There are so many brands of golf clubs out there today that choosing the right one can be a daunting task. We all have our biases and the clubs that we grew up playing, but in today’s world it is important to try out a lot of different clubs before settling on your choice.
The following article contains a brief description and review of what we consider the 12 best golf club brands in 2020. While we know there are some brands that we are leaving off and some that we are including that you may not, these 12 golf club brands have a little something for everyone and we are sure that you can find your favorite brand among them.
Best Golf Club Brands (alphabetical order)
1. Bridgestone
Bridgestone is actually a Japanese based car and truck manufacturing company. They just happened to, in 1972, start manufacturing golf balls. It is important to note that Bridgestone is actually twice as big as Adidas and even bigger than Nike in terms of annual sales, so this is not a new or small company that is dwarfed by the larger golf brands.
However, Bridgestone is rather small and not as significant when it comes to golf sales and equipment. They are best known for their golf balls (especially the one played by Tiger) on both the pro and amateur level, but they have some good club options as well. They make some really good forged irons, especially the J38 cavity back forged clubs and the J33 irons. The Tour B JGR driver is one of the better deals on the market for a high end driver with great forgiveness and feel though it does produce a little more spin than many players want.
Some of the golfers sponsored by Bridgestone include Matt Kuchar, Brandt Snedeker, and Fred Couples.
2. Callaway
Callaway is going to make any top 10 list of best golf club brands in 2020. They have been around since the early 1980s and have been as innovative as any golf company out there since then. With the Big Bertha driver, Callaway introduced the game to the larger, more forgiving driver heads that dominate golf today. The truth is, no matter what type of club you are looking for, from the most forgiving cavity back to the softest players irons out there, Callaway has you covered. Their Mavrik line of golf clubs are some of the best in the world for any skill level.
Recently, Callaway became the first golf club manufacturer to mass produce drivers, hybrids, and irons that were created using Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology. The precision and the cost effectiveness that AI produces has limitless potential and club makers are only scratching the surface of how this technology can affect golf. Callaway was the first and most successful to date and we expect this technology to continue to make huge changes in the golf world.
Callaway is very well represented on every tour in the world, including the PGA Tour. Pros on the Callaway roster include Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Stuart Appleby, and Henrick Stenson are some of the most famous.
3. Cleveland
Cleveland Golf has some great clubs in their arsenal, but when you hear the name “Cleveland” you immediately think of one word…Wedges. Cleveland Golf began as a company known for making replicas of famous golf clubs and then morphed into one of the best golf club manufacturers in the world.
If you are looking for wedges, Cleveland is your company. Recently, they developed a high end cavity back wedge that offers incredible forgiveness on full swing shots, but has the face architecture and design to produce top notch spin and feel around the green. The CBX wedges are great for almost any skill level, but especially good for beginners and higher handicappers. While they are known mainly for their wedges, the Launcher series drivers and irons are very well respected clubs in the golf world as well.
While a few players use a Cleveland wedge or 2 in their bag, Graeme McDowell, Keegan Bradeley, Shane Lowry, and Hideki Matsuyama are some of the bigger name players who have a formal relationship with the club maker. In addition, you will see a lot of Cleveland wedges on the Golf Channel when demonstrations are made.
4. Cobra
Cobra Golf, while based in California, is actually owned by Puma. Cobra has been around since the 1970s, but it seems like they have started moving their way up the gold club totem pole more recently. They were one of the first brands to develop and market a hybrid golf club and continue to perform well in that market. Cobra is probably traditionally most well-known for their game improvement irons, and for the majority of the 1990s and early 2000s, their oversized irons were some of the best selling on the market.
Recently, Cobra has been performing well and staying ahead of the “distance” curve in golf. Players are continually looking for ways to hit the ball farther, higher, and straighter, and the Cobra King Speedzone line of golf clubs has kept them near the top of those rankings. Their drivers, fairway woods, and hybrids continue to rank at or near the top of their categories.
As Bryson DeChambeau continues to grow in popularity and hit the ball farther and farther off of the tee, the fact that he uses a Cobra King Speedzone driver is great for the Cobra Golf Brand. Other notable Cobar players are Jason Dufner, Rickie Fowler, and Lexi Thompson.
5. Mizuno
At Red Birdie Golf, we love Mizuno irons. In fact, we have an article reviewing them right here. Above anything else, Mizuno is known in the golf world for their grain flow forging process that produces some of the softest and best hitting irons in golf. They make some good drivers, woods, and putters as well, but their forged irons are their bread and butter. Mizuno is definitely more of a “players” club manufacturer, but they do offer some things for beginners and higher handicappers as well.
Mizuno is probably better known in America as a baseball equipment manufacturer, but this Japan based company produces sporting goods and equipment for almost any sport out there. The golf clubs that they produce are so high in quality that they are not a good fit for many golfers. For instance, the Mizuno MP line of irons boast incredible feel and softness. At the same time, however, they are difficult to hit compared to some of their competitors.
Lucas Glover, Chris Kirk, and Luke Donald are 3 of the most notable names with formal ties to Mizuno. Mizuno is, however, known for the number of non-contracted players who choose their clubs without getting paid to play them. They had 12 “iron” wins on Tour in 2019 alone. It is notable that Tiger actually used Mizuno irons before turning pro in 1996.
6. Ping
Based in Phoenix, AZ, Ping was created and founded by Karsten Solheim. Solheim was making putters in his garage when he decided to quit his career at GE and start Ping. The name “Ping” actually comes from the sound that Solheim heard when the metal of his putter struck the ball, and the acoustics of the swing is still a big part of the Ping brand today.
Ping is one of the iconic golfing companies in the world, but it is known for 2 things above everything else. It is known for the eye2 irons that came about in the 1990s, and it is known as the first club manufacturer that offered factory fitting with different lengths, lies, lofts, etc. That fitting and those irons are still a big part of the Ping brand to this day. At the same time, the G400 driver with SFT (Straight Flight Technology) is one of the better, longer, and straighter drivers on the market today.
Tony Finau, Bubba Watson, and Steward Cink are some of the big name golfers known for carrying Ping clubs. You can also find players from the Champions Tour, LPGA, and European Tour among others as Ping remains one of the most popular golf clubs in the world today.
7. Srixon
Srixon is owned by SRI Sports Limited which probably does not mean much to you until you realize they also own Dunlop and as of 2007 Cleveland Golf. Srixon maintains its own identity and still has a large share in the golf ball market along with quite a few endorsement deals with some pretty good players. It has, however, gone steadily downhill in its popularity amongst golfers.
The Srixon ZX5 irons are some of the better and more forgiving blade irons on the market. These clubs have found a real niche with those players who like the feel and look of blades but still need forgiveness. The ZX line of drivers, fairway woods, and hybrids are equally well liked amongst players and offer a great combination of distance, forgiveness, and accuracy.
Some of the better known players who use Srixon clubs are Keegan Bradley, Graeme McDowell, Hideki Matsuyama. They also boast golfers from the LPGA and Champions Tour along with a few players on the European Tour including Miguel Angel Hernandez.
8. TaylorMade
Many people do not know that TaylorMade is actually owned by Adidas which helped Adidas get into the golf world and gave TaylorMade a huge mother company to help with the cost of innovation.
Speaking of innovation, TaylorMade began in 1979 with an innovative driver that was made out of steel rather than persimmon. Since then, TaylorMade has just continued to be at the forefront of driver and irons innovation, not to mention golf balls as well. One such club is their M3 driver which launched their Twist Face technology.
And discussion of the best golf club brands in America has to include 3 companies, and along with Callaway and Titelist, TaylorMade is one of those companies. Their SIM Max line along with the M2s are two of the best and most innovative clubs on the market. TaylorMade is as good for beginning golfers as they are for touring pros and that is why they are at or near the top of every list.
TaylorMade is now probably the most popular brand on the PGA Tour. A lot of players have at least one TaylorMade club in their bag even if they do not have a formal arrangement with the manufacturer. Some of the TaylorMade staffers include, but are not limited to Dustin Johnson (current world’s no. 1), Sergio Garcia, Justin Rose, Brendon Todd, and Jason Day.
9. Titleist
Titleist has that kind of “elite” feel to it compared to the other top brands. Their U500 utility irons, current T-series irons, and the TSI drivers and woods are very highly rated across the board but with a leaning toward lower handicap players. Titleist is one of the older golf brands being started in 1932, and they have been one of the top ball and club manufacturers in the US ever since.
When you talk about game improvement irons, players irons, and players distance irons, you talk Titleist. Probably the most important thing Titleist ever did, even more important than teaming with Scotty Cameron to produce some of the greatest putters and Bob Vokey to produce great wedges, occurred in 2000 with the creation of the Pro VI golf ball. It is still, by far, the most popular golf ball on tour and the most popular golf ball amongst low handicap players in the world.
Adam Scott, Webb Simpson, and Justin Thomas are just some of the players connected to Titleist. If you were to include every player who uses the Pro VI, the list would be too long for this article.
10. Tour Edge
Tour Edge founder and President, David Glod, states that the reason his company has stayed around while other golf equipment manufacturers have either folded or been sold is as simple as this statement: “We focus on materials, not marketing.” This is also the reason that, of the roughly 24 million golfers in America, a small portion have even heard of the Tour Edge. Tour Edge can claim “Top 10” status in every major golf club category, but they cannot necessary claim that same status for name recognition.
The Tour Edge Exotics line of hybrids, fairway woods, and drivers is one of their best offerings. The Wingman putter is quickly making a name for itself as a top oversized mallet, and the Hot Launch series is really long and really straight. Tour Edge especially has a large number of players on the Champions Tour using their clubs. Even with the great technology and design, Tour Edge is traditionally one of the least expensive, high end golf clubs you can purchase and they have a product for almost every skill level.
Scott McCarron, Duffy Waldorf, and Tom Lehman are all great names that almost any golfer knows who play Tour Edge. They also all happen to play the majority of their tournaments on the Champions Tour.
11. Wilson
Wilson is one of the most popular clubs out there for beginners, higher handicappers, and those looking for a good club at a great price. That is their niche, and their niche is really big. The truth is, there are some Wilson clubs like the Staff C300 irons that are as easy to hit and forgiving as any other club on the market no matter the price range. They also produce some forged irons and their Deep Red full sets are great for people who are just starting out.
If you have ever played any other sport, then you are familiar with the name “Wilson.” They produce some really good recreational basketballs and footballs, and I grew up with a Wilson first base mitt from the time I was 9 to 14. Wilson Staff is actually the name of the golf product line and it has been around since about the same time as Titleist.
Throughout golf history, some of the game’s greatest players have used Wilson golf clubs. They credit to their “stable” of golfers names like Arnold Palmer, Sam Snead, Walter Hagen, Payne Stewart, Vijay Singh, etc. Wilson also claims to be the “winning iron” of the most golf majors in history.
12. XXIO
XXIO is part of the Srixon, Cleveland Golf family of companies. XXIO is a high end brand that is generally a little more expensive than many of the other golf club brands mentioned. XXIO’s philosophy of golf club manufacturing is to make the game as easy as possible and the club as easy to hit as possible. This includes making shafts as light as possible for more control and power and including as much forgiveness as possible in most of their offerings.
XXIO is more for golfers who want to hit the ball straight and long. Their new “X” driver is designed for low to mid handicap players but with a lot of forgiveness and at a very lightweight. Taking even a small amount of weight from the club naturally gives you more power and if you take the weight from the shaft it gives you a lot more control as well. The Eleven series is one of the best all-around clubs on the market and they are generally a very good club for seniors, beginners, and those that do not have as hard of a swing.
The biggest signing that XXIO has had for a while is to bring on Hall of Famer Ernie Els as a brand ambassador. Add to that golf fitness expert Randy Meyers and top golf instructor Martin Hall, and XXIO is in the beginning stages of building a more impressive group of golfers.
Final Thoughts On The Best Golf Club Brands
Choosing the right golf club brand in 2020 is very much a personal choice. It is very important that you get fitted and that someone helps you and advises you when choosing your club, but it is even more important that you like them and feel comfortable with them.
That is really the point of this article, to give you enough information about each golf club brand to get you thinking, but to never come out and say what we believe the best clubs are. That is your decision and we want you to have as much information as possible to make that decision.
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