Looking for a gift that will actually win kudos from the golf-obsessed recipients on your holiday list? Forget that cute golfing Santa pencil holder for his desk and don’t even think about a combination club cleaner/shoe horn/stroke counter to hang on his golf bag. Ditch the kitsch this year and put a bow on one (or more) of these gifts for the serious golfers on your list:
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Club Glider Travel Bag
Available in several models, the Sun Mountain Club Glider not only protects your golfer’s sticks from the depredations of airport baggage handlers but takes it easy on his or her back as well. Unlike traditional travel bags, the Club Glider features a leg mechanism that extends to carry the full weight of the bag on those treks from the luggage carousel to the rental car. It also eliminates that back-breaking bend to wrestle your clubs into the bag on the ground. Legs retract firmly into the bag for travel. Dense foam padding through the top of the bag protect clubs and heavy-duty two-way zippers run the full length of the bag for easy egress. $230 to $350.
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Golf Pride Grips
Want to help your golfer shave strokes? Get a grip! Or rather, get them a set of Golf Pride Grips for their clubs (or a certificate from a golf retailer so they can choose their favorite model). Every golfer should change their grips each year because fresh grips promote proper swing mechanics and wrist action through a light, relaxed hold on the club. Golf Pride’s MCC Plus4 model is a hybrid grip with a soft compound with brushed cotton cord under the upper hand and a soft, responsive rubber compound beneath the lower hand. The result is better feedback, secure surface texture, and improved moisture management. Different materials with varying feedback and texture characteristics are available in the CP2 Pro and Tour Velvet Super Tack models as well as others. Priced around $10 per club plus installation.
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Miura Putter
You won’t find one in a chain store, but Miura Golf’s KM 008 putter will please even the most particular golfer. The KM 008 is forged from a single billet of soft carbon steel that’s milled to excruciatingly tight manufacturing tolerances, made possible by the steel’s industry-leading grain structure. The toe-weighted blade putter is built to be extremely forgiving and to produce a perfectly true roll. $450.
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Game Golf Live
The shot-tracking system introduced to great acclaim last year got even better just in time for the holidays. Now the easy-to-use tracker instantly captures and displays the golfer’s game in real time on their Android or iOS phone. The golfer just taps his or her club to the miniature device and GPS technology takes over. The second generation Game Golf even has a built-in rangefinder with data on over 33,000 courses worldwide. $300.
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Reflex Push Cart
No caddy? No problem! The Reflex Cart by Sun Mountain folds easily to fit into your golfer’s car trunk then pops open at the course—with no engineering degree required. The wide wheel base provides great stability and handles adjust ergonomically for comfort throughout the round. There’s also an accessory console with dual trays, ball rack, and beverage holder. Another great feature? A handle-mounted parking brake to keep the cart and your clubs where you leave them. $260.
