You've decided to start playing golf for the first time and have booked your first golf lesson at the local driving range.

Before your first lesson the most important thing to do is purchase a suitable set of golf clubs; a golf set is the most cost-effective addition to your setup at the beginning of your golf career instead of purchasing golf clubs individually and a golf bag to store and transport the clubs to and from the golf course or driving range.

Which items of golf equipment are included in a beginner's golf set? Four types of golf club are usually included; these are known as woods, irons and putters in addition to hybrid golf clubs which is a cross between an iron and a golf wood. In the game of golf a player is allowed to carry up to 14 golf clubs in their bag – in any combination. The cost of golf lessons from a professional can be expensive in addition to purchasing new golf clubs and equipment. If you've considered purchasing a set of used golf clubs before your first lesson – be cautious. Used golf clubs can work out to be a false economy if the items arrive with worn grips, fractured shafts (graphite) or missing head-covers.

The cost of purchasing new golf clubs for beginners has fallen drastically in recent years with online retailers like The Sports HQ supplying factory direct golf equipment – offering typical savings of up to 85% - compared to the traditional retail store.

The Sports HQ for example manufacturers and supplies beginners golf sets in men's, ladies and junior editions – with prices starting as low as £29.99 for a junior golf set to £49.99 for a beginner's set of adult golf clubs.

New golf sets from The Sports HQ all carry a 12-month manufacturer's warranty for extra piece of mind; each golf set is tailored for the specific requirements of the player – for example lady flex shafts in graphite and stainless steel are fitted to all clubs included in the ladies golf set. The Texan Classics Junior Golf Set from The Sports HQ features junior flex shafts on all clubs including a titanium 3-wood, 7-8-iron and putter. All beginners' golf sets include a deluxe stand bag to securely store each club to and from the golf course.

The Chicago SGS Complete

Golf Sets in men's, ladies and left-handed includes a titanium 3-wood, a 3/4 hybrid rescue club which replaces the 3 and 4 long irons, in addition to 7 cavity back titanium reinforced irons (5-6-7-8-9-PW-SW) – all fitted with stainless steel shafts; the set is completed with a heel and toe balanced putter. All woods and irons included in the Chicago SGS set for beginners feature oversized club-heads for increased forgiveness on off-centre shots – this also inspires confidence and motivation to continue learning and practicing.

After progressing from the driving range to your first outing to a pitch and putt or actual golf course you'll also require a number of inexpensive golf balls for the duration of the course. All players lose the odd golf ball here and there in the beginning; the transition from driving range to golf course is a big one – suddenly a number of environmental factors like wind speed and direction come into play, and for the newcomer this can translate into the occasionally lost golf ball. The addition of water and sand hazards can also play a main role in losing golf balls. There are two inexpensive solutions to replacing lost golf balls; lake balls are used golf balls which are salvaged from the bottom of vast lakes across the world and reconditioned to a Grade A standard; lake balls offer players the chance to play top brands including Titliest, Noodle and Strata at a fraction of the cost of brand new golf balls.