Golf balls, clubs, bags and more: Valentine's Day gifts for golfers

By Kiel Christianson,
Equipment Editor and Senior Writer

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Nike's redesigned One Black balls are a solid choice for distance and feel. (Courtesy Nike Golf)

Love is a four-letter word. So is golf.

Hence, Valentine's Day is a natural holiday for golf gifts. If you can get past all the cursing, that is.

For Her (and Him, kind of - come on guys, we all know we're an afterthought on this holiday):

What could possibly say romance more than reshafting her driver? Graphite Design's Pershing ladies' high-performance shafts ($120, www.gdintl.com) are not only pink, but they're ultra light-weight to maximize swing-speed. (For Him, Pershing shafts also come in silver and black in men's flexes.)

And old Scottish saying goes, "He who putts poorly, loves badly." Aye, more than one romantic golf getaway has been spoiled by weak performances on the greens. (And Viagra can't help that kind of performance.)

The Heavy Putter's new Deep Face series ($169, www.heavyputter.com), in both men's and ladies' models, has a higher center of gravity to promote better roll and even more weighting in the head and grip to neutralize "handsy" putting strokes.

Maybe it's not the putter that's ruining the mood but rather the ball. Nike's new Platinum One Black ($45/dozen) is a solid choice for both distance and feel. For slower swing-speeds, a box of Nike's new Karma balls ($28/dozen) will last a good deal longer than a box of bon-bons.

Maybe you'd like to pop a cork or two this Valentine's Day? If so, check out Caldwell Golf's new (and appropriately named) Malibu Woody collection of USGA-conforming, cork-filled drivers for both men and women ($400, www.caldwellgolf.com).

Keri Golf's (www.kerigolf.com) new line for 2008, the mk line, features cart bags ($375) and stand bags ($295), along with a matching line of totes ($115) and headcover sets ($75). Stripes, polka-dots and bold solids from chocolate to heather blue to Neapolitan pink make for the most innovative, stylish ladies' accessory line on the market.

If your princess of the links is less into the girly-girl colors, Ogio's (www.ogio.com) Diva Series ($149) includes a black and white golf bag that still manages to look feminine.

Luckily for the ladies, men don't obsess so much about accessories (unless we're counting talking bottle openers). Give us a new gadget or tool, though, and we'll be putty in your hands. In golf, the most effective tools are wedges, and some of the softest new wedges on the market are the PowerBilt Citation Tour wedges ($100). A proprietary brass/copper alloy material forms the face and is extruded through the back of the clubhead for a remarkably soft feel.

Putty in your hands, indeed.

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February 11, 2008

Kiel Christianson has lived, worked, traveled and golfed extensively on three continents. As senior writer and equipment editor for WorldGolf.com, he has reviewed courses, resorts, and golf academies from California to Ireland. Read his golf blog here.