OK so you’re interested in getting started playing golf, or maybe you have already? Either way there’s a load of things to take on board. One of those things is the equipment you’ll need to play the game. There’s soooo much out there it’s hard to know where to start as a beginner. So I thought it would be pretty useful for you if I put together a complete list of recommended equipment, that will get you playing to the best of your ability.
Rob’s Course Equipment Checklist
- Golf Clubs
- Golf Balls
- Golf Bag
- Golf Tees
- Golf Glove
- Golf Cart
- Golf Umbrella
- Golf Towel
- Ball Marker
- Training Aids
Rob’s Clothing Checklist
Essential Golf Equipment
Golf Clubs
Golf club sets contain every club you could need, that and they also usually include bags and sometimes other much needed accessories. Golf club sets are an ideal starting point for the beginner-intermediate golfer, as they’re affordable because they’re sold as packages. Most golf packages are generally designed to promote distance and accuracy in beginners too.
Here are my recommended clubs below:
No.1 Men’s Golf Set
Top Flite XL 13 Piece Men’s Set – These are the clubs I recommend as a beginner. There’s only 13 clubs included, but that’s all you will need. Many beginners whom I’ve spoken will over complicate things unnecessarily, so to keep things simple stick with these. Each club in the set is designed to be forgiving but also help with distance. They’re affordable at less than $200 but they are really high quality. You also get a bag, stand and club head covers with the set too.
No.1 Ladies Golf Set
Golf Girl FWS2 PETITE Lady Pink Hybrid Set – These have all the attributes the Top Flite’s do above, they’re very forgiving and they help with distance. Perhaps THE most popular clubs for ladies, they’ve had some great reviews and are just $179.99. Bag, stand and head covers included.
Best Beginner Golf Balls
When it comes to golf balls, as a beginner you’re going to lose a lot of them, it’s just the way it goes. With that in mind you’re going to want to save as much money as possible on buying your golf balls, which is where refurbished/lake balls come in handy.
Refurbished/lake balls are quality golf balls from big companies like Top Flite, Titleist, and Srixon. They’re not brand new obviously, they’re used but they have been touched up to look and play like new. If you want quality balls for a fraction of the cost then you need to look at these. However, if you look on eBay or Craigslist, you’ll generally find bags of 100+ golf balls which people recover from their local golf course or driving range. They’re not the best in quality but they’re the cheapest you’ll find.
Recommended Golf Tees
Golf Tees are an important but not essential part of your game like clubs and balls, but they are necessary in order to play well. To get a higher trajectory on your first shots from the tee box you need to tee up the ball, hitting off the ground is more difficult to get good distance, so a golf tee is essential for better shot making.
You can buy tees for driving or for short par 3 holes. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, material, and colors. I find those made from plastic are better quality and last longer, and I opt for a mixture of driving tees (which are longer 3 ¼ inches) and par 3 tees (2 ¾ inches), which are much shorter with a wider base for the ball to sit.
As wooden tees snap after every tee shot, you’re going to be paying for tees constantly, which is where the Unbreakable Tees come in. They’re $6.99 for 10 tees but they are exactly what they say on the tin. An average pack of 100 tees costs around $3-$6 and they break very easily however, each of these tees are guaranteed to last for 100 shots each. Take a look at the Unbreakable Tees now on Amazon.com.
No.1 Golf Glove
Before you head out onto the course, you’ll need a good quality golf glove. If you’re right handed you’ll need a glove or your left hand, and if you’re left handed you’ll need one for your right hand.
All glove gloves are not created equal, some wear easily and others don’t play well in the rain. The best kind of glove you can buy is an all weather glove. They’re generally much harder wearing and provide extra grip, especially in wetter weather.
That is why I recommend the Forgan of St Andrews Black All Weather Glove.
Recommended Golf Bag
The above recommended club packages come with a bag, however if you need one in future or you’d like to invest in one which is a lot more spacious and of a higher quality then you should look no further than the Callaway Golf X-22 Bag and Stand. It’s priced between $139 and $159.99 and it’s available in blue, black, and red. Personally I think the black one looks stunning. It has plenty of pockets and compartments for everything you can imagine, and the straps are incredibly comfortable so I’m told.
Optional Golf Equipment (Recommended!)
Golf Cart/Trolley
Walking 18 holes round a course can take its toll on your shoulders and back, especially if the straps on your golf bag are no good. Using a cart is so much easier than lugging your bag around, which is why I’d recommend investing in one. There are several types to choose from which include pull trolleys, electric trolleys, and push trolleys.
Some of the trolleys I personally have used and recommend include (in descending order):
- INTECH Tri Trac (Pull Cart) – $85.00
- INTECH LiteRider (Pull Cart) – $33.00
- Callaway Golf Diablo (Push Cart) – $110.00
Umbrella
Another optional extra is the umbrella. Doesn’t come in handy too often here inFloridabut generally when I need it, I really really need, for that reason it’s a permanent fixture in the bag. Golf umbrellas are a hell of a lot more tough than the average umbrella, the canopy is reinforced which prevents them from inverting. The best umbrellas you can buy for golf, and great for day to day use.
Amazon.com has a great deal on at the moment:
3 pack of Forgan double canopy umbrellas (Recommended!) for just $27.43. Not sure how long these will last so move quickly if you want them.
Another really popular umbrella is the Sport-Brella Umbrella from SKLZ.
Towel
Another optional but recommended accessory is the golf towel. Great for use on wet days to clear any rain water or dirt off the face of your clubs, on your grips, or your hands and glove.
There’s an abundance of towels available. People like to buy brand named towels and customized towels mainly. You can see the current bestselling golf towels on Amazon here.
Ball Marker
This piece of equipment is down to your preference really, some golfers like to have dimes with their initials on them, some like to have custom markers with their favourite football team embossed on them. As long as you can differentiate your own ball marker from that of your golf buddies it doesn’t really matter what you go with.
Find the bestselling ball markers.
Golf Clothing
As with any type of clothing, in most cases choice comes down to your own personal taste and the situation the clothes are intended for (ie. playing in rain, or hotter climates). However, below I’ve listed some of the most popular types of golf attire that people are wearing now. I’ve thought about each situation on the course, but I haven’t accounted for anyone’s tastes 
Golf Shoes
A good pair of golf shoes is needed in order to play at your best. A pair of any old footwear just won’t do, you’ll slip and slide all over the place during your golf swing, not to mention getting caught out in adverse weather conditions.
Types of Golf Shoe
There are a number of different types of golf shoe available. One of the more common ones is the traditional leather golf shoe. The traditional golf shoe has stood the test of time for a reason, it’s very durable, provides great stability, and it’s waterproof.
If the weather is a little on the hot side, a pair of traditional leather golf shoes can get quite uncomfortable, which is where the golf sandal comes in to play. Golf sandals, with an open toe, sides and thick straps, are ideal for hot days but not that great for lots of walking.
Golf Spikes (Little Info Before you Buy!)
This is the part of the choosing golf shoes that often gets overlooked. Metal spikes used to be the norm, but on many golf courses today they’ve been banned because of the damage they cause to the greens. Now the new norm is plastic, they offer just as much grip minus the potential damage to greens.
To choose the right golf shoe, be sure to take into consideration the golf course you’ll be playing and the weather you normally see there. Only then can you choose the best pair of golf shoes for you.
Bestselling Golf Shoes
- Callaway Men’s Sport Era Golf Shoe – $39.99-$90.00
- Palm Springs Ladies Golf Sandals – $36.99
- ECCO Men’s Street Premiere Golf Shoe – $97.90-$145.00
- Palm Springs Mens Golf Sandals – $36.99
- Callaway Men’s Hyperbolic Tour Golf Shoe – $69.98
Recommended Golf Pants
For both men and women, light, loosely fitting pants or shorts are the best choice, for both comfort and styling. These provide much needed ventilation on the bottom half of the body keeping it cool in the heat. Jeans can’t provide the same level of comfort as they tend to hang heavy and hold in moisture. Jeans are often banned on some course depending on where you play, as the majority of golf clubs that require memberships have strict dress codes.
Ladies, you can also wear loose fitting skirts of the same thin material as the slacks or shorts. To avoid sticking out like a sore thumb on the course (ala John Daly) opt for short/pants that are either white, black, dark navy, or khaki.
Recommended golf bottoms:
Any of the Adidas ClimaCool range has served me well over the years. They are loose fitting, very airy, and comfortable to wear all day around the course.
Golf Tops
Polo button up shirts are the norm for both sexes. Like the trousers the shirts should be airy and fit loosely, (but not too tight so you can’t swing freely) and well ventilated. In colder weather you can wear a neutral colored sweater over the top.
To see some of the best selling tops for golf click here now.
Best Golf Socks
Yep, socks are also another piece of clothing you need to consider. If you’re playing in the rain or even on hot days you need a quality pair of socks that help manage moisture and are ready to take on the 18 holes with you.
I recommend a couple pair of thick moisture management Nike SX4206 Dri-FIT’s. And also a good quality pair of low cut socks like the No Show Moisture Management Socks also from Nike. You should invest in a pair of both of these, really great for both dry humid days, and playing on the worst rain sodden courses.
Recommended Accessories
I also recommend opting for a visor/hat for those sunny/wet days on the course. It will help you on the greens keeping the sun out of your eyes, and will help you in the rain or heat keeping the rainwater or sweat from running down your face.
Bestselling golf hats on Amazon.com
Waterproofs (Absolutely Recommended!)
Obviously it’s not going to be glorious sunshine all year round, so you need a backup plan when the clouds decide to open, whether that’s during play or before. You need something quick to slip on and this is where golf waterproofs come in. They consist of waterproof jacket and waterproof pants that you can simply pull on over your usual golf clothes. If you want to save a little money you can opt for showerproof clothing but these tend to wick moisture through during long exposure to rain, so my advice would be to invest a little more in a fully waterproof set.
Training Aids
I’ve mentioned some of the essentials you’ll need out on the course to help you with your game, such as golf equipment, and the several clothing options, but to have the best chance of improving I’d also recommend investing in at least one training aid.
Some of my recommended ones are:
- Swingyde Golf Swing Training Aid (Bestselling Golf Swing Aid on Amazon!)
- Grassroots Par 3 Putting Green
- SKLZ Rick Smith Refiner Driver
- SKLZ Rick Smith Smash Bag
- Izzo Smooth Swing
Make sure you bookmark this page as there’s obviously a lot of equipment here, and it’s unlikely you’re going to want to buy all that I recommend in one go. I hope you’ve found this resources page useful, if there’s any advice you need on purchasing any peice of equipment for yourself don’t hesitate to get in touch!
