If you want any chance of bringing down your handicap or making that birdie, then you’re going to need to arm yourself with a set of the best golf clubs. Any keen golfer should know that a well-made set of golf clubs should be of top priority, before looking for ancillary items such as golf brands, clothing, golf bags and umbrellas.
When you find yourself setting up your golf ball on the tee, looking out at the sea of green ahead and the little red flag that marks the hole, you’ll need a driver to get you as close as possible. Once you’ve made your first long-distance shot, you’ll need to enlist an iron to help place you further on the green.
Wedges are for those moments you find yourself off the fairway, such as in a sand bunker, and need something to help get you out of trouble, and finally, a good putter is needed to make that final shot.
Today, the best golf clubs make use of major advancements in technology, which primarily relates to the materials used and how they’re utilised to help deliver incredible performance. Different golf clubs will help cater to various levels of ability too, so it’s important to know which brand will be best for you, before you go ahead and make a purchase.
But which clubs deserve your attention the most? We’ve done the hard work for you to bring you the definitive list of golf club manufacturers that will soon have you swinging your way to your best game yet.
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Callaway
Price: From $300
Origin: Carlsbad, California
Having access to the most advanced technology in the world of sports is the biggest advantage Callaway has in the development of its golf clubs. Recently, the brand took the next step when they decided to use artificial intelligence and supercomputers to design its latest Mavrik series of clubs. They even look like they were created by those machines that put cars together, and their performance shows why they are some of the best. Streamlined towards how individual players approach the game, so no matter which driver, iron or wedge you go with, they have the formula for success on the green.
Mizuno
Price: From $300
Origin: Osaka, Japan
Mizuno’s golf clubs were enjoyed exclusively by the golfer’s of Japan for over 40 years before they expanded to the rest of the world in the late 1970s and established their reputation for producing quality. It was said that founder Rihachi Mizuno wouldn’t use certain baseball bats unless the ball would bounce to his eye level off its surface. That mentality has followed the brand into the development of their golf clubs, and with their titanium alloy-faced, carbon steel JPX series of irons and maraging steel-infused hybrids (maraging steel exhibits incredible strength, without compromising on ductility), they deliver on that ambitious promise of quality.
PING
Price: From $220
Origin: Redwood City, California
The founder of PING, Karsten Solheim, has often been referred to as the ‘Thomas Edison of Golf’, having revolutionised the putter with a heel toe-weighted design. Since then the brand has been at the forefront of innovation, always prioritising quality in the engineering of their golf clubs. With one of the widest ranges, including their G425 series, there is something that tailors to every kind of player and for every kind of problem they might face on the course, such as drivers designed specifically to realign shots for golfers that often miss the tee to the right.
Titleist
Price: From $200
Origin: Fairhaven, Massachusetts
With a majority of their golf clubs being included on the Golf Digest Hot List year after year, it’s no surprise that Titleist is one of the best in the game, and their aim is to provide that for players so they can reach that top spot with the lowest score. With a customisable approach, players are able to construct their own clubs from the selection of different shafts for drivers, and even different heads for wedges so they can be ready for any shot they may encounter, no matter the difficulty.
Scotty Cameron
Price: From $399
Origin: California
Getting his start making putters with his father in their garage at an early age, Scotty Cameron put that nostalgic love into a brand that has set itself apart from the rest of the competition by focusing primarily on one form of the game, putting. Scotty Cameron has put all their efforts into creating the most precise putters, such as their Newport series, that will have you feeling confident before you take that final shot, using materials like stainless steel and aluminium for the face and body, and an overall sleek and stable shape.
TaylorMade
Price: From $200
Origin: Carlsbad, California
If there was ever a Mount Rushmore of golf clubs, TaylorMade would definitely be on there. Their presence is seen throughout all levels of the game from the local course to the majors, and their clubs are some of the most used on tour, even by Tiger Woods himself. Each club type has been engineered to boost their specific function for better performance and precision, such as the SIM2 series, constructed with lightweight aluminum drivers for maximum height off the tee, and the carbon steel, polymer blended P7 irons for unshakeable accuracy on the fairway.
Cobra
Price: From $200
Origin: Carlsbad, California
Founded in 1973 by Australian amateur champion Thomas Crow, Cobra Golf was innovative for developing the autoclave system allowing graphite shafts to be strengthened through a compression-curing process, which furthered an already successful golf club designing career, culminating in the brand being purchased in 2010 by none other than, Puma. Now with their latest Radspeed series, which uses materials such as maraging steel and carbon fibre, along with construction methods such as 3D printing and weighted heads, you can be assured of a lightweight feel during the swing, that results in precise, controlled shots.
XXIO
Price: From $300
Origin: Japan
Next to their sister company Srixon, XXIO are dedicated to one thing, designing golf clubs for those players with moderate swing speeds. Preferring to let the club do most of the work, XXIO benefit from proprietary ‘Weight Plus’ technology during construction, which can be seen in the X Black series. This helps to concentrate the weight in the grip of the club, to reduce the force required to support the head at the top of the swing, so you get all the impact with the least amount of force.
Miura
Price: From $310
Origin: Himeji, Japan
Creating some of the most elegant, sleek looking irons and wedges since 1957, Miura approaches their design to golf clubs like the samurai, with patience and precision. Their goal is always to achieve near-perfection from the performance of their clubs, ensuring everything from the size, weight, sole weight, face thickness, bounce, and even the centre of gravity, are meticulously thought through. Combine this formula with soft carbon steel and chrome finishes, and you’ve got a club that slices effortlessly off the turf. Their latest all-black finish QPQ irons are some of the best in their range.
Odyssey
Price: From $220
Origin: Carlsbad, California
Since being purchased and owned by Callaway in 1997, Odyssey has been innovating the putter for decades and it’s no surprise with backing from one of the premier names in golf. Consistently included in various best putters lists, including their ‘White Hot OG’ series, and used by the very best pros on the tour circuit, the brand has a wide range that lives up to that reputation. From your classically designed putters with two-part urethane technology to your mallet putters with double bend face structure for improved alignment and balance.
Srixon
Price: From $240
Origin: Japan
Consistently used by many pros on the tour circuit, Srixon clubs have slowly, but surely become recognised as some of the best on the market. Even with over 70 years of experience under their belt, they still seek to innovate with new technologies and use them to elevate their current clubs. By focusing on flexible layers on the faces of their drivers for their ‘ZX series’ that creates more recoil on impact, and sharp, narrow grooves on their ‘Z series’ irons for more spin and stopping power.
Cleveland
Price: From $140
Origin: Huntington Beach, California
Named after club designer Roger Cleveland, Cleveland got its start making replicas of clubs from the 1940s and ’50s, with the name ‘Cleveland Classics’. They progressed into developing their own clubs and became well regarded for their wedges and woods including their ‘Launcher series’, eventually being noticed by the pros and used on the circuits. Today they have one of the most affordable ranges of clubs that provide a consistent level of performance and quality. With the latest innovations in technology and constructed with some of the strongest and lightest materials, their clubs guarantee confidence on the course.
Wilson
Price: From $140
Origin: Chicago, Illinois
When golf great Walter Hagen emerged as a major sport personality in 1914, there was a need for a company that could fit the bill, and it was Wilson. They were then known as the ‘Thomas E. Wilson Sporting Company’ and their golf division has since then become known as ‘Wilson Staff’, and have been a mainstay throughout the sport for over a century. They have remained a premier name for innovation when it comes to materials such as urethane and even nanotechnology. Be sure to check out their ‘Model’ series of irons and wedges.
Bettinardi
Price: From $400
Origin: Tinley Park, Illinois
With a focus on putters and wedges, including a Golf Digest Hot List 2021 awarded collection, Bettinardi blends the latest technology with distinctively designed head shapes that set them apart from other club-focused name on the market. With technologies such as the ‘Feel Impact Technology’ (F.I.T.) on their ‘Inovai series’ for stronger impact, uniquely shaped mallet and shaft putters, and forged with carbon and stainless steel, that put in the work that will consistently have you sinking the final shot.
Tour Edge
Price: From $130
Origin: Chicago, Illinois
Late last year, Tour Edge set the record for the most number of clubs, 41 in total, being used by professionals at a PGA Tour event. It’s the kind of milestone that solidifies their clubs as some of the highest-performing, even at the highest levels of the game. To match that standard, they have used top of the line materials such as titanium, carbon fibre and stainless steel, with advanced layering and even sound diffusion technologies for their ‘Exotics series’.
Top Flite
Price: From $80
Origin: Carlsbad, California
If you are the kind of player that is maybe just getting started but intimidated by the amount of information that goes into purchasing the right clubs and the strain on your budget, then Top Flite is the perfect to get you going. Aside from being affordable, the clubs within their ‘Gamer series’ are reliable and will give you optimal output whether you’re on the range or the course, which includes titanium faced drivers, urethane irons and stainless steel drivers.
Why we like them: Used by Jon Rahm, Xander Schauffele and Sam Burns.