Most new irons sets come in right around $1,000. However, as you might could expect, many golfers can’t afford that price tag. If you go too cheap, though, you’ll end up with a low quality set that will most likely break within a year’s time.

$500 is a pretty good benchmark to meet when buying new irons. It’s a happy medium between overpriced, newly released irons and cheap irons that won’t perform well.

Let’s have a quick talk about what type of irons you should be buying for you personally. Here are the three types of irons that you can buy. The first step would be to determine which is best suited for you personally:

• Super Game Improvement Irons: these irons are for absolute beginners. If you are brand new to golf, make sure you are getting super game improvement irons. Super game improvement irons are the most forgiving clubs on the market. They are made with the assumption that you won’t be hitting the center of the club face very often, so they designed them so that it wouldn’t matter as much. Shots that are hit an inch from the sweet spot will end up nearly just as good as a perfect strike.
• Game Improvement Irons: If you are a new golfer or if you struggle with ballstriking, make sure you get some game improvement irons. These irons are going to be super forgiving as well, but they will be a tad more compact than super game improvement irons. This basically means that your mishit won’t be penalized as much as with irons that are meant for better golfers. These irons are focused on two things: distance and forgiveness.
• Players Irons: If you are a golfer who is a good/great ball striker, then players irons are better for you. They prioritize distance control as opposed to distance. These irons are only going to be beneficial for those that can consistently hit the center of the club face. Otherwise, slight mishits will be penalized more. Players irons are focused on two different things: feel and distance control.

Now that you hopefully know what type of irons you should be getting, let’s talk about how to get the best set for you under a budget of $500.

• Focus on clubs that have been released for a few years.  Clubs that are just released are typically way overpriced in my opinion. The companies know that golfers are looking forward and anxious to try out the new clubs, so they are willing to pay more for them. If you can wait a few years, though, you’ll save a ton of money. An iron set that is originally $1,000 could go down to below $500 in just a year or two.
• Focus on the lower end models from top brands. Club manufacturers oftentimes release two models at the same time. For example, TaylorMade released the R1 and the Aeroburner drivers at the same time. The R1 was a premium driver that sold for $500, while the Aeroburner was hardly ever above $200. Companies do the same thing with irons. The difference in quality between the two models is often negligent, but the price difference is typically substantial. So seek to find the lower priced set of a top brand’s releases in a year.
• Look around. Look around at all types of golf club shops. Check online, check your local sporting good stores, check your pro shop, etc. Any of them could have a great sale going on at any time! Note: You might have to go to eBay to get the prices under $500.

Please note that all links/photos that you click on will take you to the respective irons sets available on eBay. 

Best Super Game Improvement Irons Under $500: Callaway XR OS Irons

The greatest super game improvement iron set under $500 are the Callaway XR OS irons. They are by far the most forgiving irons that you can get within this budget.

The top lines are very large, which should be expected for a super game improvement iron. The large top lines are so that there is more weight around the entire club face, to decrease the effect of an off center hit.

The club heads in general are also very large and tall. The sweet spot is probably one of the largest of all irons on the market. If you are unsure about your ability to hit the center of the club face, these are the irons for you.

The Greatest Game Improvement Iron Set Less Than $500: Callaway Apex Iron Set

These Callaway Apex CF16 irons were incredibly popular when they were first released. Golfers were paying $1,000+ for them with no questions asked due to their high reviews and huge expectations.

I’ve always been a big fan of Callaway irons. They feel great at impact, especially for game improvement irons. Most game improvement irons have a harder feel to them.

When it comes to distance, these irons are pretty top notch. I’d say they are the best mix of distance, feel, and forgiveness. And that is exactly what you should be looking for in a game improvement set of irons.

I will say that they launch the ball very high compared to other game improvement irons. So if you alright hit the ball too high, you might want to get fitted so that you can find the best shafts for you.

The Best Players Irons Under $500: Wilson Staff FG Tour F5 Irons

These might just down as the most underrated irons of all time. Most low handicap golfers unnecessarily discount Wilson’s premium lines of clubs without even trying them. However, they perform so well on every level.

The Wilson Staff FG Tour F5 irons feel incredible at impact, and give you great feedback on your ballstriking. If you like working the ball left and right, this is the best set of the three for you.

Forgiveness lacks a little compared to the other irons listed in this article, but that is to be expected. What these irons lack in forgiveness, they make up for in feel and distance control.

There are not many brand new players irons that you can buy for under $500. As a result, I would consider these incredible underpriced.