9 Best Golf Clubs For Beginners Reviews – Tee off like a Pro in 2024

Callaway gained many fans in their Big Bertha days, and the brand has expanded considerably since then. While you can still score a Great Big Bertha driver, the Strata Ultimate set provides you with every club you’ll need before hitting the links.

The Strata lineup comes in several different flavors, but we went with the 12 club set. The extra clubs add quite a bit of value and are ones you’re more likely to use than not. First, we’re going to start with the driver which is made from titanium with a massive sweet spot. It’s 45-inches long with a 12-degree loft and a lie of 58-degrees. It’s a D1 club as are the rest of the clubs aside from the sand wedge which is a D3.

The other woods…

In addition to the regular driver, you’ll receive two fairway drivers with a 3-wood and 5-wood along with a couple of hybrid clubs. The 4H is 38.5-inches while the 5H is a hair shorter. Both have a similar lie, and all four of these clubs have a higher loft. You can check out the tech specs for the drivers and irons in the chart below.

The hybrids clubs replace the traditional long iron in this bag, so if you want a 5-iron, you’ll need to pick one up separately. While you probably won’t need it, we recommend the Rogue X if you prefer to keep your clubs within the Callaway family.

Outside of the main clubs, you’ll also receive a pitching wedge, sand wedge, and a putter. The wedges have the same length and lie, but the pitching wedge is a 46-degree loft while the sand wedge clocks in at 56-degrees. The wedges and irons are stainless feature “high flight” tech which is quite forgiving, and the putter has a milled face for increased accuracy when it’s time to send the ball to its home. It’s the same length as the wedges, but with a 3.5-degree loft and 72-degree lie.

No golf set is complete without a bag, one requirement all our choices had to meet to make our list. The Callaway Strata Ultimate set comes with a sturdy bag that sports a built-in stand and enough pockets to hold all your gear – even a pair of shoes. You’ll still need to pick up balls and tees, but there are five covers to protect your drivers and a padded back strap.

These clubs are available for both left and right-handed golfers and have a very reasonable price tag considering the brand and the fact you’re getting 12 clubs. They are covered by a 2-year warranty against defects in workmanship but not against fits of rage so don’t take it out on the clubs if you shank one into the tall grass.

Features

• Large titanium driver
• 12 club set
• High flight technology
• Left and Right-handed models available

Cobra makes excellent clubs, and while we’re going to take a look at a top-tier set for men, these are built especially for women. The Cobra XL’s are also a little easier on the bank account, but still give you the same quality you’d expect from the company.

This is another 12 club set with a full range of drivers to go along with several irons. The irons range six through nine with flexible graphite shafts. The 6-iron has a loft of 26-degrees and a lie of 62-degrees while the 9-iron has a lie of 62-degrees and a loft of 40. The other irons fall between that range as you can see by the chart and the lengths decrease in ½-inch increments.

Those irons have low-profile heads that are undercut. This gives you more launch off the fairway, and the chrome finish ensures your clubs still hold up long after others have shown their age. The wedges are top-notch as well, and the putter is nothing to scoff at. All have oversized Lamkin Rel 360 grips that are comfortable and give you an extra measure of control.

Cobra went all out with the woods in this set, so you’ll get a driver along with three fairway drivers and a hybrid long iron. The 5H takes the place of the low irons missing from the bag and is in the C7 swing weight class along with the fairway woods. They have a low back-weighted center of gravity which gives a boost to the ball and takes your drives to the max.

Needless to say…

The driver is just as forgiving as the rest of the clubs with a large sweet spot and eye-catching design. It has a 15-degree loft and 58.5-degree lie and is also a C7 club like its shorter siblings. At 44.5-inches, it’s a good length and will provide plenty of distance off the tee. The hybrid is just as lightweight as the rest of the set as well.

The Cobra XL bag is built for the cart or your shoulder with plenty of dividers and six storage pockets. There are also two dedicated pockets for beverages and waterproof pouch. It’s a good looking bag that’s just the right size, and unlike other models, you’ll actually get a few colors to choose from this time around.

While it’s hard to argue with how stylish the Silver and Raspberry combo is, not everyone likes pink. If you fall into that category, there is a Silver and Mint, and Black and Capri Blue sets to choose from as well. Regardless of which shade you prefer, all the clubs match the bag and covers to a T. On the downside; this is another right-handed set – sorry lefties.

Features

• 12 club set
• Three fairway drivers
• Cobra XL graphite shafts
• Premium cart bag

TaylorMade is another brand in the same league with Cobra and Callaway or above them depending on where your fandom lies. Our top choice for younger golfers is the Phenom Youth Golf Set, which is nice enough to make adults a little green with envy.

The Phenom golf set comes in two variants with your choice of a 5 or 7-club set. The bag counts as the extra “piece” in the marketing material, but it’s actually worthy of counting as one this time around due to the quality. If your little pro is of average height for his age, you’ll want to start with the K40 Phenom set.

TaylorMade rates the K40 for children ages 5 to 8-years of age. The clubs are all staggered in length with the driver measuring 33.5-inches and the putter at 25-inches. Between those clubs, you’ll find a sand wedge, 7-iron and what’s referred to as a rescue club.

Wait… What’s a Rescue Club?

Whenever you hear this term, which probably won’t be very often, it refers to a hybrid. TaylorMade coined this phrase over a decade ago with their first hybrid club, and now other manufacturers call them hybrids or utility clubs. The K40 has a 29.5-inch hybrid wood which is around 5-inch shorter than the rescue club in our next set.

The K50 is rated for children 9-12 years of age and comes with a few extra clubs in the form of a 9-iron and a fairway driver. All the other clubs stay the same and appear to have the same features aside from length and potentially loft. The overall range of this set goes from 29-inches to 39.5-inches from putter to driver.

If you have a little Tiger in training, you may want to start them off with the best… not a cheap set you can pick up a Wally World. You’ll get just that with the Phenom, and it’s a set that will hold its value at the Pro Shop when it’s time to upgrade down the line. We love the fact you can choose an age-range or size, and everything about the Phenom Youth set is of the highest quality from the driver to the bag.

Features

• 5 or 7-club sets
• Graphite Shafts
• Rescue club
• Uniflex
• Right or Left-handed

One of our top choices for women is another golf set from Callaway that also hails from the Strata lineup. It’s the Strata Complete, which comes with only seven clubs, but still provides a considerable amount of value if you’re just starting out.

The Callaway Women’s Strata set is comparable to the men’s version with a few key differences. While they have a similar style and lie for the most part, the lofts, lengths, and swing weights are completely different. You’ll also get a 5-wood instead of a 3-wood with a lightweight shaft and a 5H or hybrid club that will take the place of a few long irons.

Both fairway drivers are well-built with large sweet spots, and you can say the same for the regular driver. It sports a super lightweight graphite shaft and is 44-inches long with a loft of 16-degrees. It’s a C9 club with a weight of 341 grams and a lie of 58-degrees just like the 5-wood.

While we love the hybrid club, you’re going to have to hope it gives you enough distance off the fairway. That’s because there are only two irons in this set with a 7-iron and 9-iron. They will provide you with plenty of range, but you’ll need to upgrade to the Strata Ultimate or Strata Plus if you want more clubs.

The latter adds the 6 and 8-irons along with a pitching wedge while the Ultimate set gives you those along with a 4H and 3-wood. All three have slightly different bags as well.

How about the irons?

The irons and wedges in this set are weighted around the perimeter with progressive sole tech which helps improve your control on the fairways and shots approaching the green. As a bonus, all the shafts are graphite except for the putter which is sports a steel shaft and is in the T-style alignment.

It’s a lightweight set that can lengthen your game and perfect for women of average height or those that are a little shorter. If you are closer to 6-feet than 5 ½”, you may want to consider the length carefully.

Callaway did an amazing job putting together this set, and while we would have liked to see a few more irons in the bag, their other sets cover that. This one is an excellent option if you’ve never picked up a club before as they won’t break the bank or your back when you’re walking the course.

These clubs are available for righties and lefties and come with a 2-year warranty along with a few covers for the driver and hybrid club. The bag has a built-in stand, rain hood, and five pockets to take care of your gear.

Features

• 11-club set
• Lightweight graphite shafts
• Progressive sole technology
• Left and Right-handed

Golf is one of those rare sports people can play well into their senior years. You can even start late, unlike football, baseball or soccer. If you’re closer to retirement age than your college years, the Wilson Profile XD Senior set should definitely be on your radar.

This senior set is built for older golfers between 5’5” and 6’1” whether they are a man or women. They are easy to hit and have a special senior flex graphite shaft. The grips are also larger and easy to grasp which give you more control on the approach or off the tee.

The irons have perimeter weighting with stainless steel heads with large sweet spots. You’ll get four in the set with clubs 6 – 9 and a 5H hybrid club with high launch tech. There are also two wedges – one built for the sand and one for your approach shot. The latter gives you more control of the spin, and the sand wedge has a wide sole with “super” low weighting to help you get out of those traps.

But that’s not all…

The low weighting carries over to the driver as well. It sports a 460cc forged titanium composite head, and as you’d expect, a large sweet spot. You can follow that club with a fairway wood which sports a similar build, but a different length and loft. Last but not least is the putter with heel-toe weighting which is solid, but not on the level of the rest of the clubs in our opinion.

Seniors will appreciate what the Wilson Profile XD golf club set brings to the table along with the fact you won’t have to dip into your retirement fund to afford them. The clubs come with a car bag, three club head covers, and a 1-year warranty.

Features

• 460cc forged driver
• 10 club set
• Right or Left-handed
• Unisex clubs

Whereas our top choice is built for beginners that want a solid set of clubs, the F-Max series is for golfers looking to start off with the best. Cobra spared no expense on this set, and while they may give you sticker shock, they will definitely up your game.

The F-Max set contains a total of 12 clubs which may be surprising considering the cost. While there are plenty of beginner golf club sets that will provide you with a full 14 for far less coin, they won’t have the same build quality, and fine features Cobra applied to the F-Max series.

Before you get too excited…

You’ll want to know these clubs are only for right-handed golfers – Cobra doesn’t make them for lefties. They are also fixed weight with a center of gravity towards the back which may not be for everyone but will help you hit the ball straighter and even makes those bad shots look a bit better.

Handedness aside, the driver is a beast at 460cc with a 10.5-degree loft. It’s a D1 club measuring 45.5-inches with a forged titanium 6-5 face and an offset hosel which produces higher launch. The crown is slick as well as it allows you to align the club head with ease; it’s a very accurate driver in the right hands. The irons have the same draw weighting as the driver and sport a club head with a low profile. You can see them in action below…

They have a deep undercut as well which gives you more speed, even when you hit the ball off center. The lower irons 4 through 7 feature 17-4 stainless steel to help those long fairway shots gain some length, but the 8-iron, 9-iron, and wedges all use 431 stainless. This gives the clubs more “feel” which in turn gives you more precision on the approach.

The wedges in this golf set are just as high-tech as the rest of the clubs and will definitely give you more control around the greens due to their design. They are in the C9 class when it comes to swing weight and feel great in the hand. The putter is only average in our opinion, however, and while it will get the job done, you may want to upgrade. It’s a sturdy blade style putter, but if you want something unique, give the TaylorMade Spider series a look.

These clubs look great, and much thought was put into their design. They all have midsize Cobra Max Lamkin Rel grips, and the irons will last for years to come considering they’re nickel chrome plated. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to dig up too many details on the bag. It’s a large cart bag with more pockets than most, but that’s all we know aside from the fact it isn’t leather.

The Cobra F-Max club set comes in two configurations with a regular set and one geared towards seniors. Both have lightweight graphite shafts, but the senior set’s driver has a loft of 11.5-degrees and a D0 weight while the regular drivers is 10.5-degrees and in the D1 category.  These clubs come with a 2-year warranty, head covers, and are available for ladies as well but only if you’re right-handed.

Features

• Forged titanium driver
• Offset hosel design
• Back/Heel weight
• Deep undercut irons

Wilson may not be the first name to come to mind for new golfers, but it’s a brand we highly recommend. They have put millions of clubs into beginner’s hands over the years, and the Wilson Ultra Complete set is your best bet if your budget is tight.

While Wilson bills this set as “complete” you’ll actually only get nine clubs. That’s enough to get anyone started, but you will be limited in a few areas like sand traps and potentially the fairway. It all depends on the distance you can get although we don’t think you’ll have any problems with the woods.

When you’re ready to tee off, a 460cc titanium matrix driver is at your disposal. It has a large sweet spot to help increase your accuracy and a loft of 10.5-degrees. Details are a bit sparse on the fairway driver and hybrid club which is unmarked but believed to be a 4H. We don’t have any other tech specs to share, and the same goes for the irons unfortunately.

The irons are what we would refer to as “solid” but not as forgiving as a club from Callaway or other top-tier brands. They also leave a considerable gap in your arsenal as you’re only getting irons 6 through 9 along with the mysterious hybrid. As mentioned, there is no sand wedge, but you will get a pitching wedge and a heel-toe putter with a paddle grip.

Included with this set is a standard, but sturdy carry bag with a shoulder strap and stand. You’ll also receive head covers for the drivers and can choose between Red and Yellow color schemes. Lefties will be thrilled with this set as well and won’t feel left out. The Wilson Ultra Golf Club set comes with a 1-year warranty out of the box.

Features

• 9 club set
• 460cc driver
• Hybrid club
• Steel shaft irons

When Callaway clubs are just out of reach and Cobra or Pings aren’t even a consideration, sometimes it’s time to turn to lesser-known brands. The Knight 12 piece complete golf set for women is a slick starter set that’s well built and affordable enough for folks just starting out.

Knight decided to keep the irons to a minimum in this set, so you’ll get the 6-iron through the 9-iron along with a pitching wedge. The irons are sturdy with steel shafts and are cavity backed with perimeter weighting. While we don’t have the measurements, the company says they are oversized. Either way, you slice it… the clubs look good and will hold up well as long as you don’t get wild on the course.

In the woods department, there are three clubs with the driver, a 3-wood, and an unusual hybrid club. The driver has a 12.5-degree loft to go along with a lightweight, flexible shaft while the 3-wood has a 15-degree loft and a steel shaft. We believe the driver is around 44-inches long but are in the dark when it comes to the fairway wood and the funky hybrid.

Why is the hybrid club unusual?

Normally, a hybrid club is meant as a substitute for one of the lower irons in your bag, and they have a number like 4H which lets you know which club it replaces. The hybrid in this set is labeled as a “4/5” which means it’s meant to replace not one, but two clubs in your bag. It has a loft of 23-degrees, but that’s all we know about this particular club for sure.

The pitching wedge and putter are both pretty standard, and won’t win any awards for performance or design. Both have steel shafts like the irons, and the putter is in the blade style with perimeter weighting and a precision face. If you prefer a mallet putter, the Pinemeadow PGX would be a great option and has a price in line with the rest of the set.

There aren’t any real extras to note with this set aside from two head covers for the driver and fairway wood. The bag is in the cart class with shoulder straps but sans legs or a kickstand. It does have an umbrella holder, however, and a 6-way graphite safe compartment top.

Details may be a bit vague for the Knight Women’s Complete Golf Set, but it’s a set consumer’s love, and we can see why. The price point makes it perfect for beginners, and it comes with a 1-year warranty to boot. While we would have like to have had more than 9-clubs in the bag, it’s enough to get you going if you dig the hybrid 4/5.

Features

• 9-clubs
• Graphite shaft driver
• Perimeter weighted irons
• Cart bag

Whether your little golfer is 3-years old or just hit their teens, Tour Edge has just the thing for you. The HT Max-J Junior golf set is available in a wide variety of options and is one of the more affordable alternatives as well. If you’re not sure how your child will take to golf… this is the one you want.

Tour Edge put together a great set of clubs that come in three sizes for three different age ranges. All use the same type of technology; the lengths are just different. This means you’re 5-year old can use a  mini Max-J driver just like their older sibling, and sets can be passed down – a definite bonus if you have a large family.

All the shafts are graphite with a low kick-point while the fairway woods, oversized irons, and hybrid clubs are made from good old stainless steel. The fairway wood has a radiused sole while the hybrid clubs have a deep center of gravity. Despite their size and price, they are very accurate clubs with some practice.

The woods use titanium in the head and the driver clocks in at 350cc. We love that the Tour Edge HT Max-J set comes with a mallet putter as well, and the ability to purchase each club individually if you ever need a replacement.

If damage does occur…

You’ll be thrilled to know these clubs come with a lifetime warranty. While we didn’t pour over the fine details, it’s safe to say you’ll void it if your children decide to act out Star Wars with their putters. Regardless, it’s rare to find clubs with over a 2-year warranty, especially in the “youth” category.

The clubs included depend on the set, and we’re going to keep things fairly simple. The Small set is rated for children 3-5 and comes with three clubs including a fairway driver, 7-iron, and putter. The 5 to 7-year-old set replaces the fairway driver with a hybrid and adds a real driver to boot. You’ll also get a 7-iron to go along with the 9-iron and putter.

Older children will receive all the aforementioned clubs and a sand wedge. It’s obvious the company paid attention to the details across the HT Max-J range as you can see from the specifications chart below.

This set is available in red and made for both left and right-handed golfers looking to learn the game. There is also a pink set available, but the options are limited with only two sets for the 3-5 and 5-8 age ranges. Lefties are out as well with the pink set although girls and boys can use either due to the varying lengths.

Features

• Multiple size options
• Stand bag
• Graphite shaft driver
• Hybrid and fairway woods