Finding just the right Christmas gift for a golfer is a daunting task, especially if the shopper does not play golf. For some, selecting a golf related gift is more challenging than sinking a hole in one. Many rely on the old standby present to wrap up— golf balls. Golfsmith International, the largest golf retailer in the world with more than 150 stores throughout North America and a robust online store www.golfsmith.com, will sell millions of golf balls, along with tons of golf tees and tens of thousands of golf shirts just in the month leading up to the December holidays.
There are many other affordable options for golfers or for those gift hunters on a budget.
Golfsmith is taking the guesswork out of shopping for the golfer on anyone’s shopping list. Here is a summary of hot new products, economical choices and equipment trends that will make your golfer cheery this holiday season, make them play better and will help them stand out on the golf course.
HIGH TECH
Home Golf Simulator: This is one of the coolest and most cutting edge gift ideas on the market, and one of my personal favorites. Bring the most renowned golf course from all over the world to the comfort of your home. Today’s golf simulators use advanced technology to give you a truly realistic indoor golfing experience. The Dancin' Dogg OptiShot Infrared Golf Simulator combines pinpoint accurate swing analysis in a three-dimensional visual golf environment. The visual golf software provides visual feedback of each shot from club head speed and face angle impact to your swing path and distance traveled to the pin. You can practice or play replicated world-class golf courses with up to four players.
GPS and Rangefinders: Without an expert caddie at your side, there's a lot of guesswork in determining distance to the hole, and various course targets, such as bunkers or stream carries. The latest generation of golf GPS units give you quick and accurate guidance from anywhere on the course and are essential high-tech tools to complement your golf game. With GPS and Rangefinders, you can get a bird’s eye view of the course with accurate yardage to the hole and displayed landmarks on the course.
MOTOACTV™ Golf Edition: is a new cutting-edge GPS Golf tracker, virtual caddy and online clubhouse. You can track your golf game on up to 20,000 courses worldwide right from your wrist. GPS tracks the front, center and back distances to green and to hazards. A virtual caddy keeps track of your scorecards, clubs and key statistics. Plus, you can sync your rounds wirelessly to visualize and study your game online at MOTOACTV.com and view rounds from the Pros. Track data like total steps taken, distance covered and calories burned on the course - it’s the ultimate way to stay fit and shave shots from your score.
ACCESSORIES & GADGETS
Golf Balls Ablaze with Color: Golfsmith will sell millions of golf balls during the holiday rush and yellow golf balls will be a popular item because yellow is the most visible color in the spectrum. Tests show improved visibility of yellow golf balls since they’re twice as easy to see as standard white golf balls. Yellow allows golfers to visualize tee shots better and see the entire ball flight. One in ten golf balls sold this year will be yellow with major manufacturers Titleist, Bridgestone, Srixon and Nike going yellow. With a new generation of golfers embracing color the greens may very well soon turn yellow.
Personalized Golf Balls: Personalization is hot this year. Golfsmith can create personalized golf balls featuring a slog, name or even logo for that golfing man in your life. Only at Golfsmith, there is no extra charge on select-name brand golf balls when personalization is added.
Customized Golf Tees: Give a one of a kind gift that will remind your golfer of your thoughtfulness each time they tee off. Top quality golf tees can be emblazoned with a name or personal message for your favorite golfer. The quality and stability of a wooden tee is unmatched, and now you can personalize up to three lines of 24 characters each for your own unique tee! Give the customized gift of personalized golf tees this Christmas.
Swinging Beverage Holder: Drinking a beverage and driving a cart on a bumpy golf course don’t mix. Now, golfers can avoid spills when the cart’s shocks can’t handle the terrain with the clip-on Bag Boy Beverage Holder. This self-leveling beverage holder sways with the motion of the cart, to help prevent spills. It can be used on other devices like boats, strollers and lawnmowers.
Golf Cart Heater: The personal heater that makes the golfing season last well into the next season allowing the user to place it right in a beverage holder and keep warm even on the chilliest of days on the links. Coleman’s new model comes with new features and a contemporary design — all at the same price. The GolfCat can also be used away from the golf course, in your shop, garage, ball games or for emergency heat.
GOLFING GIFTS IDEAS UNDER $40.00
Brush T’s: This will help with anyone’s drive. Now, you can launch your drives without resistance or deflection and gain up to seven additional yards without changing equipment. The innovative Brush-t allows you to tee your ball on flexible synthetic bristles that bend on impact, creating a feel of driving the ball off the air. These bristles provide significantly less resistance which produces dramatically longer and straighter drives. $7.99
Putting Mat With Hazards: Even when the weather doesn’t cooperate to get out on the links, your favorite golfer can practice anytime. The Jef World of Golf Putting Mat with Hazards features a sandtrap and water hazards, and its incline helps develop true firmness of stroke. Great for indoor or outdoor use, the mat includes a regulation-sized cup. $39.99
Neon Short Sleeved Polo’s: Neon colors are hot this year on the course and no one offers the variety, styles and colors in polo style golf shirts than Golfsmith. Top names such as adidas, Snake Eyes and Lynx are now available in a variety of colors and moisture wicking fabrics. Prices $9.98-$40.00