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You’ve decided to start golfing? Welcome! It is an amazing sport that everyone deserves to play.
I’m glad you’ve landed on this article. I hope my explanations and recommendations can help you be confident as your begin your golf journey.
It doesn’t need to be expensive to get started, but it will take some money to purchase all your golf gear for the first time. I’d look at second hand clubs because you can save a ton of dough.
How this Guide Will Help You
I’ll go through all the equipment you need and make some recommendations. I always look at value for your dollar. If you are just beginning golf, I want you to get the best equipment possible on a manageable budget.
If you have a lot of money to spend, I’d recommend going to your local golf shop. They can set you up with some good beginner clubs, but it will cost you.
Here are the best used club sellers if you’d rather search on your own:
What is a Complete Golf Set?
A complete set usually consists of the following:
- 1 Driver
- 2 Fairway Woods or Hybrids
- 7 Irons (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, PW)
- 3 Wedges (Gap wedge, Sand wedge, Lob wedge)
- Putter
You can only have 14 clubs in your bag, including the putter. So you can configure your bag however you’d like, but this seems like the standard for most golfers.
Fewer clubs than 14 is not a bad thing if you are a beginner. It can be overwhelming to learn how to hit every club well at the beginning, so you could use 9 or 10 clubs to start out.
Best Beginner Complete Sets
The simplest solution is purchasing a complete golf set. It comes with everything you need to get started, except tees and golf balls.
Beginner sets offer large cavity back irons, which are the perfect irons for beginners because they are easy to hit. A beginner set also includes a large faced driver with a higher loft.
There are some great complete beginner sets available now, especially used sets from online stores. I’ve had several friends, including my brother, purchase complete sets in used condition from Global Golf.
Here are the best complete sets for a beginner:
The Bazooka 370 features new shaping and weight positioning for more forgiveness. The best selling Bazooka set is back and easier to hit, with improved ease of launch from any lie.
The Callaway Edge 10-club set is designed for distance, easy to hit and accurate golfing every time. The Odyssey White Hot Putter is the best available with any beginner set.
Large 460cc Driver Engineered with Super Game Improvement technology to enhance new golfer experience. High-launch fairway wood and easy to hit Hybrid technology replaces long irons.
Best Beginner Drivers
When driving the golf ball, the most important thing for beginners is forgiveness. You want to be able to hit the ball somewhere on the driver face and have it remain in play.
You don’t need to care about shot shaping or control quite yet. You just need it to go a couple hundred yards and land near the fairway.
You want a big driver head and a loft somewhere between 10.5° and 14°. You don’t want your drives to hover only a few feet off the ground, so don’t go less than 10.5° unless you are a big hitter.
Here are our top picks for beginner drivers:
The Launcher XL driver is a huge driver with even bigger features. The XL head design has the most MOI ever in a Cleveland Golf driver, with low-and-deep weighting for extreme forgiveness and distance.
Specifically designed for players looking to maximize distance with straighter ball flight, this adjustable driver features a 10 gram rear weight to increase MOI. The CG positioned low and back delivers maximum stability,
C523 is built for excellent launch and spin, while retaining optimal forgiveness and accuracy. An 85% larger Power Channel distributes weight to promote optimized face flexing and forgiveness
Best Beginner Fairway Woods
Fairway woods are a weapon that every beginner should have in their bag. You’ll be able to reach the green in two strokes more often if you have a 3 wood or 5 wood in the bag.
You might discover you hit your fairway woods better than your driver. If you are struggling with your driver, you can simply use a fairway wood off the tee.
Fairway woods will also save you after you’ve hit a poor tee shot. They can be your best friend.
Here are the best beginner fairway woods:
Launcher XL Halo Fairway Woods are built with Gliderail technology to improve turf interaction and keep you from duffing your wood shots. An oversized head, low CG and Rebound Frame help you hit the ball easier off the deck with more launch.
Callaway's new Rogue ST fairways are a breakthrough in fairway performance from industry-leading innovations. Rogue ST MAX is constructed for all levels of golfers who are looking for speed and forgiveness in a mid-launch package with slight draw bias.
A lightweight Carbon Crown lowers mass and pushes MOI higher while increasing forgiveness. The stepped crown lowers CG to optimize launch and consistency.
Best Beginner Hybrids
Hybrids are probably the easiest club to hit for beginners. They are big, they are forgiving, and they launch the ball higher than an iron. I still keep a 12 year old hybrid in my bag because I hit it so well.
If you are uncomfortable with the fairway woods or your 4-iron, hybrids are an excellent option.
The only problem you might have with your hybrids is distance control. It seems like they go a slightly different distance every hit for experienced golfers. That’s not a huge problem for a beginner though.
Here are the best beginner hybrids:
The Launcher XL Halo hybrids are constructed with more premium forgiveness than ever before. Gliderail Technology features three rails running along the sole of the club, keeping the face straightened through impact.
Cobra AIR-X features a lightweight design for a forgiving, easy to swing hybrid with effortless speed. The lighter head and components allows for a significantly lighter and easier to swing club than traditional hybrids.
Hot Launch E523 is incredibly forgiving and versatile. A super-shallow face and a larger footprint design are made for extreme playability and high-launching shots.
Best Beginner Irons Sets
Look for cavity back irons if you are a beginner. They are the most forgiving and easiest to learn on.
Cavity back irons are hollow on the back, which places the weight around the perimeter of the club. The weighted perimeter allows your bad shots to go pretty straight.
You will regret trying to learn golf with irons that professional golfers use. They use muscle back irons that are unforgiving.
The first set of irons I used were muscle back blades. It was a bloodbath that made me never want to golf again. The first time I used cavity back irons was a revelation.
Here are the best beginner irons sets:
Hot Launch C523 combines maximum distance and forgiveness, made from 431 stainless steel for superior feel and performance in a traditional cavity back design. These are the ultimate beginner irons.
Intelligent Design compared thousands of head shapes and Power Hole arrangements to optimize both distance and ball speed. The result is an iron with higher launch and lower spin with incredible stopping power and pinpoint accuracy.
Cleveland's Launcher XL irons are uniquely designed to provide forgiveness where you need it and control where you want it. This massive head design features the most MOI in a Cleveland iron yet, providing you with maximum distance.
Best Beginner Wedges
East-to-hit wedges will make world of difference for your short game. They will help you get the ball in the air and land softly on the green.
Beginners struggle to get their ball to stay on the green, partly because they don’t have good wedges. Their ball constantly runs off the back of the green, even on short chip shots.
There are so many different types of wedges. You just need some forgiving wedges to get started.
Here are the top wedges for beginners:
The Smart Sole 4 wedges by Cleveland contain an extra wide sole and improved Feel Balancing Technology. This will deliver maximum forgiveness and easier bunker play for those needing more short game assistance.
For great spin, control and consistency from the fairway, fringe or rough. Lazrus golf wedges are made in the same place as some of today's "top" 52 56 and 60 degree golf clubs - For 1/4 the price!
Cleveland's new CBX ZipCore Satin wedge features a cavity back design with tons of forgiveness without sacrificing workability. Two extra grooves offer more contact across the face.
Best Beginner Putters
The putter is arguably the least important club for beginners. You won’t appreciate the fine nuances of different putters until you’ve been golfing for few years.
Find a putter that suits your eye and start putting. Over time you will learn what you like and what you don’t like about your putter.
Here are the top putters for beginners:
The Cobra King Vintage Sport 45 features a classic blade shape and a stainless steel body with a single sightline to improve alignment at address. Super simple and super effective.
Focus Activation parallel alignment lines help you set up easier and hit your target lines better. A double-milled face creates a consistent, smooth roll with incredible feel.
The Huntington Beach Soft offers the distance control, feel, and confidence to sink more putts. The Speed Optimized Face Technology produces consistent distance on every putt.
Best Beginner Golf Balls
The golf ball is a critical piece of equipment. It’s the only thing you will be using on every shot.
Beginners tend to do better with a soft, low spinning golf ball. Please don’t grab any ball you find in the woods. You won’t get a good feel for your golf shot if you are using a different ball for each hole.
Good beginner golf balls range from $20-$30 for a dozen, so it shouldn’t set you back too much.
Here are the best beginner golf balls:
FastLayer Core With a soft center that gradually transitions to a firm outer edge, the FastLayer Core gives SOFT FEEL incredible softness and great distance off the tee. The perfect ball for beginners.
The Supersoft golf ball is a high-performance ball designed for players seeking more distance and a softer feel. It has exceptionally soft feel and superior forgiveness for golfers of all skill levels.
The core of DUO SOFT is specially formulated for maximum energy return. The result is shots that fly farther and launch easier with less effort. Optimized aerodynamics mean reduced driver spin for long carry, straighter shots and more fairways.
Best Beginner Golf Bags
A good golf bag needs to be both stylish and functional, but you don’t need to spend 500 dollars.
Golf bags in the 100-200 dollar range will still hold all your clubs, balls, tees, and snacks.
Here are the best beginner golf bags:
Simple, durable, and comfortable. Constructed from high-strength 4200 polyester fabric, Izzo golf stand bags not only last, but look great.
The Taylormade Pro Series Bag is durable, comfortable, and easy to organize. If you want a bag that lasts, pick this one.
Final Thoughts
Using proper equipment as a beginner can make a huge difference.
It can be the difference between extreme frustration and enjoyment. Forget your pride and stick with beginner clubs until you are a consistent ball-striker.
When you feel like you are playing good golf, it might be time to upgrade your beginner golf clubs or get fitted.
Jacob is a Professional Engineer, professional gym-goer, and golf enthusiast. He is obsessed with golf-specific fitness, golf simulators, and hitting long drives.