It can be quite daunting for beginners taking up the game of golf because the sheer volume of equipment available means they are truly spoilt for choice when it comes to selecting clubs. There are many manufacturers on the market producing equipment to cater for all types of golfers and the variety can be bewildering if you don't know what you are looking for.
For newcomers to the game, the simplest solution is to get a package set. A package set provides everything a new or casual golfer needs, at least until their skill level improves to a level where they need more specialist clubs, and there are sets to cater for every budget.
At Golf Monthly we test a lot of clubs and that includes package sets, which we would highly recommend for beginners as it makes life much easier than building a bag that can set you back thousands of dollars. Package sets provide everything a new golfer needs, but thanks to technological advancements the best golf clubs sets for beginners are now more premium than ever, with the quality of the clubs and bags rising massively over the past decade.
They aren't always readily available for left handed golfers though and the choice can sometimes be a little more restricted, but the good news for lefties is that two of our favorites package sets - the Strata Complete Golf Set and the Callaway Golf XR Complete Set - are currently available in left handed versions at a great price case during Amazon's Spring Sale. We rarely see these kinds of discounts on left-handed clubs so it is great to see!
You get an impressive amount of equipment for your money here. Included with the excellent stand bag are nine clubs; a driver, 3-wood, 5-hybrid and a set of irons from 6-PW, plus a 35" blade putter. So it's a very complete set offering beginner golfers a good range of clubs to get them out on course with everything they need while they learn the game.
With there being only nine clubs, this gives you options to add clubs as you go, so as you hone your skills perhaps a lob wedge or a gap wedge could be added, or even another hybrid.
In testing we were very impressed with the irons. The topline is nice and thick to inspire confidence at address while the generous amount of offset should suit those who tend to slice their irons. They come as standard with a regular flex shaft (there isn't a stiff option available), but this is the perfect set up for beginners.
The driver is equally impressive for the price point, with the 460cc head and regular flex shaft offering the most forgiveness possible in the hardest club in the bag to hit. You can see a lot of the face at address and, combined with the large head, make it an appealing club to look down on. Beginners will no doubt love this driver and during testing we thought it was one of the best sounding drivers we've hit from a package set.
We found the hybrid to be decent to hit off the tee, but out of the fairway or rough, the lack of extra flex meant they flew very low and were hard to launch. For a set aimed at beginner golfers, steel shafted hybrids aren't ideal.
The putter is the weakest part of the set because there's no milling or insert on the face so, no matter what ball you use, putts have a tendency to slide off the face left or right. It also felt very firm and a little harsh, especially on off-centre hits, but most golfers will change their putter anyway so we don't think this is much of an issue, especially given the great overall price of the set.
The stand bag is very impressive though. It's lightweight, comes with plenty of pockets and has excellent club storage in the top. It isn't waterproof, but you wouldn't expect that in a package set at this price. Overall, this is a fun package set that should offer any beginner golfer great value for money and an enjoyable user experience.
The best deal we have found is for the left handed version of the 12-piece set, but there are also offers on the 9-piece intro set, the 14-piece Strata Plus and the 16-piece Strata Ultimate.
If you have been playing the game for a little while and feel like you want to upgrade to a higher quality set of clubs, or if you are a newcomer who is not put off by spending a bit extra, then we wholeheartedly recommend this brilliant package set by Callaway which we gave the full five stars in our review. Admittedly we have tested the right handed version but we are confident the performance in the left-handed sets will be as good.
This set is at the premium end of the package set market but you get a lot for your money. The set includes a driver, 3-wood, 4-hybrid, then 5-iron to pitching wedge followed by a gap wedge, 55˚ sand wedge and a putter. From a gapping perspective this set up makes perfect sense and is more than enough to get you out onto the course.
All of the woods feature matte black crowns that give a very premium look. The driver is one of the best we've seen in a package set. It sits a little closed at address which will suit a broad spectrum of golfers, and we found it very easy to get airborne, which will offer much needed help to those with slower swing speeds.
The shape of the irons is unmistakably Callaway - there is a fairly rounded toe area and the topline is thick enough to inspire confidence without being too bulky and uninviting. In testing we found them to be incredibly consistent and, again, right up there with the best we've seen in a package set.
Another highlight is the Odyssey putter, a brand known for producing some of the best putters on the market. Again, there is plenty of generosity in the head shape and even an alignment aid which will help when setting up to the golf ball.
The well thought out gapping and performance of these clubs earned it a place in our Editor's Choice awards and we can't recommend this set highly enough.
Currently left handed golfers can save 27% on this set in the Amazon Spring Sale event, making this one of the best deals we've seen so far.
