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Golf Gift
MagicToaster
JapanRegistered User regular
JapanRegistered User regular
I'm gonna meet the in-laws for the first time in a couple of weeks, and apparently poppa is really big on golf. I wanted to get him a small gift for x-mas and as thanks for letting me stay at his house for that period that I will be visiting.
What would be a good and practical gift for a golf enthusiast? Gloves? Balls? Something else?
What would be a good and practical gift for a golf enthusiast? Gloves? Balls? Something else?
MagicToaster on
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Stay away from novelty stuff as it's useless and most golfers who've played a while have already received too much of it.
Got a price range in mind?
I would either go with a towel for his golf bag, some classy looking club covers (although he may have quite a few of these as well), or a gift certificate to a store that sells golf stuff.
Other than that, gear is kinda difficult because it's a personal thing. What about a book on golf? A biography or maybe one of those "World's greatest golf holes" type books? They're pretty neat.
And as the gentleman above me pointed out, you can't really go wrong with a gift certificate.
So, is there anything special about these? I know nothing of golf.
They're popular, most likely cause they're popular on tour.
I golf (maybe 20 handicap) and I could give 2 shits about which ball I hit*, but getting balls is nice, cause on average I'll lose a sleeve (or 2) for every round of 18.
Things I run through: tees, balls, and gloves.
Glove fitment isn't all that, it's sm, med, lg, and XL. I play 1/month - 1/week and I'll kill 2 gloves a year.
A pre-paid card at the range he visits might be nice.
Books? Not sure. Depends upon if he feels like he needs instruction, and there are a shitton of those out there. A golf book not oriented towards technique might be OK, if he's in to that kind of thing (history of the game and its legends).
*edit: What mts said. Players of games can be extremely particular. I meant that I'm not skilled enough for ball composition (distance vs. feel) to mean anything to me. Either get him consumables, or some particular thing he wants (maybe he's been eye-ing that cleveland CG15 gap wedge). Otherwise I wouldn't worry too much about getting him a golf-oriented gift. It's like any other hobby, anything he really wanted he likely already got for himself already. I mean, I'd love to have an accurate, easy to use, laser rangefinder. I'd never dream of buying one for myself, and I doubt it's tour-legal (as if that matters for me).
Alternatively you could get a green repair tool with a ball marker on it. Find a golf galaxy or something and check out their selection of these things and maybe buy one with a sports team or something he would probably like.
Or this one
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Golf balls are made to enhance the skills and forgive the problems a golfer has, and so come in a wide assortment of components. If you pick the right ball, it can be a very good gift, as it shows a knowledge of the recipient. For example, I tried to find a Bridgestone E6+ for my dad, as he's been having trouble with a hook. Here's a good starting point. I think a lot of stars in demand means it's easy to use, but it's best to go by description.
If you're good in the sciences, just look up the latest research in golf and write up a layman's version. Golf is very high tech, so there's plenty of stuff to make someone scratch his head. For example, video analysis a few years ago found that it's actually better to start with your club back, as in baseball, so the backswing doesn't interfere with balance.
Edit: Seriously, try typing "golf swing" into pubmed.
you vastly overestimate the amount a ball has on a person's game. the vast majority of people you give a Pro V1 to will only notice (maybe) a difference in putting when it feels softer. so many amateurs ask "how do you put spin on the ball" because they don't have the clubhead speed or hit down on the ball to do it, and it's a very safe bet that's the case with this guy
it will probably not matter at all if you get him a box of 18 top flight xls or a sleeve of 3 pro v1s on his game, but one shows a little bit more of a "I wanted do something really nice" vs "I want to get something practical"
kind of like getting your wife a diamond necklace instead of a vacuum
the more I think about it the more I think those Harvey Penick books are the way to go though, because I haven't met a golfer who didn't really enjoy them...and at the same time not that many people think to buy them
Depending on your budget a box of personalized balls are pretty g'damn pimp.
Don't get a box of cheap balls, I have a closet full of top flight's and spalding's that well meaning friends and family gave me over the years.
I have a basement of golf balls my grandfather gathered over the years and gave to us when he moved to Florida and didn't have anywhere to keep them. Crazy bastard used to spend more course time fishing balls out of the woods than actually golfing.
Personally, I think golf balls are best only if you can try for the best balls. My father was very impressed when he found out that I'd selected the exact type he wanted most. Try to get in contact with a golf buddy and ask what he's been having trouble with.