Want to Play Golf? This Gear Guide Is for You — Tested, Coach-Approved, Beginner-Friendly

That said, if you’re the type who’d rather buy one complete setup and get straight to the range, the Callaway Strata Complete Set is a good all-in-one starter option that typically comes in under $500. This is the men’s set, but it’s also available in women’s and unisex sets, with left-handed or right-handed options.

The Strata set is built to make learning feel easier: The driver has a larger sweet spot and a graphite shaft to help you get more distance off the tee. Also included are a stainless-steel fairway wood and a forgiving hybrid meant to replace harder-to-hit long irons, plus irons 6 through sand wedge. The blade-style putter includes an alignment line to help your aim. All of these clubs come in a lightweight stand bag with five pockets and a carry strap.

“A Callaway starter set is an ideal choice because it’s among the most affordable sets, yet durable and very beginner-friendly,” says Fareen Samji, five-time Canadian women’s long-drive champion and founder of Smashing Golf in Burlington, Ontario, Canada.

If you’re building your own starter set, whether that’s getting fitted at a golf shop or piecing together clubs one by one, the Sunday Golf El Camino Bag is a solid “first real bag” option. It’s light enough to encourage you to walk, weighing 3.9 pounds (lbs). But it still provides the structure and features you’ll need as your set grows.

The four-way top and full-length dividers keep your clubs organized and shafts protected, fitting 10 to 12 clubs (depending on grip size). It’s ideal if you’re starting with an abbreviated set and gradually adding clubs as you improve. It’s also designed for real-life beginner use: The premium double-strap makes carrying more comfortable. Plus, there’s a full-size stand for stability on the range and course, and a flat base that sits nicely on a cart when you don’t feel like walking.

I actually bought this bag for my daughter, who loves the game. It’s been the perfect next step as she moves into a bigger set, is carrying her own clubs, and heads to the course and range more often.

I’ll be honest: I didn’t want to be a push-cart person. Through junior golf and college, I carried my bag round after round like it was a badge of honor. My back absolutely paid for it. At 30, I finally succumbed, and I wish I’d done it sooner.

I love the Clicgear Model 4.0 Push Cart. It uses an adjustable upper saddle strap to fit virtually any bag size, plus a lower saddle support that prevents your bag from rubbing against the front wheel. The frame is made from scratch-resistant aluminum tubing and features maintenance-free airless tires. The best part: The entire cart weighs only about 21 lbs.

For storage and convenience, it includes a storage net and a full console with built-in holders for a scorecard, golf balls, a pencil, and tees. Plus, it has a parking hand brake to keep it from rolling away when you’re on the green, hitting a shot on a steep hill, or just waiting for the players in front of you to move. It also comes with a cup holder, umbrella mount, and accessory tabs if you want to customize it later.

For gloves, it’s mostly about comfort and grip. Choose the ones that feel best in your hands. Fun fact: Right-handed players typically wear a glove on the left hand, while left-handed players wear it on the right.

The FootJoy SofJoy Golf Glove is a great choice for beginners who want comfort and a consistent grip. It features a premium leather palm that provides ample cushion in your hand. It's also built with breathability and flexibility, so it doesn’t feel stiff or sweaty as you swing. The Velcro closure helps you dial in a secure fit that stays put round after round, which matters when you’re still learning how tightly (or lightly) to hold the club.

FootJoy has always been my glove brand of choice, from my junior golf days to college golf, and now when I’m out playing with my husband or kids. Once you know your sizing, these gloves are comfortable and hold up well. That makes them the kind of everyday staples you can throw on and trust, whether you’re practicing at the range or walking nine holes.

You can’t play a round without golf balls. The good news is that when you’re just starting out, your ball choice doesn’t really matter.

“As your game improves, your ball becomes more important. In the early stages, you will lose a lot of balls. Buying high-end golf balls may be a disservice,” says Brett Hershman, a lifelong golfer with a 1.3 handicap and Golf Magazine contributor.

Translation: There are tons of options, but early on you’ll likely lose a few (or a lot). So it makes more sense to buy something affordable and easy to hit, like a soft-distance ball such as the Titleist TruFeel. Once your contact and consistency improve, you can upgrade.

As your game levels up, things like feel and short-game control matter more. That's why I personally stick with the Titleist Pro V1 as my long-time go-to. Titleist positions the Pro V1 for golfers who want a mid-trajectory flight, very low spin for long shots, high spin for short shots, and a softer feel — all benefits you’ll appreciate most once you’re reliably getting the ball in play and starting to care about scoring.

From a footwear perspective, wearing a running or tennis shoe can absolutely work at first, especially if you’re testing the waters. But as you get more serious (and want the proper attire), golf shoes are a worthwhile investment. “Golfing in general requires a stable footing. Proper footwear can help achieve and sustain stability,” says Samji.

Writer Raki Swanson typically wears spiked shoes, so the LT1 Hybrid’s spike-less feel took a moment to adjust to. Still, she quickly became a convert: “To my surprise, the plastic grips (can’t call them spikes) were actually very, very comfortable and provided me with a lot of traction on the course.” She also says the shoes are “beyond comfortable, like walking on a cloud.” And after intentionally walking the entire round on a first wear, her feet “did not hurt at all.” Just as importantly, she felt dry and supported throughout, and found the sizing worked well. Her verdict: “These shoes are worth every penny.”

For men, polos are the easiest way to meet most course dress codes, and you don’t need anything fancy. Any comfortable collared shirt will work when you’re starting out. Since some brand-name golf polos can run $100-plus, a budget-friendly pick my husband likes is the Quince Flowknit Breeze Performance Polo, which still delivers the features you need on the course.

It’s quick-drying, moisture-wicking, anti-odor (anti-microbial), and offers UV protection (SPF 40). It's also available in eight color options, so you can keep it simple or mix it up. You can look the part, without paying premium golf-brand prices.

For women, a polo is also one of the simplest “dress-code safe” choices. But I have found that many classic polos can feel boxy, stiff, or oddly unflattering. I like the Puma Cloudspun Essential Golf Polo. It reads polished and golf-appropriate, but it’s more-flattering and feminine, so you don’t feel like you’re wearing a uniform.

Performance-wise, the fabric is breathable and fast-drying, offers four-way stretch, and uses Puma’s Drycell moisture-wicking tech to pull sweat away from your skin. It also offers sun protection (UPF 40) and comes in eight colors.

For men, golf slacks don’t have to feel like stiff dress pants. The best pairs look polished enough for the clubhouse but move like athletic wear through your swing. A favorite in my house is the TravisMathew Open to Close 2.0 Pant.

One reason my husband keeps reaching for them is that they work both on the course and in the office, which helps justify the higher price tag compared with basic khakis. They come in five colors, with a five-pocket design that fits right in on workdays, weekends, and tee times.

The fabric and fit make these golf-friendly. The lightweight performance twill has stretch, moving with you and “bouncing back” after sitting, walking, and swinging all day. The modern-classic fit gives a put-together look without feeling restrictive.

Wearing a skort is one of the easiest ways to feel both golf-appropriate and like yourself on the course. And I’ll admit I’ve 100 percent jumped on the skort bandwagon. I’ve never really loved the look of golf shorts on me, but a skort gives that feminine feel while still being sporty and confident. A favorite of mine is the Athleta Tee Time High Rise 15" Skort, designed for golf or tennis.

The fabric is soft with light compression and stretch, so it stays put through walking, bending, and swinging. The real reason I love this skort, though, is the pockets! Skorts without pockets are infuriating on the course. When you’re playing, you need somewhere to keep tees, a ball after you hole out, your ball marker, a divot tool, lip balm, and whatever else you don’t want rattling around in your bag. This one has five pockets, plus two side-stash pockets in the undershorts for even more space. It’s also high-waisted and comes in 15- or 17-inch (in) lengths.

If you want an all-in-one outfit that checks the “golf-appropriate” box, the Johnnie-O Tessa Performance Golf Dress is an easy win. It’s a classic polo dress made from a stretchy, moisture-wicking, breathable, wrinkle-resistant performance fabric. It also comes with coordinating undershorts for comfort and coverage, including built-in pockets, which is a must-have for me.

Swanson loved the quality and how wearable this dress felt on the course. “The fabric isn’t very shiny; it almost looks like a cotton base,” she says. She also appreciated that it didn’t restrict her swing (even though she usually prefers sleeveless styles). The material “allows you to move during your golf swing and doesn’t restrict you,” she says. Her favorite feature was the included undershorts: “I appreciated not having to worry about coverage when swinging or bending to read a putt.”

For socks, you don’t need anything complicated. Any supportive ankle sock that stays put and is comfortable will get the job done. The Bombas Golf Ankle Socks for women are my personal pick, because they keep their shape, don’t slide down, and sit low enough to stay hidden in my golf shoes. (I’m team “no-show sock” on the course.)

Bombas designs golf ankle socks with strategic cushioning for walking comfort, plus a blister-fighting heel tab to reduce rubbing where shoes can typically bite. They're sweat-wicking, with mesh ventilation to keep your feet fresher from tee to green. These are also available in men’s sizes.

For a hat, any favorite ball cap of yours will work. I like the Lululemon Classic Ball Cap. It’s a clean, easy-to-wear option. The cotton twill fabric is soft and breathable, the interior sweatband wicks sweat, and the adjustable back closure allows for a custom fit. It comes in six colors and two sizes, making it much easier to find a fit you’ll actually wear regularly.

Some golfers prefer visors over hats, because visors still shade their eyes and cut glare but feel cooler and less restrictive. This can be especially helpful on hot days. They’re also a nice option if you wear a ponytail or bun and want a more-comfortable fit without having to cram your hair through a back opening.

If you already have a favorite visor, use it! If you’re on the market for one, a strong pick is the Lululemon Removable Sweatband All-Sport Visor. It has a detachable interior sweatband that’s soft, sweat-wicking, and quick-drying. Plus, an adjustable back closure dials in the fit. It comes in five colors and two sizes.

A rangefinder uses a laser to measure how far you are from a specific target on the course (such as the flag stick, a bunker, or a tree). This takes the guessing out of figuring out the yardage and can help you choose a club with more confidence. For beginners, this matters because distance perception is one of the hardest things to learn early on. With a reliable distance number, you can make simpler club decisions and commit to the shot.

“I love how compact and lightweight it is, how easily it fits in a pocket, and how it is not at all bulky in the bag,” says Swanson. If in a cart, the Bite magnetic skin lets you stick it to the cart bar for quick access. Swanson says it also “locates the flag faster and more accurately,” and she appreciated that “it delivers both pin distance and slope, making it easier to understand what the shot is really asking you to do.”

A putting mirror is a training aid that looks simple but can take your practice to a more-productive place. It gives you instant feedback on your putting setup, eye position, and alignment. Coach Marron likes using putting mirrors for exactly that reason: “They help you dial in a consistent address position, and check that your eyes are in the right spot over the ball and that your putter face and shoulders are lined up where you think they are.”

Swanson tested a similar putting mirror, the Forb Golf Putting Alignment Mirror. She used it a lot because it “really helps you work on your putting line,” she says. Putting mirrors are great training accessories, because you can use them on the practice green or in your family room (literally anywhere).

If you already have a mirror you’re considering, the key things to look for are: a clear center line, alignment markings that make it easy to square your shoulders and putter face, and a stable base that lies flat on the ground without sliding around.

Training sticks (also called alignment sticks) are a simple, inexpensive, and effective tool that you can add to your practice routine. Hershman calls them “the best bang for your buck training aid, because they teach proper aim and set-up.”

You can use them in a variety of ways. I like to lay one stick on the ground, pointing at my target. I put another one parallel to my hips or my feet. This allows me to instantly see whether I’m aiming where I think I am. They’re also great for basic swing drills — like keeping the club on plane or creating a visual “path” to encourage centered strikes — without overcomplicating practice.

When shopping, look for sticks that are durable, highly visible (easy to see on grass and at the range), and long to define your target line clearly. If you practice often, consider getting a set that comes with a carry tube to protect them in your bag. Personally, I’m a fan of foldable alignment sticks. They do the same job, but they’re much easier to store and travel with, especially if you don’t want long rods sticking out of your trunk or golf bag.

Using a practice hitting net is a simple way to get more swings in without needing a full driving range. For new golfers, that kind of “little and often” practice can be more useful than the occasional marathon range day. You can use a net for everything from wedge shots to full swings.

When you’re shopping, look for a net that's easy all around (setup, tear-down, storage). A convenient ball return is also helpful, so you don’t constantly have to collect balls. Other practical features worth prioritizing include a stable frame, a target area to aim at, and durable netting that withstands repeated impacts. I like the GoSports Golf Practice Hitting net because it checks all of these boxes.