Golf Gifts to Avoid

Popular gifts for golfers have been the same for many years.  Things like customized golf balls, new clubs, golf shirts, golf bags, and training aids/DVDs are the sort of items that you’ll find on many “Great Gifts for Golfers” lists.  In this article, I’d like to explain why these “popular” golf gifts are not the best gift that you can buy for the golfer in your life and will conclude by telling you what is. 

Golf Clubs – A new set of clubs may not be a hugely popular gift due to the cost, but things like a new driver or new putter are very popular gifts.  The thought is that since the recipient loves to golf so much, surely they need the latest and greatest clubs in their bag.  And using the same clubs as Phil Mickelson means that you automatically start playing as well as him, right? 

Of course not.  Golf clubs are a bad gift because clubs need to be fitted for the player.  Purchasing them for another person will inevitably lead to a poor fit, an improper grip, or several other problems.  This results in the person having to alter their swing, which will negate any improvement in their game that might have been gained from a new club.  So unless your golfer is playing with a set of woods that is actually made from wood, avoid buying clubs for them – chances are the ones they have are perfectly fine for the recreational golfer.

Golf Shirts – A good friend of mine has been golfing for the past 20 years on a pretty consistent basis.  The other day we happened to be talking about golf shirts and he mentioned that he probably has over 100 golf shirts.  Every holiday, he explained, he receives 2 or 3 new golf shirts as gifts.  This has led to a situation where he has more shirts than he could ever wear. 

Golf shirts are not bad gifts in and of themselves, but the truth is that most people probably already have enough of them and don’t really need another one.  Also, people have different tastes and wear different sizes, so finding a golf shirt that you think will fit them and that they will like is often easier said than done.

Training Tools/DVDs – perhaps the most popular golf gifts are those that are guaranteed to help improve their score.  Hundreds of training aids, specialized clubs, DVD series, and other gimmicks are out there aimed at the person looking for any way to improve their golf game.  These tools rarely work as advertised and often end up in the trash after only a couple of uses. 

So what is a good gift idea for golfers?  Believe it or not, probably the best gift you can give them is some lessons with a pro.  Even golfers that have been playing for 30 years can benefit from having a PGA certified professional take a look at their swing and give them some pointers.  They will improve their game more from one lesson than they will from using new clubs or trying out a training aid.  And, of course, if they are just getting started at golfing, lessons are an ideal gift because they help ensure that they have good mechanics.