10 Things every golfer should own

by: B. J. Hathaway

Golf is a game with really cool gear, so I came up with a list of ten things every golfer should own. What items do you wish you had?

1. Golf Shoes : $75-$275

For traction and stability, nothing provides better support than a nice pair of golf shoes.Ranging from sporty to classic, choices are almost endless but one of my favorites is this cool shoe from Oakley.

2. Golf Glove: $9-$21

Whether it’s practice or play, every golfer needs a good glove to securely hold the club against perspiration and friction. One that I like is the Nike Classic Feel.

3. Golf Tees: $1-3

One of the most common tools in the golfers bag, they range from wood to plastic resin. The best one that I’ve tested is the Mirror Tee with its special design to reduce driver spin and can actually be leaned forward to further enhance distance. Plus it’s nearly indestructible…unless to bring out your chain saw.

4. Video Camera: $99 and up

It’s the new thing these days, take your iPhone or iPad to the range and record your swing, a smart move if you want to improve.These devices do work but usually are not built for swing capture and you end up seeing blurry playback. Your best bet if your budget allows, is for either a Mini-DV camera or my choice, one of the Casio high speed models.

5. Golf Balls: $10-$55 per dozen

If you want variety, golfers these days have more choices than ever when it comes to golf balls. The good news is there really aren’t any “bad” golf balls out there, just some that are more suited to the requirements of better players when it comes to spin and distance control. Even better news is that most boxes are labeled to match your individual swing speed and thus give you the best of both worlds when it comes to distance and control. My personal favorite is the Nike 20XI, but there are plenty of great choices out there.

6. Sunglasses: $39-$200+

Unless you’re into night golf, this sport is played frequently in bright daylight. Unless you like headaches and wrinkles under your eyes it’s a good idea to invest in eye protection. Not only do good sunglasses provide better vision on the course, but they can make you look really cool too. One of my top choices is the Oakley Radar.

7. Golf Bag: $75-$800+

It would look pretty silly to have nice clubs and have to carry them around in a Hefty bag. Unless you have caddy money investing in a good golf bag is a smart thing to do. A good golf bag can be a carry bag or a staff bag depending on how much gear you want to take with you. There are lots of great selections, if you really want high end stuff Tour Spec is a great site, be sure to bring your wallet. Here’s a cool bag that I like.

8. Golf Hat: $12-30+

Unless you like being uber-tan, a good hat or visor is pretty much a necessity of life when it comes to golf. There are lots of cool choices from baseball style to bucket hats to painter and visor types, all you have to do is choose one that makes your handicap look lower than it really is. I like this one from Epon, but I have too many as it is.

9. Golf Bracelet: $7-$30

It’s not easy being hip on the golf course with naked wrists, every golfer needs a little bling. There are some cool choices like Trion, Sabona and Phiten, but if you want to really rock it the AGI logo bracelet is a must have. (it even has dimples)

10. Golf Books: $20-45

There are probably more books written about golf than any other sport, so selection is not a problem. You can learn about short game, putting, or full swing and get totally confused like most golfers. If you want to focus on the mental side of golf there’s quite a selection as well. For the time being, I’m offering my eBook “The Top 5 Mental Tips of PGA Tour Players” for free by going this page.