What Are the 5 Best Golf Clubs Brands? – Beginners Guide
For a beginner starting their journey into the wonderful world of golfing, buying equipment can be a daunting task. There is a wide range of equipment options at price points spanning from cheap to absurdly expensive and everything in-between.
Many beginners start shopping for golf clubs and find that the information fed to them at retailers is overwhelming. There are so many brands, so many different types of golf clubs, how do you narrow down your search to the best golf clubs for beginners?
While the search may be daunting at first, the good news is that golf manufacturers have many options available for beginners or high handicap players. Beginners can find golf clubs that suit their game and their budget. After all, spending a lot of money on golf at the start is a great way to develop distaste for the game. Once you have developed your skills you will find ample excuses to purchase new equipment – just ask any avid golfer.
How We Determined Our Rankings
Ranking gold club brands is always sure to spark some debate and this list will surely be no different. However, we still want to provide some insight into how we determine our rankings so players can understand how we arrived at our conclusions.
First, we want to look at the golf clubs offered by a brand. There are three distinct types of irons available on the market: player irons, better player irons, and game improvement irons. Some people have slightly different names for the three categories but the concept remains the same.
For beginners, we need a brand that offers game improvement irons, sometimes also referred to as super game improvement irons. These clubs have a larger club head which helps players make clean contact and also offers more forgiveness on poor hits. These irons are not the best golf clubs available on the market but rather they are specifically created for beginners who are learning the game and need the most help with the basics.
Next, we want to consider the reputation of the brand. Brand reputation isn’t everything but it does help to have a respected brand name on your golf clubs. For example, a well-known, established brand in the golf industry is far more likely to offer quality warranty replacement should any issues arise. It’s uncommon to need warranty repairs on golf clubs but it’s nice knowing you have the support of a major brand behind you.
Finally, price comes into consideration. While we don’t want to simply recommended the cheapest brands out there, we also don’t want beginners to spend money they don’t need to. Most wise golfers will tell you that money spent on lessons from a certified professional is money that will go further than money spent on equipment.
Golf is not a cheap hobby to take up. Golf clubs, golf balls, apparel, bags, shoes, and the occasional beverage after a round can take a toll on a person’s budget. When getting started, spending the most money possible is not advisable. Learn the game on a less expensive set of golf clubs and replace equipment as needed.
The 5 Best Golf Club Brands for Beginners
1. Callaway
Callaway is a very well-known brand in the golf industry. What makes them a great choice for beginners is the wide range of options they have available. Not only do they make some of the best golf clubs for professional golfers but they also have options for beginners who are just starting out.
When looking at Callaway golf clubs, you obviously want to avoid anything with “Pro” in the name. These clubs are often considered player’s irons and have smaller, thinner club heads. For a very good player, those smaller club heads will allow more control and shaping of shots. For beginners, those small club heads mean a lot of shanked shots and mishits.
Look for irons with a wide base. The extra weight at the base of the club head helps guide the club face under the ball when hitting so that players can get air under their ball instead of hitting hard shots that roll along the ground and don’t go near the target.
Some Callaway sets will include what are called hybrid irons. These are irons that use a larger club head that sort of looks like a mix of a fairway wood and a regular iron. A lot of beginner players (and professionals) find that these hybrids are easier to hit than traditional long irons. Be sure to test some sets to find the clubs the work for you.
Price-wise, Callaway is one of the more expensive brands available. Their game improvement irons are reasonably priced but still much more expensive than other options at the store. If you have a larger budget for clubs, then Callaway makes the best golf clubs for beginners. However, if you are looking for bargain pricing Callaway likely won’t meet your needs unless you purchase a used set or a clearance set from a previous model year.
2. Wilson
Wilson is a sports brand known for everything from golf clubs to baseball gloves to volleyballs. While their reputation as a golf brand doesn’t have the prestige of a brand like Callaway, Wilson makes quality products at an unbeatable price.
For beginners, the Wilson Ultra Complete Package is the way to go. This 10-club set includes everything you need to hit the course from driver to putter. There is also a hybrid to help round out the set. Of course, 14 clubs are the usual norm but most beginners won’t make use of 14 clubs, and there is always the option to buy other clubs to add to your set down the road.
All of the clubs in the Wilson Ultra Complete Package are designed to be forgiving. Obviously, this means that players won’t be hitting the ball further than their better partners, but the mishits should be much more forgiving.
As far as pricing goes, this Wilson set cannot be beat. For an entire set, it would be almost impossible to find something brand new at a better price. Of course, with such a low price comes some sacrifice in quality. Players who choose a Wilson set and stick with the game of golf may find themselves wanting to upgrade sooner than if they have chosen a slightly nicer set from a brand like Callaway at a higher initial cost.
3. Tour Edge
Like Wilson, Tour Edge is not known as a top-quality golf brand. You won’t see professional players sponsored by Tour Edge or commercials for the brand alongside luxury car commercials during televised golf tournaments.
Instead, Tour Edge is designed to appeal to beginners. They offer several complete sets, some of which include a golf bag as well. For one price, players can have everything they need, including a bag, for heading out to the golf course.
Tour Edge drivers are built to be very large which makes the driver forgiving to mishits. Of course, in order to get the predictability, players give up distance. Most beginners won’t mind as playing from the fairway is much more fun than playing from the trees.
Some Tour Edge sets include hybrids as well which is another great feature for players who prefer that style of club. Again, testing the different sets and clubs to see which one feels best is important.
Much like Wilson, Tour Edge is aiming for the budget beginner golfers. Their sets are priced exceptionally low and they will definitely do the trick for beginners who don’t want to spend their entire budget on day one. However, players who turn their golf hobby into a passion will quickly outgrow a Tour Edge set of golf clubs.
4. Prosimmon
In keeping with the budget brands, we will now discuss Prosimmon. Again, this is not a brand known for making the best golf clubs known to man. They don’t claim to be that kind of brand. Instead, their golf club sets are designed for beginner players who need a complete set for learning the game.
One nice thing about the Prosimmon sets of clubs is the included putter. Unlike other complete sets that have a simple blade putter, Prosimmon has included a larger, mallet-style putter. Of course, putter styles are somewhat of a personal choice but mallet-style putters tend to feel more forgiving and easy to control. Since most strokes are gained or lost on the green, the right putter might make all the difference.
Like the Wilson and Tour Edge sets mentioned above, Prosimmon gives you everything you need to get started with golf. The clubs are designed to be forgiving, help players get the ball in the air, and keep the ball somewhat straight.
For pricing, Prosimmon is competitive with Wilson and Tour Edge. The one thing that may set the brand apart is the included putter, but that is a subjective thing that ultimately boils down to feel and what each individual golfer prefers using on the green.
5. Taylormade
Taylormade is a brand known best for being the most popular driver on the PGA Tour. A number of top professionals play Taylormade golf clubs which makes them a very well-respected brand in the industry. Of course, like many brands, Taylormade also makes clubs for the players that are a long way away from getting a spot on the PGA Tour.
Beginners can check out Taylormade’s club fitting tool on their website to find the clubs that are right for them. Taylormade does offer some sets that are designed to help players with slower swing speeds that need more forgiveness (AKA, beginners).
A lot of technology goes into Taylormade golf clubs, and they are often known as one of the best brands in the game. Seeing professionals tee up Taylormade golf balls and hit them with Taylormade golf clubs can drive a lot of amateur golfers to buy their products.
Of course, with that kind of reputation and investment in research and development, comes a higher price tag. Of all the brands on this list, Taylormade has the highest price tag. In addition, Taylormade typically does not make their clubs available in a complete set which means players will have to buy irons, a driver, fairway woods, and a putter. All of those pieces can add up quickly and eat up the budget in the blink of an eye.
However, that higher price tag means much higher quality. Players who choose a set of game improvement irons from Taylormade may find that the irons still meet their needs even after a few years and a lot of improvement. Budget-conscious players will likely want to avoid Taylormade clubs while players with a little more money to invest may want to choose the absolute best golf clubs for their game.
Our Final Thoughts on Beginner’s Golf Clubs
If you’re ready to head out and purchase your first set of golf clubs, just be sure to set a budget and stick with it. Even for beginners, golf can become a very expensive sport to play very quickly. There are exceptional options for beginners from trusted brands like Callaway and Taylormade but those brands may prove to be a little too pricey.
There is nothing wrong with stepping down to a set from Wilson, learning the game, growing a passion for the game, and then upgrading to a higher end set up clubs in a year or two. Plus, less investment up front means more money to spend on lessons or beer.
Most importantly, whatever choice you make, get out there and enjoy the game!
