges Cleveland makes some of the best golf wedges you can get, and with the CBX Full-Face 2, you get a premium wedge with great forgiveness, ideal for beginner golfers.

This wedge stands out because the grooves run the full width of the face and right up to the toe. This means you can open up the face and not worry about off-center strikes leading to lower spin rates. This wedge also has numerous options for loft, shaft, and sole options so you can find a wedge setup that really suits your game.

A lot of the forgiveness in the Full-Face 2 comes from the cavity back design, and with this sometimes you find a wedge does not have much feel at impact. However, that is not the case with this wedge as the TPU gel back insert sitting in the cavity helps moderate the sound at impact, and also enhances the feel.

• Read our full Cleveland CBX Full-Face 2 Wedge Review

Best for chipping

This wedge from MacGregor is pushed towards the beginner golfer who may be struggling with their chipping. The big wide sole is made to help reduce the miss hits, by eradicating thinned or chunked shots. The wider sole helps to make the club glide off the turf rather than digging in.

This wedge has a loft of 66 degrees which is way higher than a lot of sand wedges you find which range more from 56-60 degrees. With this extra loft, you can get the ball in the air more easily, making it easier to get over the lips of bunkers which some beginners can struggle with. This wedge is definitely unique and I found it to be fun to play with and a great club, but if you want something more versatile and creative around the greens this isn't the best wedge for you, but beginners will love it.

• Read our full MacGregor V Foil Wide Sole Sand Wedge Review

Best wide appeal

Next we have the CBX 4 Zipcore from Cleveland. Featuring a bigger clubhead which instils more confidence especially at address, it also features a rounded leading edge which allows for versatility and creativity around the greens in terms of ball flight, spin and control. The CBX 4 also comes with the HydraZip face, which is a laser-milled line that increases friction on the club face, which then creates more spin in wetter conditions.

With this wedge it includes the Zipcore technology which is found in some of the best Cleveland wedges on the market. Zipcore means that the heavier steel located in the hosel is replaced by a lightweight but strong vibrating dampening material. Thanks to this weight saving Cleveland can redistribute this weight across the toe and higher on the face, this leads to an increased MOI of 7.8% and more optimum CG placement.

Ultimately the good performance in terms of spin, control, feel and looks means this is a club that will suit a wide range of abilities.

• Read our full Cleveland CBX 4 Zipcore Wedge Review

How we test

When it comes to wedges, we take the testing process very seriously. Whether we are sent a product or buy it ourselves, we put everything through its paces to ensure we can provide thorough and reliable advice. Specifically wedge testing is headed by Sam De'Ath, a golfer who has competed on the Clutch Pro and EuroPro Tours, and has years of experience testing golf equipment. As such, he knows what does and doesn't make for a good wedge for each category of player.

As far as our methodology goes, we review all wedges properly, which means we have used each one across multiple rounds and in practice to assess every aspect of performance in all conditions. For example, if a wedge claims to be the ultimate bunker club, we will test that theory from any and all lies possible.

Specific to the best wedges for beginners, we tested every one thoroughly to assess how easy they were to hit and the level of forgiveness on offer. While not as important at this early stage, we were also keen to find out how much spin each was able to generate and if there were any difference in flight. This comprehensive testing style is not just exclusive to wedges as we test with the same level of thoroughness across all gear categories.

How to choose a wedge

When choosing a wedge there are a variety of factors to consider. Let's go into those now.

Forgiveness - For a beginner, the main factor we think you need to consider is how forgiving a wedge is, because consistency of strike is the main thing newer players struggle with when starting out. As such picking a wedge that is going to help you as much as possible makes sense and there are lots of models out there to help, many of them are in this guide in fact.

Lofts: Even beginners should have some kind of understanding on what loft their wedges should be. As such we recommend measuring your current wedge yardages and how often you are in between clubs to help decide if you need to carry extra options. This is an important part of your bag setup to get right across the entire bag too, because knowing your gaps can allow you to fill out your bag correctly whether that be carrying two, three, or four wedges, which can then impact how many clubs you can carry at the top of the bag. The opposite is true as well. We have also created a guide on the best gap wedges as well so check that out for more information.

Finish: Options like black PVD and copper are becoming increasingly common. The difference is mainly cosmetic, but dark finishes can help reduce glare. Alternatively there are classic chrome and silver designs as you can see above so it is a case of picking a design you like the look of not just at address, but in the bag as well.

Grooves: While grooves are now tightly regulated, it is still well worth keeping up to date with the latest designs, which use new milling processes and groove shapes to help move water and dirt away from the ball at impact to create extra spin and improve control. Additionally there are several brands that have brought out wedges with grooves that stretch across the entire face. Admittedly this does take a little bit of time to get used to, but for those players who may struggle with strike, a full faced wedge might do you some favors when creating spin towards the toe.

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