Best Affordable Fairway Woods 2023

There is nothing like the feeling of hitting a fairway wood long and straight from the fairway or even the tee in some cases and a lot of people list fairway woods as their go to clubs when they need to hit an accurate shot with distance.

Despite this, fairway woods don’t get a lot of attention when you are first starting out with the game, focusing more on the driver and irons.

The fact is that a lot of players tend to avoid them in favor of the hybrids that many beginner golf club sets include. But sooner or later you are going to have to get familiar with these important clubs if you want to drop that handicap.

And the best way to familiarize yourself with fairway woods is to buy the right one for your game without spending a fortune.

But which is the right one? If you are new to the game, the right one will be the one that fits your budget first and foremost.

You don’t want to spend a ton of money on advanced features that you won’t be able to make any use of and that will actually hinder your progression.

But that doesn’t mean an affordable fairway wood can’t also be high-quality. We are aiming for around $150 mark or less in this list as the best on the market can easily cost twice that.

There are also some real budget options in our list.

Going with the older clubs from the top brands is a strategy that has served me well over the years also.

You have a lot of options so today we wanted to help you sort through some of them. Take a look at the best affordable fairway woods of 2023.

1. 2018 Cobra Golf Men’s King F8 Fairway Woods – Best Choice

For beginners, fairway woods should be light and wieldy. So we start our list of the best affordable fairway woods with one that saves a lot of weight.

The King F8 Nardo Fairway utilizes a carbon fiber crown that effectively positions the weight of the club head to the bottom rear. So the weight that it does have is actually positioned strategically.

The club head is made of forged 475 grade stainless steel and feels really nice on dead-center shots. But the face features variable thickness technology so it’s also very forgiving while providing plenty of feel and feedback.

This would be a great fairway wood for a beginner but our seasoned testers also said that they got great distance from it and that it felt really good. The Cobra King F8 Nardo fairway wood comes with a graphite shaft and is set to 14.5 degrees of loft.

You can also choose from stiff, regular and light flex versions of this fairway wood. And for all the great features for newbies and low-handicappers, this club will only run you about $150.

Tech

• Baffler Rail System For Forgiveness
• Ultralight Carbon Fibre
• Stainless Steel Faced Insert
• 360 aero-innovative polymer to reduce drag

Lofts

• 3/4w – Adjustable
• 5/6w – Adjustable
• 7/8w – Adjustable

Flex

• Lite
• Regular
• Stiff

Pros & Cons Of The F8

Pros:

• This is a very lightweight fairway wood

• Great for beginners and experienced players

• It can definitely help you improve your game

• Great Price

Cons:

• No adjustment tool

• The grips feel a little thin

Overall Rating: 95/100

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2.  TaylorMade 2017 M2 Men’s Fairway Wood – Best Premium

This Taylormade Fairway wood has one of the most unique features we have ever seen in a fairway wood: an inverted cone-shaped head. It seems to make the club more aerodynamic and our testers said that they got great ball speed as a result.

As far as construction goes, the Taylormade M2 fairway wood features a 450 grade stainless steel head and a graphite shaft. But the crown is actually made of 6-layer carbon fiber which again, helps keep the weight down and focused in the rear/back of the club head.

But the “Geocoustic” technology is what steals the show with this fairway wood. It has a two-tiered sole and sound bars placed on the outside of the club head so this thing sounds so sweet – even when you hit it off-center.

It is available as a 3 or 5 wood and comes in extra stiff, regular, stiff and senior flex. It will run you about $180.

Tech

• 6 Layer Carbon Crown For Low CG
• Inverted Cone Tech For Large Sweet Spot
• Two Tiered Sole For Extra Playability
• Fluted Hosel For Sweet Sound

Lofts

• 3 w – 15 degree
• 3hl w – 16.5 degree
• 5 w – 18 degree
• 5 w hl – 21 degree

Flex

• Senior
• Regular
• Stiff
• Extra Stiff

Pros And Cons Of The M2

Pros:

• The grips are very comfortable
• You get great apex ball height (loft) from it
• Plays very accurate
• Large range of lofts

Cons:

• A bit pricey
• Doesn’t come with a head cover

Overall Rating: 93/100

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3. Pinemeadow PGX Offset Golf Fairway Woods

This club is a great value. If you are looking for a no-nonsense fairway wood that was designed for beginners, this is it. The Pinemeadow PGX fairway wood features a pronounced offset head.

This makes it great for beginners who are struggling with accuracy. It features a graphite shaft and comes in 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and even 15 woods. It is set to 19 degrees of loft so you won’t have much trouble getting the ball high in the air with this club.

You can expect to pay between $50 and $70 for this club depending on which actual wood you go with. This is a very easy wood to hit with and it even has an alignment marker on top of the club head so you know where the sweet spot is at all times.

We think the most admirable attribute of the Pinemeadow PGX Offset Golf Fairway Wood is the pickup and play factor. Even if you are brand new to the game of golf, this is a fairway wood that you can use effectively with very little effort.

Tech

• Anti Slice Technology
• Stainless Steel Clubhead And Graphite Shafts
• Offset For Extra Playability & Forgiveness

Lofts

• 16 -37 Degrees

Flex

• Regular

Pros And Cons Of The Pinemeadows

Pros:

• Very affordable
• Very beginner-friendly
• Comes with a head cover

Cons:

• Not useful for more skilled players
•  Scratches easily

Overall Rating: 84/100

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4. TaylorMade Men’s RBZ Rescue

If you have played with Taylormade clubs in the past then you probably already know about the Speed Pocket. The Speed Pocket is essentially a recessed sole that allows for better distance and carry.

But the shallow head profile ensures that the center of gravity for this fairway is where it should be: low to the turf. You get 19 degrees of loft out of this wood and it comes with Taylormade’s stock textured grips.

This is a nice club for beginner’s and intermediate players. The RocketFuel graphite shaft keeps it light and you can score this club for about $130. The acoustics on this club are also very nice. It sounds great off the tee or off the turf.

Tech

• Speed Pocket For High Launch And Carry Distance
• Shallow Profile For Good Contact From All Lies
• Lightwieght Rocket Fuel Shaft

Lofts

• 3w – 19 Degrees
• 4w – 22 Degrees
• 5w – 25 Degrees

Flex

• Regular
• Senior
• Stiff

Pros And Cons Of The RBZ

Pros:

•       Comes in regular, stiff and senior flex

•       Great rescue wood

•       Comes in left or right handed orientation

Cons:

•       Not the easiest wood to hit with

•       Takes some time to learn

Overall Rating: 91/100

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5. Callaway Men’s Steelhead XR Fairway Wood

The shorter hosel and face cup technology of this fairway wood makes it incredibly easy to hit so it would be a great club for a beginner.

The Callaway Men’s Steelhead XR Fairway Wood has an aerodynamic “Steelhead” club head shape that was popularized by the manufacturer many years ago. It bears a striking design and the tandem of a graphite shaft and carbon crown keep the weight down considerably.

You get a lot of options with this club as well. You can get it as a 3 wood which features 15 degrees of loft, a 5 wood at 18 degrees, a 3+ wood at 13.5 degrees, a 4+ wood at 16 degrees, a 7 wood at 21 degrees or what Callaway calls a Heavenwood at 20.5 degrees.

You can also get this club in regular, senior, stiff and extra stiff flex. Overall we were able to get very precise fairway sniping out of this wood.

We were able to achieve the strategic lies we wanted more often than not so even though the features would be suited for a beginner; intermediate players can use this club effectively as well. The face cup also makes this club sound really sweet even on less than perfect strikes.

This is definitely one of the more versatile fairway woods on our list. You can get The Callaway Men’s Steelhead XR Fairway Wood for about $150 at most retailers.

Tech

• Easy Launch Steelhead Shape
• Next Gen Face Cup Tech For Faster Ball Speeds
• J-36 Carbon Crown For Forgiveness
• Speed Step Technology And Premium Stock Shaft
• Lamkin Grips As Stock

Lofts

• 3w – 15 Degrees
• 3+ w – 13.5 Degrees
• 4+ w – 16 Degrees
• 5w – 18 Degrees
• 7w – 20.5 Degrees

Flex

• Regular
• Senior
• Stiff
• Extra Stiff

Pros And Cons Of The Steelhead XR Woods

Pros:

•       Available in left-hand, right-hand and women’s

•       Features a high moment of inertia (MOI) face

•       Interacts with the turf like a dream

•       Comes with high-quality Lamkin UTX grips

Cons:

•       The shaft weighs 65 grams which is still pretty light, just not the lightest on our list

•       These fairway woods are a little long

Overall Rating: 92/100

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6. Cleveland Golf Men’s Launcher HB Fairway Wood

This is another fairway wood that we really liked the shape of. The club head features an aerodynamic design that more seasoned players will definitely appreciate. You can get great club speed out of this fairway wood and pretty easily to boot.

You can get the Cleveland Golf Men’s Launcher HB Fairway Wood in 18 or 15 degree versions. You also have the options of left and right hand orientations and regular, senior and stiff flexes. We used the regular flex version and it provided a good amount of torque which beginners will appreciate.

And the name of these Cleveland fairway woods is definitely accurate. You get great launch out of them. Some of our testers were using it off the tee and hitting them almost as far as their drivers. This club yields great apex height without being too heavy.

In general you will find this club on sale for about $140 and we think it’s definitely worth the price. This is a club that you can use as a beginner but continue to use effectively as your game evolves.

Tech

• Hi Bore Crown For Forgiveness
• Luancher Cup Face For Launch Angle
• Unique Flex Fins

Lofts

• 3w – 15 degrees
• 5w – 18 degrees

Flex

• Regular
• Senior
• Stiff

Pros And Cons Of The Cleveland Launchers

Pros:

•       Delivers very straight shots

•       Comes with a head cover

•       You get easy distance from it

Cons:

•       It can feel a bit unwieldy at times

•       A little hard to work

Overall Rating: 89/100

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7. Srixon Male Z F65 Fairway Wood

You may have thought that Srixon was only good at making golf balls but this Srixon fairway wood is proof that they make quality clubs as well. The Srixon Male Z F65 Fairway Wood has one of the most uniquely designed faces we have ever seen.

In fact, it’s hard to see where the face ends and the crown begins because the face essentially extends into the crown seamlessly. So what does that mean in terms of performance? It means that this wood has a huge sweet spot.

It’s easy to get really high launch angles with the Srixon Male Z F65 Fairway Wood as well thanks to the channeled crown. If you are looking for a fairway wood that can help increase your ball speed, the unique crown step of this club makes it a great candidate for you.

This club feels really nice to swing with too. It has a low center of gravity and the club head weight feels very proportionate to the shaft. The shaft itself, as the name suggests weighs 65 grams which makes it lightweight but certainly not the lightest on our list here.

We would say that this is a club better suited for beginners just because it is very forgiving on the fairway and off the tee. But that’s not to say that veterans wouldn’t draw any value from this club as the shallow profile is congenial for players with higher swing speeds.

And at just a hair over a hundred dollars, this is certainly one of the highest-value fairway woods on our list.

Tech

• Stretch Flex Cup Face For Large Sweet Spot
• Specially Place Crown Step For Low Centre Of Gravity
• New Arc Support Channel For Higher Launch

Lofts

• 3w – 15 degrees
• 4w – 17 degrees
• 5w – 19 degrees

Flex

• Regular

Pros And Cons Of The Srixon Z F65

Pros:

•       This is a very forgiving club

•       Good flex for beginners

•       The Grips are comfortable

Cons:

•       Not the easiest club to square up with

•       The sound could be improved upon

Overall Rating: 88/100

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8. Orlimar Golf Escape Fairway Wood

Number 8 on our list of the best affordable fairway woods can be used by most types of players.

The low center of gravity helps to impart good swing mechanics for those just starting out with the game while the shallow head profile make it easier for more experienced players to achieve their top swing speed.

The Orlimar Golf Escape Fairway Wood can be purchased in many versions as well. There is the standard 3 wood which is set to 16 degrees of loft, the 7 wood at 22 degrees, a 5 wood at 19 degrees, a 15 wood at 38 degrees, an 11 wood at 30 degrees, a 13 wood at 34 degrees and a 9 wood at 26.

The Orlimar Golf Escape Fairway Woods also feature Orlimar’s custom velvet grips which were the nicest feeling of any of the clubs on our list. They were extremely comfortable without drowning out any of the feel that is so important to all types of players.

You can also get the Orlimar Golf Escape Fairway Wood in ladies, regular and senior flex. We used the regular flex version and it yielded the right amount of torque for us. As a result, we were impressed with the easy ball speeds we were seeing out of this fairway wood.

You can get this club for a paltry $80 which is a steal considering how workable and accurate this club is. We were able to control ball spin surprisingly well to top it all off.

Lastly, the Orlimar Golf Escape Fairway Woods feature lightweight graphite shafts that have a great kick point for new players. Plus, there is an alignment marker to help out with accuracy.

Tech

• Shallow Face Height For Greater Launch Angle
• Designed For Low Center Of Gravity
• Superlight Graphite Shaft
• Premium Grips

Lofts

• 16 – 34 Degrees

Flex

• Regular
• Ladies
• Senior

Pros And Cons Of The Orlimar Fairway Woods

Pros:

•       This is one of the most affordable fairway woods on our list

•       The wide footprint of the club head is great for instilling confidence in new players

•       Great for beginners but it can be used effectively by more experienced players as well

Cons:

•       This doesn’t seem like the most durable club

•       It doesn’t have the most attractive design

Overall Rating: 85/100

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9. Cobra Golf 2019 F9 Men’s Speedback Hybrid

This was the nicest feeling club on our list. Technically it’s a hybrid but you can definitely use it in place of a fairway wood because it performs similarly without being as unwieldy as some woods can be.

First of all it has a rear baffler shape and baffler rails which make this club feel exceptionally smooth on your down swing. It is also weighted with tungsten to get the center of gravity ridiculously low in the club head.

Secondly we were seeing some impressive ball speed (we were using a launch monitor at the range) from the Cobra Golf 2019 F9 Men’s Speedback Hybrid. The super-thin, high MOI face provided optimal flex to help us get the ball going hot off the tee and off the turf.

And the shaft is made of Fujikura Atmos graphite so to say that this club is lightweight would be an understatement. The feel of this hybrid is really the main selling point: you gotta swing it to believe it.

At any rate, you can get the Cobra Golf 2019 F9 Men’s Speedback Hybrid in left or right hand orientations, stiff, regular or senior flex, and as a number 2, 3, 4 or 5 hybrid. And while you can expect to pay about $170 for this club, you will know where your money went after your first swing.

Overall this is a hybrid that we could see low-handicappers get a lot of use from. It’s definitely a stylized hybrid – better suited for players who prefer high club head speed.

Tech

• Speed Back Baffler For Lower CG And Higher Launch
• Thin Stainless Steel Face For Higher Ball Speeds
• High MOI Shape
• Back Tungsten Weighting

Lofts

• 17 – 24 Degrees

Flex

• Regular
• Stiff
• Senior

Pros And Cons Of The Speedback F9

Pros:

• Swings like a dream
• Good launch off the tee or on the turf
• Very lightweight
• Slightly Expensice

Cons:

• Difficult to work
• Doesn’t play as long as some of the other woods on our list

Overall Rating: 90/100

Check Out More Reviews Here:

10. Founders Club Fresh Metal Fairway Woods

We end our list with a club that we think a lot of beginners will love. This is a great club for when you are not yet comfortable with some of your longer irons. You get great distance from this fairway wood and good apex height as well.

The Founders Club Fresh Metal Fairway Woods come in 18, 24,27, 30 and 36 degrees of loft so you have plenty of options. But they all feature stainless steel club heads and graphite shafts so the momentum you get from them is more than adequate.

This is good news for beginners who are trying to get their swing speeds up. The Founders Club Fresh Metal Fairway Woods even feature half cord grips so you get great feel and control with these clubs. The Founders Club Fresh Metal Fairway Woods also come in regular or senior flex.

But perhaps the most helpful aspect of these fairway woods is of the offset head design. This feature will help new players get squarer with the ball and prevent dreaded slices.

The Founders Club Fresh Metal Fairway Woods are standard 41.25 inches long so they will fit players of varying heights. Most of our testers were between 5’6” and 6’1” and they all said that they felt comfortable swinging with this club.

And the price is something that all beginner players will love. You can get this club for as little as $50 to $55. And while this certainly isn’t the most accurate fairway wood, you do get the distance you need from a club like this.

Again, this is a good club for a beginner who is not so much focused on strategic lies and approaches as they are with getting the ball down the fairway.

Tech

• Slightly Offset To Help Hook Or Slice
• Thin Stainless Steel Face For Higher Ball Speeds
• High MOI Shape
• Back Tungsten Weighting

Lofts

• 18 – 33 Degrees

Flex

• Regular
• Senior

Pros And Cons Of The Founders Club Woods

Pros:

•       One of the most affordable clubs on our list

•       Helps new players get the ball down the fairway in a hurry

•       Feels pretty good on the swing and upon impact

Cons:

•       Definitely not for more advanced players

•       Probably won’t last for more than a few years

Overall Rating: 86/100

Check Out More Reviews Here:

Summing it all Up

In our list of the best affordable fairway woods, we tried to highlight products that are suited for a variety of players’ needs. Whether you are a beginner or competitive player, we think you will find a quality club here on our list.

Of course, price was a determining factor when choosing which clubs we tested and reviewed and all of the clubs mentioned above needed to provide good value to cost balance: and they certainly succeeded in that department.

But if we had to suggest one that was overall the best, we would have to go with the 2018 Cobra Golf Men’s King F8 Fairway Nardo. It had great features that would be a benefit for most players of any skill level.

But you can’t go wrong with any of the products on our list so long as you practice a bit of self-awareness. Know what your game needs and try out some of the woods on our list!