5 golf essentials to make your game a complete success
If you’re new to the game of golf, just deciding to take it up, or still in the learning and coaching stage, it can be difficult to know where to invest your money when it comes to the essentials.
At first, you might think that a golfing must-haves list would be rather short. Surely, all you need are your clubs, some balls, and a few tees and then you can be off? Not quite! When you’re out on the course for hours, there are multiple items you are going to need to keep you comfortable, healthy, and ultimately, make your rounds enjoyable. After all, who wants, callused hands, blistered feet, and a painful back?!
To help you on your way, we’ve come up with a list of essential items you need on the golf course to make your game a complete success!
Clubs
This is one of the most important items you’ll ever buy as a golfer, and it pays to take some time to decide which clubs are the right ones for you. Beginners should start off with a set of clubs that combine a driver, putter, and a sand wedge. When you start to make solid contact, you can then look at adding a 6-iron, 8-iron, pitching wedge and fairway wood or hybrid into the mix.
The latest clubs for women tend to be made using graphite, as the material is lighter and is thought to help ladies with slower swing speeds to increase their velocity and gain more yards. Adjustable weights are pretty much standard these days, and many brands offer the opportunity to buy a club to suit your preferred shot shape and trajectory.
Pro tip! Ask a golfing professional for advice on clubs and their Moment of Inertia rating – this allows clubs to remain stable when a shot is mishit and helps it to resist twisting around the axis.
Shoes
You may not think it at first, but this is one of the most essential items to get right for your game. Good golf shoes can be the difference between a fantastic day out and a painful and miserable one with little success. When you’re spending potentially all day on your feet, you need to find the perfect pair of shoes to keep you looking and feeling good.
Think about your shoes as equipment, rather than apparel. Just like with other sports, golf shoes can affect your performance, so you want to find a pair that is exactly right. One important consideration for most people is whether you need firm or soft mid-soles. Soft ones tend to improve shock absorption, while firmer ones are better for people with foot issues such as plantar fasciitis. If you want to be really comfortable take a look at the spike-less shoes too (also known as street shoes), which in bygone years would have been scoffed at, but now are preferred by many of the top golfers in the industry.
Pro tip! Play a round of golf or do a lot of walking if before you go golf shoe shopping. If the shoes you try feel comfortable on your feet then, they'll almost certainly feel good enough at the start of your fame.
Gloves
Many people believe that golf gloves are just not necessary to the game and that you can easily do without them. But just consider; if you lose your grip and control on your club, you are far more likely to lose your game. Your hands are the only parts of you that touch the club after all!
When choosing a glove, there are a number of decisions that need to be made about material, size, thickness, and strength. The main thing to be aware of though is that a golf glove should feel like second skin. There shouldn’t have any extra material across the palm or at the finger ends. In short, putting your glove on should be a little bit tough! And remember, if you are a right-handed player, the glove goes on your left hand, and vice versa.
Pro tip! Up to 50% of golfers wear gloves that are too big. One easy way to help you get the right size is to make sure the Velcro fastener comes no more than 75% of the way across when you’re strapping it on your hand.
Bag
Once upon a time buying a bag was a rather simple decision. It was simple: do you want either a carry bag or a cart bag? But now there is pretty much a bag to suit every scenario. Choosing the right one can actually help improve your game though, as the right size and weight can help you keep fatigue at bay and end your 18th hole with all the energy you need (instead of a weak and sloppy putt!)
Carry bags (or stand bags) are the most popular bags used by club golfers, as they are relatively light, practical, and can carry everything you need. Almost all models will hold the full 14 clubs, along with as many tees as your heart desires, golf balls, and added accessories. They also usually come with a double strap so you can carry them on your back and spread the weight instead of getting one tired shoulder
Cart bags are the alternative to carry bag, and generally require someone or something else to do all the work for you! Cart bags are bigger than carriers due to their structure. But they are also more solid and stand up better to the daily toll of the course, plus they’re bigger, which ensures you can carry whatever you need.
Along with these two standards, there’s also the executive Tour bag (many of which are exact replicas of those that professional golfers take on tour and include extras like fancy LCD screens), and pencil bags, which are perfect for those who just want to play a quick 9 holes and not carry all their full day golfing gear around with them.
Pro tip! If you’re buying your first bag, it’s worth knowing that a carry bag can also double up as a cart bat. So, you get the option of using it as either depending on how you're feeling and what game you are playing. Cart bags can only ever be cart bags.
Waterproofs
If you live in the UK you are probably already used to the unpredictable weather. Whether it’s high summer or the middle of winter, there’s always a chance of rain, sleet (or snow!) but it doesn’t have to stop you from enjoying your day of golf. Waterproofs, therefore, are an excellent (and essential) investment to make in your game.
The best options on the market are waterproofs that guarantee to keep players 100% dry and warm and give you an actual guarantee. Gore-Tex is the most common material used in waterproof clothing and is the top fabric on the market. But whatever jacket you choose to wear you need to consider three things: comfort, playability, and features.
Waterproof clothing isn’t just reserved to coats or jackets either. Particularly in winter, it’s worth having waterproof trousers to keep you dry too. To stop you from getting too warm in summer, you could also opt for a short sleeve waterproof jacket. These typically cut off at the elbow and offer more movement for players and also breathability.
Pro tip! Always remove waterproofs from your bag as soon as you get home and wash them to get rid of any lingering damp smell. Tumble drying can also help as it makes the waterproof material tighter and more resistant to water but read the label first to make sure it will be okay.
And don’t forget!
Balls – Most golf pros recommend carrying a dozen golf balls with you, just enough to keep you going but not enough to weigh you down.
Tees – Look for durability and a colour that you can see nice and easily among the green! Don’t skimp on tees when packing your golf bag either, more is better than less.
Water bottle – if you’re out on the course all day it’s worth taking a large water bottle that can keep you going from morning until late afternoon. You’re sure to need the hydration.
Sun cream – When you’re out for an 18-hole game and the sun is shining it may look beautiful, but you’ll soon get burnt without sun cream.
If you’re visiting us and interested in getting some new golf gear, our Golf Shop stocks an array of the latest golf equipment and accessories from top of the range brands, such as Cobra Puma Golf, Under Armour, Titleist and FootJoy to name a few! We also host one of the largest ladies’ golf wear range in the area!