Package sets are often a good option for those golfers who want to remove the headache associated with buying a full set of clubs. The idea is that with just one payment, you get everything you need for the course. Featuring a range of the brand’s technologies, Callaway’s XR offering sits towards the premium end of the package set market. We wanted to see whether it was one of the best golf club sets out there, so I recently tested it on the golf course and at the range to find out.
The first thing to cover is what you get for your money. There are 12 clubs in total ranging from driver to putter. The version I tested featured a 10.5˚ driver, 3-wood and 4-hybrid, then 5-iron to pitching wedge followed by a gap wedge, 55˚ sand wedge and a putter. From a gapping perspective, this composition makes perfect sense and for most golfers, this line-up is more than enough to get you onto the course.
I’m going to start by focussing on the woods. Having tested a range of package sets, including the excellent TaylorMade RBZ SpeedLite, over the last year, this is the part of the bag where performance can be a little patchy. Even in the best golf club sets for beginners, the woods can sometimes feel a little dull and lifeless. That’s not the case here.
All the woods feature matte black crowns and are shaped to look generous down behind the ball. They all have a smart, aspirational aesthetic that isn’t too dissimilar to the Callaway Rogue ST woods. The driver sits a little closed at address and whilst that’s not necessarily right for me, in designing a set to suit a broad spectrum of golfers, Callaway has done exactly the right thing here. It was easy to flight and I was able to hit a consistent draw. Whilst the distance on offer wouldn’t be quite up there with my PING G430 LST driver, it wasn’t too far behind.
Both the 3-wood and hybrid retain that generous, confidence inspiring footprint down behind the ball. I found these very easy to flight too which many golfers - especially those with slower clubhead speeds - will likely benefit from.
That the Callaway XR is a good quality, premium package set is also clear as soon as you see the irons. The shape is unmistakably Callaway - there is a fairly rounded toe area and the topline is thick enough to inspire confidence without being too bulky and uninviting. I hit a series of mid iron shots on the range and found them incredibly consistent. The distance was good too given the strength of the lofts - the 7-iron is 30˚, which is about average in today’s iron market.
Another impressive performer is the putter. It is an Odyssey DFX #7 with a very simple black and white colour combination. What I love most about the putter is, again, how generous the head size is. There is plenty of alignment help to be had and yet the putter retains an aspirational look. I also love the feel from the soft grip that’s been used here.
The final part of the package to mention is the bag. The grey, blue and red colour combination looks smart and I liked that there was some protection in the 7-way divider at the top of the bag. In truth, it was a little less sturdy than you’ll find from the best golf stand bags but the quality is still one of the best I’ve seen from a package line-up and I liked that it is a spacious carry bag - which means you can use it on a cart, push cart or carry.
Finding a package set that ticks all the boxes is hard but there is no doubt the Callaway XR is up there with the best offerings I’ve tested. Unsurprisingly, that is reflected in the price but this is a top performer in all areas of the game.
