Best golf clubs for beginners 2023: The best golf club sets for men, women and children
From starter sets for men, women and children to mid-range selections of woods and irons, there's a golf club set here for you
Unless your golfing aspirations stretch no further than thwacking 50 balls down the local driving range, buying a set of golf clubs makes more financial sense than purchasing each club individually. There’s only one problem: making sure you pick up the best golf clubs can be an intimidating process.
There’s little more likely to ruin your first time on the course than discovering you’re carrying a heavy load of clubs that aren’t right for you – and, worse still, you will have wasted money in the process. If you’re not sure which clubs to buy, we’re here to take you through the best golf club sets on the market in 2023.
Best golf clubs for beginners: At a glance
- Best men’s half set: Inesis Adult Beginners Golf Set | £200
- Best men’s full set: Wilson Ultra XD Steel Golf Set | £349
- Best women’s set: GolfGirl FWS3 Ladies Golf Set | £200
- Best women’s set for mid-handicap players: Callaway Solaire Golf Set | £799
- Best set for junior golfers: Ben Sayers M1i Junior Golf Set | £90
How to choose the best golf clubs for you
How much should I spend?
This completely depends on how often you play or intend to play and how much you plan to improve your game. If you’re new to golf expect to spend around £200-£400 for a set. It’s probably worth accepting that an expensive, pro-level set of clubs isn’t likely to do much to improve your skills in those early days – dedication and perseverance will be far more important.
On the other hand, if you’re a little more used to being on the course and want to fine-tune your game, investing in higher-quality clubs makes absolute sense.
What features do I need to keep in mind?
First, you will need to buy according to gender and age: club sets are divided into men’s, women’s and junior categories, which are based around size, weight and flexibility. The chief differences between men’s and women’s sets are in the length of the clubs and whether they have steel or graphite shafts – the latter being lighter and easier to swing faster. Junior sets are, naturally, smaller in size and tend to be priced accordingly.
Since what we are looking at here are complete sets, with every type of club you will need for the game, there’s no need to focus on the particular contents of your golf trolley.
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The best men’s golf club sets to buy
1. Inesis Adult Beginners Golf Set: Best half set for beginners
Price when reviewed: £200 | Check price at Decathlon
This half set contains all the clubs you need to get around the course, with a driver, a hybrid, two irons (a 6/7 and an 8/9), plus sand and pitching wedges and a putter. These are the perfect clubs for beginners who will struggle to get much use out of a tricky-to-hit five iron or a three wood compared to a more forgiving hybrid, and having less choice will help you get more comfortable with each club in your bag.
The wide face and large clubhead on the driver, and cavity backs on the irons, all make it easier to get your ball airborne and travelling long distances. And, as you improve on the course, these clubs will offer more or less everything you need. The clubs also use lightweight graphite shafts, which will help you add some speed to your swing. The only real downside is that they don’t come with a golf bag, and it is also worth noting that this is a right-handed set only, if you’re a left-hander, you will need to look elsewhere.
Key details – Driver: 1; Hybrid: 1; Irons: 6, 8, PW, SW; Putter: Mallet; Bag: No; Guarantee: 2 years
2. Wilson Ultra XD Steel Package Set: Best men’s full set
Price when reviewed: £349 | Check price at American Golf
Renowned golf club manufacturer Wilson is well-versed in offering comprehensive sets for beginners, and the Ultra XD Steel Package Set is an excellent example. Aimed at newcomers who want to jump straight in with a full set, it offers plenty for the weekend or occasional golfer. Packing a driver, a wood, a hybrid, a full set of irons, and a putter with a stand bag, this set will keep you happy until you’re ready to make the next step up. And even then you might only want to replace, or add, one or two clubs. Or make the change from steel to graphite shafts.
A real highlight of the set – especially for beginners – is the forgiveness of the woods and the irons. There are head covers included for the driver, wood, and hybrid, and a matching rain hood for the bag, but nothing for the putter or irons.
Key details – Driver: 2; Hybrid: 1; Irons: 6-SW; Putter: Blade; Bag: Stand bag; Guarantee: 1 year
The best ladies’ golf club sets to buy
3. GolfGirl FWS3 Ladies Golf Set: Best women’s set for beginners
Price when reviewed: £200 | Check price at Amazon
This full set from GolfGirl brings together all the elements that you would want from a beginner’s set of women’s clubs. Included is a high launch 460cc driver, with a big sweet spot that adds a little extra forgiveness and gets the ball in the air quicker – just remember that you still need to hit it right to get a decent distance. And a set of irons, from 6-SW, are coupled with a number 4 hybrid, which means that most of your needs are covered when you’re out on the course. Finally, a blade putter completes the set. All of them, except the putter, come with graphite shafts, which are typically a better choice for beginners.
Finishing it all off is a bag to match whichever colour clubs you choose from pink, purple or teal – there’s no black, or blue, or more ‘traditional’ colours here. And, while this is a right-handed set, GolfGirl does cater for left-handers.
Key details – Driver: 1; Hybrid: 1; Irons: 6-SW; Putter: Blade; Bag: Carry bag; Guarantee: 1 year
4. Callaway Solaire 11-Piece Package Golf Set: Best women’s set for mid-handicap players
Price when reviewed: £799 | Check price at Affordable Golf
This is a package that is perfect for the seasoned and committed women golfer. On offer is an eleven-piece set of undeniably beautifully designed clubs that send out the message you take the game seriously. To make sure that you get a decent distance from the tee there is a 13 degree driver with high forgiveness, plus a number 3 fairway wood, and 5 and 6 hybrid clubs to tackle different distances.
There are only five irons with the set – a 7, 8 and 9, plus a pitching wedge and a sand wedge, all with graphite shafts – so, if you are an avid user of a five iron you will need to purchase one separately. To complete the set there is a decent curved back mallet putter, and it all comes in a carry bag that boasts a sleek, stylish design that matches the look of the clubs and drivers. Unfortunately, it’s only available for right handers, and it doesn’t have a stand – just a carry handle and strap – though it has a rain hood, and there are head covers included for the driver, wood, hybrid and putter.
Key details – Driver: 2; Hybrid: 2; Irons: 7-SW; Putter: Mallet; Bag: Carry bag; Guarantee: 2 years
The best children’s golf club sets to buy
5. Ben Sayers Right-Handed M1i Junior Package Set: Best for junior golfers
Price when reviewed: From £90 | Check price at Amazon
This Ben Sayers right-handed set (sorry, not available for left-handers) comes in two different sizes: for five to eight-year-olds, and for nine to eleven-year-olds. As kids of either age bracket will almost definitely be either new to golf or on a steep learning curve, this set’s emphasis on forgiveness will be important to make sure no junior golfer becomes too discouraged or frustrated early on.
Both sets are competitively priced, but you’re not getting a full range of clubs, just the bare minimum to complete a round. There’s a high-lofted (14 degree) driver with a weighted sole plate, which aims to improve distance and accuracy, and a head cover is included to keep it in tip-top condition. While they should be enough for smaller courses, there are only two irons – a combined 7/9 iron and a P/S wedge – and these have a wide sole for promoting forgiveness. Finally, there’s a mid-sized mallet style putter with a sight alignment to help with precision, and a junior stand bag to complete the set.
So, while these are a great option for kids starting out, they are not the ideal choice if you have a budding Tiger Woods on your hands.
Key details – Driver: 1; Hybrid: 0; Irons: 7/9, PW/SW; Putter: Mallet; Bag: Stand bag; Guarantee: N/A
