Best value for serious beginners

I sent this set to my college student son for him to use with his friends on the banks of the Charles in Cambridge. The criteria were: inexpensive (<$100), quality good enough for a serious game and for skill development over several years' of use, lightweight enough to be carried for a mile or two, shippable (Amazon ships this item from Target; it cannot be ordered online and shipped directly from Target, however). My son and his engineer friends are gear freaks, very critical and demanding. I examined reviews for every set offered on Amazon and other sporting goods sites and chose this one, even among those priced closer to $100. It was an excellent choice. The guys are very pleased and my hyper-evaluative son said, "This is amazing quality for the price." If you were picking up bocce at a seriously competitive level (league play), this would not be the set for you. If you were buying something for your under-ten kids to play with in the backyard, you could go with something cheaper. But for adult play at the serious-but-not-competitive level, for use several times/year as opposed to every week, this is the one to choose. My research showed me that weight and quality (and therefore price and, negatively, portability) are highly correlated. A set with good value, therefore, is weighty for its price in comparison with others. Lighter weight balls will also be affected by the lumpiness of non-court play sites, so you should probably go for the heaviest set you can afford and carry.