Turning another page on the calendar makes me think about how the golf season is quickly slipping away from those of us in northern climes. For PGA Tour types, this means the Silly Season is upon us. But for those of us who are about to lose our golfing privileges for the next five months or so, we’re entering the Shopping Season.
That’s put me in the mood to start making a list for Santa Claus, since old Saint Nick and his helpers always want to know what golf goodies I’d like to see under the tree. Here’s what’s on my list so far this year; what’s on yours?
First on my list is the biggest-ticket item: a new 3-wood, or a hybrid equivalent. I’m torn between wanting a large titanium-headed 3-wood to function as a de facto backup driver on short or tight driving holes, and wanting a small-headed hybrid with a shorter shaft for more control.
I have two 3-woods that I like – my old reliable Callaway Steelhead Plus Strong 4-wood, which has 15 degrees of loft like a 3-wood, and the Titleist 904F that I acquired earlier this year. Both clubs are good off the deck and the tee, but I find that I hardly ever reach for either of them anymore. I think I have a disconnect between the huge 460cc Fusion FT-3 driver I use and my current 3-wood options, which are less than 200cc.
On the one hand, I’d like to get a large, deep-faced titanium 3-wood that will be a little closer to driver size. The new Big Bertha Titanium fairway woods are among the largest I’ve seen, with very deep faces. 10 years ago, these would have been large drivers.
On the other hand, I’ve really enjoyed using the Sonartec Md hybrid that replaced my 7-wood/3-iron this year. It is very versatile, and reliable for 215 yards off the tee. I’m thinking that I would like adding a 15- or 17-degree hybrid to my bag and dropping the 3-wood. I would probably lose a bit of yardage when I hit it off the tee, but I might find more use for it off the fairway on par-5s or to hit punch shots out of the rough.
The other thing I have on my wish list this year is a new stand bag. The Callaway Ion bag (made by Ogio, which also sells the bag as the Exo) has been a good performer for me for the last three seasons, but it is starting to break down a bit. And it isn’t the lightest of carry bags. I’d like to get an ultra-light carry bag in the neighborhood of 3 pounds for walking rounds. I see Ogio’s Vaporlite is under 4 pounds and still has the “Woode” top divider system I like. The Sun Mountain Superlight 2.5 is also a nice-looking contender, clocking in at (you guessed it) 2.5 pounds.
Any recommendations? Leave your suggestions in the comments below, and I’ll pass on your thoughts to Santa. Of course, chances are I’ll just get more gag golf gift this year. Not that I wouldn’t mind another box of naked lady tees, of course.
How about you? What golf goodies are going to be on your holiday wish list this year?
You can always use golf gear – pick up a range finder to celebrate their impending standing as legalized devices. Consider retooling your wedge game with new wedges that fill gaps and let you play from a variety of places. Consider a range pass to an indoor dome so you can at least stay limber and keep the golf muscles in shape through the months known as “football season.” 🙂
The rangefinder is a good idea I’d forgotten about. And the dome/range pass is a good idea, too (there are some ranges with great heated tees around here, which I prefer to the domes).
I finally got my wedges dialed in this year, so no futzing around there. I’m sure some of my non-golfing family members will manage to find me some truly useless stuff (like golf ball monogrammers, golf-related knick-knacks), regardless of what I suggest!
Range-finders are good ideas, but the cheap ones really suck. You have to spend a few hundred dollars to get anything that’s at all useful.
Something you may want to consider in lieu of a winter pass at the dome is something like the Momentus training aids (I’d recommend the “Traveler”). I found that the short shaft allowed me to practice my swing in the basement without having to worry about hitting the wall, ceiling, or other object. It’s not perfect, but not bad if you just want to “remember” how to swing a club.