10 must-bring accessories for your golf holiday

Planning a golf holiday? We listed the coolest golf accessories on the market today, some geekier than others, but all small enough to fit your luggage and handy enough to make your vacation unforgettable. There’s something for small budgets and big wallets, and these golf gadgets would make great Valentine’s Day gifts too.

1. Golfers Hip Flask & Tool

This Golf Essentials product contains a Titanium competition golf ball, a hip flask with 4 stainless steel cups, and a golfer utility tool including knife, pitch repairer, spike wrench, ball marker, a pen, a keyring and a cleaning brush. You’re all set to go! It retails for £ 14.95 ($ 29.50 / € 19.90) at Golf-gift.co.uk

2. Swing Analysis Watch

This geeky gadget watch records club-head speed, rhythm, backswing and it tells time too. The G6 Golf Swing Watch (shown in picture) retails for $399 (€269 / £ 202) on the Suunto web site. A less pricey alternative for the watch is the Swing Speed Radar, a small electronic gadget that measures swing speed as the club head dazzles by. It is positioned near the golf ball and this golfing gadget retails for $19.95 (€13.50 / £10.10) on the company web site.

3. Teetool

Small, lightweight, and durable, this 4-in-1 teetool is an essential golf performance enhancement tool that every golfer should own. Tee-it with the tee setting gauge and retractable divot tool (even in hard ground!), mark-it with the gold platted ball marker, fix-it with the pitch mark tool and rest-it with the golf club or cigar rest! The teetool leads to better driving accuracy and distance all the way.
The teetool retails for £4.99 ($ 9.85 / € 6.65) at 118Golf.

4. Ball Finder Scout

An all-time golfing classic, the ball finder scout is endorsed by six-time major winner Nick Faldo, Britain’s best golfer and captain of the 2008 European Ryder Cup team. The ball finder is a state-of-the-art hand-held electronic device that will locate golf balls that would be hard to find otherwise, using a digital imaging system. It can positively locate in a range of up to 35 feet (11 metres) when only 1% of the ball is showing.
The Scout retails for $159 (€107 / £81) on the company web site.

5. Hand Warmer

Chilly on the golf course? No need to keep rubbing your numb hands anymore. With the S-Boston Hand Warmer, your hands will be comfortably warm and you’ll swing like never before! The liquid fuel hand warmer is perfect for outdoors use, it is totally safe since it doesn’t produce a flame. The hand warmer lasts 25 to 30 hours after each refill. The package comes with the hand warmer itself, AAA batteries, fuel funnel, a cloth, a carry pouch and complete instructions. Ideal for people who feel the cold.
The Golf Plus Hand Warmer retails for £24.99 ($ 49.30 / € 33.25) on the Golf Plus web site.

6. SkyCaddie

This water resistant electronic range finder features 11,000-plus preloaded mapped golf courses. The SkyCaddie display offers uber-geeky information such as multiple green views, distance updates as you move around the green, patented IntelliGreen technology that measures the full depth and shape of the green from any angle of approach, a programmable GPS range and other features. It is ideal for traveling golfers as its durable shell and 2 AA batteries eliminate the need to travel with cables and chargers.
The SG2 model retails for $299.95 (€202 / £152) on the SkyCaddie web site.

7. Crazy Golf Balls

If you are in for a practical joke on the golf course, these exploding, steaming, unputtable and vanishing golf balls will ensure a few laughs on the green. The set includes an Exploder that creates a mist cloud, the Jetstreamer that ejects a spiraling streaming ribbon, the Unputtaball that will wobble no matter how you hit it, and the Phantom ball that will vanish into a watery mist.
A set of golf balls retails for £ 7.99 ($ 15.75 / € 10.65) on I want one of those. The exploding golf ball can be seen in action in this short Youtube video.

8. Twilight Tracer

Enjoying your golf holiday and don’t want to stop just because it is getting dark? Now you won’t have to! The Twilight Tracer is a light-up golf ball with an inner core containing a proprietary circuitry, a lithium battery, and two red LED lights. The ball is motion activated as well, so you can follow its path in the dark, until 5 minutes after your swing. The quality of the golf ball is assured, so it feels and plays like a professional golf ball.
The Twilight Tracer Golf Balls retail for: one-ball pack $13.95 (€9.40 / £ 7.10), 3-ball pack $27.95 (€47.20 / £ 35.50) and 9-ball pack $69.95 on the company web site.

9. Digital Score Card

While you concentrate on your golf playing, the Photon Digital Score Card will keep score for you. Toss out those pencils and note books, the digital golf score card comes with a handy belt clip and a clipper for your bag or golf cart. It keeps the score for 18 holes and up to 4 players. The icing on the cake are the integrated LED light and clock.
It retails from $19.95 (€13.50 / £10.10) to $24.95 (€13.50 / £12.65) on the Photon web site.

10. Q-Link Performance Bracelet

Steel the show with this funky looking performance enhancing bracelet, available in stainless steel or titanium. The bracelets are designed to harmonize your energy and golf more calmly. Among testimonials for the Q-link bracelets are professional golfers Justin Rose and Ted Purdy, who both wear the bracelet on the golf course. Q-Link has a money-back guarantee if the bracelet fails to help you drop 3 strokes in 3 rounds.
Stainless steel bracelets retail for $99 (€66.80 / £50.20) and titanium bracelets for $199 (€134.30 / £100.90) on the Q-link web site.

Golf holiday accommodation on venere.com

On venere.com, you can find all your accommodation needs for your golf vacation. Check out our Golf Hotels and Golf Resorts in Europe and North America:

North America

The Hollywood Beach Country Club & Golf Resort in Hollywood, South Florida offers a beautiful on site 18-hole par 70 golf course. The championships golf course was designed in 1924 by renowned golf architect Donald Ross. Apart from the golf course, this all-suite hotel also offers an outdoor swimming pool.

The Makaha Resort and Golf Club in Waianae, Hawaii, lies in the stunning Makaha Valley and features an 18-hole championship golf course. Other amenities in this tropical estate are an outdoor swimming pool, tennis courts and an ocean view restaurant and lounge.

The Golf Suites in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, not only offers boutique hotel accommodation at just minutes from the most beautiful beaches in the world (according to UNESCO) but also a 27-hole Cocotal Golf & Country Club. It’s a great option for the kids too, as the hotel offers a children’s mini club too.

Europe

The Elba Sara Hotel of Caleta de Fustes, Spain, is located within the Fuerteventura Golf Club with its 18-hole golf course. The hotel offers accommodation for golfers in luxury double rooms, junior suites and full blown luxury suites.

In the beautiful Algarve region of Portugal, you will find many luxury golf hotels, among which the splendid beach resort Apartamento do Golfe in Vilamoura, which offers fully equipped apartments, an outdoor swimming pool, a paddling pool, and a beautifully kept garden with quiet pine wood.

The Palácio Estoril Hotel & Golf in Estoril, Portugal is a 5 star classical golf hotel. Signature amenities include the famous casino, white sandy beaches and exclusive golf courses.

Retail prices mentioned in this article were checked and current at the time of publication (February 2008).

Topic:  General Travel | 9 Comments
Tags:  golf, packing