The Best Golf Clubs For the Money in 2023 (Buyer's Guide)
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While golf might be the most fun and challenging sport ever created, it’s certainly not the cheapest.
From buying golf clubs, apparel, paying for green fees, lessons, gadgets, and other expenses, it all adds up quickly. Especially if you live in a place where you can golf the majority of the year and want to play as often as possible.
That’s why it’s important to make your money stretch so you can tee it up more frequently and enjoy the game we all love. Clubs are one of the most expensive aspects about golf, but there are some great deals if you know where to look.
In this post, I’ll help you find the best golf clubs for the money in full sets and a few individual clubs too. This way you don’t get ripped off and still play the clubs that will help your game the most.
Best Golf Clubs For the Money
Even if you’re a beginner, I’m sure you know that not all golf clubs are created equal. Some drivers cost $600 or more, while other full sets can cost only a few hundred dollars.
So why is there such a large price difference between them?
A few factors, including brand name, number of clubs in a set, shafts, technology and more.
Here’s a good rule of thumb.
The newer you are to golf, the less you should care about brand names and more about price. While the more experienced you are, the more you should focus on technology and buying clubs that are right for your swing.
In our quest to find the most affordable golf clubs for the everyday player, we used several testing protocols to evaluate them.
Testing Protocol For Best Golf Clubs
Performance
The number one thing that matters for any golf club is performance.
Too many people think about brands before performance. But who cares if you’re playing a brand new Titleist or Callaway driver if it doesn’t work and perform how you want it too.
Performance is the number one factor, period. There are several factors within this category including forgiveness, easy to hit shafts, technology, and more.
Durability & Design
Another thing we considered when researching these clubs is the durability and design of them. We wanted to make sure to find clubs that are not only a great deal but will last you a long time as well. All the clubs below are highly reviewed and made from reputable golf companies.
Value (Not Price)
Finally, the last thing we factored in was the value, not the price itself. While some clubs might cost more money, they will also last you for years and thus, have a better value for the long run.
Plus, some of these are complete sets so you can buy everything you need in one purchase. This way you can get out to the course and not waste time researching clubs online.
Now that you have a better understanding of our testing criteria, let’s get into it.
We’ll start with full sets and then showcase the best individual golf clubs for the money as well.
1. Callaway Golf Strata Complete Set
Best Complete Set
Callaway Golf Men's Strata Complete Set
- This set includes: Driver, 3 wood, 4 & 5 Hybrid, 6 to 9 Iron, PW & SW, Putter, Stand Bag, 4 Head covers
- Putter: Precise face milling on the putter is designed for better accuracy and distance control to help you sink more putts
- Stand Bag: Lightweight, durable bag combines a cool authentic look, convenient pockets, and an easy to carry back strap
Have you ever found yourself asking, “What is a good set of golf clubs for beginners?”
Well, this set from Callaway answers that question.
Callaway is a great brand as they make an array of clubs. Some are geared for beginners and others are used by the best players in the world. When you buy Callaway, know that you are getting high-quality, trusted clubs.
With thousands of glowing reviews, the Callaway Strata set is great for beginners. They have several options including a 12-piece, 14-piece, and 16-piece set in both right and left-hand models.
For brand-new golfers, the 12-piece set has everything you need to start playing golf. It comes with a driver, fairway wood, hybrid, 4 irons, a wedge, putter, and bag. While the 14-piece set adds a sand wedge and the 16-piece set has even more clubs.
Complete Women’s Set
Callaway also offers a matching women’s set of Strata clubs as well. They have an 11, 14, and 16-piece set that are very similar to the men’s set.
2. Wilson Men’s Complete Golf Club Package Set
Best Value
Wilson Men’s Complete Golf Club Package Set
- Premium components and precision engineering make golf much more rewarding.
- Includes 9 clubs: driver, 3 wood, 5 hybrid, 6-pw, putter
- Oversize 460cc forged titanium composite driver
- Unique driver head design provides stability and improved launch conditions
- Popular heel/toe weighted putter design enhances feel and improves putter head stability
- Soft putter grip and easy alignment system designed to keep putts on target
Wilson is another well established name not only in golf but in all sports. Their brand tends to cater more to beginners than advanced players. Plus, they’re more affordable than most brands.
Their complete set is also highly-rated and includes 9 clubs (driver, 3 wood, 5 hybrid, 6-PW, putter), stand bag, and matching headcovers. The driver is a large, oversized 460CC head that is very forgiving and lightweight. While the irons are much easier to hit than a lot of competitors.
Thanks to a large sweet spot and lightweight graphite shafts, they will help anyone get the ball airborne quickly. Paired with a great putter design that makes lining up putts easy, this is a phenomenal deal for beginner players.
3. Wilson Teen Junior Complete Set
Best Juniors
WILSON Teen and Junior Complete Golf Club Package Sets
- Stand bag
- Head covers
- Graphite Shafts
- 10.5 Degree loft
Best Individual Golf Clubs
As you can see above, there are a ton of great sets for the average golfer. But sometimes you might want to upgrade a few specific clubs sooner rather than later.
I would argue that the three most important golf clubs in your bag are the driver, sand wedge, and putter.
The driver gets used frequently and sets you up on most par 4’s and nearly every par 5. While a sand wedge and putter are also frequent and save you shots around the green.
This is why it’s so important to upgrade these three clubs before needing to replace all 14. If you can drive it well, chip it close, and make putts, your scores will drop quickly.
So, what are the best individual golf clubs for the money?
Here are some of our favorites…
1. Cleveland Golf Launcher Turbo Driver
Top Pick
Cleveland Golf Launcher Turbo Driver
- Turbocharged cup face
- HI bore Crown
- Ultralight housel
- Counter balanced shaft design
Cleveland has some of the most affordable golf clubs, from drivers to putters, on the market.
Their competitors’ drivers are $500 or more but they have them for a few hundred dollars cheaper with nearly as much technology… making them great for the everyday golfer.
The Cleveland Launcher Turbo is our top pick as it’s a lightweight, forgiving, and easy to hit driver. With no sliding weights or adjustable hosel, it’s ready to go as soon as you put it in the bag.
The Hi-bore crown means lower CG – which means higher launch and longer distance. While the deep weighting of the club leads to more natural speed as well. You get effortless speed and distance for a great price.
2. TaylorMade SIM2 Driver
Most Forgiving
TaylorMade SIM2 Max Driver
- New forged ring construction
- Sim inertia generator
- Speed injected twist face
- Thru-slot speed pocket
- Split mass weighting
Each year, big club companies like TaylorMade, Callaway, and others release a new driver.
If you’re a committed golfer who wants to get the most out of your game, a new club annually can help. But each new driver costs about $500-$600, so it’s not a cheap investment by any means.
Luckily, when each new model does get released, that almost always means the price of the prior year’s model goes down significantly. In 2022, TaylorMade released their new Stealth driver, which means their best-selling SIM2 driver from 2021 is on sale.
The SIM2 is a phenomenal choice for the everyday player as it’s forgiving and very long. You can even opt to buy the SIM2 Max-D to have a built-in draw bias as well.
3. Callaway Mavrik Driver
Great Value
Callaway Mavrik Driver
- Extremely strong material that’s 6 grams lighter than traditional titanium to promote optimal speed, forgiveness, and spin robustness.
- Two internal Jailbreak bars connect the sole and crown to promote fast ball speed, and the significantly lighter carbon crown allows us to redistribute weight for higher MOI
The Mavrik driver from Callaway is from their 2020 lineup and is one of the best bangs for your buck. This club is long, easy to hit, and extremely forgiving thanks to their Jailbreak technology. Off center hits still travel a long way and are extremely straight as well.
4. Cleveland CBX 2 Wedge
Excellent Feel
Cleveland CBX 2 Wedge
- Hollow-cavity design - additional weight distributed to the perimeter offers more forgiveness
- Dynamic sole - three different sole grinds deliver more versatility to execute any shot
- Amazing feel - enhanced feel balancing technology along with a insert reduces vibration
- Rote face - fourth generation rote face technology delivers our sharpest tour zip grooves
Once you find a good driver, don’t forget a trusty sand wedge.
A lot of players invest in forgiving drivers and irons but forget about buying wedges with forgiveness as well. Luckily, the Cleveland CBX2 is a forgiving wedge that will make it easier to score from 100 yards and in.
Unlike most wedges, it has a hollow cavity back design to help with off center hits. It also has an amazing feel and a Rotex face that helps maximize spin around the greens. They have several shaft options too, including lightweight graphite, to make a seamless transition from your iron shafts.
Plus, they have lofts from 48-60 degrees, so you can complete your whole set with easy to hit wedges.
5. Odyssey Golf White Hot OG Putter
Top Pick
Odyssey Golf White Hot OG Putter
- Odyssey white hot og putters feature the original white hot formulation, feel, sound and performance in one exceptional two-part urethane insert.
- This classic name is synonymous with legendary performance
- Odyssey engineers have combined a rich silver pvd finish with fine milling on the surfaces
Finally, don’t forget the importance of a good putter as well.
Since you use the club on nearly every hole, every single round, it’s the most important club in the bag. Luckily, with putters, technology doesn’t play as much of a role since it’s more about feel than distance.
Which means older models work just as well as a lot of new models. Plus, you won’t need to replace it nearly as often. Find a putter you love and stick with it.
One of the best putters for the money is the Odyssey White Hot OG putter. They have blades, mallets, 2-ball, and other models.
6. TaylorMade Spider Tour Putter
Solid Performance
Spider Tour Black Putter
- Modern mallet putters designed with multi-materials for high moi
- Lightweight 6061 aluminum core
- Based on robot testing of pure roll groove vs. solid face
- Vibration damping pu foam embedded between the body and frame for enhanced sound and feel
- Superstroke gtr 1.0 grip. chrome finish steel shaft.
TaylorMade turned the golf world upside down about a decade ago with the first release of the Spider putter line. The putter wasn’t a blade or mallet design and for many, looked more like a spaceship than a putter. But it’s weight and style has created fans from the everyday amateur to PGA Tour pros.
Now, you can buy their Spider Tour Black at a great price. This putter will make it easy to line up putts and will help with off center rolls.
7. Bonus: TaylorMade SIM Max Irons
Best Game Improvement
TaylorMade SIM MAX Irons
- Speed Bridge: Revolutionary Speed Bridge technology strategically supports the topline of the iron to unlock explosive distance and forgiveness with improved sound and feel
- ECHO Damping System: Designed with energy channeling geometry to quickly eliminate harsh vibrations at impact delivering better feel without sacrificing face flexibility
- Speed Pocket: Patented TaylorMade technology engineered to maximize face flexibility for increased ball speed and forgiveness on low face strikes
After you find a great driver, wedge, and putter, eventually you might need some new irons too. The TaylorMade SIM Max set is a great choice.
They’re a game improvement set that will help beginner to mid-handicap players hit it higher than you thought possible. These clubs have Speed Bridge Technology for explosive distance, sound great, and have several shaft options to fit your swing.
Wrapping Up The Most Affordable Golf Clubs
You might still be asking questions like,
- Which are the best golf clubs?
- What is the best golf club set brand?
Ultimately the best golf clubs are the one for your swing and your budget.
Brands aren’t nearly as important as you might think. 99% of players should use a bag of mixed brands to help their game. Trying to get your entire bag with just Titleist or just Callaway clubs usually isn’t the right move.
Instead, have the clubs that best suit your abilities and budget… not the ones with the same name. This will make the difficult sport of golf just a little bit easier so that you can have more fun.
Ultimately, play what’s best for your swing!
What do you think is the best brand for your money?
Let us know in the comments below!
Michael Leonard
Michael Leonard is a full-time writer, author, creator of Wicked Smart Golf and +1 handicap amateur golfer. He left his corporate career in 2017 to pursue entrepreneurship and professional golf; since then, he’s competed in 160+ tournament days and went to Q-school in 2019.
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