Best Budget Golf Clubs of 2025: Options for Every Skill Level

You could be looking for the best budget golf clubs for countless reasons. Maybe you’re a beginner and need a full set at a reasonable price. Maybe you’re an experienced player looking for quality clubs without a comma in the price. Perhaps you need a specific club at a palatable price. Or maybe you just like scoring a great deal, and to be honest, getting a bargain on great clubs is almost as thrilling as actually using them on the course.

Whatever the reason, we’ve got you covered. I’ve been shopping for budget golf clubs since I was a broke, budding golfer in my early 20s, and I’ve been testing and writing about clubs in all price ranges for years as well. So when it comes to finding budget golf clubs that outperform their price and rival alternatives that often cost twice as much, I’m confident in these recommendations. We’ve found complete sets for $750-$1,500, drivers from $200-$300, Iron sets around $500, and putters around $150 or less.

We have great budget picks in every category, driver through putter, plus some great brands that I’d recommend all the way through the bag, or close to it. Let’s check them out.

MacGregor is back with a new direct-to-consumer model that gives golfers an opportunity to game great-looking, great-performing clubs at tantalizing prices.

You can assemble an entire bag of MacGregor clubs, but there are some irons, wedges, and putters specifically that I’d recommend checking out. 

MacGregor’s MACSPD irons, a game improvement set, suit the largest population of recreational players and offer maximum distance and forgiveness through a hollow head, foam-filled construction with a thin face.

Players who crave the workability and feel of a forged iron have a couple of choices within the affordable MacGregor line. First, the MT Milled irons offer a smaller footprint and sleek, minimal looks and excellent feel. On the other hand, they’re way more forgiving than they look, with toe and heel strikes delivering distance that will hardly penalize you on the course. I know this because I not only tested them thoroughly on a launch monitor, but had them in my own bag for a month for testing purposes, then kept them in the bag after that.

If forgiveness – specifically how far an iron shot travels from a mis-hit compared to a center strike – doesn’t factor into your iron-buying decision, check out the MT-Pro irons. These are soft-feeling players irons for those who want to work the ball and play a compact iron.

MacGregor also released its Tour Grind Milled Face wedges late in 2024, offering better wedge players a budget option, available in chrome or black finish with lofts from 50 to 60 degrees.

Finally, MacGregor’s new MT Milled putters complement its line of budget clubs for serious players. With four different head shapes, customizable weight screws, a CNC milled finish, and even a plush magnetic headcover, these putters easily rival alternatives that cost about twice as much.

Adams is another golf club manufacturer that made a comeback inspired by brand recognition and attractive prices. The full line of Adams Idea clubs dropped in the spring of 2023 and was a value buy then, but in the time since, prices have dropped even more, but the performance of the TaylorMade-owned brand is still superb.

With the driver checking in at just $199, the iron set running just $349, and hybrids, woods, and wedges all between $79 and $119, you can assemble a complete set (minus putter) of new-age Adams Idea clubs for around $1,000, or even a little less depending on how many wedges, woods and hybrids you want.

Sub 70 has built a loyal following with its line of tour-quality, affordable golf clubs. No other direct-to-consumer golf club brand has anywhere near the robust lineup of offerings that Sub 70 has. With 15 different iron sets to choose from, you can find anything from tour blades to game improvement irons, and even single-length options if that’s your thing.

Sub 70 released its latest driver series, the 859 series which includes the 859, 859 Pro, and 859 JD (John Daly) options, and its predecessor, the 849 line, is now even more affordable. 

It’s easy – and tempting – to round out the set with the plethora of wood, hybrid, utility iron, wedge, and putter options from Sub 70, all at value prices. 

A couple things I really like about shopping at Sub 70 (I’ve purchased from Sub 70 multiple times for my own game, with my own money) is that the descriptions make it easy to understand which type of player each piece of equipment is targeted to, and most of the equipment they sell is available as heads only.

Why would you want to buy golf clubs with no shaft? Well, if you already have shafts that fit your swing, you can save even more money on what still amounts to brand new clubs. You could do this yourself, or bring your clubs and the new heads to your local golf shop, where I’ll bet someone with experience and all the proper tools would do it for you for a pretty small fee.

One of the beauties of shopping for budget golf clubs is that when new clubs are released, their predecessors, which are often 99% as good, instantly drop in price. That’s the case with the Tommy Armour 845-MAX driver and its successor, the 845+.

I’ve personally tested the 845-MAX on the course and a launch monitor, and it gave my gamer, a late-model PING driver, a serious run for its money. Today, the 845-MAX is on sale for just $149, which just might make it the very best bargain on this list. It’s long, easy to hit, accurate, adjustable, and it comes with a premium Mitsubishi Tensei shaft.

Meanwhile, there’s a new Tommy Armour driver on the block, the 845+ which checks in at just $249. The new edition features two interchangeable weights, 6g and 3g, so you can dial in your preferred shot shape.

We already mentioned that equipment from previous release cycles is heavily discounted when new models are released, and the Callaway Mavrik 22 driver is a shining example. One of the best new drivers just a couple of short years ago, you can stick this Mavrik driver in your bag for less than half the cost of today’s releases from the big manufacturers, Callaway included.

Still, the Mavrik boasts the latest driver technologies like an adjustable hosel, carbon crown, and Callaway’s Flash Face and Jailbreak technologies, which boost ball speeds and forgiveness.

When anyone asks me about scoring the best budget irons out there, I recommend checking out the aforementioned MacGregor irons, and any of Takomo’s iron sets.

Takomo is growing into a full-bag brand and offers more than just irons, but the direct-to-consumer brand started with irons, and between Takomo’s Iron 101, 101T, 201, and 301, there’s an option for every level of player.

I’ve thoroughly tested the Iron 101 and kept them in the bag for a year until it was time to test something else. Still, I keep the 101 long irons in the bag because they’re so easy to hit, long, and versatile, giving me a reliable club whether I’m on a longer par 3, need a safe tee shot on a par 4, or need to eat up a chunk of yardage with a second-shot on a three-shot par 5.

All of the irons in the Takomo lineup look beautiful and come in at a very tempting price.

Under the same ownership as the revived MacGregor brand, RAM has followed a similar trajectory. With recent releases in every category, including game improvement, players distance, and forged irons, there’s a quality affordable option for every level of player.

Despite the direct-to-consumer model, buying from RAM is stress-free for golfers, and there are two reasons for that.

First, RAM offers a demo program that allows you to borrow either a 7-iron ($50) or 6 and 9-iron ($100) for 30 days to test out. After the trial period, return the club or clubs for a full refund of store credit (RAM covers shipping both ways) or a refund to your original payment method minus a 25% restocking fee. 

That alleviates much of the stress of purchasing irons from a DTC outfit. Making the process even smoother is the fact that you can customize nearly every detail of your set. Choose your set makeup, select your preferred shaft from a variety of options (some shaft options cost extra, of course), and more than a dozen different grip options. RAM will even adjust the length up or down an inch.

The Cleveland HB Soft 2 line of putters are, in our opinion, the best value putters out there today. With the $149 suggested price Cleveland nails the sweet spot of affordability and quality. Just from looking at the milled face and minimalist design of any of the nine putters in the lineup, you’d probably think these putters cost closer to $300 than $150.

Picking the right HB Soft putter is easy. Cleveland clearly indicates which stroke type – be it straight or arced – each head shape is tailored to. Simply identify your stroke type, and choose the head that best fits your stroke and your eye.

The Wilson Infinite line of putters is another series that offers pretty much every head shape you could ask for at a budget-friendly price. You can score Wilson Infinite for $100 from many retailers, which is why we gave it the title of the best putter $100 and under of 2024.

The face features a fly-cut milling pattern, which results in a medium feel at impact.

Stix Golf is a direct-to-consumer brand that specializes in complete sets of quality (and great-looking we might add) clubs at affordable prices. 

Stix clubs are not only sleek looking, but they offer excellent forgiveness and great consistency, which budding golfers can certainly appreciate. 

Stix offers a few different complete set options, so you can get the clubs you need, whether it’s a 10-club set, the more robust 12-club set, or the women’s set.