The Best Starter Golf Clubs for Men & Women

There’s no way around it, golf is expensive and frustrating. That’s why my recommendation for the best starter golf clubs is that your budget should align with your long-term commitment to golf.

If you haven't started playing yet and need a set to get started in the game to see if you like it, then you can find a good starter set for $200 to $400.

However, if you’ve already gotten a taste of golf’s frustration, and despite it, you’re hooked on the game, I’d encourage you to consider sets that have a little more to offer, even though they cost a little more, typically $600 to $700. 

Those numbers might seem high, and they are, but consider this: if you were to assemble a complete set from retail, driver through putter, plus a golf bag, of current-model clubs from the major equipment manufacturers, you’d be looking at somewhere between $3,000 and $4,000.

I’ve been playing for more than 15 years but I remember my early days in the game like they were yesterday, and getting my hands on decent clubs was a huge part of that journey. I started by borrowing my dad’s clubs. Then I bought a cheap complete set from an off-brand at a local sporting goods store. Then over the next year or two, I scoured the internet for good deals on clubs from brands I’d actually heard of and upgraded my entire bag piece by piece.

Here are, in my opinion, the best starter golf clubs and which types of players I think they fit best.

Strata is Callaway’s introductory brand of golf clubs, but Strata sets are still held to the same standards as the higher priced Callaway clubs you’ll find in stores.

For $399 the men's set includes a driver, fairway wood and hybrid to cover the long game, plus 6-through-9-irons, pitching wedge and a putter.

The women's version has two fewer clubs, with two irons (7-iron & 9-iron) instead of four, and a sand wedge replacing the pitching wedge. That's probably because it features graphite shafts through the set, instead of the less-expensive steel shafts, which contribute to a lighteweight and easy-to-swing profile.

Beyond the clubs, accessories include headcovers for the driver and fairway wood, plus a golf bag. Both the men's and women's versions of the Strata Complete Set are available in up to 16 pieces, with additional wedges, irons and hybrids rounding out the set.

The Wilson Profile SGI Complete Set includes everything you need to get started in golf, plain and simple. Wilson has always produced a line of golf clubs that are easy to hit and the Profile SGI Complete set falls right in line.

For $399, you’ll be set for your first lessons and trips to the course. The complete set includes a driver, one fairway wood, one hybrid, 6-through-9-irons, two wedges, a putter, and a golf bag.

As you progress with the game, there’s a good chance you’ll “outgrow” these clubs, but anticipate this complete set doing the job for your first few seasons.

From a dollars-per-club point of view, you’re not going to find a better deal on a starter set of golf clubs actually worth playing than this 13-piece Top Flite set that includes nine clubs (plus a bag) for just $249.

Perhaps the best part is it’s available in sets for men, women, and juniors, so it’s easy to find the one that fits any budding golfer. You can even choose left or right-handed options, or select between regular or senior flex shafts in many cases.

The set comes with a driver, fairway wood, hybrid, four irons, a wedge, a putter, and of course, a stand bag, which makes it easy to get around the course on foot if that’s your preference.

We love that the irons feature a wide sole and large footprint, which makes them easier to hit, a huge bonus for any beginning golfer.

Tommy Armour produces really quality clubs at surprisingly low prices, regardless of the ability of the golfer who needs them. 

That’s why this 16-piece complete set, which is available in men’s and women’s versions, is a great choice for players who committed to sticking with golf for a bit, and are ready to make a little more of an investment into their equipment.

The set comes with a driver, fairway wood, two hybrids, four irons, two wedges and a putter, 11 clubs in all. The lofts of the cavity back game-improvement irons lean slightly into “high-launch” territory, which is great news for players who appreciate some extra help getting the ball in the air.

Meanwhile, the hybrids have a low center of gravity which also helps them launch in the air and provides some extra forgiveness when you miss the sweet spot.

You might pay a little more for this set than the very cheapest sets on this list, but in addition to getting 11 clubs, you can expect the performance of this Tommy Armour set to work well with your game even as your skills develop beyond the beginner stages.

Stix Golf – an upstart direct-to-consumer brand that was created specifically to make golf clubs more accessible – has a couple great deals on complete sets, let’s check them out.

Perhaps the best deal is the 10-club Play Club set, which you can get for $559 from Stix, or a 9-club version of the same set for as low as $419 from Amazon. 

This is the only set on this entire list that doesn’t come with a golf bag, but when you get high-quality clubs at this price, it’s not hard to find a budget bag to put this set into and still save a bundle. Of course, you can add the Stix bag for $100 if you want.

The Stix Women’s Set is an 11-club set that’s been on sale recently for as low as $699, complete with the golf bag. This is actually the same set my wife uses and when she upgraded to it, she started hitting the ball a lot straighter, and a lot more consistently.

All these Stix clubs are designed to be super forgiving and it helps that they’re also super good-looking, with a minimalistic appearance that appeals to many players, and looks like anything but a beginner’s set.

This Fly XL complete set from Cobra – which comes in men’s and women’s versions, we should add – is perhaps the best beginner set for longevity. To put it another way, this set will work with your game even as you improve longer than any other.

For starters, the driver is designed to fight a slice, which is the probably the most common swing flaw for any recreational golfer, beginner or otherwise.

The set makeup is also great for beginners and novice players. First of all, with 12 clubs, you get every club you need, not just the bare necessities to get through a round. Also, with two fairway woods and two hybrids, you get plenty of long-distance, easier-to-hit clubs that just make the game more fun.

These clubs don’t look like the aforementioned Stix sets, but they share a common bond of looking much more sophisticated than most beginner sets. 

Sometimes once you get into golf, you feel the urge to upgrade from your starter set simply because it doesn’t look like the clubs your playing partners have. You won’t run into that issue with this Fly XL set from Cobra.

Tour Edge Hot Launch 3

Tour Edge just makes clubs that are easy to hit, which tends to make the game a lot more fun. If that sounds appealing to you, check out this complete 12-club Hot Launch 3 set from Tour Edge.

Like the Cobra set we just talked about, this set includes 12 clubs, so you won’t find any glaring gaps in your bag as soon as your skills begin to develop. The clubs themselves are plenty forgiving. I also love that you can upgrade to graphite shafts for no extra charge, and from regular or senior flex shafts, which makes it easier for you to tailor this set to your swing (if you have a faster swing speed, choose regular shafts, if you have a slower swing speed, choose senior flex shafts).