The Best Budget Golf Clubs & Sets Under $300

Golf is regarded as an extraordinarily costly sport but you can get on the course for under $300. Yet, you have to be careful, there are many trashy club sets in the budget range that could set you up for long-term failure.

Buying the best budget golf clubs and sets comes down to looking for a couple of important things: choosing the right set for your swing speed and sticking with high-quality off-brands or even second-hand products.

Now there are plenty of options when choosing clubs, like grinds, clubheads, shafts, grooves, finishes, and more, so read on as we walk you step-by-step through the process of buying the best golf sets under $300.

How to Pick the Best Golf Clubs for the Money

Finding the finest clubs in the category under $300 can be quite a challenge as the choices for new equipment are limited. That doesn’t mean there’s not the right set for you out there. Here’s what to look out for when shopping for the best cheap golf club sets:

Buy at the Right Time

Companies have release cycles to launch newer models with the most recent technology. Some do it annually while others have multiyear cycles.

Before the release of the most recent technology, companies frequently advertise the existing range at a sizeable markdown to arrange for the announcement of the new model. This will provide you the opportunity to get hold of the previous model at a huge discount. The time to get the best value golf clubs is usually in the fall. Another good time to buy is in the post-Christmas period.

Second-Hand Sets

There will be numerous second-hand sets accessible following the release of the latest model at prices that most golfers can afford. When purchasing used sets, make sure that they are still in playable condition. They can be scuffed, but should still have straight shafts and without any major defects on the clubhead or hosel.

Given that there are new sets for under $300 it is generally not necessary to buy used clubs unless there is a specific driver or another individual club you are after.

Choosing The Best Irons

The set of clubs that you select will largely be determined by your age. Senior golfers and ladies will require the lightest clubs offered to promote a faster swing speed. Fast swingers that are entering the sport may want heavier and stronger shafts. Teenage golfers ought to rather invest in clubs fit for their height, keeping in mind their rapid growth patterns and how frequently they will have to replace the set.

There are 3 distinct groupings for irons founded on the level of proficiency of the golfer.

1. Beginners or high handicap golfers will be more at ease with ultra-game improvement irons.
2. Intermediate or mid-handicap golfers will be comfortable with game improvement irons.
3. Advanced or single handicap golfers with either game improvement irons or blades. You’ll be unlikely to find blade irons in the budget range. You may need to go for secondhand irons if you’re a low handicap golfer looking to save some money.

Cast And Forged Irons

The two most prevalent kinds of irons are forged and cast iron. This ought not to be a major dilemma as you are won’t encounter forged clubs in this price range. If you do come across forged clubs for under $300, they may be fake. Stick to cast irons as you will likely get a good quality set at this price.

Cast irons are less expensive as they are produced from molten steel which is poured into a mold in the form of the clubhead. They are more appropriate for cavity back irons due to the lighter weight of the metal thus affording the producers the opportunity to distribute the weight to the edge broadening the sole for a lower and further backward CoG. This usually helps with forgiveness too. Which is perfect for high handicappers.

The Shaft

When deciding on the shaft there are some traits to contemplate such as material, length, flex, and tipping point.

The two most frequent materials employed in the manufacture of shafts are steel and graphite. Drivers and woods have lengthier shafts and involve more flex and graphite is the more appropriate material for this purpose.

Irons and wedges favor heavier and stronger shafts to add more control to the swing.

Shaft Stiffness

Shaft stiffness is linked with your swing speed and extra fast swing speeds (110mph+) favor extra-stiff shaft (X), slower swing speeds (100 mph+) will require a stiff (S) shaft, regular speed swings (90 mph – 100 mph) will find the regular shaft appropriate. Lower swing speeds (below 90 mph) will find senior (S) or ladies (L) shafts the best fit.

Graphite shafts are more appropriate for ladies, seniors, and people with slower swing speeds to extract the extra whip for increased speed.

This video will give you some insights into clubhead speed.

Clubhead

The shape and size of the club head will have a key impact on the forgiveness and accuracy of your clubs. The bigger heads (and cavity-backed heads) will often offer more forgiveness to keep your shots straight and long. For the single handicapped golfers, however, they will offer less opportunity to shape your shots.

Face and Grooves

Grooves are cut into the face of clubs to deliver spin on the ball and aid in the trajectory that the ball will take after impact. Regulating associations monitor the influence of grooves on the ball flight, in particular, the spin produced by your wedges, and set boundaries on the size and shape of the grooves.

Although it is important to appreciate the various grooves and grinds, beginners and high handicap golfers will not encounter a major influence on their game in the initial stages. Grooves create more friction and therefore spin off the clubface, which can help with approach shots and make game improvement clubs more forgiving.

Types of Sole Grinds

Various ground and turf conditions require distinct bounce on your wedges, hence the soles are shaped to cut through the soil after striking the golf ball.

Advanced and better players favor slimmer soles that will enable them to cut through the turf and take divots on virtually all of their clubs. Beginners and high handicap golfers would rather play deeper and broader soles as there is more weight delivered to the rear and base of the sole producing a lower CoG for a more penetrating trajectory and higher launch angle.

Loft

The loft of your club is directly correlated to your swing speed. Fast swingers (110mph +) want a smaller amount of loft (10 degrees or lower for a driver) to elevate the ball into the air whereas gentle swingers (90 mph or less) will require a high loft (12 degrees or more for a driver) and in-between swingers, a transitional loft.

You will find that irons vary between sets and manufacturers and the consequence of this is that specific sets reach longer distances with the same club number as their competition. An illustration of this is that a 6 iron with a 30-degree loft will have a propensity to travel longer than a 6 iron with a 33-degree loft.

Finishes

The mainstream clubs come in a gleaming silvery color as the result of the materials used in production. As this is highly reflective, some manufacturers have included black clubs in their collections, but this is the tiny minority. To brand their clubs more distinctly producers include paint and displays on the back of the clubhead.

Our Research Parameters

Golfspan is independent and not pressured by manufacturers to recommend products. We were not paid for the reviews in this article. These budget golf club sets were selected by our team, who have over 100 years of experience playing golf and thousands of hours reviewing products. We may earn an affiliate commission when you purchase something through our retail links.

3 of the Best Golf Sets Under $300

1. Best Value – PROSiMMON Golf X9 V2 Golf Clubs Set

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Pros

• Effortless to hit
• Ergonomic carrying bag
• The irons present terrific accuracy and are straightforward to control
• 12 clubs in total
• Easy-to-hold putter

Cons

• The cost is much more than the earlier iterations
• The hybrid gives too high of a trajectory for some

As a comprehensive bag for under $300, the X9 Set has a wonderful reputation for employing some of the finest technologies presently offered in this price bracket.

This PROSiMMON set is suitable for golfers entering the sport and intending to understand how to play to the top of their capability. Golfers that are planning to learn which clubs are best for certain shots will love the completeness of this golf set for such a cheap price.

Set Composition

• Driver
• 3 Wood
• 2 Hybrids
• 5-6-7-8-9-PW Irons
• Mallet putter

Shafts

The shafts on the driver, wood, and hybrids are graphite while the irons have steel shafts. This combo is often considered the best for newer players.

Performance

The technology employed in this set is ideal for new entrants to the amazing game of golf. The 460cc titanium driver with the Low Center of Gravity and hot face is perfect for a high launch off the tee and advancing the ball to a great distance.

The super game improvement irons with sizeable sweet spots include perimeter weighting for supreme forgiveness on slight mishits.

The soft paddle grip on the putter is particularly comfortable and the alignment aids make orientation so much simpler. You should be likely to hole your fair share of distance putts.

The lightweight bag containing a self-activating stand with copious deep pockets allocates storage capacity for all your clubs and accessories.

These look like much more expensive clubs than what they are, which is a nice touch if you want to impress your friends.

2. Big Brand Power – Founders Club Tour Tuned Men’s Complete Golf Club Set

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Pros

• The biggest brand name set you’ll find under $300
• Full titanium driver with a large sweet spot offers decent distance and forgiveness
• Exceedingly forgiving 3 wood built for long, high penetrating shots
• Fantastic hybrid
• Durable irons
• Solid stand bag
• A comprehensive quality set at a great price

Cons

• The graphite shafts version costs a little more than $300

Unfortunately, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a full set of golf clubs with a bag from one of the big 4 brand names in golf under $300 anymore. You’d have to spend a little extra (around $500). Yet, Founders Club has become quite a big name in its own right and these clubs live up to the high standard of their more premium clubs.

These clubs empower new entrants to our cherished sport to buy from a reputable manufacturer at a super affordable price.

Set Composition

• 460cc titanium composite driver
• Fairway wood
• Number 5 hybrid
• 6-iron
• 7-iron
• 8-iron
• 9-iron
• Pitching wedge
• Mallet putter
• Clubhead covers

The woods have an extra-large and forgiving sweet spot producing exceptional distance. To keep the price down, the shafts on the cheaper version of these clubs are all steel. The shafts on the irons are stiff enough to encourage a good impact on all shots. Alternatively, you can opt to pay just a little extra and get graphite shafts.

The hybrid performs as a replacement for the often tricky longer irons.

The cavity back irons range from a 6-iron through to a pitching wedge and sand wedge with perimeter weighting for extra stability. They are some of the best irons you’ll find in the budget range. The sole measurement gets broader as the numbers rise in the set with the pitching wedge having the widest sole.

The mallet putter contains a marking to foster improved alignment leading to more holed putts.

A strong lightweight stand bag comes standard with a rain hood, five accessible pockets, and a supplementary cooler pocket. The incredibly convenient and comfortable carry strap makes it a delight to carry for 18 holes.

Verdict

The set is accessible for all golfers and will provide all the distance and accuracy you require and even offer assistance on those off-center hits that you are very likely to contend with frequently in the beginning.

This is a complete set for the budget-minded that feel the need for a recognizable brand.

3. Best Super Budget Set – Confidence Power V3 Club Set

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Pros

• Respectable driver presenting excellent distance
• Fantastic hybrid
• Solid irons
• Very inexpensive
• Ultra-consistent
• Large clubheads and faces on irons
• Swings are light yet powerful
• Complete set
• Everything is incredibly strong
• Stand bag has an elegant design and copious pockets
• Pleasant headcovers for woods and hybrid

Cons

• Only for right-handed golfers
• The grip is thin and golfers with large hands could find it challenging to hold
• Some grips seem to be skewed
• Some golfers don’t appreciate the basic design
• No headcovers available
• The stand bag pockets are not very deep

As one of the cheapest sets offered in this category the Confidence Power V3 set is well worth the cost for a casual golfer that needs a set that will offer him all that he wants without exceeding his budget for the occasional golf game. These are the best cheap golf clubs for such a player.

Set composition

• 460cc Titanium Driver
• 24-degree hybrid wood
• 6-iron
• 7-iron
• 8-iron
• 9-iron
• Pitching wedge
• Putter
• Stand bag

Shafts

All clubs come with a steel shaft with a regular flex.

There is a 12-degree loft on the 460cc Titanium driver and a huge sweet spot offer inspiring forgiveness.

The 24-degree hybrid is a vital element of the set that eradicates the burden of hitting long irons. The cavity-backed irons are uncomplicated to swing and make contact with. Holing putts with the semi-mallet putter is a smooth and simple process too.

Verdict

A complete set with all the clubs you will be utilizing on your golf journey. Although thin, the grip is comfortable, and the lightweight swing does not apply too much burden on the grips. Toughness is one of the best characteristics of these clubs and combined with affordability, makes them a real contender.

On the negative side, you may get unlucky and receive misaligned grips.

Overall if you compare the advantages and the concerns raised, the Confidence Golf Power is a respectable starter set for beginner golfers but could falter against the more expensive competition.

The Best Budget Iron Only Set – Lazrus Premium Irons

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Pros

• Accuracy
• Lightweight
• High launching lightweight shafts
• 7 irons included
• Custom Lazrus Grip
• Game improvement cavity back design for extra forgiveness

Cons

• Lack feel available in premium brands
• Ball speed off the clubface can improve

Lazrus golf clubs are sold online to keep the price as affordable as possible by cutting out middlemen.

At first glance, they appear similar to some premium branded golf clubs but at a much more competitive price. Average golfers playing off a high handicap or just starting out will appreciate the design and consistency most. Some of the most prominent features of Lazrus clubs are the straight flight, comfort, consistency, and steel flex shafts.

Shafts are only available in stepped steel designed to absorb vibration. It is available in regular flex and a custom Lazrus grip.

All irons have deep grooves for amazing spin, control, and consistency from virtually any lie. The irons have a straight ball flight with a moderate draw bias that provides a consistent ball flight from the wedges which are the heaviest irons in the set.

Wedges have a relatively low shaft flex rating ranging between 25-degree to 60-degree resulting in lower swing weight compared to similar wedges.

Set Composition

The Lazrus set contains a:

• 4-iron
• 5-iron
• 6-iron
• 7-iron
• 8-iron
• 9-iron
• Pitching wedge.

Verdict

If you already have a decent bag, putter, woods, and a driver, then these irons are an awesome choice to upgrade your existing clubs.

The Best Budget Driver – Pinemeadow SPR Driver

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Pros

• Quality, uniflex graphite shaft
• Excellent price
• Forgiving

Cons

• Looks cheap

It’s hard to go wrong with a brand new driver for under $50. At such a cheap price you could expect the SPR to be a below-average golf club, but you’d be wrong.

Pinemeadow Golf is a relatively new player in the golf club manufacturing scene. They came in hard by undercutting the competition in the sale of single golf clubs by a significant amount. They also have flooded the market with a variety of clubs to suit different swing styles. All while maintaining a quality product.

It almost seems unsustainable to keep this up, so it may be best to get one of these before they raise their prices next season.

The SPR driver is surprisingly forgiving and provides enough extra distance off the tee than many second-hand clubs to make this the perfect choice for mid handicappers and newbies alike.

Verdict

For the price at which it’s currently available, this is an excellent driver. If you have a bias, you could perhaps check out their similarly priced offset golf driver instead.

The Best Budget Putter – WILSON Harmonized Putter

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Pros

• Available in blade stye (M1) through to full mallet (M5) and everything in between
• Big brand quality for a low price
• Easy alignment

Cons

• The face is not as hot as more expensive putters

Wilson has been making golf clubs for over 100 years so you can trust their expertise in this area.

The Harmonized putter range is their latest budget offering. They also have similar tech in their Harmonized wedges if you wanted to get a matching set. These are some of the best wedges you can get on a budget

The best thing about these putters is that they’re available in blade style or mallet style depending on your stroke style.

These putters have a much higher friction face than most others in their price range. Unfortunately, they are still nowhere near as forgiving as more expensive putters.

Verdict

A fantastic putter for the price that will outperform putters in the full sets but is still not as good as premium putter options. It may be worth waiting a while and upgrading to a better putter when you can afford it instead.

Best Inexpensive Golf Clubs FAQs

Which Brands Make the Best Value Golf Clubs?

Generally, you’ll have to look outside of the big brands to get truly budget golf clubs anymore. Founder’s Club has a great full set of clubs for under $300 and you can get the Callaway Strata full set for around $400. Some other reliable brands for budget golf sets are:

• Pinemeadow Golf
• Lazarus Golf
• Wilson
• PROSiMMON Golf
• Confidence Golf

Are the Best Budget Golf Clubs Only Available in Sets?

No, the best golf clubs on a budget aren’t only available in sets. You can buy some great clubs individually. But, to buy a bag and the equivalent amount of clubs will cost you a lot more if you take this route.

Are Budget Golf Clubs Worth It?

Whether or not budget golf clubs are worth it depends on your expectations. Are budget clubs going to perform as well as a set of clubs that cost triple the price? Unlikely. Even the best affordable golf clubs won’t hold up to premium options. Yet, for most newer golfers they are an excellent way to move your way into the sport without spending a fortune. Then as you understand more about the game and your style, it’s easier to upgrade your clubs with confidence.

Final Thoughts

Entering the exciting world of golf can be affordable and people that want to test the waters before investing heavily in their equipment. As we’ve demonstrated there are some very capable yet affordable sets to choose from.

Selecting a winner in this category is not straightforward but we’ve shown you the best golf club sets under $300 available to make an informed choice. Of these, we’d recommend the PROSiMMON X9 V2 set.

We also took a look at some of the best budget golf clubs to buy individually to upgrade your existing set. It’s often a good idea for budget players to upgrade their gear slowly, so don’t passover these clubs if you don’t need them now. Circle back in a few months and check again.