Several weeks back I discussed some towel options you may want to check out during your next trip to your favorite golf shop (or to look at during lunchtime at the office). One of the towels mentioned was the Frogger Amphibian towel, which I’ve been using for the past month.
I know what you might be thinking, “It’s just a towel” but if you’re even semi-fanatical about keeping your clubs clean while on the course, you know how important a good towel can be. A good towel is key in keeping your clubs free and clear of debris and looking good. Read on to find out why I think the Amphibian towel is the best towel currently on the market.Not Your Ordinary Towel
The Amphibian towel is really two 28″ x 14″ towels in one. The outer layer is a plush woven cotton jacquard while the inner layer is a bamboo terry. According to Frogger, the bamboo “absorbs three times more water than cotton, dries three times as fast, and is naturally anti-fungal as well as anti-microbial.” A waterproof membrane separates the two layers, keeping the outside dry and the inside wet – or vice versa. Convenient pull tabs on the bottom allow you to keep your hands dry as you open the outer layer to wipe off you club with the inner layer.
The inner, bamboo terry will slurp up some serious water. Prior to several rounds or practice sessions, I poured anything from about 8-16 ounces from a water bottle onto the the bamboo layer to test how long it would stay wet and I was pleased that from the time I poured the water until the end of my round, the inner layer stayed wet and I could clean my clubs whenever the need arose.
I could also wipe of my clubs with the still wet inner layer a full 24 hours after my round. And 36 hours. And 48 hours. And, well you get the point. Needless to say, that inner layer will hold water for quite some time. Had I left the towel open, I suppose it would have dried much more quickly.
On the flip side, when the towel is completely dry and you happen to play a round in the rain, that same inner layer stays nice and dry in order to wipe off your grips and clubface while the outer layer absorbs the rain. Unfortunately, the towel really could stand to be about six inches longer in both dimensions, as its use as an effective rain hood is limited by the small-ish size. There will be no draping of the Amphibian over your clubs in the rain or mist.
The only issue I really had with the Amphibian was during one weekend golf trip, I wet the inside layer on a Friday in order to wipe off my clubs and then it proceeded to rain on Saturday and Sunday, leaving me with both layers wet and the towel pretty well useless.
I didn’t have access to a dryer for the weekend so both layers were wet and never had an opportunity to dry out. Without access to a dryer, it can take some time in order to completely dry out. Make sure your hotel has a dryer and this should eliminate this issue.
The Amphibian comes in three colors; Black, Blue, and Red. A Ball Towel is also available in Black.
As for washing, mine’s made friends with the washer and dryer several times and it looks the same as the first day I had it. I would imagine this could change a bit over time but thus far I’ve been happy that it cleans up quite nicely.
The Amphibian towel attaches to your bag with a carabineer and this might be the single greatest towel attachment ever. Anything that I’ve seen or used in the past that attaches a towel to your golf bag is junk in my opinion.
Final Thoughts
You can pick up an Amphibian towel in Blue, Black, and Red for about $20. Considering you can spend the same or more on a plain cotton towel that has nothing more that some equipment manufacturer’s logo on it and I would say the Amphibian is a good buy.
I also tried out the Ball Towel, which is basically just a mini-sized version of the full-size Amphibian towel. It does a good job at cleaning off your ball but the only times I used it was when I wore a jacket as I could store it in my pocket. I like to keep a minimum to what I have in my shorts or pants pocket but it didn’t feel too bulky the couple of times I kept it there and its probably something to which I can become accustomed.
The Ball Towel does a good job at cleaning debris off your golf ball.
It does also has a carabineer that you can clip to your belt loop if that fits your style as well. At about $13, I think this might be a bit pricey just to have a small towel to wipe off your ball.
Overall, I was quite impressed with the Amphibian towel and if you’re in the market for a new towel, I would suggest checking one out. I’m certainly glad I did.
Thanks for this! I was truly wondering about this product. I’m glad you reviewed it. 🙂
I saw this product on the golf channel a few months ago and was a bit skeptical at first. To be honest I loved the idea, but the price was a bit much for a towel! Anyways a few weeks later I went ahead and bought it off their website and since they had a special going on I got a 2nd for free! At first glance after receiving it, it seemed like a really nice and good quality towel. It really does hold water very well and stands up to what they advertise. I like the look and the fact that I can get the clubs wet enough to scrape all the crap out of the grooves with a brush and then Dry the club off after cleaning it all on the course. I am very happy with this towel and an quite surprised it’s not more popular, but I’ll never golf without it again.
These guys may have a cool product, but IMHO it’s a dishonest scammer company.
I tried to order the towel combo the other day. They offered “free” priority shipping, but when I got to the shipping page, the only thing free was “priority handling”. The shipping was still 7.57.
I just got a golf club priority shipped to me for 5.99, so I have trouble paying more than that for what their website says is free.
I sent them an email asking how to get their “free shipping” and was asked to call in for it. I called and the operator would not honor the free shipping either. She also offered the free “priority handling” though. 🙄
Since my original attempt to order, they’ve updated their website, so I know it’s not a simple “mistake”. It’s pretty clear that this is a sanctioned bait and switch tactic to get an extra couple of dollars in shipping. It’s pretty disappointing. 🙁
I ordered 4 of these towels for Christmas gifts on the 8 of December by calling their toll free number. What a hassle, an automated voice takes through the process. I order 4 towels 1 for myself and 3 for golfing buddys. The total order was 105.70 plus 6.07 per towel for FREE shipping. Never did it ask what color towels I wanted. So I had to call a different number to get customer service, “We have to wait to process the order to do that.” So I wait, and wait…..3 days THE 11 of December, now they can’t tell me if I will get the colors I want. Since my order I have invested in “TYLENOL STOCK.” Hope these towels come preloaded with water to cool off the steam coming out of my ears.
Any one to tell me how to order this towel for people with residence in Europe?
I used the brush for two rounds before the retractor came apart and the string unraveled, rendering the retractor unusable. I ordered another one and got the towel. The towel seam has pulled apart after two washings and now is virtually unusable. I have called Frogger only to get the run around. I have e-mailed them, but am still waiting for a response. Looks like I should have just stuck with my 22×44 white tour towel $5 each. It would be so frustrating if you could talk to a real individual. Products are way too pricy to have no customer service!
I tried to order the golf brush through their website and had nothing but attitude and problems. My bank is VERY stringent with debit card use- they have several anti-fraud protective measures they use. Basically, if the vendor does not enter in my complete information, including my zip code, the bank will “deny” the charge, in an attempt to avoid fraud cases(IMHO, it’s a great policy, I have known people whose cards have been “copied” and they experienced nothing but heartache.) I have had issues with other purchases, but the vendors have been nothing but helpful. I ordered the golfbrush through their website, but had not received it a week later. I called up the customer service line, and spoke with a VERY pissy guy with some sort of accent, who informed me that me card had been declined. I explained the situation, and he said he ran it through again and now there was no problem, my order should ship that day. After still not receiving the brush after another two weeks, I called again, same guy, same attitude. I reminded him of my issue, that my card needs to be “manually authorized” with my bank, and he gave me such a hard time that I cancelled the order. In the end, although I almost did not get the brush out of spite, I really wanted it, so I ordered it through The Golf Warehouse, with NO issues.
got mine a few weeks ago and i have been using it every round. only issue i have is the strap that holds the ring to clip to golf bag. if you have one its only .5 inch wide and when you wet your towel it gets a bit heavy. eventually the strap is not strong enoughe to hold the towel and it will start ripping. I can see this will happen with every towel unless they get a better strap on the towel.
I brought this towels in Las Vegas in Nov from Golf Galaxy. Love the towel once you get it wet. You need to use a hose instead of running it under water. At some golf courses they just have plant bowel to get your water for the towel. You just want to wet the towel from the inside. Stays wet all day in the sun.
Ball towel is worthless. Ruined my $75 shorts.
Be careful when deciding on which Frogger towel to purchase. The solid colors seem to hold the moisture longer, but the multi-colored towels will not stay wet through 18 holes. I asked the Frogger company about this and they denied there was any difference in the manufacturing process. Nor would they consider that the towel was defective. Basically, they told me I was simply out of luck. Instead of replacing my towel and keeping me as a satisfied customer they chose to stand their ground. So, beware! Frogger is not a company that is consumer friendly. Look for alternative towels like the Nike Tour Microfiber Golf Towel or the Spin It Golf- Always Dry Towel.
New to your blog. Stumbled upon it browsing the web. Keep up the great work. I am hoping you update it regularly.