FORE Magazine

Top Menu

  • About Me
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Home

Main Menu

  • Current Issue
  • Profiles
  • Sustainability
  • Travel
  • 19th Hole
  • Classic Course
  • FORE Her
  • More
    • Know the Rules
    • Handicap Hints
    • SCGA Junior
    • Where Are They Now?
    • News
    • Public Affairs
  • scga.org
Sign in / Join

Login

Welcome! Login in to your account
Lost your password?

Lost Password

Back to login

logo

FORE Magazine

  • Current Issue
  • Profiles
  • Sustainability
  • Travel
  • 19th Hole
  • Classic Course
  • FORE Her
  • More
    • Know the Rules
    • Handicap Hints
    • SCGA Junior
    • Where Are They Now?
    • News
    • Public Affairs
  • scga.org
EquipmentFall 2019
Home›Equipment›Gift Guide: Spreading Some Holiday Gear

Gift Guide: Spreading Some Holiday Gear

By Scott Kramer
October 15, 2019
3259
0
Share:

You’ve never had so many excellent holiday gift choices for the golfers in your life as you do this year. The market is loaded with affordable, state-of-the-art technology, brand-new clubs and unique accessories. Here are some of the more intriguing options.

STAND AND DELIVER

The moment your golfer picks up Ogio’s Shadow Fuse stand bag, he or she will notice it’s different. The “Fit Disc” system automatically balances weight across both shoulders. Four strap adjustment points can be made to perfectly fit any frame, with enough support to help him or her walk 18 holes without pain. The bag weighs just 4.2 pounds and has dense foam-padded straps that are wide and more cushioned in the middle. It won’t sag or droop when it’s full of clubs, and it’s made of premium anti-abrasion ripstop fabric that’s commonly found in mountaineering backpacks and tents. The fabric itself is lightweight and water-resistant, and its weave is extra durable. ($200)

WATCH YOU GONNA DO?

Garmin’s Approach S40 GPS golf watch ($300) is lightweight and comfortable. It clearly displays exact yardages to the front, center and back of the green in real time — updating with each step. And it comes pre-loaded with 41,000 course maps and immediately recognizes which course and hole it’s on. It also has a clever way of displaying the current hole: The bevel around the watch display has slots numbered one through 18 — for each hole on the course. It lights up a bright orange marker below the hole you’re standing on. All the while, it performs smartwatch functions.

SPIN IT TO WIN IT

Many average golfers have trouble generating backspin. One solution: Callaway’s JAWS MD5 wedge ($160 each), which has golf’s most aggressive grooves. Their edges are sharper than ever, for maximum grip and spin from all lies, generating one-hop-and-stop trajectory from 80 yards and in, where you want it. Plus, milled MicroPositive grooves are placed in the flat parts of the face for even more surface roughness and grip. This wedge comes in nine lofts and four sole grinds — there’s a set for golfers of every skill level.

 

PLAY THAT FUNKY MUSIC GOLF BOY… 

Listening to tunes on the golf course is commonplace these days, which is why golfers are turning to Puma’s SoundChuck Mini Bluetooth Speaker ($80). It’s wireless, weatherproof, adjustable and portable. The acoustics and sound are huge, yet the unit is relatively small. A flexible silicone cord and metal carabiner clip can attach to a cart or golf bag. And it will withstand many conditions, as it’s both weather- and shock-resistant. The included, powerful magnet will secure the speaker in place when needed. Its rechargeable battery gives eight hours of juice.

LASER FOCUSED

Bushnell’s Pro XE laser rangefinder ($550) zeros in on exact yardages from more than 500 yards away and is accurate to within one yard. That makes it the market’s most powerful golf laser. It seamlessly factors in ground slope, providing precise compensated distances. Plus, it factors in temperature and altitude. What’s especially impressive: It vibrates when it locks in the distance and shows a flashing red ring. The exclusive BITE magnetic mount allows it to easily mount to a golf cart’s metal frame bar. The unit is fully waterproof, has a rubber armored metal housing, and comes with a carry case and battery.

WEDGE ISSUE

TaylorMade’s Milled Grind 2 Wedge features a new Tour Preferred raw clubface that’s designed for optimal spin and precision performance. Each leading edge and sole grind is individually CNC milled to exact specs, so golfers get accuracy and consistency from club to club and grind to grind. ZTP Raw Grooves offer sharp, deep and narrow grooves and a sharp radius. Rough surface from the laser etching between the grooves helps create more greenside spin. There are 11 unique loft-bounce combinations available. ($170 each)

JUST FOR KICKS

Nike Golf’s Roche G shoe sports a mesh upper for breathability and comfort, plus an athletic look.
To enhance comfort, there’s a soft, flexible Phylon foam midsole that softly cushions every step. The shoe’s cleatless, pressure-mapped outsole provides traction in key places so you can wear it on or off the course with solid support. An elastic gusset on the tongue helps keep out debris, and pull tabs on both the heel and tongue help ease and quicken the process of putting the shoes on or taking them off. ($80)

Previous Article

A Winner In Every Way: Sahith Theegala

Next Article

Elegance and Eloquence: Remembering Jack Whitaker

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
mm

Scott Kramer

Veteran golf writer Scott Kramer has covered the golf equipment market full-time since 1990. His career has spanned senior editor positions at both Golf Pro Magazine and GOLF Magazine. He now works on a freelance basis for many consumer and trade publications, including the SCGA’s FORE magazine.

Related articles More from author

  • EquipmentProfilesSpring 2017

    The Visionary: Sean Toulon Wants To Manipulate Your Ego for Better Golf

    April 26, 2017
    By Ted Johnson
  • Putter Equipment
    EquipmentSpring 2016

    View from the Top: Putting when the Bars All Align

    April 1, 2016
    By Scott Kramer
  • Equipment

    Callaway Epic is… Epic!

    January 11, 2017
    By Scott Kramer
  • EquipmentSummer 2015

    Like Clockwork

    July 1, 2015
    By Scott Kramer
  • Equipment

    Blast From The Past

    March 27, 2018
    By Scott Kramer
  • Fall 2019Profiles

    The Great One: SCGA Member Wayne Gretzky Teams Family With Fairways

    October 24, 2019
    By Jonathan Coe

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Recent Posts

  • FeaturedHandicap HintsSpring 2022

    Keeping You Informed: GHIN Push Notifications on your Mobile Phones

  • FeaturedProfilesSpring 2022

    Bob Does Hollywood: The Hardest Working Man on Instagram Finds Gold in Golf

  • FeaturedFirst CutSpring 2022

    Nine is Fine (and here’s why): Get Creative when you Play and Find your New BFF

  • FeaturedSpring 2022Sustainability

    Jewel in the Middle of Nowhere: Death Valley’s Furnace Creek GC Ramps Up Sustainability Efforts

  • FeaturedSpring 2022The Podium

    Fan-Demonium: Up Close & Personal at WMPO’s 16th

FeaturedSpring 2022Travel

The Pubs of St Andrews

The challenge seemed daunting at first. On an eight-day trip to St Andrews, my job was to rate the pubs in this lively college town where golf began six centuries ...
  • Scotland Must-Plays & Hidden Gems: 10 Terrific Tracks that Prove the Old Course Isn’t the Only Game Around

    By Joe Passov
    April 21, 2022
  • Bob Does Hollywood: The Hardest Working Man on Instagram Finds Gold in Golf

    By Adam Hawk
    April 21, 2022
  • Not Your Father’s Game: With Two Facilities Newly Open and Callaway at the Helm, the Topgolf Explosion Comes to the Southland

    By Scott Kauffman
    April 21, 2022
  • The Provisional Ball: What? How? When?

    By Jimmy Becker
    April 21, 2022
© 2016 FORE Magazine About Us | Contact Us | Advertise