Updated January 5, 2023. This article was thoroughly audited by multiple golf experts and coaches for its accuracy. You can read more about our rigorous testing protocol here.
The Rundown:
Best Overall: TaylorMade GAPR
“Offering unreal forgiveness and a loft sleeve to adjust the flight of shots, the TaylorMade GAPR is a great choice if you’re looking for the best utility irons. With exceptional ball speeds, ultra low center of gravity, and three different loft options, this iron is a great buy!”
Best Value Option: Lazrus Driving Iron
“Looking for the best value? The Lazrus won’t disappoint. Despite its affordable price point, it offers high performance, forgiveness, and high-quality shots.“
Best Forged Option For Experienced Players: TaylorMade P790 UDI
“With a forged hollow body construction, the TaylorMade P790 UDI can deliver power to the golf ball. It’s also foam injected for better damping and reduced vibration perfect for low handicappers and better players!”
A utility iron, or a driving iron as some golfers call them, offer an alternative club for the tee box and fairways.
With an ability to launch the ball with authority and low spin, the utility iron is easier to hit for better players, but that doesn’t mean that mid and high handicappers should dismiss the alternative option immediately.
For golfers looking to upgrade their game, a utility iron provides forgiveness, high ball speed, and low launch angle for extra distance.
We’ve assembled a list of nine of the best utility irons in 2023 so you can pick the right one for you. Each offers forgiving impact, penetrating ball flight, and marvelous club speed.
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Last updated on 2023-03-29. The links are affiliate links. Product images are served from Amazon Product Advertising API.
Table of Contents
9 Best Utility Irons of 2023
Here are the best utility irons:
- Best Overall Utility Iron: TaylorMade GAPR
- Best Value: Lazrus Driving Iron
- Best Forged Option For Experienced Players: TaylorMade P790 UDI
- Exceptional Blade-Style Utility Iron Option: Srixon Z U85
- Best High Launch Utility Iron Option: Cleveland Launcher UHX
- Best Low Profile Utility Iron Option: TaylorMade SIM MAX Utility
- Best Forgiveness Forged Utility Iron Option: Callaway X Forged
- Best Contact Quality Option: Cobra King Utility
- Most Balanced Utility Iron: Srixon ZX Utility Iron
TaylorMade GAPR
Best Utility Iron Option
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KEY FEATURES
- Exceptional ball speeds on shot after shot
- Ultra low center of gravity in hollow body design for better shot height
- Three different loft options for higher launch
Our choice for the best overall utility iron option is the adjustable GAPR from TaylorMade. The utility iron offers a loft sleeve to adjust the flight of shots and unreal forgiveness. For advanced players, the iron provides a clear tool for hitting more fairways on average, especially if they are struggling with consistency from their driver on the tee box.
The long, low profile of the GAPR is accented by the hollow construction that keeps the swing light and quick.
There are three different lie angle options, including a very solid 21 degree option that mimics a 4-iron.
A great buy for a well-made alternative club for the tee box or from the fairways, the TaylorMade GAPR is one of the best utility irons on the market.
Lazrus Driving Iron
Best Value Utility Irons Option
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KEY FEATURES
- Affordable price point with high performance
- Cavity-back appearance provides forgiveness and high-quality shots
- Great for mid and high handicappers needing flexibility in their bag
From Lazrus comes the best value option, Lazrus Driving Iron, as their driving irons offer premium distance with solid contact. The golf club, shaped like a game-improvement, cavity-back utility iron is great from the fairway.
The Lazrus is a solid buy for inexperienced players that would like to get their toes wet with playing with a utility iron.
Offering a forgiving face, the Lazrus also provides clean contact with a wide hit zone along the face.
A great addition to the golf bag, the driving club from Lazrus is a forgiving, game-improvement iron for mid-range handicaps.
TaylorMade P790 UDI
Best Forged Option For Experienced Players
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KEY FEATURES
- Forged hollow construction in the body delivers power to the golf ball
- Foam injected for better damping and reduced vibration
- Great for low handicappers and better players
For a forged utility iron, the team at TaylorMade has created a real winner with the P790 UDI. With a low profile tungsten weighting powering each hit, this club utilizes a hollow body that offers forgiveness.
The craftsmanship of this UDI is unmatched. The Speed Pocket technology located behind the face powers the golf ball with unreal flexibility. The utility iron is a bit on the expensive side, but with its ball speed and its hit quality, the product is first-rate.
Great for the bag of any experienced golfer, the P790 UDI utility iron is a charmer worth your attention deserving of its spot as one of the best utility irons.
Srixon Z U85
Exceptional Blade-Style Option
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KEY FEATURES
- Hollow construction keeps the Srixon lightweight and strong
- Forged steel carbon body provides distance and higher launch
- Low center of gravity offers excellent shot quality
The Srixon Z U85 is great on the golf course, offering a combination of length and consistency. While the U85 has a forged look, the utility iron has a lower half hollow cavity that improves lift and creates more height.
For weekend warriors that need more carry, the Srixon offers two different lofts, including a 3-iron option that is set at 20 degrees.
An affordable buy, the Z U85 delivers distance and control, a great dual asset for players looking to lower their handicap and make the jump to the next skill level.
A well-crafted blade utility iron, the Srixon Z U85 offers modern innovative technology with muscle.
Cleveland Launcher UHX
Best High Launch Option
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KEY FEATURES
- Forged steel construction offers more distance and forgiveness
- Hollow construction boosts penetrating ball flight for better players
- Three different loft options provide lower spin
Another outstanding buy from Cleveland, the Launcher UHX is a dynamic utility iron that offers control and power with each swing. The Launcher has the body of well-made cavity-back irons, but with the lie angle and shot shaping ability of a utility.
The Cleveland product shines from the thin turf in the middle of the course. With a crispness that is hard to find in other utility options, the Launcher UHX creates a tall shot arc that does not disappoint.
A great addition to the bag as one of the best utility irons at an incredibly reasonable price, the Launcher UHX is made for a better player that wants more from his equipment when playing.
TaylorMade SIM MAX Utility
Best Low Profile Option
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KEY FEATURES
- Great for better player and experienced golfers
- Forged face increases ball speed with minimal effort
- Wide face offers wide hitting area with moderate loft
From TaylorMade comes the SIM MAX utility iron. The utility iron is a real pleaser, offering crisp strikes from either the tee box or from the fairways. Regardless of where you use this terrific golf product, the SIM MAX delivers the goods, providing extended yardage with every swing.
The club’s wide sole and hollow area behind the hitting area increases flexibility and forgiveness at impact. The SIM MAX works well when you take a shallow divot because it keeps the ball on the center of the hitting area where the production is unmatched.
The TaylorMade SIM MAX is a first-rate utility iron and a worthwhile buy at its price point.
Callaway X Forged
Best Forgiveness Forged Option
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KEY FEATURES
- Exceptional ball speed with smooth hybrid-like feel at impact
- Feels like long irons with increased swing speed
- Four different loft options for various shot height and shot angles
The Callaway X Forged is the best forgiveness option on our list of the best utility irons, offering a blade-style look with shotmaking quality of a cavity-back product.
The Callaway model is incredibly precise, even from long distances, you’ll find that the utility gets the golf ball close to your intended target.
There are four different lofts with the X Forged, each offering different flight and length. For weekend warriors that want shot shaping ability, the X Forged doesn’t disappoint from long range distances. Each hit of the golf ball is crisp with the Callaway X Forged making it a solid buy and well worth the higher-tier price.
Cobra King Utility
Best Contact Quality Option
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KEY FEATURES
- Tall face offers wide hitting area for increased ball speeds
- Available with graphite and steel shaft options
- Tungsten weighting provides shot balance
The Cobra King Utility Iron is a dynamic option for advanced players that need more power on the golf ball. The Cobra King offers a crispness seen with high irons, despite the difference in lie angle.
Another one that has a bigger cavity along the sole, the Cobra product delivers higher flight than other best utility irons. Having a taller arc makes this utility among the best for increasing carry and adding length to your golf game.
The Cobra King Utility Iron is a solid buy with a price point that does stay around the top of the market. But the price is well worth it due to the club’s overall performance and production.
Srixon ZX Utility Iron
Most Balanced Utility Iron
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KEY FEATURES
- Clean topline with clear look at the golf ball at address
- Hollow design minimizes weight and boosts forgiveness
- Tungsten tow weighing raises MOI for better stability
Alongside Srixon’s outstanding ZX iron set comes a utility iron with a similar profile and comparable performance. Anchored with a tungsten toe weight, the ZX Utility Iron provides exceptional balance across the entire hitting area.
Helping increase distance is a hollow design that reduces weight and elevates club speed. With the compact face, the hollow cavity in the clubhead also offers outstanding forgiveness.
Another benefit provided by the design of the iron is minimal twisting as the club’s high MOI helps enhance ball speed with an even touch.
The utility iron works great on the tee box or from the fairway, offering piercing flight that provides marvelous accuracy for advanced players.
A sturdy, well-made utility iron for low handicappers, the Srixon ZX Utility Iron provides terrific performance in a sleek package.
Things You Need to Consider Before Buying the Best Utility Irons
Adjustability
While adjustability is common in most modern drivers, for utility irons, very few offer customization. For the best utility irons that do offer customization, you will typically first see a loft sleeve.
Another possible feature you can find on an adjustable utility is a removable weight. Since most modern irons like this have a hollow interior, the weight can provide balance and power at impact.
Golfers like Tiger Woods play driving irons like the GAPR that offers the full suite of adjustable features. The GAPR has a sleeve that can add or subtract launch from the face as well as a low sole weight that keeps the club grounded through the impact zone.
For serious golfers, the adjustability option can help shape shots off the tee box and from fairways with authority.
Loft
The launch angle of utility irons is typically low, around the equivalent of a 3-iron or 4-iron. You will also find a similar lie angle on clubs, such as a 3-wood. These clubs offer premium distance with a compact hitting area. While it isn’t as easy to hit as a hybrid, these clubs offer a smooth hit quality that accents forgiveness and swing speed with the lower launch angle that experienced golfers prefer.
Since these clubs have the launch of long irons, the lie angle is shallow. That detail can be problematic for inexperienced golfers who don’t quite understand how their swing and its attack angle matter when it comes time to hit the golf ball.
Shaft
For utility irons, the shaft of the club can be either stainless steel or graphite.
The benefit of using a stainless steel shaft includes reproducing the similar feel and response of the remainder of the set that the golfer uses regularly. The steel shaft is heavier, which may cost the golfer a bit of distance and forgiveness with their swing, but it does provide reliability and a firmer feel at impact.
Graphite shafts are lighter than steel, making them better for golfers that need more swing velocity to increase distance. Clubs with graphite shaft are ideal for players that are struggling with losing club speed. So while these players might prefer using a hybrid here, a well-made utility with the launch angle of a 2-iron or even a 4-iron, can provide a new method for playing golf.
Long Irons vs Utility Irons
Traditional long irons will usually parrot the style of the set it belongs to, while the utility is its own beast entirely. Since a typical set has many irons, each with a specific purpose, they have different face angles for a variety of launch degrees and spin.
There is little distance gap between the two styles of clubs and dependent upon the number of the long irons, you can expect similar yardage from either of these clubs.
Utility irons made by companies like Tour Edge and specific ones, like the Titleist U500, offer the similar shape and style of an utility iron.
For high-quality shots, the launch angle of a utility can provide the length and shot shaping that most traditional irons carry so the golfer can attack the hole.
Hybrids vs Utility Irons
When looking at hybrid clubs versus utility irons, the difference revolves around turf interaction. When we talk about how clubs interact with the turf, we are referring to how crisp the contact is as the iron enters the turf.
Hybrids have a wide sole that is usually rounded so it can glide across the turf and into the golf ball. Because the swing path is rounded and the profile of the face is shallow, the hybrid moves directly into the lower half of the ball. These shots come out high and fast off the face with a smooth impact that is great for inexperienced golfers.
Utility irons have the look and feel of long irons, so they must be used differently than hybrids. Since they take a divot, the attack angle is sharper and the swing is not as rounded as a hybrid.
Fairway Woods vs Utility Irons
While they may share the same lie angle on the face, there are several noticeable differences between secondary woods and utility irons. The alternate wood offers a low profile with a wide face that helps with forgiveness when hitting the ball off-center. Irons, such as the ones made by Tour Edge with a 2-iron profile, offer smaller margins of error, so the swing must be more precise.
A fairway wood provide the benefit of generating incredible ball speeds to create the distance necessary to reach the green on long par 5s. While the same is true of utility irons, the wood use a rounded sole that slides easily along the turf to create clean contact with the golf ball.
Either is a great option to use if distance is needed with high ball flight, but the difficulty of hitting the utility must be considered before playing the club.
Questions & Answers
What is the most forgiving utility iron?
The most forgiving utility iron on our list is the Callaway X Forged Utility Iron. Available in 3-through 6-iron, the X Forged series of utility irons offer golfers a wide, accommodating sweet spot with exceptional forgiveness that does not lose ball speed while keeping the shot heading toward its intended target.
A tour-quality club, the X Forged provides golfers with a marvelous weapon in attacking greens from long distances. Rather than reaching for a fairway wood or hybrid, golfers can use the X Forged from longer distances, helping them to reach the green on daunting par 5s where the second shot distance exceeds 225 yards.
Another benefit of the Callaway utility iron is the low, piercing ball flight that keeps shots under the wind for more accurate shots that find the green with consistency. With the shallower lofts, the X Forged drives the ball with authority, making the club a great asset on the tee box when facing a tight fairway or small opening to reach the fairway.
Behind the face, a tungsten-infused insert stabilizes the hitting area by boosting MOI and offering maximum control. The hollow body of the club head also increases forgiveness by adding flexibility to the club face.
Another popular Callaway feature, the 360 Face Cup, makes an appearance on the X Forged iron. The 360 Face Cup increases shot speed without losing accuracy, even on off-center strikes, making it one of the most reliable utility irons on the market today.
Yes, this iron is not ideal for high handicappers or beginning golfers, but for experienced players and serious weekend warriors, the Callaway X Forged offers impressive turf interaction, exceptional launch, and the piercing ball flight that defies wind and stays the target line for awesome accuracy.
What is the best driving iron?
Our choice for the best driving iron is the TaylorMade GAPR MID utility iron. Designed to fill the yardage left between the first iron and last hybrid, the GAPR MID comes in several different loft options to help golfers find the right club to bridge the gap.
The MID comes with three loft options, running from 18-degrees of loft to 24-degrees.
Providing ultra-low CG, the GAPR MID also delivers high launch with a mid-to-high trajectory that lands softly near the target.
Utility irons offer golfers the look of an iron with the feel of a fairway wood. The club’s medium-wide sole creates easy contact with exceptional turf interaction.
Easily one of the best features of the GAPR MID is the Thru-Slot Speed Pocket. Popular on just about all TaylorMade woods, hybrids, and irons, the Speed Pocket increases launch and swing speed.
The improved energy provided by the Speed Pocket is directed straight to the golf ball for extra-long distance and improved accuracy.
The hollow body of the GAPR MID utilizes a proprietary SpeedFoam technology that fills in the interior of the club head. The SpeedFoam reduces vibration and improves feel and response.
A very forgiving club, the GAPR MID redirects off-center strikes to help you reduce the penalty of wayward shots, keeping you closer to the cup to save par or go for birdie.
The forgiving nature of the club also finds a boost with the adjustable loft sleeve. The sleeve allows golfers to dial in the right lie angle, loft degree, and trajectory for unmatched customizable shotmaking.
For mid handicappers, the GAPR MID provides an exceptional option for adding a club that provides impressive workability from the fairway and tee box.
Can high handicappers use utility irons?
Yes, high handicappers can use utility irons, but they first need to understand how difficult the iron will be to hit initially. The primary reason why utility irons remain one of the most difficult clubs to hit is due to the shape of the blade and the loft of the face.
High handicappers will find the best avenue for success with a utility iron if they get the highest lofted model possible. Most utility irons come with a comparable loft to a 2-iron through a 4-iron. For these golfers, the 4-iron option, running at 24-degrees of loft offers the best combination.
Advanced golfers use utility irons in a variety of ways from the tee box to the fairway on longer par 5s, the unique club allows low handicappers to get the distance of a wood with the accuracy of a mid-range iron.
Some adventurous golfers use utility irons just off the green as a chipping iron, something that high handicappers could employ on the course with success. By using the utility iron like a putter, amateurs can find better consistency with their bump and run chip shots.
Another factor that helps high handicappers considering the use of utility irons is an adjustable loft sleeve. Much like the sleeves you would find on drivers, today’s top club manufacturers have incorporated a loft sleeve in their utility irons to adjust lie and loft angle.
Having the ability to customize the face of utility irons and test the club on the course and range can dramatically increase the chances that a high handicapper can discover an iron that works incredibly well for their game.
Great for using on the tee box when needing to hit the fairway on a tight par 4 or from the light rough on a par 5, well-made utility irons can help high handicappers looking to take their game to the next level.
What is the utility of a utility iron?
Golfers use their utility irons in a variety of ways on the links. From the tee box to the fairway, and even on the green, professionals and amateurs alike utilize this special club to increase accuracy, boost distance, and create better consistency in their short game.
When facing a tough par 4 with a tight fairway, utility irons provide golfers with a capable combination of distance and accuracy. Especially when using a utility iron with more loft, the club can offer more flexibility with crisper contact over traditional long irons.
The utility iron’s wider sole and forgiving nature also helps redirect shots that leak toward the toe at impact. Rather than hitting a high slice with a fairway wood, the iron keeps the ball lower creating more forward roll after the ball lands on the short grass.
On moderate par 5s, utility irons provide a dependable option for reaching the green in two shots. For golfers that feel secure in using the 2-iron lofted utility iron, the distance provided is an excellent weapon for obtaining a lower score.
The utility iron’s shape and sole increase turf interaction similarly when compared to a hybrid, but the iron adds workability that a hybrid lacks, allowing golfers to create their desired shot shape into the green.
While utility irons typically have the reputation of being a club for the fairway and tee box, some golfers love the versatility of the club around the putting surface. Shaped similarly to a blade putter, golfers use utility irons with a putting-style stroke to chip the ball onto the green.
For golfers that regularly work on their short game, utility irons provide another tool that offers more run, great when facing a chip shot with a long area of putting surface that leads to the cup.