Need to shop for a golfer this holiday season? Well, don’t waste your money on golf clubs, apparel or even golf balls. These items can be pricey and besides, most golfers are very particular about their golf equipment and clothing choices. Plus non-golfers have a hard-enough time deciphering between a putter and a driver, let alone a Pro V1 and a Top Flite. Our two-cents is to just steer-clear.

Game-improvement items are also not a good idea. Swing gadgets and gizmos will only increase the average hack’s frustration out on the links, causing them to rue the day they received your gift.

So, what should you do?

Well, we here at GolfStinks suggest you buy things to help them relax instead. Allow them to appreciate the golf lifestyle they love and forget about their wretched play during the season. And with that in mind, we’d like to present a more realistic golf gift guide…

1. LIQUOR
   Golf and the hard stuff go together like bacon and eggs. Nothing will let ’em forget about that bulging handicap like Scotch whiskey (or bourbon, or rum, or…). Flaviar is our go-to for home liquor delivery. Gift your golfer a year’s worth of tasting boxes (see HERE) and watch their mood increase exponentially as soon as that first bundle of joy hits the doorstep! Flaviar does it right – each box arrives handsomely packaged with a flavor-tone card and tasting instructions. A GolfStinks team favorite – you can gift your membership HERE.

   

2. SMOKES
   If golf and liquor go awesome together, then golf and cigars aren’t far behind. And since Flaviar is already providing the libations, Famous Smoke Shop can help you match your spirit with a cigar. Their Cigar Pairing Guide (see HERE) needs answers to just three questions before suggesting a perfect cigar/drink pairing.  And yes, it works with beer too. Your golfer’s swing might not be getting any better, but their sophistication-level sure will be!

   

3. BOOKS
   Forget about books teaching swing technique or how to stay “in the zone” – those will leave your golfer feeling more confused and frustrated than ever. Instead, we here at GolfStinks recommend the following two books:
   • How to Quit Golf; A 12-Step Program
     From the GolfStinks review: “How to Quit Golf is a wonderfully hilarious and disturbingly accurate critical analysis of both golf and golfers – especially those who take the game too seriously. And while some of the imagery contained in the book is slightly exaggerated (purposely and for effect), it is nonetheless one of the most well-constructed and unabashedly genuine compositions about the realities of being a golfer.” (See our full review HERE and purchase it on Amazon.com).

     

   • Psych-Out Golf
     From the GolfStinks review: “[The Authors] have brilliantly put together countless ways to get the best of your opponent on the links – from making subtle yet mentally debilitating statements to getting them a bit tipsy, Psych-Out Golf is packed with ways to win a hole or round without actually playing well yourself!” (See our full review HERE and purchase it on lulu.com).

     

4. THERAPY
   Trust us, every golfer needs some sort of therapy. We play (and enjoy) an excruciatingly frustrating game that is mastered by only a very small group of elite players. But your run-of-the-mill shrink isn’t going to help here – what you need to get the golfer in your life is a membership to the GolfStinks Newsletter (subscribe HERE)! Our #enjoygolf ethos helps take the frustration out of the game and it’s far cheaper than a visit to the psychiatrist (it’s free). Why not give the gift that reminds them why they love this game in the first place?! (See below to print, cut and present to your golfer).

So when considering a gift for the weekend golf hack in your life this holiday season, remember: Relaxation over frustration!