Not everyone wants to spend big on premium golf equipment. Perhaps you're a beginner, just wanting to give the game a go for the first time? Or maybe even you're a single figure player, just looking for an extra cheap club you can whack in the bag from time-to-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. 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.
Of course, if you go down the budget route, you are going to lose some performance benefits - premium products are premium 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. Indeed several of the clubs below actually compete with the best models on the market but cost a fraction of the price, the Tour Edge C725 Driver is a prime example of this.
Finally if you're a beginner, these clubs may just kickstart your love for the game. Here, we have picked out our favorite budget clubs from testing, and to research further, be sure to check out the best cheap golf club sets, best women's golf sets, as well as the best golf club sets for beginners.
The Quick List
This is a great value and expansive offering for beginners, with the driver, hybrids and irons all forgiving and offering plenty of distance.
A functional set that helps get the ball airborne, the CG4000 Package Set from MacGregor is an excellent model for those wanting to start their golfing journey.
With its modest price tag that gives you an awful lot for your money, this is an impressive set that will definitely suit the golfer beginning his/her journey,
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This is an excellent driver and the price makes it even more appealing. The combination of ball speed, adjustability, looks, and feel on offer here is fantastic.
Incredibly easy to launch, extremely forgiving and providing a real pop to the strike, the looks of the Halo XL Full-Face won’t be to everyone’s taste but they certainly grew on us.
With the FX77 irons, you get a lot of performance for the price. This appears to be a well-made, user-friendly iron built for the average golfer seeking more consistent approach shots.
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An impressive offering given the price point. It's a putter that is easy to align and improves the quality of results regardless of how consistent your stroke is.
This offers a high level of stability from a face balanced head. The alignment system works well and the feel was very good for a putter at this price.
Best Budget Golf Clubs
Best budget set
We were very impressed with the Strata Men's Package Set when we got a chance to test it out on the course. In the set you get 11 clubs, two of which are hybrids, which we didn't feel were quite so easy to launch, compared to some of the best golf hybrid clubs on the market. But that was about our only criticism going. You'll get an impressive amount of equipment here for your money though and we were very impressed by the irons on offer in this set. They come with a thick top-line that inspires confidence behind the ball, while their generous offset should suit those who slice their irons often.
Equally, the 460cc driver was also a winner on testing. You can see a lot of the face on address and the large head makes it an appealing club to look down on. Beginner players will definitely enjoy whipping the ball into the air with this club. The stand bag that included in the set is lightweight and has plenty of pockets that make it great for storage. It isn't quite waterproof but it is a great option for any beginner player.
- Read our full Strata Men's Golf Package Set Review
Best high flight
The MacGregor CG4000 set includes a 460cc, 13-degree driver, an 18-degree fairway wood, a 24-degree hybrid as well as a 6-iron through to sand wedge and a putter, with there also being a choice of a stand or cart bag. As you'd expect, these clubs are designed for optimal forgiveness as their thick top lines and large heads provide ample confidence and we found the clubs very easy to get into the air which many beginners will enjoy.
In testing, we found the feel and ease of use was great throughout the set. However, our favorite was definitely the putter which offered excellent forgiveness and we found the Odyssey 2ball style alignment aid very easy to line up. Our only qualm was the lack of headcover which meant it chips very easily but regardless the price of this set is such that it is a worthy inclusion on this list.
- Read our full MacGregor CG4000 Package Set Review
Best set forgiveness
One of the best brands when it comes to value is Wilson, who have a long standing reputation within the game for producing quality equipment to cater for every budget, from beginner to pro. The Wilson Prostaff SGI package set is aimed at the new golfer who is not looking to spend too much but wants a good quality set that contains everything they need. We think this set provides excellent value for money. You get 10 clubs in total, including driver, fairway wood, hybrid, 6-9-iron, two wedges, a putter and a bag.
In our view this set is ideal for anyone new to golf because it is designed to provide plenty of help in getting the ball in the air and offers plenty of forgiveness for when you don’t find the centre of the clubface. Our testing showed that the sweet spots on the clubs (especially the irons), are large and forgiving, while the heads themselves inspire confidence due to their shape. We also noted that the wide sole of the sand wedge made escaping bunkers far easier. This is worth mentioning as sand shots is an area of the game where most beginners really struggle.
This is an 11 piece set, so the option of adding extra clubs to the bag is very viable. For example, we would look at adding another fairway or hybrid, as well as a couple of specialist wedges for those shots around the green.
- Read our full Wilson Prostaff SGI Package Set Review
Best driver
The top overall budget driver right now is the C725 from Tour Edge, which is a low-spinning, low launching, premium looking model. Admittedly it still comes in at a few hundred dollars but when you consider the speed, adjustability, looks, feel and the fact it can compete with some of the best drivers on the market, the value for money is quite exceptional.
It looks fantastic because of the carbon fiber crown and a matte black strip along the leading edge frames the ball beautifully. We really liked the rounded profile, whilst Tour Edge has done an excellent job in terms of shelf appeal as well.
Moving to the hitting performance, the ball speed and distance numbers got close to premium models like the TaylorMade Qi35 or Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond drivers. The feel also stood out, giving a combination of power and feedback, and so did the consistent ball flight.
- Read our full Tour Edge Exotics C725 Driver review
Most forgiving iron
The first iron we had to include in this budget guide is the Halo XL iron from Cleveland. An ultra game-improvement iron, it performs more like a hybrid and is arguably the most forgiving iron anywhere as well.
Now it certainly won’t appeal to traditionalists. The iron head is large and the matte-black cavity insert stands out and whilst this hinders the overall aesthetic, the forgiving performance speaks for itself. The impact feel and sound is lively and the carry numbers won't disappoint if that is what you want from your irons.
Throughout the set the irons have different sole designs - from four to seven-iron the GlideRail soles are present, which are designed to improve contact on the harder-to-hit long irons. The eight and nine-irons use a v-shaped sole to prevent digging, and finally the wedges have cambered soles for better performance from the bunker and around the green. You also get full-face grooves, a feature that really adds some confidence at address.
- Read our full Cleveland Halo XL Full-Face Iron Review
Best looking irons
Having scoured the market for a cheaper set of irons, we've found one of the best value for money sets around, the Ram FX77 irons. These excellent irons retail for under $400, and for that price, you'l get a very nice looking set of clubs that boast a similar profile to some of the best blade irons. The FX77 comes with a stunning steel finish that boasts the classic Ram logo on the back of the club, something we really loved about these irons.
On testing, we found there was a smidge of offset at address which will appeal to many less-experienced players. Those players will also enjoy the thick topline that comes with a very generous, inspiring look that doesn't come across as being too clunky. We felt this was also a good club for anyone lacking a bit of power in their swing. The heat treated stainless steel faces on this FX77 make it lively and that helps to deliver a lot of stability on off-center strikes too. Ultimately, it is a very forgiving and playable club, despite its compact profile, and in our opinion, will suit slower swingers and any golfer only just getting into the game.
- Read our full Ram FX77 Iron Review
Best putter
This putter is an addition to the excellent Wilson Staff range of clubs and a very recognizable head shape that has become increasingly popular in mallet putters across the market and one of the most forgiving putters too. As with all the Infinite range, the Buckingham features counterbalance technology which combines a heavier head and grip weights, moving the balance point closer to the hands for a smoother and more controlled putting stroke, which we really enjoyed during our testing sessions
The Buckingham comes with an oversize grip as standard which is great for golfers who use a claw grip, or golfers who find themselves gripping too hard on a thin grip and want a softer feel. It also comes with a double-milled face which we found delivered a very pleasant soft thud at impact. But don't be discouraged if you dislike a soft feel as there's plenty of power here too! At a very competitive retail price with a premium look and feel, the Wilson Staff Infinite Buckingham is a great option at an excellent price.
- Read our full Wilson Staff Infinite Buckingham Putter Review
Most forgiving putter
The Inesis High MOI Putter delivers excellent consistency and forgiveness around the greens. It is one of the best putters for beginners looking to improve their confidence on longer putts. It boasts a very cool sci-fi look with the steel body being contrasted against the darker nickel chrome head. That helps to create a good alignment aid, which is enhanced by a long sight line that helped us frame the ball on the green.
The highlight of this club was how stable it was. It comes with a high MOI thanks to a deep weighting system that pushes the mass of the club back to its corners, helping you to hit upwards and put a decent roll on the golf ball. Testing showed us the feel on the face was a little firm, thanks to the semi-rigid TPU pad face insert, but that helped to ensure we got a smooth and consistent roll on each putt. Ultimately it is one of the more forgiving options on this list that also comes in at a great value price.
- Read our full Inesis High MOI Putter Review
How we test golf clubs
Our testing for golf clubs is built upon a comprehensive process combined with the knowledge and expertise of the Golf Monthly test team. Our team usually attend product launches and then when it comes to our actual testing, we first try clubs like the drivers and irons in this guide in a controlled environment. This usually takes place on an indoor simulator at Foresight Sports, with premium balls and the GCQuad launch monitor.
Next up is outdoor testing, which takes place at several different golf clubs. We think it is vitally important to do both and continue to test the clubs so they have been comprehensively put to the test in different conditions. This is the same process covering all of the clubs in this guide, from the sets to the putters because out on the course testing tells us how the club actually performs where it is supposed to.
It should also be mentioned that manufacturers cannot pay for a good review and we make our conclusions from the testing and our experiences. This is because we strive to give the best reviews possible so you can get a greater understanding of the clubs themselves.
How to choose golf clubs
Buying any new golf club can be a very difficult purchase. Particularly if you're looking for a value for money set, there are a ton of things to keep in mind, which can make shopping for new golf sticks an overwhelming process. Thankfully, we're here to give you a few tips we've learned over the years that will help you make the most informed buying decision. Check out our top tips below!
1. Fitting sessions
Something that we like to mention quite often is the importance of going for a club fitting session before you purchase your next set of clubs. Golf clubs don't come cheap so it's wise to ensure that the clubs you're buying are purposefully tailored to your height, swing speed and aspirations as a player. The benefits of getting a custom fitting are laid out in our guide can a custom fitting save my single figure handicap?
2. Price
The cost of living crisis is taking a big hit on everyone's wallets, and golfers are starting to have to think a little more savvy about the type of clubs they're buying. It's good to always have an idea of your budget and experience level before you head down to your local shop to pick up a new set of clubs. And when shopping, make sure to look out for the clubs that can offer you the best durability, value and enjoyment. Check out our guides to the best budget golf drivers and best budget irons for more examples.
3. Experience level and golfing aspirations
Manufacturers produce golf clubs for players of a variety of different experience levels and golfers can sometimes get caught into the trap of buying the most expensive gear that actually won't necessarily help them play better. Ultimately, you want to get the club that either matches your experience level, or will help you improve. That's why, no matter what club you're buying, it is worth establishing which club is best for you as for example the best blade irons will not be suitable for beginner golfers and likewise the best golf irons for beginners won't help a single figure handicapper lower their scores.
4. Gapping
You'll also need to think carefully about what clubs you already have in your bag while taking into account your stock yardages. Most experienced golfers keep a broad range of clubs in their bag that allow them to cover all distances out on the course. To save money and weight in your bag, it's therefore good to take into consideration the range of clubs you're planning on purchasing so you don't end up doubling up by accident.
For more advice on getting some excellent value golf gear, why not check out our guides to the best value golf balls, best value golf watches and our guide on the best value golf push carts.
FAQs
Do cheap golf clubs make a big difference?
Depending on your experience level and aspirations in the game, cheap golf clubs can make a difference. If you're a singled figure handicapper looking for better performance and distance from your irons then perhaps a cheap set may not be the best way to go. But if you're a higher handicap, social golfer looking to have fun on the course, then a cheaper set of clubs may be perfect for you!
How much should I spend on golf clubs?
That is a question that depends solely on what you want to spend depending on your experience level and how much you play the game. Golf clubs get more expensive depending on their performance attributes. That means more experienced players will want to spend more on them to get more out of their clubs. If you're a beginner or someone who doesn't play as regularly then there might not be much logic in shelling out on a state of the art set of golf clubs and a more value for money set might be more suitable.
Should I buy second hand golf clubs?
Absolutely, provided you are happy with the condition they are in and the price you're paying for them. It's always good to ensure you're buying second hand golf gear from trusted retailers who have refurbished those clubs.
