Golf gear guides, organised by what you need.

How we recommend

Our picks are categories of gear, such as blade putters, sand wedges or laser rangefinders, never particular models or brands. Each pick says who it suits and what to check before buying. We do not publish hands-on reviews of products we have not tested, and we do not rank individual products.

We do not quote or compare prices. The buttons take you to current listings so you can compare for yourself. Product links are affiliate links, and we may earn a commission at no cost to you; that never decides which categories we include.

Rules first

Golf has one set of playing Rules, written jointly by the R&A and the USGA. The current edition is the 2023 Rules of Golf, in effect from 1 January 2023, and the R&A says the next edition is due on 1 January 2028. A separate joint publication, the Equipment Rules, sets the limits for clubs, balls and other equipment. Much of what you might buy is shaped by one or the other, so each guide starts there. Some examples:

• Fourteen clubs. Under Rule 4.1b you must not start a round with more than 14 clubs, and the count covers every club carried by or for you. Tim Briand of True Spec Golf told GOLF.com in 2020 that a beginner does not need 14.
• Distance-measuring devices. The USGA's guide says these have been allowed under the Rules since 1 January 2019, as long as you do not access prohibited information such as slope-adjusted distances. A Committee can still ban them for its competition by adopting Model Local Rule G-5.
• The conforming ball list. Model Local Rule G-3 requires every ball used to be on the current List of Conforming Golf Balls, but it applies only where a Committee adopts it. The R&A recommends it for professional and top amateur competitions.
• Training aids. They are for practice. Rule 4.3a does not allow golf training or swing aids, such as alignment devices, to be used during a round.

Model Local Rules come up often in these guides. They are options a Committee may adopt for its own competition, not part of the Rules everyone plays by, so a rule that applies at one event may not apply at your club. Check the Terms of the Competition before you play.

We never say a product conforms

Whether a club or ball conforms is decided by the R&A and USGA, not by a shop or by us. Nothing in these guides says a particular product conforms or is legal for competition. For balls, check the R&A's Conforming Ball List, which is updated on the first Wednesday of every month. For drivers, the bodies keep a List of Conforming Driver Heads. Our conforming equipment page explains how both lists work.

Where to start

• New to golf? Read the beginner set guide first. Rule 4.1b sets no minimum, so you can start with fewer than 14 clubs.
• Choosing a ball? The golf ball guide covers construction, the conforming list and where the ball testing change stands.
• Short game? See putters and wedges, and consider a fitting.
• Want yardages? The rangefinders and GPS guide explains what a device may show you during a round.
• Kit for the walk? See shoes and gloves and bags and trolleys.
• Practising at home or on the range? The training aids guide sets each aid against what coaches and studies say.
• Buying for someone else? The gift guide sticks mostly to things that do not need fitting.

How we handle claims

The Rules of Golf and the Equipment Rules are our primary sources. Where a maker or retailer describes its own products, we label it as a claim. Where sources disagree, we say so and give each version with who says it. Before you buy for competition, check the current rules, the Terms of the Competition, and the conforming lists.