So, you’ve worked hard to surpass the beginner status. Now it’s time to get yourself a new set of good quality golf clubs for intermediate players. But which one? In this article, we’ll take you through some of the best golf club sets for intermediate golfers, as well as a helpful buying guide.
Choosing the best intermediate golf set isn’t always easy. Your new golf set shouldn’t only look sleek and professional, but it also needs a good mix of clubs that would work for your skill level (and once you become even better).
Below, we’ve compiled nine of the best golf club sets and individual clubs for intermediate players that’ll suit every budget.
Table of Contents
Best Golf Clubs for Intermediate Players Review
Callaway Golf Men’s Strata Complete Set Hand Steel
The Strata Ultimate (16-piece set) is the best club set for beginners and intermediate golfers alike. It comes with a driver, 3 wood, 4 and 5 hybrids, 6-9 irons, pitching wedge (PW), sand wedge (SW), putter, stand bag, and 4 head covers.
Let’s take a look at the benefits and features of each club included in the set:
- Driver: The titanium driver with 460cc head is made from high-strength and light titanium. It’s balanced, forgiving, and durable. However, it’s probably not going to last you forever, especially if you’re swinging like a pro all the time.
- Irons: The 6-9 irons are great! All four irons are balanced, durable, forgiving, and promote great ball flight.
- Hybrids: For a budget intermediate golf set, the 4-5 hybrids are a nice surprise. They’re great for long-distance shots, allowing you to play with more confidence.
- Fairway wood: There’s nothing spectacular about its 3-wood, but it’s forgiving and can help you easily send the ball flying far.
- Blade putter: It does the job well for the needs of any intermediate golfer. It’s accurate and can get the ball rolling to the cup.
Pros:
- Forgiving and well-balanced 460cc driver
- Good-quality irons, with great ball flight
- Suitable for beginners and intermediate golfers
- Quality stand bag with plenty of pockets
Cons:
- Slightly heavy for women to use
- Needs a more durable driver
Cleveland Golf 2019 Huntington Beach SOFT Putter #6
If you’re not ready to invest on a new $200 putter, the Cleveland Golf 2019 Huntington Beach SOFT Putter #6 is a good affordable option. It’s available in six traditional shapes, each has been proven to produce amazing results on professional tours worldwide.
The Cleveland Huntington Beach SOFT 6 Putter is made of 304 stainless steel and features deep CNC-milled diamond grooves, which provides a soft feel upon impact. The face of the putter is also “speed optimized” for consistent distance control on every putt.
Any golfer knows how the center of gravity (CG) can affect putting stroke. Through its optimized CG location, the Cleveland Huntington Beach SOFT 6 Putter can effectively redistribute its weight to allow more stable and straighter putts.
Pros:
- Heavy feel helps golfer with their follow through
- Can help you become a better putter
- Comes with an oversized grip
- Has a great feel
Cons:
- Has a smaller head compared to the TaylorMade Blade putter
- Not for golfers who need more support and larger club head
Odyssey Stroke Lab EXO Putter
All thanks to Odyssey’s latest innovations, the high-spec Odyssey Stroke Lab EXO Putter can give you the advantage you need on the green. Starting it off is their White Hot insert, which is known for producing soft, controlled feel and smoother roll.
Then they combined it with their Microhinge technology. What’s the result? A putter that creates more forward spin to make the ball roll much farther upon impact.
There’s also their Stroke Lab Weighting technology. This technology shifts the weight at the ends of the putter for a smooth and accurate stroke.
Another aspect of the Odyssey Stroke Lab EXO Putter that you’ll love is its fantastic grip. It’s thick enough to lessen wrist impact and promote accuracy, without reducing the “feel.”
Pros:
- A beautiful and futuristic-looking putter
- Feels balanced and comfortable in the hand right away
- Perimeter weighted to ensure accuracy and consistent speed control
- Helps correct your swing flaws
Cons:
- Might not be an affordable option for people on a tight budget
- High-tech features might overwhelm beginners
Callaway Golf Men’s Strata Complete Set Hand Steel
There’s a reason why the Callaway Golf Men’s Strata Complete Set Hand Steel (12-piece set) is one of the top rated golf club sets on the market. It provides amazing value for the quality you get, with each golf club offering golfers a good mix of control, forgiveness, and distance.
The set includes the following:
- The 460cc driver offers a large sweet spot to lessen the effect of a poor ball contact or bad swing. The design is simple, without any adjustable features. Although the hosel is fixed, it doesn’t affect the driver’s ability to “forgive” mishits.
- The 5 hybrid golf club is a confidence booster, especially when you’re trying different types of shots.
- The oversized head of the 2-wood is designed to reduce aerodynamic drag, which comes in handy for those long, high-flying shots. The center of gravity is concentrated towards the back for increased ball launch and spin.
- The pitching wedge has 44 degrees of loft, which is useful for adding a few more yards to your shots.
- The mallet putter allows golfers to be more accurate and in control of the ball.
- The cavity-backed 6-9 irons are slightly heavy. They have an oversized sweet spot and perimeter weighting to allow a good degree of distance and control, even if you make off-center hits.
Pros:
- Forgiving and solid irons
- Equipped with great grips
- The hybrid was a good addition.
- Good-quality stand bag with lots of pockets
Cons:
- Doesn’t include a sand wedge
- Provides less loft on your shots (which results in less spin)
Nitro Golf- X Factor 13 Piece Complete Set with Bag Graphite/Steel
The Nitro Golf- X Factor 13 Piece Complete Set with Bag Graphite/Steel is suitable for beginner or intermediate golfers (right-handed) who are looking for the best budget golf clubs with a good balance of affordability and playability. It has all the basics: 11 clubs, a bag with hood, and 3 headcovers.
- Let’s start with the driver with a 460cc head. The 10.5-degree loft is forgiving and can help you achieve great hooks and slices.
- The forgiving 5 hybrid has a high MOI and 24-degree loft, which takes out the frustration when playing out of the rough.
- The 6-9 irons have a widened sole and deep center of gravity (CG). These features allow them to provide distance, as well as precision and control.
- You’ll see better performance from the X Factor’s fairway wood, which features a rear-oriented CG.
- The widened sole of the putter makes it a perfect choice when you’re playing on softer grounds.
Pros:
- An affordable option to get into the game
- Great quality for the price
- Good golf clubs for the average or subpar player
- Stand bag: good quality and has lots of storage
Cons:
- Geared more towards beginners
- A few complaints about the clubs’ durability
STRATA Women’s Golf Packaged Sets
Callaway designed the STRATA Women’s Golf Packaged Sets with the developing or more skilled female golfers in mind. The set comes with 10 clubs, a bag with a built-in stand, and 4 head covers.
The set also has the short and mid irons (6 to 9), but the real stars of the set are the 4 and 5 hybrids. The 4-hybrid would make a suitable option if you’re having difficulty hitting into greens. And if you need to get the ball out of a sand trap and back on the fairway, you have a sand wedge to depend on.
The putter is a mallet design, which is relatively easy to use for most golfers. Similar to the STRATA’s 460cc forged driver, the putter will help you make consistent, clean contact with the ball.
Pros:
- Good golf set for intermediate, beginner, and recreational golfers
- Sturdy and multi-pocketed stand bag
- Light and easy to swing
- Includes a great driver
Cons:
- Shaft of the 9-iron could easily break
- Doesn’t include a sand wedge
Pinemeadow Golf Men’s PGX Putter
If there’s one thing Pinemeadow is known for, it’s their good intermediate golf clubs that are pocket-friendly. That’s exactly what you can expect from the Pinemeadow Golf Men’s PGX Putter.
One of the striking features of the Pinemeadow Golf Men’s PGX Putter is its pristine white finish with several aiming lines. The white finish isn’t just visually appealing, but it also provides a high contrast against the green grass to make sure the putter is right on the target.
The Pinemeadow Golf Men’s PGX Putter features a mallet design to improve your performance on longer putts. It weighs at 380 grams, with an extra 40 grams. The tour-weighted mallet design results in a smooth and forward-spinning golf ball, so you can get more distance upon impact.
Pros:
- Bottom of the putter can pick up the ball
- Provides a natural feel that helps you judge your swing on every hit
- Has a good weight balance and roll
- White finish minimizes glare and provides contrast with the green grass for better concentration on the golf ball
Cons:
- Face plate could fall off after several uses
- Doesn’t give the “pendulum swing feel” because the weight isn’t distributed in the head
Orlimar Golf ATS Junior Boy’s Individual Golf Clubs
The Orlimar Golf ATS Junior Boy’s Individual Golf Clubs is a 320cc driver for right-handed junior golfers who are ages 3 to 5, or even up to 9. It features electrifying lime green accents and blue aiming lines. There are horizontal grooves on the clubface to give you a cleaner ball contact and better control.
This is a high-lofted driver, making it more forgiving on the off-center hits. The club head connects to a flexible composite shaft (29 inches long) that can produce more distance. The shaft has a soft rubber grip that’s easy on the hands and provides enhanced feel and feedback.
Pros:
- Suitable size and weight balance for young golfers (between 9 and 12 years old)
- Grips feel great
- Quality is good
- Feels sturdy
Cons:
- Too heavy for children age 3 years and younger
- A few complaints about not receiving a head cover
Wilson Sporting Goods Golf Men’s Set Complete
If you’re looking for the best set of beginner golf clubs, you can skip the Wilson Deep Red Tour Complete Golf Club Set. This set is more for experienced golfers or those who are suffering from upper extremity problems.
The set comes with a maroon-and-black carry bag with self-activating stand legs. The straps are adjustable to ensure the bag fits your body comfortably. Storing your commonly used golf equipment and supplies won’t be a problem, thanks to the bag’s multiple pockets.
All of the clubs of the Deep Red Tour Complete Golf Club Set work well to improve your accuracy, distance, and speed. But the attention to details and the quality of the graphite shafts make it worth the consideration.
Included in the Wilson Deep Red Tour Complete Golf Club Set are:
- 5° driver with graphite shaft
- #3 Fairway wood with graphite shaft
- #5 hybrid
- Irons: #6-9
- Pitching Wedge (PW)
- Sand Wedge (SW)
- Putter
- Carry Bag with a self-activated stand
- Three Head Covers
Pros:
- Doesn’t easily bend or break
- Affordable set that has a good combination of clubs
- Highly comfortable grips
- Nice-looking and lightweight stand bag
Cons:
- Shaft length isn’t suitable for people who are tall (5’11” or taller) or with longer arms
- Bag needs more compartments to organize the clubs
How to Choose Good Golf Clubs for Intermediate Players
It can be difficult to know the best golf clubs money can buy. With so many choices on the market, even the most experienced golfers could easily get overwhelmed. So, let’s go through some of the factors you need to consider when buying a new golf club set.
Get Fitted for Golf Clubs
Golfers of all skill levels can benefit from proper fitting. A good club fitter’s job is to test several variables (grip size, lie angle, shaft flex, etc.) to make sure your new intermediate golf clubs set matches your personal budget, physical build, strength, golfing preferences, skills, and goals.
A golf club fitting session isn’t cheap. It costs at least $100, with a 3.5-hour session costing over $300. Each session could take as fast as 15 minutes, with more comprehensive fittings lasting half a day.
Fortunately, many companies have started holding free fitting sessions throughout the year. The only catch is you can only take advantage of this service during their demo days, which may or may not fit in with your schedule.
Despite these downsides, it’s still worth being fitted. Here are three reasons why:
- It can improve your ability to consistently hit a ball to the center of the clubface, so you can get more distance and straighter tee shots.
- It can help you get the correct lie angle for your irons and wedges for more accuracy.
- Plus, you can get your lofts evaluated to make sure you have better distance and flight control most of the time.
Individual Clubs Versus A Golf Set
Even as an intermediate golfer, you’re probably still wondering whether you should buy golf clubs as a set or separately. A professional club fitter can give you expert advice on this, but for the meantime, let’s explore the pros and cons of buying individual golf clubs and golf club sets.
Individual Clubs
By now, you might already have your favorite brand of golf clubs. And that’s okay. Some companies have a knack for making specific types of player golf clubs compared to their competitors. For instance, Callaway sells some of the best putters on the market under the Odyssey brand name.
Probably one of the main advantages of buying your drivers, fairway woods, irons, wedges, and putters separately is it allows you to find the right combination to suit your skill, playing style, and preferences. This can have a huge impact on your game.
But doing this takes time and money. It’s a lot cheaper to buy a set with all the basic golf clubs you need as an intermediate golfer.
And don’t forget that you need to factor in the cost of a golf bag, which is usually included if you buy the complete set. Depending on the type and brand, golf bags can cost more than $100 if you buy them separately.
Set of Golf Clubs
For most people, buying an entire set of golf clubs for intermediate golfers is the best choice for several reasons:
- It saves time because you have everything you need. You can just replace and add new clubs later.
- It’s less expensive than buying individual golf clubs. You can already buy a decent set of golf clubs for the beginner to intermediate golfer for $250 to $350.
- You can avoid inconsistencies. For instance, an 18-degree 5-wood is the same with a 17-degree 3-Hybrid in terms of the distance they can cover.
Brand Name Versus Generic
So, is it better to buy branded golf clubs for intermediate players?
The short answer is: It depends.
There’s a great reason why a lot of people trust companies, like Callaway, TaylorMade, and Ping. So, if money’s not an issue, go ahead and splurge.
But in most cases, you don’t really need to buy an expensive high-end golf club set from any of these top brands. It won’t really help you score better. Instead, focus on golf clubs that are custom fit to your body type, gender, ability, and your other requirements.
Bottom line: It’s not a good idea to go for expensive brands, at least not until you go beyond the intermediate level. You’ll still play a good game using any good golf sets that cost at least $500 or less and have a 4.5-star rating. Just don’t forget to do your research to make sure they’re really made well.
Brand Name Versus Clones
Clone golf clubs are copies of their name brand versions. They’re not considered counterfeits, and therefore not illegal—that is, as long as the manufacturers don’t violate the patent and trademark limits. In fact, the name brand manufacturers often give their approval for the design before these companies release their products to the public.
The upside of clone golf clubs is they cost less than their name-brand counterparts. But just because they cost less than the originals doesn’t mean they’re badly made from cheap materials. The reason for the lower price is the manufacturers often put most of their money on ensuring the quality of their products and less on brand marketing.
Golfers with a low handicap are often advised to avoid using clone clubs. Why? That’s because they won’t make a major difference in their game.
The Club Head
For some golfers, scrutinizing the club head can be quite intimidating because of the technical jargons. So, here, we’ll briefly explain some of the club head features you need to remember to look into to make a difference in your shot performance.
COR
The COR stands for Coefficient of Restitution, which measures the energy retained or loss when the golf ball and club head face collide. It’s expressed as a number, with 0.830 as the maximum legal limit in golf clubs.
The COR score is calculated by subtracting after-impact club speed from the after-impact ball speed. The difference is divided by the before-impact club speed to get the COR score.
For example: The ball speed after impact is 150 mph and the club speed after impact is 70 mph. The difference between the two numbers is 80 mph. We’ll divide that number by 115 mph (the club speed before impact). The answer is approximately 0.70.
Significance: The higher the COR value, the more distance covered. A value of 0.030 or higher is already significant for distance increase.
Weight
The weight of your golf clubs influences the distance you’ll get off the tee. The rule of thumb is: The greater the weight (or to be more accurate, mass) and speed of the clubhead, the farther the golf ball will travel.
Decent golf clubs have different weights. The typical driver would have a head weight of around 200 grams. Golf iron heads can weigh between 272 grams and 293 grams. A fairway wood needs a head weight between 203 grams and 205 grams. By today’s standards, the typical head weight of most putters is anywhere between 340 grams and 350 grams.
Center of Gravity
The Center of Gravity (CG or CoG) is the portion of the golf club at which the majority of its weight is concentrated. The location of the CG is important because it has a significant impact on the sound (at impact), ball flight, spin on your golf ball, and feel of each shot.
A slight change in the CG location—even if it’s just 5 millimeters—can already have a significant effect on your driver’s performance. For instance, a club with a back CG (away from the face) is more forgiving because of the increased MOI (moment of inertia). It also has an increased launch and spin.
Type of Material
Club heads can be made out of aluminum, stainless steel, titanium, and different types of carbon fibers. Let’s go through the reasons why these materials are used for the different golf clubs:
- Aluminum: Compared to stainless steel, aluminum is a more affordable material. Junior sets for beginner golfers are usually made from this metal.
- Titanium: This is a popular material for club heads because of its strength and lightweight nature. It allows manufacturers to increase the size of the club head, without sacrificing power on each stroke and making the overall weight of the club significantly heavy.
- Stainless steel: It’s commonly used in iron heads because it’s inexpensive and produces consistent results.
- Carbon fiber: The upside of carbon fiber is it’s stronger and lighter than aluminum and stainless steel.
Golf Club Shafts
One of the qualities of the best intermediate golf clubs is it has the correct shaft length for your height. The average shaft length of golf clubs for women is 44 inches and 45 inches for men.
It’s so important for your golf clubs to have the correct shaft length because it’s going to greatly affect your ability to control each swing. For instance, short shafts give you good control, but they lose distance. On the other hand, long shafts give you more distance, but the control decreases.
Note: Shaft length is not the single most important factor in giving your golf shot more distance. It still depends on your ability to hit the ball on your golf club’s sweet spot.
Other factors that can affect the performance of your mid range golf clubs:
- Alignment
- Flex
- Weight
- Torque (amount of twisting that happens during the swing)
- Kick-point (area of the shaft where it experiences the highest amount of bending)
Conclusion
Remember: You don’t always need to spend big on golf clubs. Price can’t fix a bad game, even if you have the latest and most expensive golf set on the market. Besides, you’ll probably outgrow them in a few years’ time as you continue improving your skills.
There are many good cheap golf clubs out there, like the ones we’ve featured in this review. To make choosing a bit simpler, keep in mind our golf club buying guide. And, as an additional tip, think of the clubs you usually use to help you determine the set that best fits your golf game.