Golf Digest just published a piece that advises us golfers on how to part with our hard earned cash to better improve our golfing life. In “The best ways to invest in your golf game this season (from $10 to $35,000)” they offer us a few inventive ways to make our golfing experience all the better. And I agree with some of them for sure.
First on their list is the $10 bag of practice balls. Good choice and only ten bucks, heck that’s a Snickers and a tip for the cart girl. But they prefer the plastic wiffle ball type while I prefer the soft sponge type because I can bounce those spongy balls all round my living room without doing any damage to the walls. Even a full on seven iron won’t dent the wall. But be warned, hit them away from the flat screen.
Another great choice is a pair of rain gloves,,,better yet,,, I say two pair of good rain gloves. What happens to golfers when it rains? They get wet and so do their hands. Twenty bucks gets you a pair of club gripping wonders that will give you a two shot advantage over your cheap buddies that think they can get away without them.
Golf Digest likes the PuttOut Training Aid for $30 but I actually tried another one earlier this past winter as I was dealing with cabin fever. The Eye Line Putting Mirror reinforces the Jack Nicklaus method of having your eyes over or slightly inside of the ball and your putting line. I worked with it all winter and so far this season I am missing less short putts. Plus I’ve seen Rickie Fowler and other pros using it and Rickie has one of the smoothest strokes on tour. It’s a few bucks cheaper and if that’s not reason enough then if Jack says get your eyes right you better get them right.
Thirty five bucks on a chipping net sounds like a waste to me. If you need to chip around your yard use a bucket. It’s cheaper and that leaves more for the 19th Hole.
New spikes ($20) for your shoes are always a good idea if your shoes are in good shape and the cleats aren’t. Plus worn grips can do you in for sure. Some grips are fairly expensive but good contact with your clubs is critical. Six to ten bucks a grip is the going rate for the newest grips with new technology. And replace the grips yourself, it’s easy. If I can do it anyone can.
Now, Golf Digest has to pay their bills so they do promote their instructional website: Golf Digest All Access for $100. It’s a video library and many of the top coaches and teachers are available on the website. But truthfully, I bet You Tube is just as good and free and I have an issue with forking over cash for an online golf instruction site.
Another suggestion for game improvement is a custom club fitting. Now, that is something I have been thinking about for awhile. The proponents of club fitting say a proper fitting will shave strokes off anyone’s game. And the technology is so good now you can get fit for every aspect off your game. A full fitting by an established fitter would include driver, irons, fairways/hybrids, wedges and putters. Club Champion offers a full bag fitting for $350. That’s serious cash but a new driver retails for $500 so maybe a fitting could tell us which one is the right one to plunk down that cash on.
Walking is an integral part of our game and no matter what my old cardiologist used to say, walking a golf course is exercise. (She has since changed her mind and acknowledges the benefits of golf, walking that is.) Anyway I splurged a few years back and upgraded from a two wheeled pull cart to a three wheeled push cart and that thing rocks. Carrying isn’t a part of my game, I leave that to the youngsters but I love walking and the three wheeler is a dream. The one they mention looks so high tech as it folds down to just five inches wide. But at $300 that may be too steep. There are plenty out there just as good for far cheaper.
They showcase a few of the high tech toys: The Arccos 360 Performance Tracking System for $249, the Blast Golf Swing and Stroke Analyzer for $149 and the Skytrak Launch Monitor ($1,995) and some other high tech items which I am sure are good and if you have cash to burn and are that much of a golf freak have at it. But I, like many of the guys I play with need to get a bit more consistent before I would lay out cash for those.
Their biggest of their big ticket items and the one that Jordan and Rickie and the boys have in their Man Cave is the GOLFZON Vision Simulator that starts at a reasonable $35K. It’s the highest of the high end simulators and you can do just about anything you want on it. But a full build out will set you back sixty big ones, heck worth it if you got the bread and the urge.
Of course that’s not for every golfer, but I’ll tell you what is: improving your game.
And one of the most reasonable ways to invest in our games is not with any new gadget or toy that we order on Amazon. It’s with a real person and that’s a good certified teacher. They recommend three one hour lessons with a golf teacher and I agree. In fact, this season, for the first time ever I made a commitment to take some lessons. I did some research and found a good pro at a local club with reasonable rates (6 1/2hr lessons for $250). And so far it’s a damn good investment. After one lesson he has me hitting the ball much better. Over the next few weeks I will be writing about my experiences with my new teacher and hopefully my improving golf game. But with just this short time spent with a pro he has me making strides already.
Hey, didn’t some one say the “people are our best investment”? Well, if they didn’t, I just did.
Related Articles
