I’ve Got $600 to Spend on Irons. Here’s What I’d Buy

Six hundred dollars isn't exactly a king's ransom in the modern golf equipment world but it's still $600. A new set of irons easily runs north of $1,000, and some are even higher. But that doesn't mean $600 leaves you shopping for junk. There are still some seriously good iron sets available at that price, especially if you know where to look. So, I gave myself a hard $500 budget and went shopping. These are the sets I'd buy for under $600 today.

1. Takomo 101 MKII Irons - $579

At $580, the Takomo 101 MKII irons are the easiest inclusion on this list.

We named the 101 MKII our Best Game-Improvement Iron of 2026. That alone tell quite a bit about the performance, but the price is what makes these borderline ridiculous.

A lot of current iron sets are pushing well beyond $1,000. Takomo is giving you a set that beat an entire field of game-improvement irons in our testing for $580. That's almost unfathomable and speaks to the quality Takomo is putting out at a very affordable price.

The 101 MKII blends the forgiveness you'd expect from a game-improvement iron with a gorgeous looking set of clubs that defy traditional game-improvement iron aesthetics. You're not staring down at some enormous shovel just because you want a little bit of help and forgiveness on mishits.

When one of the best-performing game-improvement irons we've ever tested costs $580, I'm spending the money and not thinking twice about it.

2. Tommy Armour 2024 845+ Irons - $399.99

At $400, the Tommy Armour 845+ irons leave you with something the other sets on this list might not: money left over. You've still got $100 to play with, which is enough for a couple boxes of golf balls, a used fairway wood or a wedge.

That value gets even better when you consider the performance. The 845+ was our Most Forgiving Game Improvement Iron of 2024, and that tracks with what these are designed to do. They're incredibly easy to launch, very forgiving and, frankly, just a supremely fun iron to hit.

As game-improvement irons, they're obviously not going to suit every golfer. But if you want something that makes the game a little easier, $400 for a set of eight irons is really hard to beat. With a $600 budget, these are my resounding top choice simply because of how much iron you're getting and how much money you've still got left over.

3. MacGregor MACSPD Irons - $499.99

The MacGregor MACSPD irons are pretty much the exact opposite of the Tommy Armour 845+. At $500 on the dot, they don't leave you with too much spending power. You can get a couple boxes of balls, and that's it.

That's not a bad thing. These are seriously good irons. They look great, they're extremely forgiving, and, from plenty of personal experience, they're just flat-out fun to hit. We named the MACSPD our Most Accurate Game Improvement Iron of 2024, and I think they're worth every penny of the $500 asking price.

However, there is a bit of a catch. For $500, you're getting a 5-PW set. If you want 4-PW, the price jumps to $580.

If you're a golfer who plays a 4-iron and doesn't mind spending the extra $80, I think it's worth it. That being said, these certainly sit on the game-improvement/player's-distance side of the fence, so plenty of golfers shopping in this category might not need or want a 4-iron anyway.

And while they're forgiving, I also think better players would really enjoy them. For $500, a 5-PW set with this much performance is a great buy.