GolfPass Holiday Gift Guide: What to get your favorite golfer

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The holidays can be a stressful time - especially if you're shopping for a golfer.

The thought process is probably the same every year: 'What can I buy that he (or she) doesn't already own?'

Most seasoned golfers already have all the tools necessary to play. What can really add to their arsenal are upgrades to what they already have. Who knows - perhaps the gift you buy will be the game-changer they've been looking for all these years. Have you ever met a golfer perfectly happy with their golf game? We didn't think so.

Buying golf clubs or even certain golf balls can be a dicey proposition, even if you know the recipient and his or her golf game pretty well. Golfers tend to have strong preferences for certain brands and models. If you’re intent on going this route, just make sure to request a gift receipt.

But when it comes to golf apparel, gadgets, accessories and even experiences, the possibilities are practically endless and encompass the full budget range. There are some great stocking-stuffer ideas as well as heftier candidates to fulfill any golfer’s holiday hopes.

We spend all year researching and testing various golf products in order to help you fine-tune your gift selections when the big buying season arrives. If it appears on this list, you can be confident that we have experience with the brands represented here.

In the spirit of giving, go ahead and surprise and delight your favorite golfer with any (or all!) of these hand-picked holiday golf gift options:

Normally we would argue that any self-respecting golfer shouldn’t have to pay for tees (scavenging and grabbing a few at nice courses tends to keep the bag well stocked), but if your favorite golfer has a favorite sports team, chances are its color scheme is represented by one of the dozens of options this company offers. We’re partial to its 1 ½-inch bamboo “shortees” ($6.99), which come in handy on par 3s and short par 4s, while there are also plenty of color choices for longer 3 1/4” hardwood striped pegs ($10.99). All pre-made Western Birch tees come in small boxes of 50 – an ideal stocking-stuffer.

GolfPass Senior Writer Tim Gavrich: It’s important to have quality tires on your car, and it’s important to have quality socks on your feet, especially when you’re on the golf course. I swear by the socks from this Kentucky company, especially its Surino line, which uses a lightweight material that is 30% Alpaca and 24% Merino wool – two fibers that wick sweat, control temperature and feel comfortable across dozens of rounds. Surino socks come in ankle- ($22 per pair) and crew-length ($26) styles and carry a rare, generous lifetime warranty. I have other golf socks in my drawer, but they get barely any wear because I always opt for my Alteras when I go out to play.

GolfPass Managing Editor Jason Scott Deegan: On hot days, it’s easy to sweat through a golf glove, which is why many golfers will have to rotate between two or more during each round. Clinch’s focus on durability and breathability mean there’s less of a need to switch. One glove – available in five different color schemes ($25) – should be all you’ll need.

Clean golf clubs are happy golf clubs, and while most golfers get by with a grungy towel and maybe a cheap wire brush to keep their sticks clean, there is a better way: the GrooveIt golf club brush ($24.99), a.k.a. "The Wet Club Scrub." The body of the brush doubles as a small tank that you can fill with water. Twist to tighten and push down the tank cap and water squirts out the brush onto your clubface. The high-quality bristles whisk away dirt and grime easily from there. Strong magnets make it easy to detach and reattach from your golf bag.

The GolfNow gift card is a perfect golf gift. You can spend a small amount and stick it in a stocking or go big and wrap it like a present. There's no expiration date, and it offers access to more than 11,000 golf courses worldwide through the GolfNow app. Shop here.

Some cocktail enthusiasts tend to favor one big ice cube over several small ones. If you know a golfer who is the same way, this ice mold ($27.74) could make a solid stocking stuffer.

Tim Gavrich: I never go on a multi-day golf trip without this reusable laundry bag that keeps your dirty golf clothes from contaminating your clean ones while they sit side-by-side in your suitcase. The best part is that the bag itself ($35) is machine-washable, so it’s easy to clean as well. The XL model will hold at least three or four days’ worth of dirty laundry. I consider this a golf travel essential.

This company is based in the heart of college football country: Oxford, Mississippi. As a result, their comfortable, durable and stretchy belts ($49) make great gifts for golfers who are also college sports fans. All sorts of team-specific color schemes are available, including this snazzy Tulane-inspired pattern, “The Magazine.”

The Scottsdale-based maverick golf manufacturing concern led by the booming voice and vision of Bob Parsons continues to push its competitors. Its second generation of golf balls represents a solid step over the first, expanding to two different models in the tradition of the other OEMs. The Xtreme Tour is a bit longer and lower-spin while the Xtreme Tour X brings a bit more bite into the greens. At $49.99 per dozen and with bulk discounts, it’s a lot of golf ball for the money.

This golf-casual company is known for their on-course sandals (read our recent review here) but they also make these closed-toe shoes with golf treads, and they’ve marked them down to $49.99 for the 2024 holiday shopping season.

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There is a nice-looking golf shirt for every golfer out there, and while you certainly can tip into triple-digits for a really high-end one, there is tons of quality and variety in the $75 to $99 range. One brand that might stir nostalgia in your favorite golfer is Ashworth, a 90s darling that has been revived in recent years. They’ve even brought Fred Couples back to endorse their threads, as he did years ago. Their Original Innovation Interlock polo ($88), with its collar and sleeve stripes, harkens back with contemporary materials.

At another end of the style spectrum sits Collars & Co., a Shark Tank darling brand that makes polo shirts that have the look of typical dress shirts. Their signature stiff collars come in different styles (Semi-Spread collar shirts range from $55 to $90) and make a strong business-casual statement.

Changing gears completely, if your favorite golfer likes bright colors and adventurous prints, then perhaps something from Sunday Swagger will be ideal. GolfPass Managing Editor Jason Scott Deegan dug the look and feel of their Sunset polo ($59) in a review earlier this year. There are much louder prints available for the adventurous golfer, too.

You can easily venture into triple-digit dollar amounts for something bespoke and high-end, but the accessory boom in golf in recent years has introduced several artisanal headcover makers to the industry, adding much-needed color and sophistication to many golfers’ repertoires, with plenty of competition from passionate craftspeople.

The best-known of these clubhead haberdashers is Seamus, based in Portland, Ore. You could spend hours pondering which headcover is perfect for your favorite golfer

Tim Gavrich: I tend to favor the classic wool barrel-shaped ones, like this Harris Tweed Fescue ($75-$95), though you might be enticed by something more colorful, like this Hiwahiwa Aqua cover ($75-$95) from their Hawaiian collection.

Another headcover maker that I can vouch for is Forewind Golf. Instead of wool, many of their products are made from retired sailcloth, giving them both a charmingly lived-in look and protective powers over your clubs. Their driver headcovers range from $60 to $92. I love my Forewind 5 wood headcover because it reminds me of my New England roots.

More towards the playful side of the headcover space sit brands like Cayce, whose products feature brighter colors, prints and even some jokey phrases and graphics, like this “Swing Thoughts” driver cover ($59.99).

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Call it a shameless plug if you want, but hundreds of thousands of members believe in the ability of GolfPass+ ($99) to enrich their golf lives. Monthly $10 Anytime Tee Time Credits that come with membership help save on rounds booked through GolfNow. A vast library of video golf instruction tips opens up new paths to improvement and 12 months Peacock Premium unlocks more golf at big events like The Open and U.S. Open. Sign up here.

“Life on the Move” being this brand’s motto, their apparel hews towards travel, which means it’s useful for golfers. The pants from their Outset collection ($129) are made from four-way stretch fabric that doesn’t wrinkle, even when traveling. One less thing to worry about when you go from airplane or car to course.

Jason Scott Deegan: The Theragun Relief ($149) is smaller and easier to use than other models. Its compact size (less than 8 inches long) and weight (1.33 pounds) means it could easily fit into your golf bag. The smartest golfer I ever met was the guy using a Theragun before and after his rounds to keep his muscles loose and limber.

If your (grand-)son or daughter, niece or nephew is ready to get into golf, the colorful, basic and well-made sets from Shorties might fit perfectly under the tree. The sets are arranged by size from the three-club TINY ($169) model for kids 34 to 38 inches tall, to the five-club JUNIOR ($199) set for golfers 46 to 51 inches tall. Shorties also offers a “Club Up” program, where kids can trade up to a larger-size set at a 20% discount.

Tim Gavrich: Having reviewed several brands and models of golf sunglasses, I have settled on the Scheyden Looper ($189) as a favorite choice. Scheyden has been in business for decades and they originally made sunglasses for pilots, so they score high for both quality and functionality. The half-frame CIA Grabber style (shown above) is also popular, including among PGA Tour Champions players.

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Why lug around a golf GPS device and a speaker when you could cover both yardage and playlist duty with one product? That’s the goal of the Player+ ($199), which not only crushes the tunes, but spits out audible distances for thousands of courses, thanks to its sleek touch screen display. It can be paired with multiple speakers simultaneously. An ultra-strong magnet easily attaches to any golf cart. A built-in USB-C power bank can charge your phone. Just in case your golf party gets a little too rowdy, the unit is fully waterproof. It comes in either navy blue or black.

The world’s largest manager of golf courses gives golfers a relatively low-cost way to get preferred rates at more than 150 facilities under its care. The program, rebranded Troon Access in 2024, has two tiers, with the base-level one ($199 per year) granting 15% off standard green fees and 10% off of course merchandise. The next-level Troon Access membership ($349) includes all aforementioned benefits, plus 50% off tee times booked 78 hours out or less.

If you know someone with their own E-Z-GO-brand golf cart, you can help them trick it out via one of several soundbars of different sizes. The EcoXGear SoundExtreme speakers range from $299.99 to $549.99.

Tim Gavrich: There are a lot of decent putting mats, but PrimePutt's artificial turf looks, feels and rolls more like an actual grass putting green than any I've encountered yet. Their Standard (9' x 3'; $440) size is ideal for most living rooms and, as the father of a toddler, I can attest to the beating it can take and still roll nicely.

Tim Gavrich: I have never received so many compliments on any piece of golf gear as I have on my Shapland golf bag, which I bought in 2020 and which continues to age beautifully. The Chicago-based golf bag outfitter inspired by architect Harry Colt (Shapland being Colt’s middle name) continues to refine its high-quality designs and has expanded its offerings to a few different designs. The evolved version of my bag is now known as the Rye 2.4 ($440). If your favorite golfer needs a new golf bag, Shapland will supply something that will last.

While other brands have improved their products, Bushnell rangefinders continue to dominate, trusted by more than 90% of PGA Tour caddies, who use them to help their players strategize pre-tournaments. Bushnell’s Pro XE rangefinder ($599) is a top-of-the-line choice; it’s waterproof, with 7x magnification, 500+-yard range, PinSeeker and JOLT technology, Bushnell’s strong BITE magnetic attachment and the ability to calculate distances based not just on slope but elements like temperature and barometric pressure.

Tim Gavrich: If your favorite golfer has been really nice this year, you can spoil him or her with these top-of-the-line, feather-light golf sunglasses with crystal-clear lenses. Pro golfers like Phil Mickelson and Rose Zhang have worn them in the past. The Golfer Elite ($599) is the pair I wear; it's fantastic.

Experiences have never been more popular as gifts, so why not join the trend and take your favorite golfer(s) somewhere awesome? The field of golf travel services has never been stronger. GolfPass' own travel department has hundreds of stay-and-play packages on offer, from a "Best of Las Vegas" offer fit for high rollers to awesome trips to Phoenix/Scottsdale, Kiawah Island, Destination Kohler and even Scotland. Browse packages here.

We spent all of 2023 educating golfers on how much better the game is when you're on two feet with our summer walking series. Walking the golf course is always a great thing, and this is arguably one of the best ways to walk: Enjoying the stroll hands-free with a Motocaddy M7 GPS Electric Caddy ($1,899). Its GPS touchscreen allows golfers to get distance readings as soon as they arrive at their balls. Distances read from the front, middle or back of the green with a function that allows you to drag and drop a pin that signifies the flag. No more fussing with a range finder or struggling to read a tiny watch screen.

The M7 sports some of the best control of all the electric trolleys we've tested. The built-in Automatic Downhill Control and all-terrain tyres (tires) help to maintain a constant speed no matter the gradient. Extras like a Motocaddy bag and umbrella, phone and drink holders make walking a breeze.

If money is no object, why not treat your favorite golfer to something PGA Tour pros swear by? They can leverage scary-accurate ball flight data and analytics to improve their game via this top-of-the-line launch monitor ($19,999), which can be seen alongside pros during practice rounds and range sessions.

Gear

July 27, 2018

Looking for more holiday golf gift ideas? Browse our archive of monthly GolfPass Gear Reports and other product reviews here.