This provides great value and an expansive offering for beginner golfers. The driver, hybrids and irons are super forgiving and offer plenty of distance. Whilst the putter isn't as reliable as the other clubs in the set, this is a comprehensive and well-priced package.
For
- Forgiving irons and driver that offer plenty of distance
- Lightweight and spacious carry bag
Against
- Putter isn't very forgiving
- Hybrids are fitted with steel shafts so aren't easy to launch
A fantastic set that offers up surprisingly good performance for what is a small price tag. The drivers and irons are easy to get airborne, with the putter providing forgiveness and a number of alignment aids to help accuracy. You won't find much better around this price.
For
- Driver and irons in particular are fantastic
- 10 clubs is more than enough to play golf with
- Superb value
Against
- Putter grip is too thin
- No putter headcover included
Strata Men's vs MacGregor CG3000 Package Set: Read Our Head-To-Head Verdict
There are a number of package sets on the market, with the Strata Men's Package Set and MacGregor CG3000 ranking as some of the best golf club sets that money can buy. Both provide the basic equipment you need to start the game of golf, including a driver, fairway woods, hybrids, irons, wedges, putter and golf bag for a fraction of the cost of a premium set.
Although these won't offer the same performance as the best golf drivers, best golf irons or best putters, they are perfect for those starting the game and don't want to splash the cash on a custom-fitted set that could set you back thousands of dollars.
Two of the best we've tested this year in terms of value for money come from Strata and MacGregor. Below, we take a look at which might be best suited for your requirements by comparing them side by side.
Set composition
The Strata set includes a driver, three wood, two hybrids, 6-iron to sand wedge and a 35" blade putter for 11 clubs in total, so you can add up to three more of your own if you want it. You also receive a sturdy and stylish stand bag to house and transport the clubs in. Strata also offers a nine-piece set if you want to spend a little less, with all the clubs featuring a standard regular flex steel shaft, except in the driver and fairway wood which is graphite.
The MacGregor CG3000 package set competes with the Strata when it comes to what you get for your money as a driver, fairway wood, hybrid, 6-iron to sand wedge, putter (10 clubs in total) and lightweight bag once again allows for possible expansion in your set. The entire CG3000 set (except the putter) is fitted with graphite shafts instead of steel, which is lighter and should help beginner golfers produce more swing speed and get the golf ball airborne more easily. The clubs come in basic cart bag that has plenty of pockets, a good number of dividers, a decent grab handle and a main strap for carrying.
Looks
Taking the MacGregor set out of the box, it doesn't quite have that premium look and feel we experienced with other sets like the TaylorMade RBZ SpeedLite package set or PXG's 0211 Z golf club set. However, the MacGregor offering comes in significantly cheaper at around $350. It also provides a lot of confidence at set up, as all the clubs have oversized profiles specifically designed for the novice player.
The driver features a handy alignment aid on the top, whilst the woods offer a lot of offset, a slicer's best friend. Along with the top end of the bag, the irons provide a thick topline, again with plenty of offset, while the putter has a fang shape with two long red sightlines that assist with aim as well as a shorter white line at the front that helps position and strike the ball centrally.
The clubs in the Strata set also offers a generous amount of offset throughout, which should suit those who tend to slice the ball. As well as the offset, the irons are particularly impressive, as a chunky topline is very confidence-inspiring at address but it is worth noting that the faces of the irons do scuff quite easily. Off the tee, the driver is an appealing club to look down on, as you can see a lot of the face at address. The only let down of this set is the putter - there's no milling or insert on the face, which means the feel is quite hard and harsh.
Performance
Both sets pleasantly surprised us in terms of performance. In the Strata Men's set, the driver and irons in particular performed well. The provide a solid and powerful feel and high ball flight. The shafts do feel a little soft, which takes time to get used to if you swing with a decent amount of speed, but the forgiveness of the heads themselves is sky high.
The only negative aspect, in the upper end of the bag at least, is that the two hybrids in the set are fitted with steel shafts rather than traditional graphite. This makes them feel a little hard work and they flighted the ball lower than we'd have liked - most of the best golf hybrid clubs are fitted with graphite shafts to make them lighter, straighter and easier to swing. The flat steel face on the putter meant that putts had a tendency to slide either to the right or left and, as a result, we would personally take a look at some of the best cheap putters on the market to replace it with.
The CG3000 set has a 13 degree driver, which sends the ball high and is a perfect amount of loft for a beginner that tends to swing the club slower. It also feels fantastic off the face, lively and reassuringly solid. The irons also have a superb amount of forgiveness, something that is needed for those starting out in the game, whilst the wedges and putters felt surprisingly responsive too. A slight negative is the fairway wood and hybrid, which didn't feel as springy off the face as we'd have liked.
It's worth noting that the loft gapping is just right for a 10-club set. This means that beginners and high handicappers will have plenty of clubs at their disposal to hit for a wide range of yardages.
Overall appeal
Both these sets provide ample performance for new golfers at a superb price point, with the package sets certainly strong in most aspects golfers consider important. They're not perfect but at this price point, you can't expect too much and overall the value for money on offer here in both options is exceptional.
The Strata offers a solid performing driver, irons, wedges and bag, which is lightweight and features plenty of pockets and excellent club storage in the top. The only downside is the putter but because you get 11 clubs with this set, it does allow for the option to add a new putter along with other clubs, like speciality wedges, to the set up.
It's a similar story with the 10-club set of the MacGregor CG3000, as the driver, irons and putter are a particular stand out. Again, the fairway woods and hybrid perform well, but don't feel overly fast, and we would customise the putter if we had the choice by adding one of the best putter grips to enhance the comfort and control.
Which one should you choose?
Choose the Strata Men's Package Set if…
- You feel the extra hybrid would be useful
- You want a decent stand bag included
- You are happy to upgrade the putter separately
Choose the MacGregor CG3000 Package Set if...
- You want a set of clubs that are easy to launch
- You need offset to fight a slice
- You plan to utilise the putter in the set
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