Tag: golf pride

Father’s Day Gift Guide – Summer 2018

It’s June, and the commercials are already playing on TV for Father’s Day. If you haven’t gotten your golf-nut dad anything yet fear not, because we’ve got some great ideas for every budget. Let’s get right to the list. Here are nine gift suggestions for all you last-minute shoppers!

Golf Clubs

Wilson C300 Irons – The new C300 and C300 Forged irons feature Wilson’s Power Hole technology – Urethane-filled holes positioned around the face to allow the face to flex and expand the sweet spot. The C300 Forged irons offer the same greater ball speeds for better players that prefer a more traditional shape and feel. Wilson C300 Irons: $799.99 at Amazon.com

Cobra KING F8 Driver – The KING F8 driver is packed with tech. A precision CNC milled face for maximum ball speed, 360 Aero technology for speed combined with adjustable weights and hosel for a precise fit make this driver a great option for almost everybody. Add in Cobra Connect powered by Arccos Golf and you’ve got the most technologically advanced driver on the market. Better players will gravitate to the KING F8+ driver with less draw bias and heavier swing weights. Cobra KING F8 Driver: $358.87 on Amazon.com

Pyramid Putters – With a milled face and grooves angled to help steer mishit putts back online, the Pyramid putter can help you make more putts. It also has a pyramid-shaped alignment feature on the top and a proprietary taperless grip for lighter grip pressure. I love the soft feel and positive roll off the face of the Pyramid Putter. The matte black finish reduces glare and it’s cheaper than many competing brands. $279.95 Available direct online at Pyramidputters.com

Accessories

Glove Ride – When the weather is hot and sweaty, one of the biggest challenges is to keep your golf glove fresh & dry. Glove Ride’s Glove Caddie helps by giving you a place to attach multiple gloves and help them dry up and stay in shape. It attaches to your golf bag with a solid metal clip and has a strong velcro strip to attach multiple gloves while they air-dry. There’s also a poker chip ball marker that can be customized for special events or golf courses. Available online at Gloveride.com for $19.95

Golf Pride Align Grips – Up to 80% of PGA Tour pros use Golf Pride grips. That’s not likely to change any time soon now that they’ve introduced new grips with ALIGN Technology. A raised red ridge on the bottom of the grip provides consistent hand placement and club face awareness. The ridge is made of 50% firmer material than the surrounding grip to amplify the feel. ALIGN technology is available on three popular grips: The MCC, MCC Plus4, and the new Tour Velvet. Go to golfpride.com for more information.

Under Armor Eyewear – Under Armor has come a long way in a few short years. As a leading sportswear company, they’ve cut into the market share of giants like Nike and adidas by offering high-quality products at a reasonable price. One department where they’ve excelled is in eyewear. For golf, they’ve developed UA Tuned Propel sunglasses that provide contrast enhancement which helps you to read the course more precisely & track the ball easier. Even better, they’re priced at only $74.99 at underarmor.com

Tech & Gadgets

Bushnell Hybrid – For years people have been asking for a laser rangefinder combined with GPS. I’ve always wanted a device that combined both technologies, but as it turns out, it’s not that easy to make. Good news – Bushnell has finally gotten it right with the new Bushnell Hybrid. The Bushnell Hybrid gives you this information by displaying the lasered distances to the pin and GPS provided front and back yardage readings within the LCD. You can also get GPS yardages for front, center and back on the outside of the device in case you have a blind shot and cannot see the pin. Available for $399 at Amazon.com

Swing Caddie SC200 – Launch monitors are all the rage these days on the professional tours, but not many people can afford the same models the pros use since in most cases they cost over $10,000. However, there are a number of devices that can give weekend amateurs much of the same information at a fraction of the cost. One of these devices is the Swing Caddie SC200 from Voice Caddie. The SC200 is about the same size as a large cell phone, making it very portable. The Doppler radar displays information like carry yardage, swing speed, ball speed, loft angle and smash factor. Best of all, it only costs about $350 on Amazon.

Garmin Approach S60 – Garmin is best known for its navigation devices for cars, but they have quietly been making top quality GPS distance measuring devices for a while now. One of these awesome devices is a watch called the Garmin Approach S60. Much more than just a golf GPS watch, the Approach S60 is a full-fledged smartwatch that pairs to your phone via Bluetooth and displays notifications for incoming calls, texts, emails and other alerts. It comes preloaded with more than 41,000 golf courses around the world and using the Garmin Connect app on your phone you can update the course list and get updates for the watch. The full-color display is easy to read in bright sunlight and the battery lasts up to 10 hours in golf mode. Available now on Amazon for $345.59

June 10, 2018
9 Last Minute Gift Ideas For Golfers
There are less than two weeks left before Christmas, and for online shoppers this weekend is probably the cut-off point for shipping to make sure it arrives on time. In case you are out of ideas for the golfers in your life, here are a few suggestions!
- Bushnell Pro X2 Rangefinder – With Slope-Switch technology, dual display modes, Pinseeker with JOLT, 6x magnification, a range of up to 1300 yards and a solid waterproof metal housing, the Bushnell Pro X2 is the flagship of Bushnell’s laser rangefinder line. It’s legal for tournament play when the slope-switch is turned off. It locks on to targets quickly and vibrates when locking on to the flag from distances up to 450 yards. Available on Amazon: $449.98
- Club Glove Travel Gear – If you ever travel by air to play golf, you’ll need a reliable travel bag to protect your clubs. There’s a good reason that 90% of tour players use Club Glove – They are the best quality, most reliable travel bags available. Made in the USA and available in several sizes, your golf bag will be well protected and getting around the airport is a breeze. I’ve logged close to 50,000 miles of air travel with my Last Bag, and it’s not showing any signs of wear other than some dirt and dust from airliner cargo holds. Paired with their matching luggage and the Train Reaction system and you have a complete travel set that’ll last you decades. Club Glove Last Bag available on ClubGlove.com: $319.00
Photo Credit: MyGolfSpy.com
- Bridgestone Tour B Golf Balls – Played by Tiger Woods, Fred Couples, Matt Kuchar, Brandt Snedeker, Bryson DeChambeau, Paula Creamer and more, the new Bridgestone Tour B golf balls are one of the top performing golf balls available. I’ve been using them since the 2015 season and I love the stable flight, penetrating trajectory and predictable spin and fell around the greens. Bridgestone Tour B XS: $44.89/dozen
- Cobra Golf Soundchuck Mini Bluetooth Speaker – It seems that more and more people are playing music on the golf course these days. With mobile phones and unlimited data plans, streaming music from the internet is very popular. Play music from your phone or tablet in style with the Cobra Soundchuck Mini bluetooth speaker. Available in three colors, it clips to your golf bag, cart or person to keep the party going on the course. MSRP: $79.99 – Amazon Price: $64.99
- Puma Golf P Cap – Rickie Fowler wears this cap on tour. It’s simple and stylish. Available in 6 colors. Why not get a few? You can never have too many snapbacks… Amazon Price: $27.85
- Golf Pride MCC Plus4 Align Grips – The most neglected part of any golfer’s equipment is usually the grips. Your only connection to the club is obviously important, and you are probably giving up strokes if you are playing with worn out grips. The most used grips on tour for decades, Golf Pride makes grips in all styles and sizes, but perhaps the most popular grips in their line are the MCC Plus4 that feature a reduced taper design for greater feel. Golf Pride’s new ALIGN technology helps you feel the grip under your hands and achieve consistent hand placement. You’ll be sure to improve your scores with new grips, so why not get the best? You can get a set of 13 Grips with all the tools you’ll need for $149.99 on Amazon
- Sun Mountain 4.5 LS Golf Bag – If you are anything like me, you play some rounds riding in a golf cart and some walking the course. The folks at Sun Mountain know this and designed a carry/stand bag that works for any situation. When walking the course the adjustable, heavily cushioned dual strap manages the load and the stand deploys easily and holds the bag stable. When riding, there’s a cart strap pass through that allows access to all the pockets and the flat bottom is shaped to fit in the cart’s bagwell. The Sun Mountain 4.5 LS really is the best of both worlds in one bag. Available in many colors on Amazon for $209.99
- Tattoo Golf Apparel – The mad scientists over at Tattoo Golf have been making unique & stylish golf apparel for years, but they’ve really stepped up their game lately and have quickly become my current favorite golf apparel brand. Mixing their trademark skull & crossbones logo with daring patterns and bright colors, one could describe Tattoo’s style as golf clothing for bikers, but their look now transcends the biker crowd and appeals to anybody that wants more than just the boring old khakis and solid color shirts your dad wore on the golf course. Not only is their stuff exciting and fun to wear, but they are quality built and priced to blow the big brands away. Sign up for their mailing list for flash sales and big discounts (sometimes up to 30% off!) and check out their fashions online at https://www.tattoogolf.com/
- WAGC USA Membership – Calling all American residents! Would you like a chance to play golf for Team USA in an exotic location, all expenses paid? It doesn’t matter what your ability, because the World Amateur Golfers Championship (WAGC) is an annual golf competition that is broken down into five flights with handicaps ranging from 0.0 to 25.0. The WAGC plays locally all over the USA, and players earn points in local events to earn exemptions towards the national championship, where the winners of each flight are named to Team USA and represent the US (all expenses paid) against 35 other countries at the 2018 WAGC World Finals, being held in Johor Bahru, Malaysia For more information visit the WAGC USA’s website here. Annual membership is only $189
December 12, 2017
15 Ways To Make Dad Happy On Father’s Day

This year Father’s Day falls on Sunday, June 18th in the United States and if you are reading this there’s a good chance your father plays golf and you are looking for gift suggestions. Heck, you may even be a father looking for ideas of what to drop hints to your family about. Either way, we’ve compiled an extensive list of no less than 15 gifts in all price ranges that we think will make your father very happy. Happy shopping!

Tattoo Golf – Your dad may not be as cool as he once was, but dress him in some slick duds from Tattoo Golf and he’ll look like a badass again. Tattoo Golf doesn’t care what the dress code at your club is, and they don’t care about your boring khakis either. They like skulls, and they like showing them off. Deal with it. https://www.tattoogolf.com

Nexbelt – One of the originals in the “belts without holes” category, Nexbelt makes high quality belts for all occasions. They have a belt and buckle combo for just about everybody. For Father’s Day, use promo code DAD20 get 20% off your entire order! https://www.nexbelt.com

Royal & Awesome – Another company that takes subtlety and punches it in the face – Royal & Awesome makes golf trousers, shorts, shirts, hats and accessories for the golfer that wants to make a bold statement. Their wild and colorful patterns will certainly turn heads, and if you think playing golf in these is offensive, maybe you should just take up tennis. http://www.royalandawesome.com/mens

Ecco Cage Pro BOA – Regular readers of the site know I’m a huge fan of Ecco. I think they make the most comfortable and best performing golf shoe in the world. The introduction of the Ecco Cage Pro BOA is further proof that Ecco isn’t fooling around. The new SPYDR-GRIP outsole doesn’t pick up grass and dirt as you walk, yet provides ample traction during the most violent of swings. The easy to use BOA closure system works better than traditional shoelaces and provides a more precise fit. https://us.ecco.com/golf/shoes

Honma Golf – Home of the $75,000 golf clubs, Honma also makes much more affordable clubs with their Tour World line that is played by most of Honma’s professional tour staff. As I’ve mentioned before, they are entering the US market with a bang and you’ll want to get on the train before it leaves the station. Their clubs are for real, and if your dad is a serious golfer he’ll appreciate these premium quality sticks. http://honmagolfusa.com

MLA Putters – MLA’s patented alignment technology is unique and innovative. Their putters are also well built, perform well and are gaining a foothold on the professional tours. The new Tour Series Black Edition putters take the line to a whole new level and look positively awesome. MLA stands for Multiple Line Activation in case you were wondering. https://www.mla.golf

Exotics EX10 Woods – Tour Edge has been making some of the hottest and best performing fairways for years, and to stay on top of the mountain in 2017 they’ve given us the new EX10 woods. Make no mistake, this is one serious fairway wood. In early testing so far, I’m seeing gains of 8-10 yards over my old steel headed 3-wood. The bottom line is – If you can’t hit the Exotics EX10 fairways, you can’t hit any. https://www.touredge.com/collections/fairways-1

Forte Golf Balls – Australians know quite a bit about golf. They have some of the best courses in the world and the country has produced generation after generation of world renowned golfers. It’s only natural then, that they would bring us a top notch golf ball. Iv’e been testing the Forte Tour Performance S golf ball and they perform on par with or better than any tour level ball from any of the big names. In my opinion it compares most to the Titleist ProV1 in terms of feel and spin. https://fortegolf.com.au

Volvik Vivid – If you wear pants from Royal & Awesome, you may as well complete your outfit with golf balls that are as bright and colorful as your pants! Enter the Volvik Vivid – The world’s first matte finish golf ball. The matte finish really makes these balls pop, and they are available in 7 colors too.

Lostgolfballs.com – If your dad’s divots sometimes go further than the shot and he sprays the ball all over creation, maybe you should consider buying his some gently used golf balls instead of spending the extra money on new ones. Lostgolfballs.com is the place to go for used balls in great condition for a fair price. https://www.lostgolfballs.com

Reks Optics – I discovered Reks a little while ago and after wearing their sunglasses for almost a year I can say with confidence that there’s no better combination of performance and value than what Reks is offering. Their glasses are comfortable to wear, perform great, look sharp, are virtually indestructible and carry a 24 month warranty. All this and you can buy 3 or 4 pairs for the price of one pair of those other overpriced brands. https://reksoptics.com

Golf Pride Align Grips – Golf grips are pretty boring, and nothing new and exciting has come along in grip technology since Winn grips over 10 years ago. Until this year when market leader Golf Pride introduced the MCC ALIGN grips. With a raised ridge down the spine of the grip serving as a reminder for consistent hand placement, the feedback is instant and positive. I highly recommend these grips, and I’ll be putting them on my clubs as soon as they are in stock again! https://www.golfpride.com/grips/mcc-align/

Frogger Latch-It Accessories – The 2017 Best Product award winner at the PGA Merchandise Show, Frogger’s innovative Latch-It ecosystem is my favorite new golf gadget. When it comes to being in control of all your devices and tools on the golf course, many have tried but all have failed – until now. Latch-It allows you to attach towels, range finders, phones, brushes and more to your bag, cart or belt and makes it easy. https://www.froggergolf.com/collections/latch-it-ecosystem

Bushnell X2 Pro Rangefinder – Bushnell is the most used range finder on the PGA Tour, and their new top of the line model is called the Pro X2. It is fully waterproof, accurate to 1/2 yard and ranges up to 1300 yards. Bushnell’s PinSeeker technology locks on to the flag and the device vibrates to let you know you’ve got the flag locked. The X2 Pro also allows golfers to turn the slope adjustment feature on of off to make it tournament legal. If you want one of the best rangefinders available, the Bushnell Pro X2 would be a good start. https://www.bushnellgolf.com/golf-laser-rangefinders/

SkyCaddie TOUCH GPS – If laser rangefinders aren’t Dad’s cup of tea and he prefers a GPS device, why not get him the best one out there? SkyCaddie has been leading the golf GPS market for years, and their flagship product is the SkyCaddie TOUCH. With a large color touchscreen and bluetooth connectivity for your phone and the SkyGolf 360 free app, the TOUCH has all the features you are looking for to help you navigate your way around the golf course. https://www.skygolf.com/products

June 9, 2017
2015 PGA Show – Best New Accessories
Ogio Silencer Golf Bag

Perhaps the most diverse and interesting group of products at the annual PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando is the accessories category. We see all kinds of electronics, soft goods, golf bags and various other products that it is hard to narrow the list down to just a few standouts. 2015 was no exception as we were able to sample quite a number of cool gadgets. Here are the ones that stood out in the crowd:
- Arccos Golf – Arccos Golf is a game analysis platform that allows golfers to capture information about their swing, club performance and statistics in real time via a set of sensors installed to each club that connect to your phone or tablet via bluetooth. The amount of data collected can be overwhelming, but the mobile app and website help to dissect the information and pinpoint areas that need improvement. Easy to use and priced competitively, Arccos should be a big hit with the tech-savvy golfer looking for advanced stats and game tracking.
- Golfersskin Sunscreen – Hopefully the sun is out most of the time when you play golf. After all, enjoying time outdoors is partly why we play. Too much time in the sun however, and you can develop sunburns or even skin cancer. Most sunscreens are oily and messy, but Golfersskin was developed specifically for golfers to be easy to apply without hurting your grip on the club. It’s not oily or slick and cleans up easily, while protecting from the sun as well as any sunscreen out there. It’s also fragrance free so it won’t attract bugs.
- Izzo Swammi GT – There are many cool rangefinders and GPS devices on the market, and you can spend upwards of $600 on the latest models. That’s what makes the $199 Izzo Swami GT so attractive. It provides quick and accurate GPS yardages for over 30,000 courses, plus it includes game tracking technology using NFC sensors similar to GAME GOLF. It’s a simple, easy to use device with no frills.
- Ogio Silencer Golf Bag – Ogio has been making very high quality products for as long as I’ve known about them. Their golf bags are among the most functional, stylish and durable on the market. The new Ogio Silencer golf bags have a great feature that locks each club so that they don’t bang together while being transported. This not only saves the clubs from bag nicks and bag wear, but also cuts down on noise. In fact, the Silencer system keeps the clubs locked in the bag even upside down.
- Golf Pride MCC Plus4 Grips – There hasn’t been much change in golf grips for decades, because there really isn’t much you can do within the rules and, frankly, rubber is rubber! Golf Pride has been one of the leaders in golf grips for decades and are widely used on all professional tours around the world. What most pros do that most amateur golfer don’t do however, is build up the grips with additional tape for less taper under the right hand. The new Golf Pride MCC Plus4 grips feature a larger lower hand and new softer rubber material. They have a 4.6% larger lower hand diameter than the Original MCC. The larger diameter of the Plus4 encourages lighter grip pressure, reduced tension and just feels better to me. The lower hand has a soft rubber compound ideal for enhanced feel and the upper hand material is a soft compound with brushed cotton cord.
- Switchgrips Putter Grips – Changing grips is a pain and can be expensive, especially for putters. Switchgrips has taken the grip world by storm by letting people change their grips without cutting and installing a new one every time. With their proprietary under listing and interchangeable grips, if you want a change simply loosen with the torx wrench, pull the old one off and slide and twist a new one it into place. Grips come in different colors, sizes and materials, including rubber, leather and exotics like Alligator and Ostrich.
- Ernest ES14 Launch Monitor – Launch monitors are all the rage for club fitting these days, and even golf telecasts on TV use them to show viewers information about tee shots. While the ones used by golf pros and high-end fitters can cost upwards of $40,000, Ernest Sports has a few models that cost under $500. Sure, the expensive units from Trackman and FlightScope are able to track the entire ball flight using military grade doppler radar, but the Ernest Sports ES14 is still able to give you all the information you need like club speed, ball speed, spin, launch angle, carry distance and smash factor, all in a compact package that fits in your golf bag. Oh yeah, and you don’t have to sell your car to buy one either.
- Jan Craig Head Covers – The most basic of golf accessories, the head cover is often overlooked by many golfers when spending their hard earned dollars. Any time you buy a new driver or fairway wood you get a head cover, but those clubs are also the clubs that are most frequently stolen, along with putters. They are easy targets for thieves with their bright colors and easy-to-identify designs. Jan Craig makes premium hand-knit 100% worsted wool head covers that look great and mask your clubs’ brand to help deter thieves, but they are also beautiful and guaranteed for life. They’ve been around since the early 1960’s so they aren’t “new”, but they may be new to you! If you were paying attention to the past two Ryder Cups, you may have noticed that those cool looking head covers the US team was using were made by Jan Craig. These are simply the best made head covers you can buy. They are perfect for an old-school guy like me, and the fact that you can designing your own knit head covers on their website to suit your tastes is the icing on the cake for me.
Jan Craig Headcovers
February 25, 2015