Are package golf sets just for beginners? We help you understand your options

When it comes to golfers looking to get into the game or upgrade their current clubs, it generally comes down to two options — put together a set piece by piece from various brands (either new or used) or get everything all at once with a package set.

Now, there are certainly entry-level options regardless of whether you go piece by piece or a package set, but what most golfers don’t realize is that there are high-end package sets loaded with technology that can offer a lot of benefits, so let’s dive in.

Benefits of a package golf set

One of the biggest benefits when purchasing a package set of clubs is the opportunity to save money since you are buying everything all at once, and in most cases that includes a bag, which when factored into the combined price if purchased individually usually comes at a substantial discount compared to buying it separately.

The same goes for the clubs themselves because most package sets of golf clubs only include the most necessary clubs for the skill level of the golfer purchasing them. For entry-level packages that generally means a half set of irons, a fairway wood, a driver and a putter.

On the other end of the spectrum, high-end package sets for more advanced golfers still offer less than 14 clubs but usually in the 10- to 12-club range and leave the option open for the golfer to select something like a putter separately.

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The reason most putters are sold separately from package sets, especially those on the premium end of the market, is that a putter can be a very personal thing to select based on the look, feel, grip preference, and even insert material. So rather than offer a club that a golfer might not like, golfers are given the freedom to make that decision.

Can you get fit for a package set?

This is where things can get a little tricky, because in many cases you can’t get fit in what is considered the traditional way, but on the other hand, package sets are inherently designed to fit a particular segment of the market, whether it be for men or women golfers.

To go along with that, any premium package set gives golfers the opportunity to find the right shaft flex for them and in some cases custom order specific grips so they don’t need to immediately be replaced after purchase.

Finally, from a fitting perspective, a package set of clubs helps with one of the aspects of golf that most players really struggle with — club gapping. Considering most club fittings focus on not just finding the right clubs but also the right gaps between clubs in a set, a package set helps eliminate this process because they’re intentionally designed from the start to help a golfer have a club for any distance.

This is especially true for sets that eliminate irons and replace them with more forgiving hybrids and higher lofted fairway woods to help golfers hit it higher, farther and land it softer.

So whether you are a beginner golfer or a more advanced player looking to upgrade your set, considering a package set might not only be more convenient, and save you money, but it just might be the perfect solution to help you play your best golf.

Want to overhaul your bag for 2023? Find a fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

Golf.com Editor

Ryan Barath is GOLF Magazine and GOLF.com’s senior editor for equipment. He has an extensive club-fitting and -building background with more than 20 years of experience working with golfers of all skill levels, including PGA Tour players. Before joining the staff, he was the lead content strategist for Tour Experience Golf, in Toronto, Canada.