Reddit mentions of Taylor Made Tour Preferred CB Iron Set 4-PW+GW (STEEL XP, STIFF)

This is gonna be fun. :D

Start with the irons. They're the most important part of your bag, as you'll be using them on virtually 95% of all holes you play. Given that you don't want GI irons, I have a perfect suggestion that is still moderately cheap and newb-friendly: TaylorMade CB Forged. Approximately $550 for a solid, NEW set of forged irons. They're technically Cavity Back, which means they're technically GI irons, but they barely fit the bill. If you're uncomfortable with even the small amount of GI they offer, I suggest Mizuno MP-59's or the TaylorMade MB's. Either way, if you're going for a forged set, expect to pay nearly $1000 for them if they're new. Sorry, there's not much around it.

The second most important part of your game are your wedges. It's not necessary to get a full set of three, but I'd suggest at least two, a 54 or 56 and a 58 or 60. Virtually everyone suggests Titleist Vokeys, which will run you about $130 each, but you can pick up a Scratch Golf wedge set for $169, which comes with three wedges (you can also buy them seperately for around $60 each, if you prefer).

After that, I'd probably grab a cheapish 3w. Luckily, the RBZ line is quickly dropping in price. Here's a RBZ 3w for $180. Some people might shy away from the RBZ or Burner SF lines because of the clubs specs, but they're great clubs and come with a great price tag.

Outside of that, go out and find a putter under $100 that feels good in your hands, is aesthetically pleasing, and just gives you that feeling of confidence on the putting green. Even if it's just the practice green at your local superstore. I snagged a TaylorMade TM-180 for $70 and absolutely love it. Took me from about 2.4 ppr to about 1.9 literally overnight. Confidence on the green is everything.

Drivers are the tricky part, since there's so much to them. Unless you have a very fast swing speed (which you should be getting fitted, so you'll find out), I wouldn't suggest anything under a 10.5. 9.0, 9.5 are for people that really hit the ball hard, and are designed for maximum distance. However, if you can't compress the ball well enough through clubhead speed, you're going to lose yardage with the 9 or 9.5 compared to the 10.5 or even HT (high trajectory) drivers.

As for brands for drivers, as long as you're buying a known name, I wouldn't worry about it. TaylorMade, Callaway, Titleist, Ping, Cleveland Golf, Adams - they all make great products. Even Mizuno makes good drivers, though nobody plays them. Drivers are mostly preference, what you hit well. Some people hate white drivers (TaylorMade Burner SF 2.0, RBZ or R11), some people love them. Some hate black, others love black.

One thing I will suggest with all of your clubs is to test everything extensively. I'm talking like ludicrously extensive. I was dreaming about different golf clubs for awhile. Loved every minute of it. When you go in for your clubs, tell them you want to be fitted for them. You'll get a huge discount on the fitting process if you're buying their clubs, usually, and it's something you need to do, regardless of what clubs you get.

I'm also going to say this, right now - unless you're looking to buy used, you WILL spend well over $1000. I've spent right at $1000 on my bag currently for the irons, putter, driver, 3w and bag. I still need wedges and a rescue hybrid. And I went cheap on irons ($400 for the Burner 2.0's), cheap on the woods (Burner SF 2.0 driver and 3w, $170 and $150 respectively), and got a refurb putter in mint condition for $70. It's craigslist, a lot of luck on ebay or a bigger pricetag, my friend. And here's my advice - don't skimp on your clubs, and save your receipts.