Holiday gift suggestions for golfers

The 3-pound Sun Mountain Swift X carry bag.

There’s no shortage of holiday gift ideas for the golfers on your list. Considering the tight budgets many of us have imposed this year, the better news is that golf gifts run the gamut when it comes to price.

Options abound at mega golf retailers such as Golf Galaxy, Edwin Watts, The Golf Warehouse, PGA Tour Stop, GolfSmith and Dick’s Sporting Goods. They all offer online shopping, typically advising that orders be made by mid-December to ensure delivery before Christmas.

One word of advice: Don’t give golf clubs. Clubs should be fitted, using specific shafts and lie angles to accommodate individual swing characteristics. Performance features are pretty much the same among brands, meaning golfers will pick something that suits their eye. Giving a club or clubs as a gift leaves too much to chance.

Instead, get a gift certificate from a golf retailer; $125 will cover the cost of a new wedge; $120-$350 will buy a name-brand putter; $400 typically will fetch the latest top-of-the line driver (older models that perform just as well go for $300 or less); full sets of top brand irons will set you back $600 to $1,000, depending on model and set configuration.

Recently I took my notebook to the PGA Tour Stop in St. Augustine, Fla., and the Edwin Watts super store in Orlando. Here’s what grabbed my attention, listed according to price:

FootJoy enables you to display your allegiance.

Stocking stuffers:

• Sharpies to mark golf balls. A four-pack goes for $7.
• A clean clubface means cleaner contact. A groove brush that clips onto your golf bag can be had for $3. Another option at Edwin Watts is the E-Z Brush with retractable cord for $6.

• Golfers can’t have enough tees. A package of 100 is $4 at Watts.

• Three Stooges golfing coffee mug, $9 at Tour Stop.

• Datrek college logo hat-clip ball marker, $8.50 at Tour Stop.

$10 to $50:

• If you’re looking to give golf balls, be advised: Golfers are picky about what balls they use. Sneak a peek into the recipient’s bag and see what’s in there. Be prepared to pay $40 to $45 per dozen for premium models.

• I’m not big on golf instruction books, but the Dave Pelz Short Game Bible, published in 2000, is an exception. It’s $35 at Watts.

• If Santa wants to introduce a little one to golf, consider a training club by U.S Kids Golf ($25). They come in a variety of lengths and feature a molded grip that teaches the correct way to hold a golf club.

• For those who live the golf lifestyle to extremes, their bathroom can be accessorized  with a Clubhouse Collection golf mosaic soap dish ($10), matching toothbrush holder ($15), tissue holder ($25) or wall clock ($50). They’re all in the home section at Tour Stop.

• College mascot head cover by Datrek, $30.

• A pair of rain gloves is indispensable to avid golfers. FootJoy Rain Grip gloves are $20 at Tour Stop.

• Golfers in northern climes who don’t mind cold weather will appreciate a pair of FootJoy Winter Soft gloves ($20).

$50 to $100:

• Give the gift that keeps on giving and purchase a gift certificate for lessons from a PGA of America professional. You can locate a local instructor on PGA.com.
• Is there a fashion plate on your gift list? A white Nike G-Flex belt goes for $50 at the Tour Stop.

• Under Armour is the trendy apparel brand these days. Women’s Heat Gear shorts go for $50; skorts are $65; Capri pants $70; shirts $60.
• Training aids can be iffy, for no other reason than what works for one golfer may not help another. But if you want to give something that’s useful to most players, try the Putting Arc ($59 for the plastic MSIII model; $79 for the wooden Deluxe).

Rare find: A helpful instruction book.

$100 to $250:

• Distance measuring devices and hand-held GPS units have gained popularity since golf’s ruling bodies, the USGA and the R&A, agreed a couple of years ago to amend the Rules of Golf and allow certain devices for use in competition. The product category leader is Bushnell, which offers its new Yardage Pro GPS for $200, plus a $35 annual fee to download information on nearly 17,000 courses. (Meaning you really only have to spend the $35 one time.) The unit is elegant in its simplicity, providing easy-to-read yardages to front, middle and center of the green.

• If you want the golfer in your life to enjoy the sport’s fitness benefits, get him/her a light carry bag to encourage walking. The Sun Mountain Swift X bag weighs 3 pounds and goes for $130. (If the gift recipient prefers vanity branding, a nearly identical Titleist logoed model can be had for $135.) The Ping Freestyle stand bag has a few more features; it’s $169.

• U.S. Kids Golf makes excellent starter sets for youngsters; five clubs and a bag for $109 to $149, depending on club length.

• Because of the vagaries of fitting among manufacturers, buying golf shoes as a gift can be dicey. But the FootJoy Contour Series with team logos – NFL, Major League Baseball and major colleges – on the side of the shoe are cool enough to take the $150 gamble.

• Frequent travelers agree that Club Glove makes the most durable golf club travel bags. The Burst Proof model ($179) is designed to accommodate a carry bag full of clubs but little else.

$250 to $500:

• Bushnell (see above) has new versions of its compact Tour V2 range finder. It’s now is available with slope measurement, which factors elevation changes. That makes it non-conforming for competition, but extremely handy for club selection during practice rounds. The conforming V2 is $350; the V2 Slope Edition is $400.

• Decent Gortex rain gear. Golfers don’t often need it, but they’re awfully glad to have “waterproofs” (as they’re known in the UK) when nasty weather moves in. DryJoys rain pants and matching jacket are $290 at Edwin Watts.

• As noted above, Club Glove travel bags are preferred by globe-trotting golfers. The Last Bag model goes for $269, and has the capacity for clubs, shoes and dirty laundry.

Immune to/unfazed by economy:

• For those undaunted by inclement weather, or golfers who frequent Ireland or Scotland, a high-end Gortex rain suit is a must. The good ones aren’t cheap: Rain pants and a jacket with detachable sleeves by Zero Restriction go for $584 at Edwin Watts (plus $40 if you want a matching bucket cap). But if you’ve ever been soaked to the bone wearing a cheaper model, you know it’s worth the investment to get the good stuff.

• This may take a personal assistant to coordinate, but Pinehurst Resort is offering the “Buddy Trip of a Lifetime” for $2,300 (single room) or $2,800 (double room) per person. The group must have at least eight players. The package includes three days and two nights in the Villa accommodations on property; unlimited golf, including a round on famed No. 2 (with caddies); breakfast and dinner each day; access to the Pinehurst Spa; courtesy car; other assorted perks.

• A quick Google search revealed dozens of golf courses for sale across the country, ranging from $595,000 for a 9-hole facility in western New York to $16.5 million for an upscale 18-hole layout in the Florida panhandle.

Happy holidays – it’s a buyer’s market!