Fresh off a relaxing vacation in Colorado during which my clubs were replaced by a pack-n-play, I had some windshield time to reflect on a piece of equipment that’s often overlooked: the towel.
No, this isn’t a trip to the bath section of Target, JC Penney, Kohls, Wal-Mart, etc. but a trip to the accessories aisle in your favorite golf shop (if you can put down that new driver for a minute).
Golf towels, to a point, can be pretty boring. Oh sure, you can get a towel from that “dream course” you played or from a tournament you attended or perhaps with the logo from the equipment company of the clubs you have (or wish to have) but there have been some pretty nifty towels to hit the market recently that you may want to check out to make cleaning your clubs and ball a bit easier during your round.
Let’s take a look.
Grip Enhancement
If you play in the rain or during those nice humid days of summer, your grips can get a bit slick. The folks at Gorilla Gold have a towel that makes rain and sweat a thing of the past. Wipe down your grips with their towel and presto, your grips will apparently feel brand new with that nice tacky feeling. It’s the Official Grip Enhancer of the Long Drivers of America and the Re/Max World Long Drive Championship so it must work. Probably not so good on the other end of the club however.
Club Towels
Give your putter some extra love with the Putter Tuck towel. Sporting the dual purpose of being a towel and a headcover for your putter, the Putter Tuck will always be available for you when you reach the green, providing you didn’t forget your putter in the cart or in your bag. It’s a pretty slick idea, although knowing me, I’d forget it on the green and then not have either a towel or a headcover for the rest of my round.
Sometimes you need a bit of water on your towel to help really get those grooves clean and I’ve found a couple of options you might like. The BALLZEE T3 game towel features some “moisture-lock scrubbing squares” that you soak prior to your round. They stay wet during your round while your hands and the rest of the towel stay dry.
Another option is the Amphibian Towel from the folks at Frogger Golf who also bring you the Brush Pro. Featuring multi-layered construction, the interior bamboo towel is suppose to absorb more water than cotton and is naturally anti-fungal, so you should be able to soak the interior layer to have to clean your clubs while at the same time having the dry outer layer (and in the rain, the interior bamboo layer stays dry to keep your grips dry as well). I’ve got one of these hanging on my bag right now and will have a short review for you in the next few weeks and will let you know if this really works.
Ball Towels
Not to be left out of the picture, golf balls get their own towel as well. The Amphibian Towel folks make a mini version of their towel to be used for golf balls. Wet the interior bamboo towel to wash your ball and the exterior cotton towel to dry it off. Like its big brother, I’ve been using this for my last couple of rounds as well and will give you my thoughts in a few weeks.
Same with the BALLZEE folks as they have their golf ball cleaner as well. Simply wet it down prior to your round and you can clean your ball of dirt, grass and chemicals. Small enough to fit in your pocket so you’ll have the cleanest ball on the green. Doubtful though if it can get rid of scuff marks after you hit a cart path or a tree.
In the End
Golf towels don’t really get a lot of respect but are an important piece of equipment to have in order to keep your grips dry and your grooves free and clear of debris during your round. Next time your in your favorite golf shop, take a look at some of the different varieties of towels on the market today. There are certainly more options than that raggedy old cotton towel you’ve had on your bag for the past decade.
I have used manufacturer towels in the past and I finally got fed up with having to spend money on expensive towels. Since I wipe down my club after every shot, my towels get really dirty. I found that the $1.50 bath towels from Walmart work great and when they get really dirty I just toss it and get another one for $1.50.
I do use the Ballzee and it works great.
I usually buy golf towels more for memorabilia than anything else. On my bag I have a cherished old budweiser towel that I bought for $1 at Grant’s Farms in St. Louis. I’ll never give it up.
I went out to my local JoAnne Fabrics and picked up a brass grommett tool which all together cost me 9.99
now I can turn any towel into a golf towel! it’s great and I especially need the grommet ring because I cant keep a loose towel on my bag for my life without losing it at some point
I use the Ballzee pocket ball cleaners. They are pretty sweet. Even if I forget to wet it down before I head out on the course, a few drips from my water bottle and a shake-out and it’s good to clean my ball the rest of the round – and it doesn’t leak any water into my back pants pocket. Much better than spitting on the ball and trying to rub the grass and mud off with my thumb.
Where can I purchase the puttertuck towel. The putter tuck website doesn’t have any place for purchasing.
Thank you
TGW.com