A good set of golf clubs is the weapon of choice for the advanced golfer. A complete set of clubs consists of at least one driver, fairway woods (which are now metal woods), irons and a putter. Some clubs in recent years have been replaced with hybrid golf clubs to replace longer irons and fairway metal woods.

According to the rules of golf, as set forth by the United States Golf Association (USGA), a golfer's bag may hold 14 clubs. Most golfers will carry a driver, two fairway woods, 7 irons, 3 wedges and the putter. Each golfer has their own preference for the mix of golf clubs that comprise the 14 golf club limit. As mentioned earlier, some longer irons and fairway woods have been replaced in recent years with hybrid golf clubs.

The driver is the club that is most golfers favorite golf club, even though it is usually not used on every hole. The driver golf club is the longest golf club with the biggest head at the end of the shaft. This allows the golfer to hit the golf ball with the greatest distance, but not always the most accuracy. Rules regulate the size of the club head. The golf club driver will be the most expensive single golf club in the golfers bag. Name brand golf club drivers will cost between $200 and $400. Discount golf club drivers can be purchased for around $100 or even less.

Sometimes referred to in modern days as metal woods, these clubs have more lofted club heads than drivers. A set of fairway metal woods, consisting of a 3, 5 and 7 wood, can run anywhere from $150 to $300. A set of discount golf woods would provide quite a savings over name brand golf clubs. A typical use of the fairway metal wood is a second shot on a par 5 golf hole or for accuracy off the tee on a narrow fairway.

Hybrid golf clubs are a kind of cross between a fairway wood and a longer golf club iron. The shaft is usually a bit shorter, but the golf club hybrid head is similar to a fairway wood. They can be used from the rough or off the fairway and are very versatile golf clubs. Some are even used to putt from just off the green. Retail prices for hybrid golf clubs can be similar to a driver.

Golf irons are the essence of a set of golf clubs. Two thirds of the shots in a normal round of golf will utilize an iron. Irons are used to hit the golf ball off the ground from distances of 125 yards to 225 yards. Each iron is assigned a number based upon the loft angle of the club head. The 9-iron has the most loft, a shorter shaft, and is used to hit short, high shots. A 2-iron has very little loft, a longer shaft, and is used to hit low, long shots.

Golf club wedges can be part of the golf club iron set purchase. Normal golf club wedges include a pitching wedge, the sand wedge and different lofts of lob wedges. These golf club wedges are used for shots that are within 100 yards or closer to the green. These shots are sometimes referred to as the money shot because they should get you very close to the pin. The number of wedges carried by the golfer is dependent upon their particular golf game and their strengths and weaknesses.

The golfer has the choice of 2 primary types of golf club irons. For the more experienced golfer, forged irons are mad for precision and enable easier shaping of shots for draws and fades. Cavity-backed golf irons have a larger sweet spot and are more forgiving on off-center shots, providing straighter shots. A set of golf irons consisting of 2 through 9, a sand wedge and a pitching wedge, would range in price from $250 to over $1,500. Discount golf irons can provide great savings and are sometimes referred to as knockoff golf irons or clone golf irons.

The last and probably most utilized golf club is the putter. The golf club irons are used for the money shots. The putter is the money club. The old saying "Drive for show, putt for dough" is a very true statement. The putter is used on every golf hole at least once. The putter will be the golf club that ultimately puts the golf ball in the hole. This club provides the golfer the best opportunity to cut strokes from their golf round.

Being the most important golf club, the putter has gone through quite a change in recent years. The size and shape of the putter head comes in many different varieties. The shaft length also can be very short or very long and anywhere in between. Conventional putters, belly putters, mallet putters - the choices seem endless. Golf club putters also have a wide range of prices, ranging from around $20 to around $300.