If money was no object, most golfers would splash out on a custom fitting - shiny new woods, irons, wedges, putter, the whole lot.
However, with many of the latest premium drivers costing north of $600, building a set of clubs can be expensive (especially so if you're starting from scratch).
We get to test pretty much all the latest gear, and that includes equipment at the other end of the price spectrum.
And we have good news for you: there are some fantastic new clubs on the market that won’t break the bank.
Here, equipment enthusiasts Joe Ferguson, Sam De’Ath and Joel Tadman choose the best-value 14-club golf bag money can buy in 2025.
It's worth stating at this point that most of the clubs below will suit mid to high handicap golfers and/or those players with moderate swing speeds (most but not all).
Let’s start at the top end of the bag.
TOUR EDGE EXOTICS C725 DRIVER
Tour Edge has established itself as a very credible, high-performing brand. Players like Bernhard Langer and many of his contemporaries have been playing Tour Edge successfully for some time.
Boasting premium looks from every angle and a lively impact feel, there’s a lot to like about the Tour Edge C725 driver, which produced some really strong launch monitor data during testing.
When you factor in the adjustability (there are eight available hosel settings that allow you to alter lie, loft, and face angle), it’s a really compelling proposition.
And given that it retails at around $200 less than many of the other ‘big name’ models on the market, few other drivers offer quite such good value for money.
WILSON DYNAPWR PWR MAX FAIRWAY WOOD
Wilson returned with new Wilson Dynapwr Carbon and Wilson Dynapwr Max fairway models at the start of the year.
The latter will suit the majority of golfers looking for more forgiveness and launch, and it’s come on significantly from its predecessor, with a fine-looking gloss carbon crown and sleek sole.
Down behind the ball, it appears a little more user friendly and will inspire a good amount of confidence for those who need it at address, especially off the deck.
For us, it was one of the most forgiving models that we’ve tested so far this year. The absence of an adjustable hosel just makes a custom fitting crucial.
BENROSS DELTA XT HYBRID
Benross is a brand that is well known for producing clubs that offer competitive value for money.
The Benross Delta XT hybrid certainly sits in this bracket, and it ticks a lot of other boxes, too. The head shape is that of a modern hybrid - a larger footprint and fairly deep from the face to the back edge.
Although the acoustics could do with some fine-tuning, we couldn’t fault the performance.
For a hybrid that retails at around $140, you get a lot of bang for your buck with this club, including a Fujikura stock shaft and Lamkin crossline grip that come with the club as standard.
TAKOMO 101T IRONS
Takomo Golf may be the most high-profile direct-to-consumer brand in the game right now, with some genuine presence in the ever-growing YouTube golf space and even some tour usage with players such as Wesley Bryan and Kalle Samooja having used Takomo irons on the PGA Tour and LIV Golf.
Arguably, the flagship iron in the Takomo lineup is the hollow-bodied, compact distance iron, the 101T, and from our testing it is easy to see why Takomo actually struggles to keep enough stock of this model.
With its minimalist, clean aesthetic and an extremely soft impact feel that disguises a very powerful ball speed output, this iron ticks an awful lot of boxes, and with a price tag of around $800 for a 4-PW set, it represents astonishing value.
RIFE SCS1 WEDGES
Although these wedges are more aimed at beginners, they’ll suit a lot of mid to high handicap players - they look the part and offer more than acceptable performance given the extremely generous price tag.
The Rife SCS1 wedges come in two grind options: the S-sole and the C-sole. The former is seen as somewhat of a standard sole, designed with just a little trail edge relief so you can still open up the face and have the club slide under the ball, but created for golfers who play the majority of their short game shots with a square face.
Meanwhile, the S-sole is designed for those who want a versatile wedge option with ample heel and toe relief, so you can get more creative around the greens.
CLEVELAND HB SOFT 2 MODEL 1 PUTTER
Cleveland may not be as well established as some other brands when it comes to putters.
However, they are not to be overlooked because Cleveland has been making some of the best putters around for several year and, when it comes to the best value putters, they’re a match for anybody.
The original HB SOFT range was launched in 2018 and has been a big favorite at Golf Monthly for many years.
The Cleveland HB SOFT 2 Model 1 putter promotes a soft feel and true roll, whilst the pistol grip gives a secure, locked-in feel.
As for the looks, you couldn’t say that it doesn’t look like a premium putter.
