If you are starting your golfing journey, or are looking for a quick and easy product to get you into the game of golf, a package set is a very viable option as it provides all the basics you need with a cut-down price tag.
It's no secret that the best golf drivers and golf irons can set back users hundreds and thousands of dollars and, in the current climate, that can be difficult to get your head around. Therefore, why not look to invest in a package set, which provides users with golf clubs, headcovers and a bag to get you ready for the course.
Like the best golf club sets for kids, these package sets are usually aimed at beginners, but some premium brands, like Callaway and TaylorMade, produce their own sets that wouldn't look out of place in a more experienced players bag, so there is quality to be had. Because of this, we have listed below the best models on the market right now, with all pitched at various price points.
WATCH: Joel Tadman and Joe Ferguson talk through the best golf club sets money can buy
The Quick List
An outstanding package set that offers high levels of performance from driver to putter. In particular, we loved how easy to hit the irons and woods were.
TaylorMade has put together a truly impressive 12-club line up that combines smart looks with plenty of forgiveness for an all round performance that lives up to the price-tag.
This is a great value and expansive offering for beginner golfers. In testing we found the driver, hybrids and irons to be super forgiving and offering plenty of distance.
An impressive set that will definitely suit the golfer beginning his/her journey, with the modest price tag giving you an awful lot for your money.
A package set with appealing looks that will flatter your ability if you're new to the game, helping you enjoy your time on the course so much more.
The Cobra Fly XL package set is a superb option for those just getting into the game and who want a new, good-quality set as a starting point.
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This all-encompassing 16-piece package set is perfect for beginners or lady golfers wanting something more user friendly and adaptable.
The Reva is the Aston Martin of women's package sets, engineered for premium performance, luxurious in looks and made from high-quality components.
This 9-piece set is aimed at beginner golfers and the clubs do exactly what they say on the tin - designed to easily get the ball airborne with ultimate forgiveness.
Best Golf Club Sets - Best Package Sets
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Top pick
To begin with, the Callaway XR Package Set comes in at the higher-end of the price tag spectrum, but you do get a lot for your money. Club-wise, there's a 10.5˚ driver, 3-wood and 4-hybrid, then 5-iron to pitching wedge followed by a gap wedge, 55˚ sand wedge, putter and a bag.
Out of the box, we could tell that this was a more premium set, with the woods featuring matte black crowns and shaped to look generous down behind the ball. What's more, the irons feature a generous topline, that is thick enough to be confidence-inspiring at address, whilst the putter has a simple black and white colour combination. What we loved most about the putter is how generous the head size is. There is plenty of alignment help to be had and yet the putter retains an aspirational look.
Performance-wise, the clubs were easy to flight, which is what you are looking for in a package set. This is a familiar theme throughout the bag and will help those who have slower swing speeds. Finally, the bag may not have the quality of the best golf stand bags, but the quality is still one of the best we’ve seen from a package set line-up.
- Read our full Callaway XR Package Set Review
Best mass appeal
This is a premium TaylorMade package set and the quality of the equipment certainly matches the price tag. The 12-piece set includes six irons, two hybrids, two fairway woods, a driver, putter, and a trolley bag. In all honesty, we think this doesn't look like a beginner's set, as the clubs all have clean, premium aesthetics and wouldn't look out of place in the bag of a mid-handicapper.
Like the Callaway XR Set, the irons feature toplines that are thick enough to inspire confidence at address without being too clunky and uninviting. The grey finish on the crown of the woods combines with a small flash of green, which we thought looked superb. At the other end of the bag, the sand wedge and putter are slightly more compact, with a refined, premium look.
In testing, we were impressed by the performance as all clubs were easy to launch and forgiving. The ball flight was on the high side for us, but given that this set is aimed at golfers who may sometimes to struggle to get the ball up in the air, the regular shaft version we tested should do the job. We did think the bag was a little bit flimsy, and it may be worth investing in a proper cart bag but, other than that, this is a package set that is built to last.
- Read our full TaylorMade RBZ SpeedLite Package Set Review
Best set choice
This is a terrific value set of clubs that is available in an 11 or 9 piece option. We tested the 11-piece, which consists of a driver, fairway wood, two hybrids, 6 iron to pitching wedge, putter and a stand bag, which is very impressive value for money.
Providing a lightweight feel, the bag comes with plenty of pockets and has excellent club storage in the top. It's not waterproof, but you wouldn't expect that in a package set at this price. Importantly, in testing, we found all the clubs to be forgiving and easy to hit and, whilst they might not have the same premium look as the top end products, there's no debating the performance on offer.
Aesthetically, the clubs are also appealing to look down. The driver is designed so you can see a lot of the face at address, whilst the irons, which were the standout, have a thick topline. There is also a generous amount of offset that should suit those who tend to slice their irons and, in regards to the grips and shafts, they are akin to a premium set of cavity back irons. If we did have to say one negative, it'd be the putter, which doesn't have milling or insert on the face, so we would recommend checking out the best cheap putters under £100 if you don't want to spend a huge amount here.
- Read our full Strata Men's Golf Package Set Review
Best forgiveness
The Wilson Prostaff SGI package set offers superb value for money and provides the user with 10 clubs in total. These are driver, fairway wood, hybrid, 6-9-iron, two wedges, a putter and a bag, with the price-point a big plus!
Personally, we think this set is ideal for anyone new to golf, as it provides plenty of help getting the ball in the air and also plenty of forgiveness for when you don’t find the centre of the clubface. In testing, we found that the sweet spots on the clubs, particularly on the irons, are large and forgiving, with the heads themselves inspiring confidence. Also, the wide sole of the sand wedge made escaping bunkers far easier, which is an area of the game beginners can really struggle with.
This is an 11 piece set, so the option of adding extra clubs to the bag is very viable. For example, we would look at adding another fairway or hybrid, as well as a couple of specialist wedges for those shots around the green.
- Read our full Wilson Prostaff SGI Package Set Review
Best dispersion
A price tag north of $1,600 means these fall firmly into the premium end of the scale but we would certainly class the 0211 Z as one of the best club sets for beginners on the market.
In keeping with PXG clubs, the driver in particular felt and looked amazing. The matte top has a simple X in white showing you the center of the face from the top and, overall, the clubs in the set were very forgiving, especially the irons which really came into their own when we tested the set on the course. One thing we did notice though is these clubs can be quite loud acoustically at impact; very loud in fact! However, for beginners, that can be quite satisfying in a “look at me I just hit the ball really hard” kind of way.
The 10 piece set includes six hybrid-style clubs (6-9 plus a pitching wedge and sand wedge), three woods (a 16° driver, 4 and 5 wood) and a 0211 Hellcat Putter along with the PXG Bag and a hat.
- Read our full PXG 0211 Z Golf Club Set Review
Best bag
Much like other package sets in this list, the Cobra Fly XL set looks the part and we were thoroughly impressed with how good these clubs looked when taking them out of the wrapper. Cobra are known for their value and, with the Fly XL set, they have continued this theme throughout.
We begin with the performance, and it's clear that Cobra have thought about the target market for this set, with it featuring a 5-wood instead of a 3. You may wonder why, but the extra loft on the face will benefit most golfers that lack swing speed or ball-striking prowess. Importantly, all the clubs have been designed with forgiveness in mind, with the only slight downside being the putter. We feel that the set could benefit from a mallet style, not a blade.
In addition to the performance, you get a lot for your money. To begin with, there are 10 golf clubs, a really sturdy, lightweight stand bag with a 5-way divider, fleece-lined valuables' pocket and a matching rain hood. Along with the stand model, Cobra also offers a cart bag version, so there should be something for everyone.
- Read our full Cobra Fly XL Package Set Review
Best women's set
Strata may be a little-known brand to many women but it has a rich history in golf and it’s great to see it making a comeback. This 16-piece package set is an all-encompassing offering consisting of a fantastic 12° driver, fairway wood, 4 and 5 hybrid, 6-9 iron, pitching wedge, sand wedge and a putter, which is all held together in a tidy stand bag.
We found the clubs deliver excellent distance and forgiveness off the ground, but also offer enough help to make tee shots fly straight. Aesthetically, they look superb, with a glossy chrome finish across the irons that reminded us of the Callaway Big Bertha Irons.
As for the putter, it does come in a blade orientation and, while some beginners may prefer to use a mallet putter, it boasts a very sleek aesthetic and handy alignment aid on its top line, that will help with your accuracy. If you prefer a more forgiving putter then, as this set costs only a little more than some drivers, you could use the savings to pick up a putter more to your liking.
- Read our full Strata Women's Package Set Review
Best premium women's
The Callaway Reva is arguably the Aston Martin of women's package sets. Engineered for premium performance, luxurious in looks and made from high-quality components, the Reva has been cleverly put together to give you all the options you need from tee-to-green, especially if you're relatively new to the game.
The set comes with a driver, three wood, 5 and 6 hybrids, 7-9 iron, a pitching and sand wedge and a putter, as well as a snazzy cart bag and five headcovers. In testing, we especially loved the driver performance because of its high launch and ball flight that had a powerful feel. The big circular target-style sweet spot on the face looks impossible to miss, whilst the three-wood and hybrids continued this theme as well.
The large, oversized cavity back irons are designed to help on mis-hits and our testing seemed to prove this. They felt effortlessly light to swing and easy to use thanks to the stability and forgiveness on offer. What makes this one of the best women’s golf sets is that the putter includes the Stroke Lab shaft. The fang design, coupled with the Stroke Lab technology, is aimed to help you with tempo and consistency and we loved it, especially in the blue finish.
- Read our full Callaway REVA Ladies Package Set Review
Best women's beginner
This 9-club set is aimed at beginner golfers and is designed to easily get the ball airborne with ultimate forgiveness. The quality of performance and the look of these clubs belies the price and, although it's not a set that an improving golfer will want to keep long-term, for a woman who is just beginning her golfing journey, it's absolutely ideal.
This set has every club in the bag that a player needs to take them from tee to green including a driver, 5-wood, hybrid, SW-7 iron, putter and a sturdy cart bag. Coming in at around $600, it represents great value for money, with each club providing plenty of loft to help get the ball airborne. Additionally, we felt there was plenty of forgiveness and a confidence-inspiring look. The irons, for example, feature a cavity-back design, thick sole and a large clubhead, which allowed us to get the ball in the air as quickly as possible.
The black/pink color scheme is ultra feminine, in particular the bag and matching headcovers which really stand out, while the shafts and clubheads are more understated and are predominantly grey and black respectively with just a smidgen of pink.
- Read our full Cleveland Bloom Ladies Package Set Review
How we test golf clubs
Golf club sets are no exception when it comes to our testing ethos and methodology. We put sets to the test out on the course and over a number of rounds to see how they perform on different courses and in varying conditions. It is only through using each club out on the course and at the range that you can get an idea of how well something is made and how it performs. Only by using a set can we gauge feel, sound, durability, usability, quality, and so on and so forth.
Additionally we want to make very clear that no manufacturer can buy a good review because our testing team tells it how it is, and we often have to buy the sets ourselves to put them to the test.
How to choose a golf set
If you want to get an entire set of clubs then there are some crucial factors to be aware of before purchasing. We have given some advice below.
What comes in the set
The great thing about golf is if you want to buy single golf clubs for your bag you can, but you can also get entire sets with one purchase too. When doing the latter, it is worth checking which clubs come as part of the set to make sure you have all bases covered, and it is also worth getting a bag with the set too.
Quality
A common problem for entire sets can be quality. Unlike the models we picked above, many can be poorly made and have issues with the head, shaft or grip, or even all three. Therefore it is definitely worth going for brands that are well-respected in the game of golf because the products will have been made properly and would've been designed to perform properly. The prevalence of Wilson, Callaway and TaylorMade in this area is a case in point.
Forgiveness
Chances are if you want an entire set of clubs like the ones above you are probably a beginner or junior and the big factor to consider here is therefore forgiveness. The most common problem for beginner and junior players is mishit shots which limits distance and hinders accuracy. Beginner and junior golf clubs are designed to have larger heads and sweet spots, and therefore more forgiveness to help players still make solid contact with the golf ball.
Budget
Obviously there are different sets at different price points so it is worth thinking about whether you want to spend more or less here. You can go down the premium route with brands like TaylorMade or Callaway, or you can find a cheaper option with brands like MacGregor. What is important to note though is a package set is ticking off a lot of boxes with one purchase whereas if you want to buy clubs individually this can take longer and can be more expensive.
FAQs
What clubs come in a full package set?
So this can vary depending on the set you have gone for but we usually see package sets come with a driver, some kind of wood or hybrid, a set of irons which often goes from roughly five-iron down to sand wedge, and finally a putter. Some also come with a golf bag as well which is something to think about when you are purchasing.
What type of players would golf package sets be good for?
Overall we think package sets are good for those players who are perhaps new to the game and want to tick off as many club boxes as possible with one purchase. As we have shown above, many package sets come from high-quality brands which means you can get good golf clubs that perform as you would want without having to buy each club individually. We also think package sets are good for kids as well.
For more buying advice on golf gear, take a look at our guides on the best cheap golf club sets, and best golf shoes.
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