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Essential Golf Accessories For 2018

Neil Robertson, 16th February 2018

golf accessories

Credit: New Atlas

Being well equipped for the golf course means far more than having the right irons, woods and wedges in your bag. To feel totally prepared for action, there are so many additional accessories that can give you the edge.

Golf is a game of fine margins and ensuring every aspect of your kit is as good as it can be could prove the difference between success and failure on the fairways.

Here, we look at some of the best golf accessories on the market this season.

 

Distance Measuring Devices

Gone are the days of searching for 150-yard marker posts and pacing out vague yardages. Distance measuring devices (DMDs) allow you to select a club with confidence, safe in the knowledge that you have the right yardage.

There are two principal types of DMDs – the GPS system and the laser rangefinder. The former relies on satellite positioning and is easy and quick to use. The latter can give a more precise distance to the pin by firing a laser that rebounds off the target. However, this obviously won’t work if there is something, like a tree or a hill, between you and the target.

GPS DMDs have developed significantly in recent years and they now come in a variety of styles: hand-held devices you can attach to your bag, watches and wristbands. Some of the best GPS DMDs on the market include:

Handheld

RRP: £329.99 – With an incredible four-inch LCD screen, this is a premium product. Not only can you zoom in on each hole to look more closely at its features, you can also collect statistics and scoring data.

Watch

Garmin Approach S20 RRP: £179.99 – The beauty of this watch is how light it feels on the wrist. It looks stylish but also includes a raft of technologies and features. Not only does it give accurate yardages to greens (front middle and back), it also picks out hazards, lay-ups and dog-legs, while collecting activity data for post-round analysis.

Wristband

golf accessories

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Microsoft Band RRP: £169.99 – Microsoft teamed up with TaylorMade to create the Golf Tile for the Microsoft Band. This provides comprehensive information on yardages and also health information on calories burned off, heart rate and steps taken during your round. This can then be reviewed using the Microsoft Health app.

 

Laser rangefinders

Bushnell Tour V4 Shift RRP £379 – Bushnell led the way in golf laser rangefinders and they still produce market-leading products. This one is lightweight, 100% rainproof, can pick up a flag up to 400 yards away and measures larger objects up to 1000 yards away.

Nikon Coolshot 80VR RRP £219 – Lightweight and reliable, this device can measure up to 650 yards.

GolfBuddy LR7 RRP £229 – Compact and easy to use, it scans for 10 seconds to show distances to varying targets.

 

Gloves

Getting the right glove to suit certain weather conditions – and finding one that fits well – can greatly add to the feel and control a golfer enjoys on course. There are a number of glove options on the market:

Leather

Many of the main manufacturers produce a leather glove and there’s nothing to beat the feel of this straight out of the packet. It’s the go-to option of the pros and, although less durable than the synthetic alternatives, it delivers the ultimate control and touch. Some of the best include:

golf accessories

Credit: Amazon

FootJoy StaSof RRP £20 – Incredible, tour-proven feel and softness.

Callaway Tour Authentic RRP £15.99 – Premium grade leather with great fit and comfort.

Srixon Cabretta Leather glove RRP £12.99 – Soft, fitted glove with lycra across the knuckles for extra comfort.

 

All-weather

The more durable option of an all-weather glove might not deliver the feel of leather, but it will deliver excellent grip in a variety of conditions. It will also last a good deal longer. Some good all-weather glove options include:

FootJoy WeatherSof RRP £10.99 – This is the best-selling glove in world golf – and it’s easy to see why. It functions in all conditions, provides great grip and is built to last.

Mizuno Comp RRP £8.99 – It’s synthetic but with a leather thumb and palm for increased feel.

TaylorMade All Weather RRP £10.99 – Durable performance from combination of leather, synthetic and lycra panels.

 

Rain Gloves

When the weather really takes a turn for the worst, look no further than a glove designed specifically to help maintain your grip on the club in the wet. Some of the best examples are:

FootJoy Rain Grip RRP £11 – It actually grips better the wetter it gets!

Srixon Rain gloves RRP £14.99 for a pair – Superior microfibre fabric maximises grip in any conditions.

 

golf accessories

Credit: John McKenna Golf

Mizuno RainFit RRP £19.99 for a pair – Features patented technologies to enhance grip. A synthetic suede developed in Japan increases grip as it gets wetter.

 

The golf umbrella

As obvious as it may seem, if you don’t have a good-sized, durable golf umbrella on your bag, you could find yourself feeling pretty miserable at the far end of the links when the rain clouds roll in. No matter how good your waterproofs are, only a golf umbrella will prevent you getting totally drenched when the heavens open. Good examples include:

 

PING Tour Double Canopy RRP £44.99 – It’s 68” across and the double canopy prevents it bending in the wind, but it’s lightweight too with fibreglass ribs.

Callaway Double Canopy RRP £29.99 – Slightly smaller with a 60” diameter, but lightweight and will stand up to tough conditions.

Gustbuster 62” Double Canopy RRP £34.99 – Gustbuster set the standard for producing hardy and durable golf umbrellas and they continue to produce quality products like this.

 

The towel

Almost all manufacturers produce golf towels, which is unsurprising as they’re a truly essential piece of kit. When you’ve hacked a ball out of a muddy lie in the trees,the club looks like you’ve used it to slice open a sticky chocolate cake. In this instance, it’s either a towel or an item of clothing that’s going to be used for the clean-up –so thank goodness for the golf towel! Look out for:

 

Callaway Tri-Fold RRP £9.99 – Compact and absorbent with easy-use clip.

Titleist Microfibre RRP £17.99 – Waffle weave construction and polyester/nylon mix for maximum absorbency. Quick drying.

Mizuno Tri Fold RRP £14.99 – 100% cotton fabric. Large when opened but still compact on the bag thanks to tri-fold. Easy to attach thanks to carabiner clip.

 

White wooden tees

No serious golfer takes to the fairways without a pristine pack of white wooden tees in their bag. Watch golf on TV and how often do you see one of the pros using anything other than a white wooden tee?Exactly. You can get these from most professional shops,but look out for the options from Masters which are available in a range of lengths.

 

The peaked cap

This is a crucial accessory to keep in the bag. Some people like to play in a cap at all times, while others will rely on one when the sun gets low or the rain starts to fall. Either way, it’s one for every golfer’s must-own list. Good options include:

golf accessories

Credit: MyGolfGear

Under Armour Official Spieth Tour 2.0 RRP £17.99 – If it’s good enough for a three-time Major champion, it’s good enough for us. This cap is lightweight with a structured design and provides excellent protection from the sun.

Callaway Mesh Fitted RRP £14.99 – Lightweight, comfortable, breathable and stylish… What more could you ask?

Mizuno Chrome RRP £17.99 – Great +40UPF sun protection, it’s perfect for summer golfing. It also looks good and can be worn both on and off course.

 

The Sharpie Marker

It’s important to mark your golf ball so that you can identify it all times, whether it’s in the roughor adjacent to another ball of the same make. The go-to tool for doing this is the classic Sharpie Permanent Marker and all golfers should have one, or a selection, in their bag.

Whether you use a simple dot, your initials or a more ornate tag, personalising your ball gives you certainty that you won’t play the wrong one and nobody else will play yours by mistake.

Go for the Sharpie Mini selection pack RRP £5.99 – Four mini markers in black, blue, green and red so you can get really creative in personalisation.

 

If you’re taking to the golf course with any of these accessories, you need specialist golf insurance. Thankfully, you’re in the right place, as our cover protects your equipment against loss, theft and damage.

Get golf equipment insurance up to £5,000 with Golf Care today for total peace of mind!

 

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