Games, Gadgets & Other Gifts for Golfers

Friday, November 10, 2006

Oct. 20, 2006
To: Editors – Golf Publications/Programs & Holiday Gift Guides

Games, Gadgets and Other Gifts for Golfers
by Cheri Brennan


Shopping for a golfer this holiday season? Choose from several new gadgets and novelties designed to help a golfer’s game, conditioning, knowledge or enjoyment on and off the course.

The possibilities include stocking stuffers priced from about $5 to more elaborate gifts that will dazzle and delight your favorite duffer. Most of the suggested items are available online from the manufacturer, as well as from various golf shops and specialty retailers.

To help a golfer isolate and strengthen golf muscles, particularly those in the fingers and grip, GolfGym, makers of a line of fitness products, offers a specially designed exercise ball. The “Squeasy” low density foam ball comes with instructions for 11 different golf-specific exercises and is sold separately ($5) or as part of a GolfGym system that includes swing trainers, choice of ball sizes and a DVD.

Golfers who care for the condition of the course will appreciate getting the new TurfDoc™ divot repair tool. Ahead, the makers of this ergonomically designed tool that may be customized to include a logo, claims its shorter prong allows ball marks to heal up to two weeks quicker. ($20)

Eco-friendly golfers will welcome a gift a biodegradable golf tees. Made by Eco Golf, these “mulchable” tees come in two sizes and may be personalized. ($25 minimum order)

Know any golfers who hit errant shots? Tilia has a new ball retriever for rescuing balls from water, bushes, rocks and mud. ($28)

Year-round golfers who brave cooler temperatures will appreciate getting Coleman’s portable golf cart heater. The compact, battery-ignited flameless heater fits most cup holders and provides about seven hours of warmth. ($70)

“Gimme a Ruling” offers a fun way to master the rules of golf. The game set includes more than 550 cards covering ten categories of on-course situations. Licensed by the United States Golf Association® and packaged in an elegant wooden case, the game may be played alone or with friends. ($75)

Another game, QOLF, combines elements of golf and croquet and may be played indoors or outside by one to 12 players. The game tests accuracy, touch, hand-eye coordination and skill as players use a golf pitching wedge to hit special balls through color-coded frames and target holes. Players can choose short or long course layouts and may incorporate natural or manmade obstacles has hazards. (Several models, from $40)

Gadget-lovers will want to add the DiXX Blu Digital Instructor from South Korea’s Infinics to their collection. The makers promise this new putter, which features a small LCD screen with sophisticated sensors to measure stance and swing, will help users sink more putts with impressive consistency. ($832)

Another gadget, the SkyCaddie™, uses “a powerful microprocessor, GPS and satellite-based accuracy enhancement technology” to automatically calculate yardages. The programmable device conforms to USGA/R&A ruling and may be used on any course, including a growing list of pre-programmed tracks. (From $350).

For golfers whose passions include wine, a novel gift is a WineWear vest, perhaps paired with a bottle of PGA TOUR wine. These elegant, hand-crafted vests, available in golf motifs and several other “themed” fabrics, slip over the neck of a wine bottle to create a memorable package. Handmade in Mill Creek, Wash. by CJ Design & Decor, these keepsakes are sold in selected wine shops, including Country Cottage Wine in Bothell, DeVine Wines in Mill Creek) and The Wine Alley in Renton. (Around $18)

Most students of the game will enjoy adding any of several new books to their library. Among recent publications are Dream Golf: The Making of Bandon Dunes; Where Golf is Great: The Finest Courses of Scotland and Ireland; and Byron Nelson: The Most Remarkable Year in the History of Golf.

Happy shopping!

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About the author
Cheri Brennan is a partner at Golf Marketing Team.com and the founder-owner of Alliance Communications in Bellevue, Wash.


Note to editors
Contact info for Cheri Brennan
Phone: 425.957-0654
E-mail: cheri4pr [at] hotmail.com