For many golfers in northern parts of the United States, this time of year can be the most frustrating. You can see the light at the end of a long, cold, off season, but mid-April never seems to arrive fast enough.

So to help cope with that last month or so before the new season starts, I recommend a trip to the closest golf expo. About a year ago, a few golf buddies and I attended the Connecticut Golf Show. This is where Stinky Golf Chris and I were first introduced to holographic balance wristbands.

While the bands were met with mixed reviews (Chris felt his helped, while I felt mine did not), it sure was fun talking (and dreaming) about how a little silicon wristband could help your golf game! That’s the thing with golf shows – there’s a treasure-trove of ideas for the upcoming season.

Let’s take golf balls for example; As you may know, I’m a bit of an eco-friendly guy. So when I spotted the Dr. Mulligan’s booth, I was intrigued. I’ve know about refurbished (or recycled) golf balls, but assumed they were not up to the quality of new balls. No so. I purchased two-dozen Nike One balls just on looks alone. At $20 a dozen, that was a steal. But what about the playability? Yep – that was up-to-snuff too. I couldn’t tell the difference between the used and new ones.

Another golf buddy purchased one of the magnetic wristbands at one booth, while we all stepped into the long-drive simulator. There was a long-putt contest where if you sunk it, you won a free round a golf (this year there’s a marshmallow chip shot contest); a row of hitting bays to test-out the latest gear; and a cigar booth that will supply your next tournament with not only cigars, but pretty ladies to sell them!

Of course, there are tons of golf resorts offering great deals on stay-and-play packages (and many had a raffle going for a free weekend). Even if you don’t win, it gets the travel juices flowing for this summer’s golf trip.

So don’t sit at home anxious to start the season, find a golf show near you to attend. And a show in a big city isn’t necessarily a better show either – for example, I’ve been to the NYC golf show (in Madison Square Garden) and it was rather pathetic compared to the one up here in Connecticut. Even the show up in Boston (New England Golf Expo), was on par with the one here in CT. So no need to travel far – the one closest to you should suffice in scratching that golf itch.

So while I probably won’t be out on the links yet in March, I am excited about attending the golf show – hey, the 30 bucks I save on balls will make up for the $30 I blow on another golf gimmick!