A beginner golf set: what to buy first.

What the rules say about a set

Rule 4.1b of the 2023 Rules of Golf, in effect from 1 January 2023, says you must not start a round with more than 14 clubs or have more than 14 during it. The count covers every club carried by or for you. There is no minimum: if you start with fewer, you may add clubs up to 14 during the round, as long as you do not delay play or borrow from anyone playing on the course. The R&A says the next edition of the Rules is due on 1 January 2028.

The penalty for too many clubs is the general penalty (two strokes in stroke play) for each hole where the breach happened, up to four strokes in the round; in match play, one hole is deducted per hole of breach, up to two. As soon as you notice an extra club, you must take it out of play.

Every club you make a stroke with must also conform to the Equipment Rules (Rule 4.1a). No shop label settles that, and nothing on this page says any set conforms. Check the conforming equipment page before you enter competitions.

How few clubs you need

Tim Briand of True Spec Golf, speaking to GOLF.com in 2020 about junior equipment, said a beginner does not need 14 clubs. His example of a starting set was a driver, a hybrid, a 7-iron, three wedges and a putter, and he stressed that the short-game clubs matter most.

Short-game teacher Dave Pelz made a related point: he argued that golfers carried too many long clubs and too few short ones, and suggested swapping 2- and 3-irons for gap and lob wedges, according to Australian Golf Digest's 2025 account of his methods.

Our picks by category, in buying order

How to choose

Lessons before a big purchase

A professional at your course can advise on what to buy once they have seen you swing. Our getting started page explains the routes into the game.

When to get fitted

Fitting matches clubs to your swing rather than to a catalogue. AmateurGolf.com's 2026 account of one maker's fitting process describes an interview about goals and misses, a baseline with your own clubs, then choosing heads, pairing shafts and checking loft, lie and set make-up. CaddieHQ describes dynamic lie fitting, where impact tape on the sole shows whether the club needs bending flatter or more upright. See club fitting.

Fitting juniors

Briand says junior fitting should go by height and clubhead speed rather than age or gender. He warns that hand-me-down or cut-down adult clubs can shape a child's swing, and that shortened adult shafts can play too stiff, so he suggests light, flexible shafts if adult clubs are cut down. He advises fitting for where the child will be in about six or seven months.

A bag to carry it

Retailer Haggin Oaks describes a Sunday or carry bag as light and simple, meant for fewer than nine clubs, and a stand bag as having built-in legs and double straps. A small set suits either. See bags and trolleys.

Before your first competition, check the Terms of the Competition, and count your clubs on the first tee.