Member Reviews: On The Green Golf Belt Buckles

[mvmac]

After several uses of it, I'm ready to post a review but I can't seem to find the right link to post it. The short story is that this is everything I like about my previous two solutions (side clip for a belt, multi-tool in pocket) without the parts I don't like. Also, I feel like Batman when using it, if he were to play golf (I think he hasn't played since he became Batman, other than giving a brief putting lesson in the first Bale movie. But if Bruce Wayne played golf, he'd have a buckle like this).

@Colin Smith, you've come up with a great product.

Please post your reviews here guys, thanks.

http://thesandtrap.com/products/on-the-green-the-golfers-belt-buckle#

[iacas]

Please post your reviews here guys, thanks.

http://thesandtrap.com/products/on-the-green-the-golfers-belt-buckle

@Shindig , @saevel25

[newtogolf]

Please post your reviews here guys, thanks.

http://thesandtrap.com/products/on-the-green-the-golfers-belt-buckle#

Just posted my review there.

[Shindig]

[QUOTE name="mvmac" url="/t/83790/member-reviews-on-the-green-golf-belt-buckles/18#post_1196639"]   Please post your reviews here guys, thanks. [URL=http://thesandtrap.com/products/on-the-green-the-golfers-belt-buckle]http://thesandtrap.com/products/on-the-green-the-golfers-belt-buckle[/URL] [/QUOTE] @Shindig , @saevel25

That's embarrassing for me. I thought I had posted yesterday. It's there now.

[mvmac]

Here are all the reviews of the belt. Thanks to all the reviewers!

http://thesandtrap.com/products/on-the-green-the-golfers-belt-buckle/reviews

@SavvySwede 's review.

Pros: convenient, easy to use, stylish

Cons: paint wear

The On the Green Golf Belt takes a simple approach to a comon problem, rembering to have your ball mark and pitch mark repair tool handy at all times. I always had a bad habit of getting to that first green and start digging around the bottom of my bag to find my repair tool. Not wanting to hold up play I'd usually resort to using my tee as to not waste time looking for it. I know, very busch league of me but better than nothing.

The On the Green Golf Belt Buckle is well constucted and comes in 10 different colors which to choose from. You can even have the tools in different colors for a more stylish contrast. I went with all silver though I would call their silver more of a grey than a metalic finish. The paint does wear on the repair tool rather quickly but the wear isn't visible when it's sheathed in the buckle. The belt stap is well made, lightweight and comfortable, but the sizing does run a bit on the larger side.

Out on the coourse the belt is pretty convenient and I received a few compliments from playing partners who were observant enough to notice it's hidden features. The pitch mark repair tool is nice and slim with the prongs not too far apart. Nothing like those oversized logoed repair tools that do almost as much damage as they fix. The marker was easy to see and the raised edge made it easy to lift off the turf but it does sit high enough that you'll need to move it out of your playing partners line if it happens to be in the way. The slots and magnetic fastening system work like a charm, absolutely no need to worry about the pieces coming out until you remove them yourself.

The only feature I might want to add would be to have the abiltiy to swap the tool and marker around so I could pull the pitch mark tool out with my right hand instead of left. Overall it's a very simple and functional device that will help your rounds go just a little bit smoother. Now all I have to do is hit more greens.

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@saevel25

Pros: Style, Functionality

Cons: Train self to use the belt

Over the past few years there seems to be a movement towards interchangable belts and buckles. This being that the buckle is separate from the belt which allows for different combinations by the wearer. One innovative version of this concept is from the "On The Green" belt buckle. The OTG buckle company decided to take this idea and add to it by making the belt buckle also function as the holder for a ball pitch mark repair tool and a ball marker. This innovative idea is a good one and this review will look at their belt in terms of style and functionality on the golf course.

Appearance & Size

The first thing I noticed from this belt buckle was the overall weight of it. For a person who has not worn an interchangeable belt and buckle type set up before I found this belt buckle to be heavy. I am not entirely sure this is common with this genre of belts. Though, quickly I found that when worn you really can't tell the difference from a standard belt.

I would say the belt buckle is as large as I would want to see it be. Overall in width it's just larger than a typical width for a wide style belt. Over all the appearance is simple in design, which fits for the size of the belt buckle. If the appearance was something more it would stand out a ton. The simple design works for the size of the belt.

From the website you get to choose from multiple combinations of colors for the buckle, golf tools, and belt. The belt can be made of leather or cotton webbing. As for the belt length, I recommend going with one size less than the pants size you wear. I wear either 36 or 38 pants size depending on style and brand. I got the 38 length belt and I found that the buckle latched more inward on the belt, away from the end. If I would have gotten the 36 length belt then it would have latched perfectly in the middle eyelet. I hope in the future they are able to create different style of buckles, or maybe add in custom designs on the front of the buckle.

Construction

Overall the buckle looks to be made very well. From the website it says it's made of a zinc alloy. I've been using it on the course for the past few weeks and the buckle has held up just fine. The websites states that the buckle is powder coated. I got the silver buckle with black golf tools. One downside was the powder coating was coming off the repair tools after a round of use. Also sliding the tool in and out of the buckle will wear off the paint as well. It looks like the buckle is made in two parts that are screwed together. The parts are stated to be injected molded. The hook used to latch onto the belt is part of the buckle, which I think is a smart idea since it's the area under most stress.

The belt I have is the cotton webbing version. Basically it's made by weaving together cotton threads. I would describe it as a canvas in texture. The holes in the belt are made with O-rings that were punched through the belt, and are made of metal to help protect the holes from being worn down by the buckle.

Overall I am very impressed with the quality of this belt. The only downside I do see is the quality of the powder coating. I am not sure if it needs a sealer or a finish coating of some type. I was a bit disappointed finding the paint being worn off after a few uses.

Functionality

Functionality is where the belt shines. Since the golf tools are placed in the belt it functions as an easy way to access those tools during a round of golf. At first I didn't see the point because I am so use to just reaching in my pocket for my ball marker or repair tool. I actually found I was putting the tools from the belt in my pocket after use. After a few uses I started to put the tools back in the belt. I found that the design was intuitive and pretty easy to use. If you are committed to wearing the belt, then this adds a great function to the belt.

Price & Value

From the website the buckle costs $35, the Belt costs $20. In total you are looking at $55 for a belt and buckle. This price’s well with other belts of this genre that do not have the functionality of doubling as a holder for the golf tools. Compared to a standard belt I would say it's on the medium high end of the price range. Still, if you consider you are getting a ball mark, a pretty good ball repair tool. I find the pricing to be very good.

Conclusion

As someone who hasn't really thought much about a belt before. I found using the belt as housing for the golf tools as a very smart thing to do. I think at first people will have to retrain themselves on where to put the tools after using them. In the end it's very easy to use. Combine this with a good looking belt, with multiple color options and belt options I find this to be an easy belt to recommend for any golfer.

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@Shindig

Pros: Convenience, functionality

Cons: When the greens brown out, the gold marker may be harder to find.

I bought my first golf accessory shortly after I took up the sport about a decade ago. It was a plastic device that would clip onto a belt and had a magnet to attach a coin-sized ball marker and a holster for a tool to repair indentations made on the green from shots that hit it. That plastic has probably been at my side for almost every regulation round for the past nine years.

This changed a few weeks ago when I got my first On The Green Golf belt buckle. While the belt itself is nice, the buckle is the main product, as it stores a marker for the ball and a mark repair tool. Both are held in place by magnets, making it both very easy to place back into the buckle and secure over movements. Before I get into the quality and appearance of the product, though, I am excited to add that using these features makes me feel the way Batman would if he played golf (Bruce Wayne played before he was Batman, although he didn't have these cool gadgets available to him, but I digress). I need a tool to help me? Let me just find it in my belt buckle.

The ball marker is a good one. It's a little smaller than a quarter, and is raised on one side to enable it to lie flat in the grass. When I have to move my marker, I turn it with those sides up as a reminder that I need to move it back before I putt. The repair tool is also quite nice -- it's the nicest of all I've used that don't go directly into my pocket However, those supposedly nicer ones have the disadvantage of having to be in my pocket, which I don't like. There's no risk of stabbing myself with this, nor can it interfere with a stroke. The magnets ensure that they're exactly where they should be when I go to reach for them and can't fall out of my pocket or off of the cart.

One other note: I had never bought a buckle separate from a belt prior to getting this one. I was a little worried that I would have trouble assembling them. It took me all of two minutes to figure out.

If I did have to list a disadvantage, the gold color buckle -- which goes great with my usual tournament clothing -- is about the same color as some greens I've been playing lately. If I walk too far from my ball marker, I risk having to find it again. This can easily be solved by getting another color buckle (if one is really worried) or not moving far from my ball mark. I rarely go far from where my ball is marked when it is so, making this a near-non-issue for me.

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@newtogolf

Pros: Great use of buckle to hold divot tool and ball marker

Cons: Belt hook

As a lefty golfer, I usually place everything I'll need during a round of golf in the left front pocket of my shorts or pants so that they are easy to grab with my ungloved hand.  During a round of golf my pocket usually holds three tees (long, medium, short), ball marker, divot tool, a spare ball for provisional use and some cash.  Each time I need to reach into my pocket to tee up the ball, fix a divot or mark my ball I have to sort through my pockets which usually results in poking my self in the hand or leg with the tees or divot tool so I was excited to try out the On The Green Golfers Belt Buckle that gives golfers a handy place to store the ball maker and divot tool.   The buckle comes in various colors and overall is a nice looking buckle that packs a lot of utility in it.

As you can see by the above pictures the OTG Belt Buckle uses magnets to keep the divot tool and ball market in place and they easily slide right back into the belt buckle when you're not using them.  Admittedly in took me a few rounds to retrain my hand to reach for the buckle versus my pocket but after that it was second nature.

Despite the small size, the divot tool works well repairing ball marks and playing after a rainy morning it got quite a workout.  The ball marker and divot tools have a small ridge around them to make it easier to slide them out of the buckle.  In terms of utility I couldn't ask more from a buckle as getting the divot tool and ball marker out of my pockets was a great benefit.

While the buckle shines in terms of utility it does not perform as well as others in terms of working as a belt.  The OTG Belt buckle uses a traditional hook to fit into a belt loop.  The hook is bent at an pretty extreme angle which makes getting the hook into the belt strap a bit challenging.  I found I'd have to almost bend the belt a bit and guide the hook into the belt which would sometimes cause the hook to stab my finger when it slipped in.

I've become a bit spoiled by other belts that use ratchet systems that make belts easier to put on and provide a better fit given their 1/4 increments versus the 1" increments on the OTG supplied cloth belt.  I am not a fan of cloth belts so I ordered a leather belt from On the Green to test with as well.  The leather belt was nice but was even harder to get the buckle to hook into.  I put on a few pounds this summer and found I was in between sizes but opted to keep it tighter than I typically would because if the belt is too loose the hook would slip out (like it does with other belts).

I don't know if it's possible but On The Green's belt buckle would be my #1 choice if it offered a ratchet system in place of the hook.   I'd also prefer if instead of the buckle requiring a specialized belt that includes a snap to attach to the buckle it used of a clamp with teeth that holds the belt in place so buyers would have additional belt options beyond what OTG offers.

I really like having the divot tool and ball marker always handy right on my belt buckle.  I'll continue to use the On The Green belt buckle despite the hook and fit issues because I prefer having my pockets less cluttered.  It definitely garners attention and everyone that noticed the buckle loved the idea and a few even ordered one as a result.