This New Package Set Ticks Every Box For A Beginner Golfer

Package sets are generally aimed at new golfers or those who perhaps play from time to time but who don’t have a full set of their own. Maybe you have been borrowing clubs or using an old set given to you by a friend or family member, but now want to step up your game by getting yourself your first full set? If so, read on because the Callaway XR 26 package set is arguably the best option on the market currently.

The previous generation of the Callaway XR package set earned five stars from our reviewer and was named as our top pick in the best package sets category for 2025. The 2026 upgrade will take some beating as I have to say it certainly exceeded my expectations. While it is at the higher end of the price scale, the bang justifies the buck in my opinion.

I knew nothing about the set prior to it arriving but my first impression was that visually this set looks fantastic and was much more high end than I anticipated. I’ve written about several package sets while updating our buying guides to the best package sets as well as the best golf club sets for beginners and best cheap golf club sets, but when I unboxed the new Callaway XR 26 set I was genuinely taken aback.

I’ll start with the bag, which is very eye catching. It’s also incredibly lightweight yet spacious, with plenty of storage for all of your needs. While it lacks some of the stability of some of the best golf stand bags I found that it was easy to carry and it also performed well on a cart. It’s a premium looking product and resembles a bag you’d buy off the shelf rather than something you’d expect in a package set. The matching head covers add a luxurious feel too, matched by the quality of the clubs themselves.

The driver looks very inviting at address, not least because the head appears huge behind the ball. In addition, it’s 10.5° loft but standing over the ball I felt that it looks higher lofted than that, which should provide extra reassurance for the higher handicap player the set is designed for. Obviously a package set driver is not going to have the same kind of technology and adjustability you’ll find on the best golf drivers, but visually the XR driver ticks a lot of boxes. For example, I love a matte crown on a driver. I find it looks so much more stylish than a gloss finish, although that’s subjective of course. Nevertheless, as with all clubs in this set I would say that Callaway has again done a great job in terms of the aesthetics.

In terms of how the driver performed, it’s easy to launch and has ample forgiveness. While I saw a distinct drop off in distance compared to my gamer driver (around 10 yards carry), given the difference in technology, price and the fact my driver has been custom fitted for me, that’s to be expected. Golfers who struggle to get the ball in the air or who are fighting a slice (two traits of the new golfer / high handicapper) should really enjoy hitting this driver. The acoustics were a little loud for my taste but nothing like what I feared it might be.

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The 3-wood also retains that same appealing aesthetic and sits very nicely behind the ball, as do the hybrids (4 and 5) which boast a larger footprint and plenty of launch. Having tested and reviewed some of the best hybrids over recent months I noticed a significant difference with the XR hybrids, which are clearly designed more for launch than they are distance and workability. Again, that’s exactly the kind of help that the golfer this package set is designed for will need.

The 5 hybrid in particular went miles up in the air and I could see that being a favorite ‘go-to club’ for golfers who invest in this set. Interestingly, this club has replaced the 5 iron that was in the previous XR set and personally I think that’s a great move as a 5 iron is not the easiest club to use even for reasonably well skilled golfers (I play off a 12 handicap and have recently replaced my 5 iron with a hybrid to get more consistency).

Golfers with slow/moderate clubhead speed can certainly benefit from the ease of use on offer from all of the woods and hybrids, while the white lines on the club face of the 3 wood and hybrids do a great job of accentuating the loft on offer and providing extra reassurance.

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Onto the irons now, which are the highlight of the set for me as the feel, sound and consistency of spin (especially with the wedges) was not at all what I was expecting. I also really like the fact that they are available in multiple flexes and in graphite shafts as well as steel. For the kind of golfer whom package sets are aimed at, graphite shafts are a good option and I enjoyed using them. They look much cooler too, and there’s nothing wrong in valuing how your clubs look (providing it isn’t at the cost of performance of course!).

The irons go from 6-PW while you also get a gap wedge and a sand wedge. The consistency I was getting from the wedges was really impressive, as I was hitting more or less the same distance number each time and the soft feel made it very enjoyable testing these clubs.

Another big plus was the fang shaped Odyssey DFX #7 putter, which is truly exceptional in terms of what you can usually expect to find in a package set. I don’t think it’s too much to ask for a package set to offer a decent putter that will provide some help on the greens the greens for those that need all the help they can get, and it’s a personal bugbear of mine when I see a blade putter in a package set. Those who are new to the game need something with a bit of forgiveness and personally I’ve always been a fan of the fang shaped head. The head cover for the putter is very swish too, adding to the overall aesthetic of the set when it sits in the bag.

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If you twisted my arm and forced me to name one thing I didn’t love it about this set I would reluctantly say the driver, but I feel like it’s unfair to even mention that as it’s not feasible for a package set to offer something to compete with with the best golf drivers on the market. Keep in mind that Callaway’s marquee driver for 2026, the Quantum Max, retails at £599.99. To add context, that is around half of the cost of this entire set (£1,299). So a package set driver is always going to come up a little short simply because the cost of drivers is so high nowadays.

Besides, the level of golfer this is aimed at is probably not going to achieve significantly better results even with a more expensive option. As far as package set drivers go this is certainly at the top end, it’s just not necessarily something I would personally enjoy playing.

All in all this is an outstanding solution for new golfers looking to get a full set without being overwhelmed by the choices available when buying clubs separately. For those shopping on a budget it is probably going to be a little out of your price range, and if that’s the case then I would recommend checking out our guide to the best cheap sets. If, however, you are in a position to spend a fair bit of money on a new set then I can’t recommend the Callaway XR 26 set highly enough.

If you decide to buy a Callaway golf set, take a look at our Callaway coupon codes.