Half set golf clubs vs a full set: which should you buy?

What is in a half set of golf clubs?

A half set of golf clubs is roughly half of the 14 clubs a golfer may carry, chosen so you can still play every type of shot. You can buy one as a boxed starter set or make one from clubs you already own. A typical half golf set holds a wood for the tee, a hybrid, two or three alternate irons, a wedge and a putter.

For a starting set built around your own game, try Build your bag. It is free and needs no sign-up.

Each maker decides the exact mix, so two half sets can look quite different. Either way, you have fewer clubs to buy, carry and learn.

What each club does, from driver to putter

• Driver or wood: the longest club, used from the tee on longer holes.
• Hybrid: a wood-shaped head that stands in for the long irons, used for long shots from the fairway.
• Irons: usually alternate numbers, such as a 7 iron and a 9 iron, for approach shots to the green.
• Wedge: short shots around the green and shots out of bunkers.
• Putter: rolling the ball into the hole on the green.

Why half sets skip iron numbers

Each iron in a full set hits the ball a slightly different distance. A half set drops every other iron, so each one you carry covers its own distance plus part of the missing club’s.

You make up the difference by swinging a little softer or a little harder. While you learn, that is a fair trade for a lighter, simpler bag. You can add clubs once you notice where the gaps are.

Making a half set from clubs you already own

A half set does not have to be a separate purchase. Golf Monthly, Lowchaser and GOLF.com all write about playing with roughly half your own clubs for quick rounds, walking or fun.

Lowchaser sums up the choice as a puzzle: “what 50% of the clubs can you use for 90% of the shots around the course?”

Golf Monthly’s pick for its ideal half set is a putter, driver, 2-iron, 5-iron, 7-iron, 9-iron and a 54-degree wedge. That is seven clubs, with one wedge doing every short shot.

A common way to split a full bag:

• Keep the driver or a fairway wood for the tee.
• Keep alternate irons, such as a 5, 7 and 9 iron, or a hybrid in place of the longest iron.
• Keep one wedge for short shots and bunkers.
• Keep the putter.

A smaller bag is lighter and simpler. With wider gaps, you also learn to flight shots: hitting one club higher, lower, softer or harder to cover a distance.

Six or seven clubs sit comfortably in a slim pencil bag, which has few pockets and is light to carry. A golf stand bag, which props itself up, is handier if you want to set it down on wet grass.

What is in a full set, and how many clubs can you carry?

A full set of golf clubs is the complete bag a golfer takes onto the course, up to a limit of 14. Rule 4.1b of the Rules of Golf sets the limit: you must not start a round with more than 14 clubs. Within that cap, the mix of clubs is your choice.

What a full set often holds

• A driver.
• One or two fairway woods, such as a 3 wood and a 5 wood.
• One or two hybrids.
• An iron set, often from a 5 or 6 iron down to a pitching wedge.
• One to three further wedges, such as gap, sand and lob wedges.
• A putter.

What a golf package set is

A package set is a boxed set of clubs, full or half, often sold with a stand bag and head covers. Many half sets are sold as a golf package this way, which saves choosing each club one at a time.

You can also build a full set yourself, mixing new and used clubs. Our beginner golf clubs guide explains the main options.

Half set vs full set side by side

A half set gives you fewer clubs, wider distance gaps, a lighter bag and usually a smaller upfront cost. A full set gives you a club for nearly every distance, usually at a higher price and with more to carry. The table sets out the trade-offs.

	Half set	Full set
Clubs	Roughly half the 14 allowed	Up to 14
Distance gaps	Wider: alternate irons	Narrower: a club for each step
Weight to carry	Lighter	Heavier
Upfront cost	Usually lower	Usually higher
Decisions per shot	Fewer, simpler	More options
Room to grow	Add clubs one at a time	Swap clubs as your game changes

What a half set costs

Half set prices differ by maker, shaft and version. The half set comparison table further down gives each maker’s RRP where we have checked it. A full set usually costs more, and prices vary by brand and by new or used.

Our guide to how much golf clubs cost helps you set a budget. If you are still working out which clubs you need at all, start with which golf clubs you need.

Who half set golf clubs suit, and are they good for beginners?

A half set is a good choice for a beginner who wants to learn the game without a large outlay or a heavy bag. Fewer clubs means fewer decisions on each shot, which keeps a round simple. It also suits occasional golfers, and anyone who mainly plays short courses.

England Golf’s Get into Golf beginners guide puts it plainly:

“You don’t need to buy a full set of clubs to begin with.” (England Golf, Get into Golf beginners guide)

The guide sets out to “make things simple, friendly and pressure-free”. It then names four key clubs that will get you round when you first start.

Signs a half set suits you

• You are new to golf and not sure how often you will play.
• You play pitch and putt, par 3 courses or nine holes.
• You walk and carry your own bag.
• You want a second, lighter set for practice or holidays.
• You are buying for a junior who will outgrow clubs. Our junior golf clubs guide covers that choice.

Men’s, ladies’ and junior half sets

Half set listings are often split into men’s, ladies’ and junior versions. Before you order, check which version a listing is for, and whether it is for right hand or left hand play.

The trade-off to know about

With alternate irons, you will sometimes stand between two clubs. That is part of learning, and it tells you which club to add first.

When does a full set make more sense?

A full set makes more sense once you play full-length courses regularly and keep finding yourself between clubs. If you know your 7 iron distance and can see the gaps either side of it, extra clubs give you a closer match for each shot. A full set also saves buying clubs one at a time.

Signs you are ready for a full set

• You play most weeks on a full course.
• You often hit a club too far or too short for the distance left.
• You want more than one wedge for shots around the green.
• Your distance with each club is fairly steady from round to round.

When you are ready to compare complete options, see our page on golf club sets.

Which half sets can you compare side by side?

Our catalogue holds five half sets: the Inesis First, Inesis 100 adult, MacGregor DCT4000 6 club, MacGregor CG4000 ladies and Wilson Profile half set. The table below sets them side by side, using only details from each maker’s own page.

Where a cell says “Not yet checked”, we have not yet confirmed that detail on the maker’s page. Check the listing before you order.

Half set golf clubs compared

Half set	Fit that matters here (loft, forgiveness, draw bias)	Clubs	Bag included	Left-handed	RRP (checked on 14 Nov 2026)
Inesis First golf kit	14 degree driver, 56 degree wedge; maker lists it for golfers with no handicap up to 30	6	Yes	Yes, a left-handed version is listed	£159.99, maker’s RRP
Inesis 100 adult half set	Not yet checked	Not yet checked	Not yet checked	Not yet checked	Not yet checked
MacGregor DCT4000 6 club	Not yet checked	6, by the set’s name	Not yet checked	Not yet checked	Not yet checked
MacGregor CG4000 ladies half set	A ladies’ version, by its name; loft and forgiveness not yet checked	Not yet checked	Not yet checked	Not yet checked	Not yet checked
Wilson Profile half set	Not yet checked	Not yet checked	Not yet checked	Not yet checked	Not yet checked

Who each half set suits, and its trade-off

RRP checked, under £200

• Inesis First golf kit: suits a new golfer who wants one purchase that gets them onto a course. It holds a driver, 4 hybrid, 7 iron, 9 iron, 56 degree wedge and putter, with a bag. The trade-off is three distance gaps: 4 hybrid to 7 iron, 7 iron to 9 iron, and 9 iron to wedge.

RRP not yet checked

• Inesis 100 adult half set: a second half set from the same maker. Compare its line-up with the Inesis First before you choose.
• MacGregor DCT4000 6 club: six clubs, the same count as the Inesis First. Check which irons it holds, as that sets where your gaps fall.
• MacGregor CG4000 ladies half set: sold as a ladies’ version. Check the hand and shaft on the listing before you order.
• Wilson Profile half set: the maker lists men’s graphite and men’s steel versions. Check which one a listing is for.

Full package sets for contrast

A full package set closes most of these distance gaps, at a higher upfront cost and with more to carry. The half set vs full set table above sets out that trade-off. Our golf club sets page, linked in the section above, compares complete options.

What to check on any half set

• Version: men’s, ladies’ or junior.
• Hand: confirm the listing says right or left handed before you order.
• Line-up: which irons are included, and whether there is a hybrid.
• Shaft flex: whether it suits your swing speed.
• Grip: whether it feels comfortable in your hands; grips can be replaced later.
• Bag: stand bag or cart bag.
• New or used: used single clubs can fill gaps later.

Steel shaft or graphite shaft?

Shafts come in steel or graphite, and graphite shafts are generally lighter than steel. A listing that says ‘graphite/steel’ usually means graphite in the woods and hybrid and steel in the irons. Confirm the split on the listing.

Note what your set uses, so any club you add later feels similar.

How do you add clubs to a half set later?

Add clubs to a half set one at a time, starting with the biggest distance gap you notice on the course. Match the shaft material and flex of your current clubs so the new one feels familiar, and stay at or under 14 clubs. Used single clubs are a sensible way to fill a gap.

Five steps to grow a half set

1. Note the shots where you stand between two clubs.
2. Fill the biggest gap first, often between your hybrid and first iron, or between your last iron and wedge.
3. Match shaft material and flex to the clubs you already have.
4. Look at used single clubs as well as new.
5. Count your bag: no more than 14 clubs when you start a round.

A worked example (illustrative)

Take the Inesis First kit above as an illustration only. Its line-up leaves the three gaps listed in the comparison section.

A 6 iron or a 5 hybrid would cover the first gap, and an 8 iron the second. A pitching wedge sits between the 9 iron and the 56 degree wedge.

That takes the bag from six clubs to nine, still well under the limit of 14.

Half set or full set: how to decide

Choose a half set if you are starting out, play now and then or want a light bag. Choose a full set when regular rounds show gaps you want to fill. For a plan built around your own game, use Build your bag, free and with no sign-up.

What Build your bag asks and returns

It asks a few short questions about you and your game, including a budget band from Under £200 to Over £1,000.

For adults, it first suggests a complete package set, a half set or a bag built club by club, and says why. It then gives a top pick for each club. Prices show as the maker’s RRP. Since 14 Nov 2026, every pick in Build your bag comes with a plain reason.

For juniors, it returns one junior set sized by the maker’s height range. Used options are not listed yet.

Picks come from published rules and maker specs, not from who pays us. Our flex and length suggestions are a starting guide. If you plan to spend more than about £500, our published rules recommend having a qualified club fitter check your clubs in person.

Build your bag is free to use; if you buy through a link, the retailer pays us a commission at no extra cost to you.

Using a half set result

If the tool suggests a half set, start with those clubs and play a few rounds. Then add clubs using the five steps above, filling the biggest gap first.