The Golfchick

That chick blabbing about anything golf related.

Category: Golf Goods (page 3 of 6)

Blogging Girl, Interrupted

I planned on a nice little martini blogging session tonight. Alas, it’s not meant to be. I was going to blog about the dimple-less Caesar Golf balls but other plans came up. I had already poured – and started to drink – my martini when the mommy of Vito’s play-date for tomorrow called and said she’d have to postpone until next week unless we could get together tonight. So, I’m taking Vito out for his romp and the dimple-less golf ball “review” will have to wait. Not sure I want to do it except for on a martini night, so I’m not sure when this topic will resurface. I only know it will.

Vito full tilt

Next post.

Golf Clothes for Babies!

My Lullabug golf clothes for babies

Looking for teeny, tiny golf clothes for a teeny, tiny golf chick (or cockerel)? Check out My Lullabug!

I’m not a mom to any humans nor would I ever dress up a dog in people clothes (even if I would, Vito‘s way beyond baby sizes), but I often find myself shopping for gifts for other people’s little ones of all ages. For babies, I always seem to go for clothes because they’re just so tiny and precious. Plus, I enjoy golf proselytizing, so why not target the youngest demographic?

Unlike some of the fancier duds I’ve purchased for babies, these little shirts and onesies are practical as well as adorable. Even the company name is cute – My Lullabug – it’s fun to say and makes me giggle. I should have taken a picture of the packaging, which was appropriately sweet. I got the “Crawl, Walk, Golf” shirt and the “I’m told I like golf” onesie and they came wrapped in polka dotted tissue tied in clear cellophane with a sisal-like cord.

My Lullabug has a dedicated golf section with sizes from itty bitty baby (I don’t think that’s the official term) to 6T. I can’t help but appreciate a store that only has three main categories – Boys, Girls, and Golf. Nice!

Here is my friends’ baby, Jasmine, posing in her new golf chick outfit. Her parents don’t actually play golf, but that’s their problem. Why should it stop her?

My Lullabug baby golf chick

Next post.

Mad About Golf Caps

I have tons of baseball caps and and a handful of visors. When I play golf, I always wear one to help keep my hair out of my face as well as for sun protection. I also like having a handy ball marker on the bill.

I collect caps from different golf courses around the country and my collection is seriously out of control. It’s gotta be close to 100. There are probably only about 10 that I wear all the time. I guess favorites are inevitable, but every now and then I mix it up and wear an “oddball.”

madcapzNow, to make matters worse better, there’s a new line of hats I like. They’re called Madcapz. They come in fun colors and patterns and look decidedly more feminine than most golf/course logo caps. They’re also really soft and comfortable and the sizing is female-friendly. I have the two pictured and they really liven up an otherwise blah outfit I might wear. Yup, my attire is often quite boring.

I’m not crazy about the name – I’ve always been irrationally irritated by cutesy spelling. Like Krazy Korner or Towne Centre. Ugh. But I am kinda mad for the caps so spelling aside, I guess it’s accurate. Some of the designs are a little too mad for me, but they’re all fun and I think it’s great that founder Carrie Bell created this line of hats for women and kids.

Next post.

Golf Clubs on Board

After a whirlwind road trip, I’m back home in time to celebrate Independence Day locally. We drove a total of 2200 miles and arrived home yesterday afternoon and unloaded the filthy vehicle.

When we were planning the trip, we had concerns about fitting everything in the car. We folded down the rear row of seats to make a sleeping area for Vito. That left only the back seat to pack all our stuff, including our luggage, dog food, bowls, toys, treats, etc., our golf clubs and the requisite travel cooler. It became clear that we had to acquire some kind of external system/rack/container to transport our gear.

I knew we would likely be traveling with golf clubs and Vito many times in the coming years, and thought it might be worth investing in the higher-priced solutions like Thule or Yakima carriers. However, facing the ridiculous price of fuel for our trip, we hoped for a more affordable solution. Greg browsed around the ‘net and found one and we jumped on it.

Introducing… the Roofbag.

roof bag

Size matters

Our criteria were pretty simple: it had to be long and wide enough to hold two golf bags at the least, it had to be durable and waterproof, it had to be able to be secured tightly to the roof and allow the back hatch to open, and it had to be priced right. It didn’t have to be pretty, it didn’t have to be sleek and it didn’t have to be fancy.

We put it to the test and it passed with flying colors.

In addition to the bag itself, we ordered an extra set of straps and the protective mat. When not in use, the bag folds up nicely and fits in a handy storage pouch that comes with it standard. And you get all that for a little over $100 including shipping.

How it held up

It not only held our golf bags, we also packed a large suitcase, a large container of dog food, a collapsible set of tall dog bowls, fishing poles, and golf shoes in it. On the way home, we crammed Greg’s big trash bag of dirty laundry in it as well. The rest of our stuff was easily stacked on the back seat between us and Vito’s lounge.

We knew security would be an issue as it doesn’t lock to the vehicle and could easily be stolen in its entirety or cut to get at the goods inside. At each stop along the way, we had to unload everything into our room and repack in the morning. The first loading took about an hour but we had the process smoothed down to about 15 minutes as the trip went on. The most tedious part was securing the straps. We will probably get some ratchet straps for it to make the process easier next time around.

The Roofbag became a centerpiece of our trip. The routine of packing and unpacking it started as a hassle and became a comedic challenge. Vito is so worried he’ll be left behind, he just jumps into his “lounge” and waits as the loading occurs. He will not exit the vehicle under any circumstances. People and animals can pass as they please. We can go in and out of the house as many times as we want, leaving the hatch wide open. The dog’s not going anywhere. We could run around raucously playing with his toys and giving other dogs his treats and he would just lie there. “You will not leave without me.” He’d say Roof, we’d say Bag. Occasionally, we’d follow that up with the Expedia jingle ending… DOT COMMMMMM!

roof bag side view

Surprisingly aerodynamic

We didn’t exactly conduct a thorough or scientific test like the Mythbusters did on the pickup truck with the tailgate down and/or netted, but according to the mileage gauge on my car, having the roofbag on it only reduced our mpg by about 1 (0.7 – 1.2). We started with four straps but quickly discovered that 3 did the trick. We packed it slightly lower in the front and higher in the back (also the way the bag is shaped) and secured one of the straps close to the front to keep it tight to the roof and not let any air catch under it. It didn’t even add much noise to the drive. One leg on the way home, we got a little careless and heard a whirring sound and sure enough, we had left a gap in our hasty packing.

Details, details

We only encountered one brief patch of rain along the way but the roofbag protected our goods. Driving around on dirt roads, some dust did sneak into the back portion where the zippers come together, but nothing damaging. There is a flap that covers the zipper and under normal circumstances, I’d bet nothing would get in there. We really put it to the test. I’ve never seen my car so filthy. Previously unseen fingerprints on the doors lit up with dirt like an exaggerated CSI demonstration. Dust was caked into every nook and cranny around the exterior. It was unrecognizable, which is to be expected on a trip like this. Just like the windshield, the front of the bag was peppered with bugs but the gray color we chose hardly even showed the dirt. And the material is so durable it can just be hosed off (I’ll let Greg deal with that – ewww… bugs).

It is what it is

It’s a bag. It goes on your vehicle’s roof. So they call it the Roofbag. Not a car rack container system with a name like Thule that many people can’t pronounce (I think it’s Tooly), but a roof bag. Simple. Affordable. Comes in gray or black. It may not be as convenient as the locking, snapping hard case jobbies but it does the job. And for us, it will probably do the job again and again until we feel like going fancy and can make room to store a sleek, pretty Thule.

Next post.

When simply not losing is winning

It was a fabulous weekend at the Nevada/California state line. The golf took place on the California side at Primm Valley Golf Club and the gambling and a little sleep happened on the Nevada side at Terrible’s. The weather was the best we’ve ever had there – topped out in the low 90’s with very little wind. Beautiful!

The Golf

Well, we didn’t win anything here. My swing was in tact and thanks to the extra strokes I got for playing from the white tees with the men, I even netted three eagles per day by making par on some of the toughest holes on both the Lakes and the Desert courses. However, our team scores of 66 and 65 (131) were nowhere close to being in the money. In fact, the second day winners shot a net 50 (yes, 22 under!) which also propelled them to win the two-day prize.

primm lakes hole 10


lady noodle and eat golf tee

Little Victories

In past years, I have donated several golf balls to each of these courses. This year, I was pleased to finish the weekend as the proud owner of the golf ball and tee I used both days. By the way, the new Lady Noodle has been my favorite ball for awhile now.

Psst… hey Rich – that’s my last remaining Eat Golf tee. Guess I scattered the rest of them around courses across the country. Time to do the same for some Golf Chick tees, eh?

The Gambling

Here’s where the “not losing is winning” comes in. A couple fun nights at the Craps table allowed me to return home with more money than I took with me – yes, including the cost of the trip. The pit boss said I was the best shooter of the week. Wish that would have been true on the golf course as well. I almost expected to get upgraded to a winner’s suite. Alas, maybe some day.

Vito was quite happy to see us when we returned. Unfortunately, his anxiety manifested with some digestive problems (sorry, Mom!) as he probably thought he had moved on to another foster home. One day he’ll realize we will always come back for him! Huge thanks to Mom for taking such wonderful care of our boy.

Also – many thanks to all who sent in well wishes and inquiries about the outcome of the weekend. We had a blast!

Next post.

Does Your Golf Bag Need Its Own Golf Bags?

I love my golf bags, and I have several.birdie girl orange stand bag I switch them out from time to time but my clubs are currently residing in my beautiful orange Birdie Girl bag. Nothing beats the bells, whistles and efficiency of my Ogio bag, but it’s a cart bag so it’s heavier. Plus, the Birdie Girl bag looks more like springtime than my chocolate colored Ogio. My Savvy Golfer bag is a great alternate cart bag since it’s pink, but after using it for many months, I grew tired of its bold brightness.

While these bags have pretty much everything I need for carrying items on the golf course, sometimes a golf chick just has to accessorize. And that’s just what I’ve done. Like getting your dog a pet of his own, I got my bags some bags.

*Side note – I just bit into the onion in my martini and it’s making my face mush all up but I love it. I sandwich one in on the pick between my two olives and I just got to it. Delightful. Don’t tell me it’s Tuesday. I know it’s Tuesday. I happen to enjoy martini blogging.*

My Bag’s bags

There are actually a few things for which none of my bags have their own designated spaces, and that is because they’re all things that need to be kept cool. If Ogio hasn’t already added new pockets for this, I’m sure they’re in the works. For now, I have an excuse for these cute accessories:

The Golfing Caddy

Golfing caddy bottle holderThis handy little gizmo is the “little black dress” for golf bags. It holds all the things you want to keep close and mobile (it attaches and detaches from your bag with relative security but ease) and its style blends, accents or complements most any golf bag.

The Golfing Caddy‘s primary feature according to its maker is the bottle cooler/holder. However, my push cart has a bottle holder (though it doesn’t keep it cold) and when I’m driving a cart I like to have my beverages in close proximity, which means right in front of me in the cup holders rather than clipped to my bag in the back. Beverages rarely sit there long enough to get cold or warm, if you know what I mean. Although when I have those cup holders filled with maybe a bloody mary and a beer (it’s been known to happen), my water can be chilling in this handy caddy. Some carts have coolers with ice on the back, so in those cases it wouldn’t be an advantage. When I walk, it’s pretty much just water and/or Gatorade, so the bottle cooler works really well.

The real benefit I get from this bag is the other stuff it holds besides the beverage. I don’t care that it comes with or holds a towel. I like that it has two pockets (plus a really large third one if you don’t have a bottle in there) to hold other stuff that you want to be mobile. Especially for the golf chicks out there who don’t want to hassle with a purse while playing golf. I keep a few tees and hat clips as well as a bunch of magnetic ball markers (I collect them and rotate them out) in one pocket and in the other pocket I put my money, ID and phone (on silent). This way, I don’t have to carry a purse or worry about leaving some of its contents in my golf bag when I’m done. After a round, I can leave my golf bag in the car and just bring in my Golf Caddy to make sure I have my valuables. It even has a convenient little wrist strap that makes for easy portability.

It’s black, so it goes with everything (like the little black dress) and it feels remarkable. Plus, I love touching and rubbing the soft microfiber material, but perhaps I’m abnormally pleased by tactile sensations. (Is that too revealing?)

The bottom line is, the Golf Caddy is my new golf purse. Freedom. Maybe that’s why they call it a caddie – it holds all the things you don’t want to put in your own pockets without having to carry a handbag.

Keeping it Cool

The Icy Bag is another little accessory that comes in handy on the golf course.icy bag turquiose

It’s a specially lined bag that contains shielded ice packs to keep items other than water cool. I have the black one (with one ice pack) and the turquoise model (two ice packs).

Frankly, it only just started heating up out here so I haven’t found good use for the bags but the ice packs came in handy one night when Vito jumped off the couch and bashed into my wrist. Seriously – it was a bruised, swollen mess. He’s a big, clumsy boy.

So I haven’t really given them a run for their money out on the golf course, but I will in a couple weeks when I go to sweltering Nevada for our club’s “away” tournament. We always bring plenty of towels to keep cold and put around our necks as well as a couple of handy little bottles that spray water while fanning us. Talk about brilliant. I should put a Golf Chick logo on those suckers and market them to y’all. ANYWAY…

At any given time, you could find lip gloss, chapstick, or some variation of lip softener – colored or not – on my person. On the golf course, it’s usually in my pocket or a golf cart. I reapply it often, and though I’ve had a couple of occasions when melting occurred, it wasn’t a total loss or expensive either way. I struggle to think of other items I might need to keep cool while on the course that are absolute necessities. Sunscreen – maybe. It does tend to get runny when hot, but I often forget to bring it anyway. I know – shame on me. Makeup? I’m not exactly the girl you’ll find crying over runny eye liner on the turn.

Maybe I’ll find some handy uses for it on our upcoming trip. All I know now is, it’s a super cute accessory for my golf bag and has ice packs that will be much appreciated if only for human contact. Plus, they’re compact and lightweight so we can always use them in our walking bags on those hot rounds at home when we have to hide beers. :)

Next post.

Hitting Fairways + Greens: Contest!

The latest issue of Fairways + Greens is out now. Actually, it has been out for awhile but I’ve been negligent about posting this. They call it the “pink issue,” and it displays Paula Creamer – the Pink Panther – on the cover. It covers many topics related to women’s golf, and an entire section called “Girl-friendly Golf” starting on page 58, with an article called “Where the Girls Are” authored by myself and Katharine Dyson. F+G is a magazine primarily distributed in the West and Southwest United States and can be found at most golf courses and retailers in those areas. Otherwise, you can read it online here.

Paula Creamer F+G cover

Play and win

Now comes the contest part. The article is broken up by recommended golf courses, some of which were written by me and some by Ms. Dyson. Can you tell which is which? Prizes will go to the first three people to submit comments on this post that correctly identify which courses I wrote up for the article. I have been told it’s easy to spot my writing, but you can also try to surmise the answers based on courses I’ve actually played, which can be found on this site. I hope you’ll participate, and good luck to all!

As for the prizes, I have three of the same item that were generously donated for this purpose. I haven’t written about this particular product yet, but it’s something I enjoy immensely and is appropriate for the nature of this contest. It is gender-neutral item. Stay tuned for more to come!

Update 7/17/08: I’m embarrassed to report that none of the answers submitted were correct. They were close, though, and I appreciate the participants who entered. With that in mind, I will be awarding two of the prizes to Rob and Eric “speedcat” Hollydale and one to an offline player who read the magazine, immediately chose the correct courses and inspired this contest.  Rob and Eric, please email the address where you want your prize sent to me at kristen(at)thegolfchick(dot)com. I will be publishing a new post soon about the prize itself.

For the record, the correct answers were: Turtle Bay, Four Seasons Aviara, and Osprey Meadows at Tamarack. (My experience at Monarch Beach was that it was overrated, overpriced, under-maintained, and less than welcoming for a “resort course.”)

Next post.

Death to Argyle

“Because we love the game of golf but wouldn’t be caught dead in the clothes.”

“Because we don’t want you to look like a tool.”

Yeah, I may play like a tool but I don’t have to look like one.

death to argyle

Here is a golf apparel company for a different breed of golfer. Created by a pair of rebellious twins, you won’t find any pastels in the Death to Argyle collections. Cassie and Willow Wayne may have grown up playing at country clubs but their style is anything but traditional.

In the logo, the frog on the left is Cassie and Willow is the skunk. While all the other six year olds were dressed as princesses and fairies, these were the costumes the twins wore. Not surprising that they grew up to create their own fashion line that stands out as well.

I bet these tattooed golf chicks are a blast in a foursome. Since they live right up the 101 in Santa Barbara, I just might have to find out for myself.

lady luck sage

Next post.

Not so random golf gift idea

Here’s something I could actually use.

I don’t know about you, but the back of my car is a mess with tons of golf stuff – shoes, balls, tees, clothes, jackets… if only there was a way to keep it all together. Oh wait – there is!

Samsonite Trunk Golf Organizer

golf trunk organizer

There are several different styles of these babies but I like this one. First, because the shoe compartment holds more than one pair. Also, it seems like most of them have breathable mesh for the shoe compartments and this one is no different. I think that’s important and I often wondered why my current shoe bags don’t have that. I mean, when I peel off my footie socks to put my flip-flops back on after a round, those things gotta breathe!

I also like that this one has room for more stuff than some of the other models and includes movable dividers for the top level. It seems like it’s a little more sturdy and durable than the others, too. That might have something to do with the Samsonite name, but if I get one I’ll let you know. 😀

Next post.

Random holiday golf gift idea

In honor of the biggest shopping day of the year, I hereby present this random golf gift idea:

golf monopoly game pieces

That’s right – its the golf version of Monopoly. Are you one of those poor suckers living where the weather prevents you from actually playing golf? Perhaps this will help on those cold winter days.

If you’re like me and won’t go near a shopping mall today, you can buy this baby online for the golfer in your life.

I call the shoe!

golf monopoly box

Next post.

Older posts Newer posts

© 2024 The Golfchick

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑