The most common question I get from women starting golf isn't about swing technique. It's some version of “what do I actually need?”
It's a fair question and the industry doesn't answer it well. Walk into a golf shop and there are fourteen types of club, half of them cost more than a decent holiday, and nobody tells you which bits you can ignore for now.
So here's the honest version. You need less than you think, and you can start this weekend.
The Short Answer
To hit balls at a driving range: one club and a bucket. That's genuinely it.
To play nine holes: a small set of clubs, a bag, some balls and comfortable shoes.
Everything else, meaning the rangefinder, the fourteen-club bag and the shoes with the removable spikes, is for later. Some of it never becomes necessary at all.
Clubs: Start With a Package Set
A package set is a matched set of clubs sold together with a bag. For someone starting out I'd recommend one over buying clubs individually almost every time.
The reason is simple. Buying individually means making a dozen decisions about lofts, shafts and gapping before you know what any of it means or how you swing. A package set has those decisions already made sensibly, and it costs considerably less than assembling the same clubs one at a time.
You won't play a package set forever. That's fine. It isn't meant to be a final answer, it's meant to get you playing while you work out whether you love this game. Plenty of golfers who now own fitted equipment started exactly this way.
We stock women's package sets from Nickent, PGF, Brosnan, Wilson and Callaway, across a wide price range. Have a look at the full women's package set range, or read package set vs individual clubs if you want the longer comparison.
The Mistake I See Most Often
Someone arrives at the range with a set of clubs they've been given: a partner's old set, a parent's, something that came out of a garage.
Nine times out of ten those clubs are too long, too heavy and too stiff for the person now holding them. And because golf is hard anyway, it's very easy to conclude you're no good at it when the actual problem is that you're swinging a club built for someone eight inches taller.
If someone has given you clubs, bring them in and we'll tell you honestly whether they're workable. Sometimes they just need cutting down and regripping, which is cheap. Sometimes they're doing you real harm and you'd be better off with a modest set that fits.
Either way, find out before you decide whether you enjoy golf.
Do You Need “Women's” Clubs?
Not necessarily, and this is worth understanding rather than accepting.
Clubs marketed as women's are generally shorter, lighter and more flexible than the standard men's equivalent. For a lot of women that combination genuinely suits. But the label isn't a measurement. It's a manufacturer's assumption about height and swing speed, and you might sit outside it in either direction.
A taller woman may need standard length. A woman with good clubhead speed may want a firmer shaft than the women's spec offers. A shorter or slower-swinging man might do better with what's on the women's rack.
Buy the club that fits you, not the one with the right word on the box. There's more on this in men's vs women's golf clubs.
What Else You Actually Need
Balls. Buy the cheap ones to begin with. You will lose them, everybody does, and the difference between a $25 dozen and a $90 dozen is meaningless until you're hitting the ball consistently. Browse golf balls.
A glove. Cheap, and it makes holding the club far more comfortable. Worn on your lead hand, which is the left for a right-handed golfer. See women's gloves.
Tees. A handful. They cost almost nothing.
Shoes, eventually. Trainers are perfectly fine for the range and for your first few rounds. Once you're playing regularly, golf shoes give you grip on wet grass, which matters more here than people expect. We carry women's golf shoes from FootJoy, Adidas and ECCO.
Clothes you already own. Anything comfortable that you can swing in will do for the range. Most clubs have a dress code for on-course play, usually a collared top and no denim, but you don't need a golf wardrobe to start. When you do want one, there's a women's apparel range here.
Where To Actually Start
Not on a golf course. Starting with eighteen holes when you've never hit a ball is a fast route to deciding golf isn't for you.
Start at the range. Our driving range is covered and floodlit, there's no booking, and you can hire clubs by the club if you don't own any yet. Nobody there is watching you. Everyone is far too preoccupied with their own golf swing.
Have a lesson early. Not after you've developed habits, but before. An hour with a coach at the start saves years of undoing things. Our PGA Professionals run lessons for all levels, and if you're unsure what that involves, here's what actually happens in one.
Then play a short course, or nine holes. Bay of Plenty has plenty of options that won't overwhelm you. See our guide to golf courses around Tauranga.
On Feeling Out Of Place
I'll be direct, because it comes up and pretending otherwise doesn't help.
Golf has been a men's game for a long time and some corners of it still feel that way. If you've been put off by that, or by a shop that talked over you, that's a reasonable reaction to a real thing.
What I'd say is that it's changing, faster than the game's reputation suggests, and that the people who actually play are overwhelmingly welcoming. Nobody at a driving range cares how you're hitting it.
And if you'd rather learn without an audience, our simulator studios are private. Hire one for half an hour with a friend and hit balls where nobody can see you at all. It's a genuinely good way to start.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much should I spend to start playing golf?
A women's package set covers the clubs and bag in one purchase, and the range spans budget to premium. Add balls, a glove and tees and you're playing. Shoes and clothing can wait until you know you're keen.
Can I use clubs I've been given?
Sometimes. It depends on whether they suit your height and swing. Bring them in and we'll tell you honestly. Occasionally a cut-down and regrip is all they need, and occasionally they're holding you back badly.
Do I need a full set of fourteen clubs?
No. Beginners often play better with fewer. A driver, a couple of fairway woods or hybrids, a handful of irons, a wedge and a putter is plenty, and most package sets are built around exactly that.
Should I have lessons before I buy clubs?
It's not a bad order to do it in. Hire clubs at the range, have a lesson or two, then buy once you know you enjoy it and we know a little about your swing.
Is it worth getting fitted as a beginner?
Not usually for a first set. A package set that broadly fits will serve you well. Fitting becomes worthwhile once you're playing regularly and your swing has settled.
What do I wear to a golf course?
Most clubs want a collared top and no denim. Nothing is required at a driving range beyond what you can comfortably swing in.
Final Thoughts
The barrier to starting golf is almost never the equipment. It's not knowing where to begin, and nobody explaining it plainly.
So: a package set, a bucket of balls, and an hour at the range. That's the whole entry fee. Work out whether you like it before you spend anything more, and if you do like it, we'll help you build from there properly.
Come and see us at Golf 360 in Mount Maunganui. Ask whatever you want to ask. There's no such thing as a silly question in a golf shop, and anyone who makes you feel otherwise is doing their job badly.
Happy golfing,
Scott Pickett
PGA Professional
Founder, Golf 360
Mount Maunganui
Related reading: What golf clubs do I actually need to get started, a beginner's guide to golf in Tauranga and golf handicaps in New Zealand explained.
