The Best Golf Brands in 2026: From Clubs and Balls to Clothing

Updated on: October 27, 2026 • ~13 min read

Author: Graeme

Ask ten golfers to name the best golf brand and you'll get ten answers, most of them about drivers.

That's because golf brands specialise. The company making the best irons rarely makes the best waterproof, and the best shoe brand doesn't make a ball at all.

So "best" depends on what you're buying.

The best golf brands in 2026 are Titleist for clubs and balls, TaylorMade, Callaway and PING for clubs, FootJoy for shoes and gloves, Galvin Green for waterproofs, Motocaddy for trolleys and Garmin for golf tech. Titleist also leads the tour counts: its drivers won 14 PGA Tour events in 2026, more than any other brand, and its balls were 71% of those in play.

Below, I've picked the best brand and a runner-up in each part of your bag, from clubs and balls to shoes, clothing, trolleys and tech, then explained who the big golf brands are and who owns them. If you're after British brands, our guide to UK golf brands covers those.

About the author: Graeme Whiles is the founder of Three Putt Golf Clothing and plays off 12.4 in West Yorkshire. He has reviewed more than 100 golf clothing brands on this journal.

In this guide:

• The best golf brands at a glance
• The best golf club brands
• The best golf ball brands
• The best golf shoe brands
• The best golf clothing brands
• The best golf bag and trolley brands
• The best golf tech brands
• Who are the big golf brands?
• Golf brand FAQs

The Best Golf Brands at a Glance

The best brand in each part of your bag, and what to buy first.

• Best golf club brand: Titleist, whose drivers won more PGA Tour events in 2026 than any other brand.
• Best golf ball brand: Titleist again, with the Pro V1 at £52 ($58) a dozen.
• Best golf shoe brand: FootJoy, with ECCO the pick for comfort.
• Best golf clothing: Galvin Green for waterproofs, FootJoy for everyday polos.
• Best trolleys and bags: Motocaddy for electric trolleys, Sun Mountain for bags.
• Best golf tech: Garmin, with Bushnell the name in rangefinders.
• Best budget clubs: Takomo, sold direct from Finland, and MD Golf in the UK.

My top pick: Titleist. It leads in both clubs and balls: its balls made up 72% of those used on the world's professional tours in 2025, and its drivers won 14 PGA Tour events in 2026. The GTS2 driver is £629 ($699), and a dozen Pro V1s is £52 ($58).

Category	Best brand	Runner-up	Where to start
Clubs	Titleist	TaylorMade	GTS2 driver, £629 / $699
Balls	Titleist	TaylorMade	Pro V1, £52 / $58 a dozen
Shoes	FootJoy	ECCO	Pro/SL, £160 / $185
Clothing	Galvin Green (wet weather)	FootJoy (everyday)	Aston jacket, £279 / $399
Trolleys and bags	Motocaddy	Sun Mountain	M5 GPS DHC, £1,049.99 / $1,499
Tech	Garmin	Bushnell	Approach R10, £479.99 / $499.99
Budget clubs	Takomo	MD Golf	101 MKII irons, £529 / $579

I checked every price on October 27, 2026, on the brand's own UK and US sites unless I've named a retailer.

How I Picked These Brands

I picked one winner and a runner-up for each part of your kit, judged on four things:

• Proof on the course: what tour players and club golfers actually use, not just what's advertised.
• The range: whether there's something for a beginner as well as a scratch golfer.
• Value: what the flagship costs, in pounds and dollars, and whether a cheaper model does most of the job.
• Getting hold of it: whether you can buy it in Britain, America or both.

Three Putt is my own brand, and we only make clothing, so we're in that section and nowhere else. No brand paid to be here, and none of the links earn us anything.

The Best Golf Club Brands

Clubs are where most of the money goes, and where the brands fight hardest for tour players.

Best Golf Club Brand: Titleist

Titleist was founded in 1932 and belongs to Acushnet, of Fairhaven, Massachusetts, which also owns FootJoy.

It says its drivers have been the most played on the PGA Tour for seven seasons in a row, and Titleist drivers won 14 PGA Tour events in 2026, the most of any brand, according to Golf Monthly.

The new GTS2 driver is $699 in the US and £629 at American Golf, and Justin Thomas has one in his bag.

Best for: golfers who want tour-proven clubs and a fitting to match.

Runner-Up: TaylorMade

TaylorMade was founded in 1979, is based in Carlsbad, California, and has been owned by the Korean investment firm Centroid since 2021.

Its drivers won three of the four men's majors in 2026, including Rory McIlroy's second Masters in a row, and Scottie Scheffler won the FedEx Cup after switching to the new Qi4D.

The Qi4D driver is $649.99 in the US and £549 at American Golf.

Best for: drivers, above all.

Callaway: Back to Being a Golf Company

Callaway was founded in 1982, also in Carlsbad, and in January 2026 it sold 60% of Topgolf and went back to being Callaway Golf Company.

The 2026 Quantum Max driver is £599 in the UK and $649.99 in the US, and Xander Schauffele plays the Quantum Triple Diamond.

Best for: choice, with six Quantum drivers and minis to pick from.

PING: Family-Owned Since 1959

PING was founded in 1959 and is still run by the Solheim family from Phoenix, Arizona, now in its third generation.

Its drivers won six PGA Tour events in 2026, including two signature events with the G440 Max for Viktor Hovland and Kristoffer Reitan.

The G440 Max has an RRP of £575 in the UK (PING's own sites don't list prices), and the newer G440 K is £630.

Best for: golfers who want a proper custom fitting.

Mizuno: The Iron Specialist

Mizuno is a Japanese company, founded in Osaka in 1906, that made its first golf club in 1933 and is still run by a Mizuno.

It's best known for forged irons, and it says many tour players use its clubs without being paid to. Its JPX ONE driver has an RRP of £529 ($599.99).

Best for: irons that feel as good as they look.

Srixon and Cleveland: The Fifth Big Brand?

Srixon and Cleveland both belong to Japan's Sumitomo Rubber. Srixon makes the drivers and irons, and Cleveland now makes only wedges and putters.

Ryan Fox won the 2026 Open at Royal Birkdale with Srixon's ZXi RKT LS+ driver, and the ZXi RKT is $649.99 in the US (RRP £569 in the UK).

Cleveland's new RTZ 2 wedge is $199.99 (RRP £159).

Best for: golfers who want an alternative to the big four.

Also worth a look:

• Cobra: owned by Puma, with Rickie Fowler on its staff. The OPTM X driver is $599 (£479), and Gary Woodland won the 2026 Houston Open with an OPTM Max-K.
• PXG: founded by GoDaddy's Bob Parsons in 2014. The Lightning driver is £429 ($449).
• Wilson: founded in Chicago in 1914. The DYNAPWR Carbon driver is £499 ($499.99), and Padraig Harrington won the 2026 US Senior Open with Wilson irons.
• Takomo: the budget pick, a Finnish brand founded in 2021 that sells direct. Its 101 MKII irons are £529 ($579) for seven clubs.
• MD Golf: a value brand from Antrim, Northern Ireland, whose STR50 irons have an RRP of £399. It doesn't sell in the US.

The Best Golf Ball Brands

Golf balls are the one thing every golfer buys again and again, so the brand you pick matters more than you'd think.

Best Golf Ball Brand: Titleist

Titleist calls itself the #1 ball in professional golf for more than 75 years, and the numbers back it up.

Its balls were 72% of those used on the world's professional tours in 2025, according to its owner Acushnet, and 71% of those in play on the 2026 PGA Tour, where they won 26 events.

A dozen Pro V1 is £52 in the UK and $58 in the US, and the Pro V1x costs the same.

Best for: golfers who want the ball most pros play.

Runner-Up: TaylorMade

A dozen TaylorMade TP5 is £47.99 in the UK and $57.99 in the US, a few pounds less than a Pro V1.

Best for: a tour ball for slightly less.

Also worth a look:

• Callaway Chrome Tour: £49.99 ($57.99) a dozen.
• Srixon Z-Star: £48.99 ($54.99) a dozen, and the cheaper Srixon Soft Feel is £28 ($24.99).
• Bridgestone Tour B XS: RRP £45 ($54.99) a dozen, from the brand whose tour team includes Tiger Woods.
• Kirkland Signature: Costco's own ball, at £34.99 ($39.99) for two dozen, so about £17.50 ($20) a dozen.

The Best Golf Shoe Brands

Shoes are where golf brands differ most, because comfort over 18 holes matters as much as grip.

Best Golf Shoe Brand: FootJoy

FootJoy's story starts with a shoe company founded in 1857. It took the FootJoy name in 1923 and is now owned by Acushnet, the same company as Titleist.

It calls the Premiere Series its flagship line, and says it's the #1 shoe on the PGA Tour.

The spiked Premiere Series Packard is £200 in the UK and $250 in the US, in full-grain leather.

The spikeless Pro/SL is £160 ($185), and FootJoy's gloves are just as popular: the StaSof is £26 ($29) and the WeatherSof £12.50 ($13).

Best for: a shoe and glove you'll see on most tees.

Runner-Up: ECCO Golf

ECCO is a Danish family company, founded in 1963, that has made golf shoes since 1996, and it makes its own leather.

Its waterproof BIOM C5 GORE-TEX is £200 in the UK and $250 in the US, and it's a bestseller on both sites.

Best for: comfort, especially if you walk the course.

Also worth a look:

• adidas: the Tour360 25 Spikeless is £150 ($160), and the Tour360 line still uses Boost cushioning.
• Nike: the waterproof Victory Tour 4, with a carbon-fibre plate, is £174.99 ($200).
• G/FORE: the style pick, with the spikeless MG4+ at £190 ($225).

The Best Golf Clothing Brands

Golf clothing is the one category where the biggest name isn't automatically the best, so it depends on what you need it to do.

Best for Bad Weather: Galvin Green

Galvin Green was founded in Växjö, Sweden, in 1990, and it's the brand I'd trust most when the forecast turns.

Its Aston GORE-TEX jacket is £279 in the UK and $399 in the US.

The waterproof fabric comes with a guarantee that has no time limit, while the zips, lining and stitching get two years.

Best for: golfers who play all year, whatever the weather.

Best Everyday Golf Clothing: FootJoy

FootJoy has made a full men's clothing range since 2012, and its stretch-lisle polo is one of the safest buys in golf.

The Lisle Solid is £62.50 in the UK, and the same polo is the Solid TourLisle at $80 in the US.

Best for: a polo that works at any club, in any competition.

Also worth a look:

• Peter Millar: the premium pick, founded in Raleigh, North Carolina, in 2001. Its Solid Performance Jersey Polo is £85 ($105).
• Nike and adidas: the tour names for less, with Nike's Velocity polo at £39.99 ($65) and adidas's Ultimate365 at £40 ($70).
• Three Putt: my own brand, and the only clothing on this list that doesn't take golf too seriously. Our Pin High polo is £33.99 ($47), and our hoodies start at £49.99 ($69).

For 17 clothing brands sorted by type, our best golf clothing brands guide has the lot, and for shirts alone, see the best golf polos.

The Best Golf Bag and Trolley Brands

This is where British brands lead: two of the best-known electric trolley makers, Motocaddy and PowaKaddy, are English.

Best Electric Trolley Brand: Motocaddy

Motocaddy was founded in Hertfordshire in 2004, and it now has a US office in Carlsbad, California, too.

The 2026 M5 GPS DHC is £1,049.99 in the UK and $1,499 in the US, with built-in GPS and downhill control.

The remote-control M7 GPS REMOTE is £1,399.99 ($2,099).

Best for: walkers who want GPS on the handle.

Best Golf Bag Brand: Sun Mountain

Sun Mountain has made golf bags in Missoula, Montana, since 1981.

Its waterproof H2NO C-130 cart bag is $400 in the US and has a UK RRP of £340 through retailers like The Golf Shop Online, and its Speed Cart X push trolley is $299.99 in the US.

Best for: a cart bag that keeps your kit dry.

Also worth a look:

• PowaKaddy: Motocaddy's British rival, founded in Kent in 1983. The flagship RX12 GPS has an RRP of £1,599.99, but PowaKaddy isn't sold in the US.
• Vessel: premium bags from Carlsbad, California, founded in 2013. The Player VI Stand is $449 in the US and £449 through Vessel's UK store.

The Best Golf Tech Brands

Golf tech splits into watches, lasers and launch monitors, and two brands lead it.

Best Golf Tech Brand: Garmin

Garmin, founded in Olathe, Kansas, in 1989, makes golf tech from GPS watches to launch monitors.

Its new Approach S72 watch is £699.99 ($799.99), and the Approach R10 launch monitor is £479.99 ($499.99).

Best for: golfers who want one brand for everything.

Best Rangefinder Brand: Bushnell Golf

Bushnell says it has led sports optics for more than 65 years, and it's now owned by Revelyst, which Strategic Value Partners bought in January 2025.

The entry-level A1-Slope is $299.99 in the US and has an RRP of £279 in the UK, and the Tour V7 Shift is $399.99 (£399).

Best for: exact yardages to the flag.

Also worth a look:

• Shot Scope: a Scottish brand whose V5 watch (£239.99 / $249.99) tracks your shots automatically.
• Arccos: sensors that screw into your grips. Smart Sensors are $249.99 (£224.99) with the first year included, then $199.99 (£131.88) a year.

Who Are the Big Golf Brands?

In golf, the big four usually means the four biggest club makers: Titleist, TaylorMade, Callaway and PING.

They're also the brands whose drivers win most often. Golf Monthly's count of 2026 PGA Tour winners has Titleist on 14, TaylorMade on nine, PING on six and Callaway on three.

Who owns them is less obvious:

• Titleist: owned by Acushnet, which also owns FootJoy and had 2025 sales of $2.56 billion.
• TaylorMade: owned by Centroid, a Korean investment firm, since 2021. It's private, so it doesn't publish its sales.
• Callaway: back to its old name, Callaway Golf Company, after selling most of Topgolf, with 2025 sales of $2.06 billion.
• PING: still owned and run by the Solheim family.

As for a fifth, MyGolfSpy argued in March 2026 that Srixon, Cleveland and XXIO together have earned the spot, though it admits Mizuno and Cobra have a case too.

And a few big names hide inside bigger groups: Puma owns Cobra, Sumitomo Rubber owns Srixon and Cleveland, and Amer Sports owns Wilson.

Final Thoughts

The best golf brand is the one that fixes whatever's holding your game back.

For most golfers, that means a fitting with one of the big four for clubs, a tour ball you can afford to lose, FootJoy on your feet and Galvin Green when it pours.

Spend on what you use every round, and don't pay extra for a badge you don't need.

And for golf clothes with a bit more personality, Three Putt makes hoodies, sweatshirts, tees and polos for golfers who play for fun, from £29.99 ($42). Our Happy Place range is a good place to start.

For more on clothing, try our best golf polos roundup or our guide to new golf brands.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Best Golf Brands

What is the #1 brand in golf?

There's no official ranking, but Titleist has the strongest claim. Its balls made up 72% of those used on the world's professional tours in 2025, according to its owner Acushnet, and it says its drivers have been the most played on the PGA Tour for seven seasons in a row. Acushnet's 2025 sales of $2.56 billion also beat Callaway's $2.06 billion.

What brand do most golf pros use?

For balls, Titleist, by a distance: its balls were 71% of those in play on the 2026 PGA Tour and won 26 events. Clubs are more spread out. Titleist drivers won 14 PGA Tour events in 2026, TaylorMade's won nine, including Rory McIlroy's Masters, and PING's won six, according to Golf Monthly's count of every winning driver.

What are the big 4 golf brands?

Titleist, TaylorMade, Callaway and PING, the four biggest club makers. Titleist belongs to Acushnet, which also owns FootJoy. TaylorMade has been owned by the Korean investment firm Centroid since 2021. Callaway sold most of Topgolf in January 2026 and is Callaway Golf Company again, and PING is still owned by the Solheim family in Phoenix.

What are the big 5 golf brands?

There's no official list, but the usual answer is the big four plus one. MyGolfSpy argued in March 2026 that Srixon, along with its sister brands Cleveland and XXIO, has earned the fifth place, though Mizuno and Cobra have a case too. Srixon's Ryan Fox won the 2026 Open at Royal Birkdale with a Srixon driver.

What is the best golf club brand for beginners?

Any of the big four makes clubs for beginners, so start with a fitting rather than a badge, because the right shaft and loft matter more than the logo. If the budget is tight, Takomo sells a seven-club iron set direct for £529 ($579), and in the UK, MD Golf's STR50 irons have an RRP of £399.

What are the best golf ball brands?

Titleist's Pro V1 (£52 / $58 a dozen) is the benchmark, with TaylorMade's TP5, Callaway's Chrome Tour, Srixon's Z-Star and Bridgestone's Tour B all close behind at £45 to £50. If you lose a few balls a round, Srixon Soft Feel (£28 / $24.99) or Costco's Kirkland Signature, at about £17.50 or $20 a dozen, make more sense.

Which golf brand is best for UK golfers?

For clubs and balls, the big American and Japanese brands are as easy to buy in the UK as anywhere. Where Britain leads is trolleys and clothing: Motocaddy and PowaKaddy are both English, and our guide to UK golf brands covers British clothing labels from Glenmuir to Three Putt. Galvin Green, despite its UK presence, is Swedish.