Most of us are watching our pennies this holiday season – count the renewed focus on family rather than gift-giving as an upside to the Great Recession – but if you happen to have a golfer on your to-shop-for list, a little something to fuel his or her passion for the Royal & Ancient game will be much appreciated.

In no particular order, here are some ideas from the Golf Examiner to consider:

• Certainly easiest and most practical is a gift certificate from one of the big retailers like Edwin Watts, Golf Galaxy or The Golf Warehouse. That way the recipient can stock up on whatever they need – tees, socks, shoes, gloves, balls – or put it toward the new club they’ve been eyeballing.

As for the latest and greatest” in clubs, here are four suggestions:

It isn't scheduled to hit retailers until February, but Nike's Method putter ($250) already has created a buzz with its technology story. The groove design on this milled putter – developed at "The Oven" in Austin, Texas, where Nike's R&D staff cooks up new products – is supposed to reduce the skidding effect on the ball as it leaves the clubface. The combination of polymer grooves on the metal face creates "bite" at impact, thus reducing backspin and creating a truer forward roll. Stewart Cink, Lucas Glover and Paul Casey used the Method on the PGA Tour in 2009, giving it credit for improved putting stats. The Method comes in five models. "This is a big deal for us," says Tom Stites, Nike's chief designer. "It's a big statement club."

TaylorMade intends to take advantage of new rules regulating groove design with its TP line of wedges featuring xFT – "Exchangeable Face Technology."  These wedges ($160) have interchangeable faces that can be removed or secured with the same kind of locking mechanisms used to manipulate the weighting of TaylorMade drivers. Savvy golfers likely will be stocking up on wedges in 2010, because manufacturers will be prohibited by the U.S. Golf Association and the R&A from making clubs with current high-spin groove designs after next year.

Batavia, Ill.-based TourEdge Golf has something of a cult following, especially for the fairway metalwoods in its Exotics line. The clubs have gained respectable usage on professional tours even though the company does not pay for endorsements. The 2009 XCGV models are $250, but you can find last year’s hot XCG model for $200 at the various national retailers.

I hesitate to recommend one brand of clubs over another – the variables of appeal and functionality to each individual golfer are infinite – but I love the look of the new Ping G15 hybrid ($159). Ping makes five models of hybrids; the G15 is a low-spin model with five loft options that is shaped more like a driving iron, with an iron-style face and hosel design.

• It may not fit in a box, but a series of lessons from a qualified teaching professional is the golf gift that will keep on giving.  Go to PGA.com, the official Web site of the PGA of America, and use its PGA PROFINDER section (middle of home page) to locate a certified instructor in your area. For beginners, there’s an innovative new nationwide program called GetGolfReady, which offers five introductory golf sessions for $99.

• Tired of clubs, shoes and accessories cluttering the garage or utility room? You could use an organizer rack. They cost from $90 for metal versions to $120 for wood.

• Is someone on your list into golf books? Check out these three, all available on Amazon.com:

Sports Illustrated's The Golf Book ($20) is a lavish, informative and entertaining coffee table adornment – just what you'd expect from the folks at SI. Terrific photos and eclectic excerpts from writers such as Herbert Warren Wind, Bernard Darwin, Grantland Rice, Bobby Jones (yes, that Bobby Jones), George Plimpton, Dan Jenkins and Rick Reilly. The spread on Donald Trump is jarringly out of place, but the golf jokes from each era are just as amusing as The Donald's hairpiece.

Dave Pelz's Damage Control ($23) stands apart among instruction books. In his trademark analytical fashion, short-game guru Pelz advises readers "how to save up to five shots per round using all-new, scientifically proven techniques for playing out of trouble lies." With superb illustrations, the book is as much about weighing risk and potential outcome (using "Damage Controller" visualization) as it is about technique. It should be useful to golfers of all skill levels.

OK, by listing the USA Today Golfers Encyclopedia I'm making a shameless plug for a reference book I co-authored with Sal Johnson of GolfObserver.com. It's not for everyone – 960 pages of statistics on more than 1,500 pro golfers and 2,300 tournaments played on the PGA Tour since 1958 – but there's nothing else like it in print, and it's great for settling bets at the 19th hole. Plus, you can't beat the price, $2 on Amazon.

• If you have a junior golfer in the family who aspires to play the game in college, sign him or her up for the online Ping American College Golf Guide or TourResourceCenter.com. Both offer comprehensive information about how to prepare for college golf and navigate progressively higher level competitive landscapes. The basic Ping guide is $20, although packages with additional information are available for $40 and $80. Memberships to TourResourceCenter.com range from $30 to $45.

• Intrepid golfers who enjoy taking on the elements will appreciate ColdGear compression undershirts and leggings by UnderArmour. Gone are the days of donning bulky layers to stay warm; these high-tech fabrics are light, toasty and offer unrestricted movement. This stuff isn’t cheap – $50 for the least expensive undershirt and $55 for leggings – but they’re well worth the investment for anyone who plays year-round.

* For the golfer who has everything – or someone whose office is decorated in a golf motif – Golf Links To The Past, an antiques and collectibles dealer, has a large selection of artwork, books, photos, ceramics trophies and ephemera. It's flagship shop is at Pebble Beach.

• You can’t go wrong with golf balls; golfers always need them because they inevitably lose them. There are at least a dozen reputable brands – the best known are Titleist, Bridgestone, Callaway, Nike and Srixon – each with several models ranging in price from $15 to $40 per dozen. Before you buy, it's important to snoop around and find out what kind of golf ball your gift recipient prefers. (Check the pockets of his golf bag while he's out shoveling snow.) Shop online at Golf Galaxy, The Golf Warehouse or Edwin Watts.

• Need a stocking stuffer?  Impact tape. These self adhesive strips attach to the clubfaceand and reveal exactly where the golfer makes contact with the ball. Packages are $8 at Edwin Watts and $10 at Golf Galaxy.

Lastly, if you don't have an Edwin Watts or Golf Galaxy in your area but there is a Dick's Sporting Goods nearby, you're in luck. Among the big general sports retailers, Dick's has by far the best golf shop.

FOR MORE GIFT IDEAS, check out last year's Examiner guide. Prices should be about the same on everything, with the exception of a couple of special offers.