There are only 14 days of shopping left until Christmas 2014. Throughout the year, we’ve gotten to experience a lot that the sport of golf has to offer – whether that is new golf clubs, gear and gadgets or lifestyle products, there is definitely something for every golfer this holiday season. In this article, we’re going to share some of our favourite features and products from the past year that would make a great gift for any golfer, regardless of skill level. Hopefully, this gives you some holiday gift ideas for that special golfer in your life! Take a look and let us know what you would give as a gift or what you have already bought as a gift!
Gear and Technology
Technology in Golf is an ever growing industry. There are countless products that have been released over the past couple of years to help maximize your game. Whether it’s a full golf swing analyzer, like Swingbyte 2.0, or an app that helps you track distance to targets through GPS and scoring, like GolfShot, there is something for everyone.
Our favourite piece of technology from 2014 was definitely the GAME GOLF device. GAME GOLF and it’s online platform enables golfers to capture all of their statistics and trends in their golf game, upload it onto a computer and allow them to review their game and share with their friends. We’ve used it throughout the summer and have developed a deeper understanding of our own golf games and what we need to work on specifically.
Golf Fashion
These days, the way you dress is nearly as important as the way you swing. Golf fashion has gone from loose fitting clothing with bland, neutral colours to slim fitting, athletic apparel that features bold colours and patterns. There has definitely been a fashion evolution in the sport of golf and there are many companies now that are targeting the new generation of golfers.
Some of our favourite apparel companies that blend the traditional with the modern include Bunker Mentality, from the United Kingdom, and Dagwood Golf of Berlin. These are two companies that will definitely make you stand out on the golf course with their products. If you want to be a part of golfing history, make sure to check out the Tom Morris Collection as well, housed out of Old Tom Morris’ original golf shop at St. Andrews.
If you want to stay a bit more mainstream but still have a level of uniqueness, the Adidas Golf Travel Capsule Apparel Collection might be right for you! We have also loved the look and feel of RLX Golf Apparel as well as the performance and comfort of the FootJoy DNA golf shoes and Nike Lunar Control golf shoe.
Golf Lifestyle
If you receive all new golf apparel for Christmas, you’d probably want to wear it right away. In most places, the golf season has concluded due to colder temperatures, but that shouldn’t stop you from swinging! Take your new outfits to the range or to an Urban Golf Club like One Under Vancouver. The holidays are meant for spending time with friends and family and what a better way than to grab some food and drinks with HD Golf Simulators in the background! Book the private room or rent one of their other simulators for an evening out to celebrate the holidays.
And if you’re not golfer yourself, but are shopping for a golfer, you may be confused about all of the different golf clubs and gadgets that are around. Another great gift idea that people often overlook is a golf fitting. We’ve had the opportunity to experience first hand the benefits of golf club fitting with Dean Walters of Modern Golf Vancouver (also see Modern Golf Toronto) as well as Master Fitter Andy Johnson of the TaylorMade Performance Centre at University Golf Club. And if you really want to spoil somebody, send them over to the Scotty Cameron Gallery in California.
A golf club fitting is a great way to find out whether somebody’s current golf clubs are actually helping them succeed on the golf course or whether it’s making the sport harder than it already is. Make sure to pay a visit to your local fitter – it’s definitely a starting point to making the sport a lot more enjoyable before the 2015 season starts, which brings us to our last category!
Golf Clubs
After getting a fitting, why not buy the golf clubs that you’ve been fit for? It’ll definitely get you pumped up for the coming season and get you excited to play again, although the wait until the start of the season may be unbearable! For 2015, we’re very excited for the release of the new TaylorMade R15 and AeroBurner series of metal woods – we were one of the first to test these clubs in British Columbia at the TaylorMade Performance Centre and the performance really got us excited. The R15 driver is one of the front runners to go into our bags this year, though it’s release date is January 9, 2015.
Other drivers, metal woods and hybrids that we’re very excited about are the Titleist 915 series as well as the Nike Vapor series. The PING G30 driver with Turbulator technology is also the best selling driver in the United States right now, so you want to keep that in mind too!
For irons, we have to start with the new RSi series by TaylorMade which feature the face slot technology. Having hit these at the TaylorMade Performance Centre, we could immediately see the benefits of the face slots. The Nike Vapor series of irons are also great looking irons and offers a great pro-combo set. And of course, there are Mizuno’s – and nothing feels like a Mizuno, especially with their Grain Flow Forging Process! To round out the bag, make sure to look into new wedges and a putter as well, both of which can be fit to the player through your local fitters!
And if you want the ultimate in feel for these new golf clubs that you’ve bought and been fitted for, you may want to check out Best Grips. Best Grips is a small, family owned grip, headcover and accessory company that proudly makes its products in Texas. Their headcovers, or driver shoes, are of exceptional quality and made of major league baseball glove leather and in the photo below is the MicroPerf Golf Club Grip, hand-stitched and made of real, genuine leather. A Best Grips product will definitely be a unique gift!
That concludes our 2014 Holiday Guide for Golfers – we hope it’s given you some ideas for that special golfer in your life. Let us know what you think of our suggestions and what gifts you’ve bought or received this year! We hope you have an amazing holiday season!
