Even with all the golf gear and golf-themed gifts out there, buying for golfers can be tricky. So much of the really good golf gear is prohibitively expensive and if you know next to nothing about the sport, it’s hard to pick out a club or even training aids. If you’re looking for unqiue golf gift ideas that won’t break the bank or end up forgotten in the back of the closest, here are some ideas to get you started.
Golf gear organizer
Help your golfer keep their gear in order on the way to the green with a golf gear car trunk organizer. The simpler ones are usually one-level rubber boxes with compartments for essentials like balls, tees, and golf shoes. More elaborate golf gear organizers are two-level zippered cases with movable dividers and mesh pockets for just about any kind of gear a golfer might have. They’re an affordable gift, too: www.dickssportinggoods.com carries a Samsonite golf gear trunk organizer for around $30. If you live with a golfer and you’re getting tired of golf gear cluttering up the closets, a standing golf gear organizer will be a gift for both of you. The golf gear organizer at www.thegolfcollection.com is a little pricy, but will hold enough gear for two.
A Birdieball
Looks like a napkin ring, flies like a golf ball. The Birdieball is a golf swing training “ball” that acts just like a golf ball when in flight, but flies no farther than 40 yards. Unlike other training balls, this one gives the golfer the solid feel of hitting a real golf ball. Because it’s made out of lightweight polymer, if it should happen to hit a window, unless it’s at close range, the Birdieball will bounce of f with no harm done.
The Practice Stick
To “shag” golf balls means to pick them up from the practice area, usually by collecting them in a “shag bag.” There are a few different golf ball shagger designs out there, but most require the golfer to stoop down to pick up each ball. The Practice Stick Golf Ball Shagger is different. This clear tube lets the golfer pick up, carry, and release up to 24 balls without ever having to bend the knees or back. They’re available through www.golfcircuit.com and elsewhere online.
At-home practice gear
The area of at-home training gear is a great source of unique golf gift ideas. One particularly useful piece of gear is a chipping net. These nets help golfers practice chips, the short shots that fly through the air and then roll. If you have a little more to spend, consider a practice cage. With one of these, your golfer can practice long drives without worrying about hitting a ball through somebody’s window three houses down. Both pieces of golf gear can be ordered through www.thegolfcollection.com
High tech golf gloves Can a golf glove really improve your swing? Appartenly so. The Swing Glove is a unique golf glove that helps keep the hand and wrist in the proper position as the golfer swings the club. Another high tech choice is the Bionic Glove, which is mostly for improving grip.
Golf training software
Golf videos are easy to find, but there’s a limit to what you can learn from watching other people shoot. Golf training software, on the other hand, gives a golfer the chance to get more personalized feedback about their game. Golf video analysis is particularly popular. With freezeframe, slow motion, and the ability to get close-up detail, golf video analysis can help a golfer learn exactly how they can improve. Check out www.practicerange.com for CD-ROMs and www.allsportstec.com for video analysis software.
Golfer’s knife
If you’re looking for a low-cost unique gift idea for your golfer, this could make a nice one. A golfer’s knife is like a Swiss army knife, but with a special fork-like tool called a divot knife. This tool lets golfers easily replace divots, chunks of grass taken out of the green during certain types of shots. Small keychain designs can also be found. For a good selection of golf knives, stop by www.imprintgolf.com.
Golf cooler Definately a unqiue golf gift idea, the Designated Driver Kooler Klub is a beverage cooler shaped like the business end of a golf club and small enough to fit into an ordinary golf bag. It holds 48 ounces of liquid and has a pump-action dispenser that makes it easy to pour a drink any time. This cooler, along with several other uncommon golf gifts for cocktail lovers, is available at www.after5catalog.com.
Golf gift basket
While there are pre-made golf gift baskets available online, you can also put together your own. By designing a golf gift basket yourself, you can tailor it to exactly what the golfer in your life really needs and wants. Some things to include are packaged snacks like trail mix and pretzels, chocolate golf balls, a pocketsize book on a golf theme, a golf-related video or DVD, a golf cap or shirt, a golf towel, golf accessories like a divot tool, ball marker, club cleaner, and of course, high quality balls and tees. Instead of a plain basket, use a ball bucket to hold the gifts.
Golf humidor Along the theme of the golf gift basket is the St. Andrews golf humidor filled with golf goodies that you can be sure your golfer will actually use. No trail mix here. High quality golf balls, tees and a golf towel made by St. Andrews Scotland are neatly packed into a re-usable humidor jar. Pick one up at www.thegolfcollection.com
Once you start looking around for unique golf gift ideas, you’ll see there’s more out there than expensive drivers and country club memberships. There are quite a few interesting and useful golf gifts you can find that will fit any budget
