Best Budget Golf Clubs

Not everyone wants to spend big on premium golf equipment. Yes, the best players in the world play the best golf drivers, best putters and best golf irons, but that premium price is, well... premium. 

Perhaps you're a beginner, just wanting to give the game a go for the first time. Whatever your reason for looking into the best budget golf clubs, there are plenty of golfers out there searching for equipment that's more wallet friendly. 

Of course, if you go down this route, you are going to lose some performance benefits - premium product is premium product for a reason. However, the best budget golf clubs can still give a large percentage of the golfing population what they need.

Could Tiger Woods win a PGA Tour event with the best budget irons? Probably not, but that's not to say that playing with budget clubs will prevent you from beating your friends at the weekend. And, if you're a beginner, these clubs may just kickstart your love for the game.

Here, we review the best budget golf clubs, all of which will set you back no more than £400.00.

To research further, be sure to check out the best golf club sets: the entire set, as well as the best golf club sets for beginners. 

MacGregor may not be regarded as a premium brand in the modern market, but it does have a long and distinguished history in the game. Whilst its package sets aren't going to set you back an arm and a leg, it doesn't mean they lack innovation.

The CG3000 is an entry level set, with the 13° driver, low profile fairway and hybrid designed in such a way that they're easy to hit. Meanwhile, the irons (steel and graphite options are available) feature an undercut cavity to keep the centre of gravity low and deep, so golfers should find them easier to launch.

The irons do have a fairly thick top line, but having played a few rounds with them, we don't think they're too intrusive. They are forgiving, too, and they go the distance.

Given you're also getting a mallet style putter and the choice of either a premium stand or cart bag, there's no question that this set offers terrific value for money. What's more, MacGregor offers 1" longer or shorter steel stand options with clubs, therefore making them suitable for taller and shorter golfers.

Here's proof that you don't need to spend big  to get you started - it can be achieved on a pretty strict budget. The Inesis 100 half set have a simple, classic design, and they offer a lot of confidence at address.

It's worth stating, just like many of these best budget golf clubs, they are aimed more at beginners. So, the 460cc driver sits slightly closed to help counter the slice shot - a common problem for many who are new to the game, as well as high handicappers. 

The compromise comes when you only have two irons to play - a strong 7-iron and strong 9-iron. There will be times when you have to try and take distance off, or go a bit harder with a certain club. 

However, with a mid size top line and wide sole, these irons provide beginners with something that’s more important when just starting out – confidence at address, and extra assistance getting the ball up and away.

Wilson Staff is a brand that caters extremely well for golfers of all abilities. Many of the world's best players play with Wilson Staff irons, but beginners and game improvers also have a lot of choice within the brand's range.

Of course, the forgiving irons may appear a little 'chunky', but they are designed to be easy to launch and get the ball airborne. For the same reason, the woods are oversized, and they should help you get plenty of distance.

The putter is a terrific addition to the set - it's easy to align and should suit beginners perfectly. With matching wood headcovers and a lightweight stand bag, you're getting a pretty decent package set here. 

Tour Edge is known for offering great value, and this is certainly the case with its 270 package set. Any beginner or high handicapper golfer will be more than happy with this premium-looking set, which includes a forgiving 10° 460cc driver.

Talking of the driver, the sound was a real head turner. We also found the low profile steel 3-wood surprisingly easy to hit off the turf, and the steel cavity back irons (5-iron through SW) really forgiving.

A special mention for the putter, too. Although fairly basic, we found the weighting just right, which really helped with feel.

We were pretty impressed with this starter set when we tested it, not least because of how forgiving they were. For under £400, you get 11 clubs, two of which are hybrids, which we didn't feel were quite so easy to launch. It's about our only criticism, along with the fact that the putter is very basic.

Overall, however, this set offers great value and it's a really comprehensive package for beginners - one that's built to last and is further boosted with a decent carry bag.

We really enjoyed hitting the Inesis 500 irons when we took them out for nine holes. Not only do they look superb at address, they frame the ball really well and offer a generous hitting area.

Inesis has come up with an interesting way for you to find the right irons for you without having to do the traditional custom fit. You have six different set-ups to choose from. The first thing you need to do is figure out your hand-to-floor measurement, which will give you an idea on the length of golf clubs you need. 

Then, you select the iron set you want based on your swing speed - which do do via Decathlon. 

If you're on a strict budget, but you're serious enough about ensuring they're as good a fit as possible, this is a set well worth considering.