I bought my first driver around level 50 and my first set of irons were the level 59 Pings. The longer driver is necessary because, as you mentioned, on some holes you no longer reach the fairway once you get moved back on the tee box. It only gets worse at tier Legend and so forth.
Watch some videos on your phone. I play them silently while watching tv or paying bills. There's an easy 150 credits per day which is over 1000 per week. Doesn't take long to afford the best clubs and balls, for your level, to compete with those higher leveled players. Good Luck!