by Nancy Howard

It’s that time again and the Holidays will be upon us before we turn around. All of us at Arizona Golfer hope these recommended “Holiday Gift Ideas” will help make your shopping life a little easier this season.

For the ultimate ‘on the course’ golf gift, consider a membership, pass or gift certificate from the following courses. If you have an avid golfer on your hands, what better to give than all the golf they could wish for. A quick call or website visit gets your purchase on the way via email or mail. Golf cards and certificates are available at the following recommended courses, plus they give your golfer access to affiliated courses: Whirlwind Golf Club-www.whirlwindgolf.com or 480.490.1500; Longbow Golf Club-www.longbowgolf.com or 480.807.5400.; ASU Karsten-www.asukarsten.com or 480.921.8070.; Poston Butte Golf Club in Florence-www.postonbuttegc.com or 520.723.1880; Trilogy Golf Club at Vistancia-www.trilogygolfclub.com; StoneRidge Golf Club in Prescott-www.stoneridgegolf.com or 928.772.6500;  Eagle Mountain Golf Club-www.eaglemtn.com or 480.816.1234; Raven at Verrado-www.ravenatverrado.com 388.3000 or 623.; Seven Canyons in Sedona-www.golfnow.com or 928.203.2001;  Palm Valley Golf Club–www.palmvalleygolf.com or 623.935.2500 and Sanctuary Golf Club-www.sanctuarygolf.com or 480.502.8200. These championship courses are sure to please any golfer on your list and come highly recommended by Arizona Golfer.

An excellent gift, especially with our high season upon us, is one of the golf passes that Arizona Golfer recommends. These offer great discounts and opportunities to play exceptional courses throughout the Valley of the Sun and in Vegas, as well. Check out the passes offered by OB Sports with Eagle Mountain, Longbow and Palm Valley; or the Troon Card offered at all Troon courses, Poston Butte, Whirlwind, Troon North, StoneRidge and Sanctuary to name a few.  And, of course, the SWSPGA Golf Pass for only $110 gives you discounts at more than 66 courses throughout the state and you can book your tee times at theteetimestore.com

Give a true gift for the love of the game and help your favorite golfer with a series of lessons to hone their game. Lesson series certificates from our finest PGA professionals are available at all the above listed courses and at great holiday pricing this year. Or, give them a series of lessons from one of our professional columninsts’ : John Stahlschmidt, Greg Ellis, Mark Oswald, Scott Sackett, and Kim Anders or help with their mental game to take them to the next level with Dr. Ron Mann. Their contact information is at the end of their column, each month.

Equipment for your favorite golfer? Ask the nearest pro shop at your favorite golf course about gift certificates along with swing analysis for their best fit. They always have wonderful values along with a great selection of golf equipment, and nooo they are not more expensive and you have the bonus of being fitted properly by a professional.

Golf balls are always great stocking stuffers. This year, give them four dozen for the same price as a dozen. Jerry’s Golf Balls services the greater Maricopa County area and ships anywhere in the U.S., offering a wonderful selection of ‘Hit and Lost’ balls at amazing prices. Call 602.404.2142 or 888.225.7859. In the East Valley and shipping to any location, Sunshine Golf is available with awesome wholesale prices on balls as well as bags and golf shoes. Call 480.671.9021 or visit www.fore-used-golfballs.com.

Some of our favorite exotic golf resorts include The JW Marriott Las Vegas Resort & Spa surrounded by the best golf in Vegas: Angel Park, TPC Vegas, The Bear and Badlands, and worth the short ride to The Legacy and Aliante golf clubs. Call 877.869.8777 or visit www.jwlasvegasresort.com. Another personal favorite is Estrella del Mar in Mazatlan, Mexico with their fabulous Robert Trent Jones, Jr. course, spectacular ocean views, oh so relaxed condos and boutique style hotel-www.estrelladelmar.com or 877.297.2953. It’s a golf paradise and yes, there is plenty of security–safety is not a problem here.

Make your holiday shopping truly easy by going to www.obsportsgolfvacations.com or call 866.435.4066. OB Sports Golf Vacations do all the planning for you and customize the perfect getaway.

There are fun and very useful new ideas out there to put under the tree or in the stocking this year. The Thumb Caddy, which helps perfect your grip, sells for $7.99. Check it out at www.thumbcaddy.net. My favorite, the new Shadys for your golf cart! You can even get a custom logo or personalize it for your golfer and it attaches to your golf bag so you can take it everywhere you play. Perfect for blocking wind in the winter and sun in the summer. Ask your pro shop about them or visit www.shadys.com.

The new Wii Golf Trainer is a unique gift. Data Design Interactive’s new “My Personal Golf Trainer” for the Nintendo Wii. It features swing analysis and personalized lessons from the world’s #1 golf instructor, David Leadbetter. At $99, the trainer makes for an affordable golf gift and is available at golf shops and sporting goods retailers or order online at www.mypersonaltrainer.com.

Here’s a few new fun items this year, a Headcover, T-Shirt and Golf Cap, all in camouflage embroidered with “Weapon of Grass Destruction” on them. They’ve been a big hit with the golfers and our Servicemen. Selling for $6.00 each, they make a great novelty gift. Call 602.820.8287 to order.
 
We hope these ideas make your shopping easier this year. And, from all of us at Arizona Golfer to all of you…We Wish You a Wonderful Holiday Season!!