GolferStyles.comBringing style back to golf….again.

There are so many bad (I mean bad) gifts for golfers out on the market – the kind that will likely elicit a meager sideways smile and a peck on the cheek for effort. Golfers do not want golf themed apparel of any kind, exploding balls,  or any other novelty sideline,  a score counter to hang on the side of his/her bag,  an afghan with a scene of glorious ol’ Scotland knitted in alpaca, or any other type of golf memorabilia housewares or furniture. We (golfers) want gifts with function, style, and technology and quality -  and – even if we ask for nothing this year – this is what we want.  Your gift guide awaits you below. Happy Holidays from GolferStyles.

20. One free day a week - This, loved ones, is the easiest gift of all to give. One free day on the weekend without responsibilities, schedules, or honey-do’s. This gift is free, and although I’ve listed it as #20, it just may be for many life-weary golfers,  the best gift possible from their beloved.

19. Flask – Thanks to Greg (my pal and regular in my weekly 4 ball) for extolling the virtues of a little nip on the course. I have found myself socking away a small bottle of whiskey in my carry bag, as it is now essential gear for me, especially in windy SF. So great gift #19? a flask, and a couple of notes…fill it with his favorite libation (Maker’s Mark is Greg’s fav) and make it a flask big enough for 18 holes. A good one is here: Flask

18. Knitted Head Covers - In my opinion, there is nothing quite as classy as a good set of knitted headcovers especially if they have been knitted by your mom or your sweety. Now it may be too late for that this year, but you can still find some pretty great head covers on the fantastic craft website, etsy.com. And, note to the fellas – Esty is also a great place to find homemade gifts for your gal or mum, and in doing so you support local arts and craft, and truly elevate yourself as an extremely creative and thoughtful gift-giver. Jan Craig head covers are of excellent quality and can be custom ordered to our specifications, including initials. -  Also headcovers here if Etsy or Jan Craig’s selection doesn’t suit you.

17. Sweater – Buy cheap, buy twice! It is my mantra and maybe a surprising one in a tough economy, but alas, it is true! If you can, go for Cashmere…My black 1/2 zip pullover keeps me just warm enough on the course in SF when the winds start whipping up midday. I go home and hang it up for a few hours and it amazingly refreshes it’s shape and I pull it back on and wear it out in the evening. It really is amazing stuff, this cashmere… A great basic sweater is a perfect gift. Take a look here…..

16. New Hat – And no, not a new baseball cap adorned with the favorite logo of your beloved’s favorite team – he can get that on his own. Try one of these on for size – - most guys domes are in the 7 1/2 range, so that is a good start – if your fella has a fitted ball cap at home, peek in the inside and you can find his hat size. Fedoras *can be* truly classy, if you buy him a good one. I golfed with a hat salesman from Goorin Bros , and he was a really good egg, so maybe you should just buy a hat from them….

15. Scotty - The king of putters – the Scotty Cameron. Every golfer should have one at some point in his life, and if your golfer doesn’t? Get him one. Really easy purchase Studio Newport 2 – 34″. if it’s not quite right, he will take care of it later. If you are a ritchy ritch, you can go directly to Scotty’s studio shop and get something custom made –  be prepared to lovingly accept that he will be putting on your carpet for the rest of the day.

14. Club Fitting - The best thing that I ever did for my game was to have a complete club fitting. My irons are perfectly bent to accommodate my flawed steep approach into the ball. The shafts are frequency matched and are optimized for my specific swing speed. My driver is shafted just right and is longer and straighter than any driver that i have ever owned. Has it dropped strokes off my game? Maybe/maybe not – but I now have complete confidence that my clubs are not the problem. See your local pro, and he/she will direct you to a preferred fitter.

13. Rain Gear - If they don’t need it now (like me this Monday),  they will need it as soon as the Golf season opens…Both Nike and Adidas make excellent packable gear. Not the sexiest of gifts, but very welcome to the golfer who doesn’t have any wet-weather gear (like me!).

12. Top Layer – I am lucky. I live in San Francisco. I play golf year-round. Alas, many of my golfing brethren cannot play year round, But they absolutely want – and will need – to get out and play as soon as their local course opens. This means that they may be playing in weather just south of freezing, and this means that they will need a good top layer that is warm and supple so as not to hinder their swing. I find that fleece is best for me, but your golfer may prefer a good jacket…Either way, quality is king, so buy well. You don’t have to shop at the golf retailers to get a good top layer though. REI is perfect for fleece, and try Ben Sherman, Original Penguin, Banana Republic, or Ralph Lauren for a good basic jacket.

11. Divot tool – I won’ t spend a lot of time on this – In my opinion, if every golfer had a good divot tool, they would use it to replace their ball marks, and everyone on the course would be just a little bit happier. Scotty Cameron makes excellent ones – Big Mike (also in my usual 4 ball)  has a Scotty divot tool, and he fixes his (and other’s) ball marks all the time – good soul that Mike is… This is a great stocking stuffer.

10. Box of Balls - Get your loved one a box of good balls. Every golfer needs more balls…It is a fact of life. Balls are always an appropriate gift – BALLS, BALLS, BALLS.

9. Lessons – We all need them – and your golfer will be appreciative in the spring of a quick 30 minute lesson with his local pro….or better yet – most pros will offer a discount on a 3 session package. If you are looking for a teaching pro, a good place to start is at your local course, driving range, or country club. Rates vary, so do your research before buying.

8. Momentus Power Hitter – This is the best training aid out on the market today – The weighted club builds the “correct” golf muscles, and by the momentum of the clubs weight, builds muscle memory and grooves the correct movement for a good golf swing. In addition (it does so much!) it really helps with tempo. Tell your golfer to keep it in the back of his car and swing it a few times before a round. It will truly make a difference. Buy here

7. New Wedges - Oh now we are getting into some really good gifts. No golfer would turn away some new wedges, would they? Stick with Cleveland, or Vokey wedges as its a safe bet that your golfer will want one of these brands….a trifecta of wedges is a perfect gift - gap, sand, and lob – Ooohh I wish I was your beloved golfer as I too need some new wedges!

6. Comfy shoes – I can almost guarantee that your golfer’s shoes are a wreck, and that he needs new ones. There is nothing quite as nice as a fresh pair of shoes with good spikes, that are comfortable – and well – new! All the major manufacturers make great golf shoes – I wear Adidas, but there are Footjoy, Nike, Ecco, and Puma shoes that are also comfortable and stylish. Just don’t skimp. Purchase a mid to top level shoe for your golfer…his peds will thank you.

5. Cigar sampler – in my weekly 4-ball, Chris the Canadian is the cigar expert and connoisseur, and I am now convinced (despite the ex smoker that I am) that a round of golf is all the better played when played with a quality stogie in your mitt. If you get a 4 pack sampler, your golfer can share the spoils of his holiday with his golfing pals. Check out the samplers here and here

4. Golf Trip – You can do this two ways: 1. Get rid of your beloved golfer for a week and send him to a golf destination like Bandon Dunes, Hilton Head, or Pinehurst – or  schedule a little vacation for both of you with golf playing a dedicated role – try Hawaii, Europe or my neck of the woods, San Francisco/Monterey. An old girlfriend booked a vacation to Portugal for us and let me play all the golf I wanted while she did her own thing – Best vacation of my life.

3. Cool bag – Ogio makes the coolest looking bags, so start go ahead and start there. Sun Mountain makes the most functional bags, so if your golfer is a gear head you might want to look at those bags. Ping makes the lightest bags – the Hoofer stand bag is a classic (and really, we all should be walking our courses) – I have  a Titleist stand bag which is a very good basic all around carry bag.

2. Driver – The Driver – the most important club in the bag for most of us. We all want the newest, best, most advanced driver on the market and in my opinion a fine and appropriate holiday gift for the golfer in your life. The current rage is the adjustable drivers – Mine is a R9 460 and is the best driver I’ve ever owned. Despite my tendency to hook , I have my driver set at 2 degrees closed, and when I am hitting it well, am pretty darn long. Nike also has an adjustable driver as does NIckent.

1. Golf GPS/Rangefinder – This is the best golf  item I ever bought for myself, and I don’t know a golfer that doesn’t want one, so I am making a statement and proclaiming Golf GPS/Rangefinders as the top gift for golfers in 2009. There are many of these devices on the market, including apps for the iPhone and other smart phones, but in my opinion you need to buy one of these two – each belonging in separate camps, both having pluses and minuses to their function on the course. My preference is the GPS – The best one out there by far is the line made by SkyGolf. The G5 is clipped to my bag, and has been a godsend to my course management. Extremely accurate via a course-mapped GPS system, and oh so much better than walking off yardage. The other camp prefers the rangefinder – a binocular device that you point and shoot at a target, and it calculates the yardage. The Bushnell Pro 1600 not only does yardage, but also calculates slope (elevation change) – a critical component to knowing what club to use for your golf shot. As I said these both have pluses and minuses – I wish I had a Bushnell at the range so I can know exactly the distances I am hitting my clubs, on the other hand I am happy I have my G5 on the course, cos I am too damn lazy to pull out a rangefinder and take the time to point and shoot . This all being said, either device would be a great gift for your golfer.

Happy Holidays!

-DL