A golf package set is an affordable and effective way those new to the game to quickly get out on course with all the gear. However, finding the right one can be a minefield and knowing which package sets have the right sort of clubs that will last for the right amount of time can be tricky. Prices can vary greatly too, with some best golf club sets ranging from $300 to north of $1000. While the old adage "you get what you pay for" is often true, especially in golf, there are exceptions to that and the Callaway Strata Complete Package Set is one of those.
We've tested a lot of package sets but when it comes to all around performance, club variety and price, this one blows away most of the competition and was an easy choice for inclusion in our guide to the best golf club sets for beginners.
What do you get with the set and what is the quality like? It would be easy to look at the price and assume that this is a pretty basic set and the clubs wouldn't be much good, but if you did that you'd be wrong. For the price point the quality of this set really surprised us in testing. We were blown away by how good the clubs were and the stand bag is excellent too.
The set includes a driver, fairway wood, hybrid, 6-9 irons, a PW and a putter, as well as two headcovers and the stand bag. The version we tested was the 14-piece (which is 11 clubs) set which included an extra hybrid and a SW but this deal is for the 12-piece, which has only nine clubs, covering all the basics and leaving room for you to add other specialist clubs as you go.
Because of the lower price you could use the money saved to add those extra clubs at a later date. Before doing so though we would urge you to check out our guide on the best wedges for beginners so you know exactly what you are looking for. As you play more and improve your game you will probably be needing a lob wedge or a gap wedge too, but for now you'll have everything you need to get out there and enjoy yourself.
We were very impressed with the irons. The topline is nice and thick to inspire confidence at address while the generous amount of offset should suit those who tend to slice their irons. They come as standard with a regular flex shaft (there isn't a stiff option available), but this is the perfect set up for beginners due to the forgiveness and high launch.
The driver is equally impressive, with the 460cc head and regular flex shaft offering the most forgiveness possible in the hardest club in the bag to hit. You can see a lot of the face at address and, combined with the large head, make it an appealing club to look down on. Beginners will no doubt love this driver and during testing we thought it was one of the best sounding drivers we've hit from a package set. While the regular shaft is on the whippier side of regular, there's no doubt this will suit those beginning their golfing journey.
The stand bag is very impressive. It's lightweight, comes with plenty of pockets and has excellent club storage in the top. It's not waterproof, but you wouldn't expect that in a package set at this price. Overall, this is a fun package set that should offer any beginner golfer great value for money and an enjoyable user experience.
We were not overly fussed on the putter, which has no milling or insert on the face so, no matter what ball you use, putts have a tendency to slide off the face left or right. It also felt very firm and a little harsh, especially on off-centre hits.
So we would recommend anyone who gets this package set to look at the best cheap putters and invest a bit of extra cash here. The benefits will be significant on the greens and you'll get a headcover too, but to begin with the putter that comes with the set will do, especially if you are new to the game.
As you know with this deal, Cyber Monday is here and there are lots of deals on equipment like this. As such, check out all of the best Cyber Monday golf deals as selected by our experts.
