Equipment
The best golf clubs for the money

What are the best golf clubs for the money?
It’s a common question golfers ask, and depending on your skill level and budget, the answer can vary greatly. So, to help you figure out what the best clubs for you are, we’ve broken it down into a few categories to help you in the decision making process.
Best golf clubs for the money
Beginner Golfer – Entry-level budget
Getting your first set of clubs is all about maximizing value to get enjoyment out of going to the course or the range and most often involves buying a complete package set. Could you go directly to a high-end fitter to have them set you up with thousands of dollars would of gear? Of course, but it would be like getting handed the keys to a supercar without ever having a driver’s license—drive over a few curbs with a starter car before taking those skills to a four-lane highway.
Now just because you’re looking at a box set doesn’t mean you don’t have options. Wilson, for example, offers various sized sets for golfers based on static height measurements—which is a perfect starting point. It’s important for you to start off on the right foot, and even if they aren’t a perfect fit, the closer you are to the ideal set will make getting started a lot easier and a lot more fun.
The other option is to buy used, and with so many resources available online including used specialty sites like GolfAvenue.ca, you can find clubs in the 5-plus-year-old category that are going to offer tremendous value if you know where to look. This way of shopping for clubs often requires a bit more research to make sure you are buying the best clubs suited for your game, but depending on what you buy, you could get many years out of clubs purchased this way.
Check out the podcast link below for the GolfWRX, On Spec Episode- Building a $500 golf bag:
Play a lot of golf, and looking for value
This is where I believe most golfers tend to fit in, and it is also where you have the greatest number of options when looking for equipment. The idea of value will mean different things to different people, but when looking to get the most out of your equipment, getting fit is going to offer the best long term value for your game.
Depending on where you are buying your equipment, you can still buy “new” but purchase a previous generation model to save sometimes up to 30 percent, and if you are one of the lucky ones that happen to fit into “off the rack” irons and wedges, minus a grip or lie adjustment, then you can once again shop for previous-generation gear and see huge savings while still getting the best equipment for you.
The other option of getting great value and great quality equipment is shopping DTC—direct to consumer. There are a number of brands that have forgone the traditional selling channels and allow you to purchase custom-fit clubs direct for up to half the cost of traditional manufacturers including Ben Hogan, New Level, and Sub 70. These brands offer top-of-the-line gear, but thanks to their marketing approach and streamlined operations you can get fantastic value and high-quality gear built just for you.
Play a lot of golf – spare no expense
If you fit into this category, you are going to have the greatest number of options when it comes to finding equipment. Just like with any consumer product/experience, this approach is the most expensive, but it also puts the highest value on maximizing performance over anything else.
The most common scenario is working with a brand agnostic club fitter and if you are looking for one near you, check out our GolfWRX best drivers of 2020 article for our list of some of the best club fitters and facilities in North America. Brand-agnostic fitters won’t limit your set by brand and will instead go through every option within your fitting parameters to make sure you are getting the most out of your clubs.
The best golf clubs for the money but will ultimately be based on your budget but the price doesn’t have to be a reflection of the amount of fun you can have playing golf.
Equipment
BK’s Breakdowns: Cameron Young’s winning WITB, 2025 Wyndham Championship

Cameron Young’s WITB from his win at the 2025 Wyndham Championship. Cameron is a Titleist staff player but his bag is definitely filled with some unique clubs. Here are the clubs he used to secure his first PGA Tour win!
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX
Hybrid: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus HB Black VeloCore+ 10 X
Irons: Titleist T200 (4), Titleist T100 (5), Titleist 631.CY Prototype (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F, 52-12F, 56-14F @57), WedgeWorks (60-K* @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7
Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom 9.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Prototype
Whats in the Bag
Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)

- Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Titleist GT3 (10 degrees, C2 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Project X Denali Blue 60 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 7 X
7-wood: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 8 X
Irons: Titleist T150 (4, 5), Titleist T100 (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper AMT Tour White X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F, 56-08M @57, 60-04T @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Fastback 1.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Yellow
Equipment
GolfWRX Members Choice presented by 2nd Swing: Best driver of 2025

We’re proud to once again partner with 2nd Swing Golf to bring you GolfWRX Members Choice 2025! 2nd Swing has more than 150,000 new and pre-swung golf clubs available in six store locations and online. Check them out here.
What is the best driver in 2025? At GolfWRX, we take great pride in our online community and the cumulative knowledge and experience of our members. When it comes to the best driver of 2025, we want to know what our forum faithful think.
Since our founding in 2005, the bedrock of GolfWRX.com has been the community of passionate and knowledgeable golfers in our forums, and we put endless trust in the opinions of our GolfWRX members — the most knowledgeable community of golfers on the internet. No other group of golfers in the world tests golf clubs as frequently or as extensively, nor is armed with such in-depth information about the latest technology.
Below are the results of GolfWRX member voting for the 2025 best driver, along with the vote percentage for each club.
Best driver of 2025: The top 5
5. Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond: 6.02%
Callaway’s pitch: “For golfers looking for a fast, forgiving, yet workable driver, the Elyte Triple Diamond features a tour-inspired shape and is the preferred model by most Callaway tour players.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond here.
4. Ping G440 Max: 6.86%
Ping’s pitch: “The most forgiving G440 model, MAX has a hotter face to generate speed and distance, and a lighter overall system weight with a longer shaft (46″) for faster clubhead speed, higher launch and longer carries. The Free Hosel and Carbonfly Wrap crown save weight to create our lowest CG ever and increase forgiveness while contributing to a more muted, pleasing sound.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 Max here.
3. Ping G440 LST: 9.53%
Ping’s pitch: “LST is an especially good fit for faster swings, offering less spin and more control with a penetrating trajectory. A hotter face, lighter overall system weight and longer shaft (46″) deliver more speed and distance while maintaining tight dispersion.”
@phizzy30: “Not a fan of Ping drivers in general, but 440 LST takes the cake. It’s super forgiving across the face for a low spin head, looks and sounds good and the ability to make it play neutral or slightly fade biased through the hosel settings is very appealing.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 LST here.
2. Titleist GT3: 16.55%
Titleist’s pitch: “The GT3 Driver offers Titleist’s boldest combination of power and personalization through adjustable performance. Dial in the CG Track to your frequent contact location to make your biggest drives even bigger while taking total control over flight and shaping.”
@mrmikeac: “I’ve been Anti-Titleist for years and years and years (outside of Vokey, of course). With that being said, HOLY BEGEEZUS the GT3 driver is an absolute NUCLEAR MONSTER! This thing blew my G430 10K Max out of the water in every single category. Forgiveness is the biggest thing that stands out of me, the 3 model has always been one of the less forgiving models in the past but this GT3 can take bad shot after bad shot and still end up in the fairway, I think a ton of that has to do with the adjustability, it’s actually effective. Feel and sound is perfect, that solid crack is so addicting to hear and when you hit it out the screws this thing can absolutely bomb it. Titleist, I’m sorry for doubting you. You have converted me.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT3 here.
1. Titleist GT2: 22.91%
Titleist’s pitch: “Delivering impressive distance from any impact point, the Titleist GT2 Driver extracts maximum performance through a forgiving design. Get the stability and added confidence of a high-MOI driver without sacrificing speed.”
@DTorres: “The Titleist GT2 has proven to be the best driver of the year. Packaged in a classic profile, GT2 perfectly balances performance and forgiveness while consistently being a high performer across all categories.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT2 here.
Other drivers receiving >2% of the vote
Driver | Vote percentage (%) |
---|---|
Cobra DS Adapt Max K | 4.85% |
Ping G430 Max 10K | 3.85% |
Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond | 3.68% |
TaylorMade Qi35 | 3.51% |
Callaway Elyte | 3.18% |
Cobra DS Adapt X | 2.34% |
Cobra DS Adapt LS | 2.17% |
TaylorMade Qi35 LS | 2.17% |
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Steve
Jul 3, 2020 at 11:16 pm
Agree…totally useless.
Al
Jul 3, 2020 at 6:20 pm
I usually enjoy Ryan’s insight
This article has no information this time , tho
jay hall
Jul 2, 2020 at 10:23 am
What a totally pointless article. Useless, lets bin this writer.
Doug Hart
Jul 3, 2020 at 10:49 am
Agreed. Pure clickbait. GolfWRX forums are good. Most articles are worthless.