The Yardage Pro GPS is like a caddy in your pocket.

Golf is a great, yet perplexing game. A budding duffer gets both relaxation and the utter stress of trying to figure out how to beat a damn little white ball with a stick. But what’s really frustrating for me is looking where my lie is and trying to guage how far out I am so I can choose the right club. The Bushnell Yardage Pro XGC GPC can help mitigate some of that stress and frustration. But you still have to work out that slice.

The Yardage Pro has a sharp high resolution LCD screen which gives shot information in full color and with it’s matte finish, can be seen with little glare in bright ambient light. The Yardage Pro gives you distance to hole information for up to 100 different courses around the world and can be updated with a simple upload. It has both hole up tracking and down the hole fairway perspectives and even keeps track of stroke information.

Comes with scorekeeping and statistic utilities, rechargeable lithium ion battery, belt clip and storage pouch.

Only downside is it’s cost … $350 from Bushnell.

Hat Tip Travelizmo

Paragolfer makes playing 18 a breeze for the disabled

Life is markedly challenging for the disabled. But what’s always impressed me is how they never let that challenge really define who they are or limit the life they live. And when technology helps in that regard, so many of life’s passions – namely golf – suddenly come into view. And with Paragolfer, it’s flat out the truth.

ParaGolfer is all terrain, going anywhere the ball goes.

Paragolfer is a three wheeled buggy which has a rising seat to take the occupant from a sitting to standing position. The seat has chin and waste belts to keep the golfer balanced and in the seat and the buggy is fully all terrain, meaning it can go in and out of sand traps, high grass, wherever the ball may end up. And it’s design is gentle on the greens as well, making the Paragolfer easy for courses to embrace.

View Paragolfer’s inspiring commercial here.

But it wouldn’t surprise me if the technology that opens up golf to the disabled, will open other sports as well. Cost is steep at this point, about $20,000 US, but for the freedom it offers, it’s money well spent for the disabled sportsman.

Hat Tip – Gizmowatch

Just how accurate is GPSGolfShot? This software is able to offer real-time yardage readings on nearly 10,000 professionally-mapped golf courses across the US, helping you making fast and right decisions before reaching the club. Not only that, you will be able to be more efficient on the course as play can be sped up by removing the need to seek out distance markers or to pace off yardage. All course layouts will be updated constantly, and the database will also feature information on new courses thanks to frequent updates. After all, most golfers these days do carry their handsets with them wherever they go, and GPSGolfShot helps you save even more by doing away with the need to tote around an additional expensive range finder or other gadget.

Other interesting features of the GPSGolfShot also include the ability to voice out distances with the touch of a button, allowing you to concentrate on the game without having to squint your eyes to adjust itself so that you can make out the writing on the screen under the bright sun. The “Measure My Shot” function enables golfers to accurately measure just how far drivers or irons travel, giving them crucial information on how to play the next shot. With summer in the US about to hit full swing, Verizon Wireless has made GPSGolfShot available on most of their handsets, among them the LG enV 3, LG Versa, Samsung SCH-u410, SCH-a870 and SCH-a930. Interested parties can get a copy of GPSGolfShot in the Media Center or Get It Now stores under the Download This! and Sports categories, retailing for $1.99 per round or $3.99 per month for unlimited use. Those who can’t get enough of golfing all year round can settle for the annual subscription that is going for $34.99.

Press Release

All of this has happened before and all of it will happen again. Man created the Cylons to serve them. And the Shadow Caddy does that in a very automatic and eerie fashion … if automatically follows you on the fairway. Course, it probably won’t tell you you’re better off with the five iron over the 1 Wood …

The way it works is relatively simple. Budding Tiger Woods carry an RSS transmitter on their belt as they play. The Shadow Caddy, which carries golf bags in the back, picks up the transmitter and follows it wherever it may lead. There’s no remote control, no joy stick, it’s completely hands free. In addition to following the transmission, the Shadow Caddy has a sophisticated detection avoidance system which prevents collisions with other carts, people, trees, and the like and then picks up the transmission and goes right back to following the game. The Shadow Caddy will also carry any drinks, sand buckets, and whatever else the golfer needs to focus on his game.

Winner of several accolades including the 2008 People’s Choice Award for Australia’s Next Big Thing and ABCs New Inventors Program, the Shadow Caddy will be marketed mostly to golf courses to replace both their gas golf carts and their human caddy teams, so look for it on the links in the future.

Hat Tip – Gear Fuse

It might seem uncanny to your friends and golfing buddies at first when they what improvements you’ve made to your game, knowing full well just how hard you need to hit to make that shot, overcoming all water hazards where you used to fail. That’s when you can pull out your trump card and introduce the GolfLogix GPS 8 by Garmin to them. They’ll be amazed at what it can do – you can first place it on a golf buggy or bag (or somewhere that makes it easy to look at), turn it on and let it do its magic. After all, it will be able to calculate the exact distance to any green, sand bunker and water hazard on the golf course so that you can make an educated choice when it comes to playing the right golf club with an added zing of confidence. No idea on how much this puppy costs, but if it helps you win your games from the moment you use it, it could help you win back your money after a few bets with previously sniggering golf mates.

Press Release

When I first read about the Garmin Approach G5 Golf GPS, I thought they had invented a new golf ball with a GPS transmitter built in so you would never loose your ball on the links again. Then I realized they would cost about $100 each, which would be a royal drag if you hit into a water hazard. Nope.

The Approach G5 Golf GPS is essentially a hi-tech digital range finder which uses GPS to ascertain your position (after you’ve found your ball) and gives you range data to the pin based on preloaded maps of thousands of golf holes from all around the world. In addition to range data to the pin, it has a green view for up close putting data (again, a range finder) as well as being able to keep track of your score digitally. Duffers can then download and track their scores onto their PCs. The thing is though, even if the GPS range data gives golfers more accurate positioning in which to choose their irons, etc. For $500, it amounts to a sophisticated scorekeeping system. Sorry, but unless it can find my golf ball for me, it’s not really worth the price, I can add just fine.

Hat Tip – Travelizmo

According to Andrew Bemis, General Manager at The Hollows Golf Club, “Golf is a more enjoyable and less stressful game with ProLink, thanks to its accurate yardage and expert guidance. The system provides noticeable pace-of-play improvements and is an outstanding tool for managing the course.”

The ProLink GPS golf course management system comes with a patented 10.4″ high-resolution color screen which incidentally is the industry’s largest, and it is mounted onto a cart for dynamic, easy-to-read graphics that are easily accessible. Information derived includes distances to the pin and hazards, pro tips, pace-of-play timer and radial arc for cart-path-only holes. Should you feel your stomach start to rumble and your mouth itching for some nibbles, you will be able to place orders for food and beverage items with a touch of a button on the ProLink screen.

ProLink Touch is proud to be the golf industry’s first cart-mounted “Touch” screen. It is touted to be one of the most advanced and user-friendly unit on the market, where its innovative system will boast enhanced scoring functions that is able to automatically calculate “Nassau” and “Skins” results without resulting in you having a headache doing it yourself.

Press Release

It was inevitable that geeks who love golf would figure out a high tech way to try and help with a struggling putting game. Granted, there are other possible solutions, but when someone decided to attach a triple Argon Laser to a putter they may have forgotten that most greens have breaks in them and few are able to put in straight line to the hole. But that doesn’t prevent them from trying. And besides, it looks cool.

Powered by a single 9 volt battery, the triple argon lasers send out three beams which create a kind of lane for which the ball to travel upon putting. The center laser is positioned to go over the ball so as to prevent it from being blocked (which make one wonder what would be the point of it) the outside two provide the necessary lane markers with which to short put into the hole. And there is a simple on/off button in the handle. But budding Tiger Woods with a Cylon fetish need to remember that while this putter would work great on miniature golf courses that are flat and “carpety,” it won’t really help with the majority of greens that actually have bends and breaks in the line from ball to cup. But hey, it is cool looking.

Hat Tip – The Giz

As you can see in the photo, the golf club has a tiny wheel inside of it. I’m not really certain what powers it, but this wheel can spin at a dizzying speed of 20,000 rpm. The spinning motion allows the user to “feel” the correct shot.

How can this work? Some of you might remember a little experiment that you did in a high school or college physics lab where you spun a bicycle wheel, and then you could miraculously balance the axle end on the side of a desk, as long as the wheel was spinning.

In short, spinning a wheel within a golf club removes any shaky movements that the golfer can unintentionally put on it. The result is a smoother swing that will strike the ball at a correct angle.

I’m not certain if something like this would genuinely improve a golfer’s score. If it did, then it would most certainly be an unfair advantage. However, if you want to see it for yourself, it can be purchased on the SKLZ website for about $200.

Source

Well, this Putter Bot Remote Controlled Golfer is certainly a good start. It may not be a fully automated robot per se, as it needs a human to command it. Let’s face it, the robot is doing most of the work.

It is designed to line up the shot, and then the user can adjust the swing with whatever amount of power he or she requires. As you can see, it moves around on two triangular tracks that it must have borrowed from Number Five from Short Circuit.

Much of the information I have on this shows that this is someone’s little home project, but I don’t have a name. Personally, I think he has the next remote control toy sensation. That, or what would happen if Tiger Woods lost his arms in a tragic car accident. Perhaps this inventor should design something for long drives as well.

I have included this video of the Putter Bot in action, and I would have to say that its disappointment at missing the shot looks almost…human. I’m surprised it doesn’t yell at the ball like Happy Gilmore.

Source

Imagine the personal tragedy it would cause to finally retire after 50 years of hard work, only to discover that your golf game is disastrous. You just can’t seem to get the damn ball in the hole, and the harder you try, the more frustrated and sloppy your game gets. And you thought golf was supposed to be relaxing!

The problem could be an utter lack of athletic prowess, or perhaps a coordination issue, but for most of us, the problem lies in the most fundamental of skills: the swing. The high-quality leather SensoGlove puts your swing to the test using a host of sensors and a tiny on-board computer.

When the SensoGlove notices a problem with the grip of your club, you’ll be warned both visually and audibly that something is amiss. The SensoGlove rates your grip from a score of 1 to 18, providing you a working scale to hone in your golf game’s sweet spot.

You’ll be surprised at how much of a difference a proper grip on the club can help you drop your golf score. Watch your scores get closer and closer to par. The full SensoGlove package, including a display and computer, will set you back $99. If you’re serious about your golf game, that’s hardly a steep cost.

Product Page via Outblush

This may look like an ordinary driver but the Big Daddy Driver conceals a Secret Weapon – a Weed Whacker! That’s right, this novelty golf club transforms into a battery powered weed whacker that actually cuts the grass. Is your ball stuck in the rough? No problem! With the Big Daddy Driver you can cut around it to create an easier shot. Of course the Big Daddy Driver is only permitted during recreational play but the fun and laughter you get while using it is priceless! And it’s not just for the golf course. The Big Daddy Driver makes lawn & garden work at home much more enjoyable. The Big Daddy Driver – The Funniest Golf Gift Ever!

The Big Daddy Driver is currently on sale for $49.95, which is a $10 discount off it’s normal price.

Let’s be honest with ourselves. Not every golf player is lucky enough to join a fancy country club. The kind where chauffeurs are sent to fetch your every whim. You want a diet soda? You’ve got it! You want some hard lemonade? No problem! The vast majority of us need to play on public courses. The kind where getting to the 18th hole means dodging across the highway which intersects the course.

By the time you get far enough away from the club house, there is just no way you’re going to want to make the hike back and forth between the beverage counter and your hole. Yet most golf courses ban players to bring any outside beverages onto the course. Luckily, The Designated Driver Kooler Klub from After 5 Catalog has us covered.

The stealthy Kooler Klub allows us to bring 54 ounces of your favorite refreshment, hot or cold, right onto the course, slyly hidden within a seemingly regulation driver club. With the press of a button located on top of the Kooler’s head, the club dispenses your beverage right into your lucky mug. The Klub includes four AA batteries, and the head is easily detachable for a quick cleaning.

So this is a pretty cool gift for the thrifty golfer. Drinks are expensive at the course, and the sun is hot on our balding skulls. You can grab your own Designated Driver Kooler Klub for $119 from After 5 Catalog. Your cheap Uncle Chuck will be utterly thankful.

Product Page via YourNextGift

As men lumber through their elderly years, often times the game of golf becomes a welcomed getaway into nature. A place to go for sanctuary, away from the nagging wife, and away from money gobbling kids. By the time men reach the “average” golfing age, they have either lost a considerable amount of muscle strength, yet are still too full of pride to pay a caddy to lug around their clubs, or just don’t want to miss out on the beautiful landscape as they trudge across their country club’s course.

The three-wheeled Shadow Caddy is a fully autonomous set of wheels for the golf course. While you place your golf bag in the cart of the Shadow Caddy, the device loyally follows you around the green, without the need of a tip at every hole.

The Shadow Caddy works using a “pocket-sized” transmitter (the pocket-size being a matter of debate, depending on the size of your pockets) which is worn on the body of the golfer. This transmitter helps the Caddy navigate safely and accurately as it communicates with its multiple on-board CPUs and a collision detection system to keep an eye out for any obstacles. The Caddy has two settings, “Follow-Me” for normal use and “Park” for those times where you don’t want a damn robotic caddy chasing you around.

The Shadow Caddy is one of the 21st finalist of the Next Big Thing Awards, and is expected to roll out to the public for rental use only. The Caddy is currently being tested on four different Melbourne golf courses where you can view the device zooming along at an impressive speed.

Product Page via Gizmag

Never-Search for Golf is a golf course location guide, containing a complete and comprehensive array of golf course contact information, course data and location information… all mapped with unprecedented accuracy to verified coordinates. Designed to appeal to travelers desiring to locate and qualify a golf course in an unfamiliar area, and to golfers who want to expand their area of play.

What makes this great is you don’t need an Internet connection to keep it going, and it features the following :-

• All 18,475 Golf Courses in the US
• 1,600 Driving Ranges
• 3,500 Off-Course Golf Stores
• 9,000 Golf Instructors

The Personal and Business editions retail for $19.95 and $495, respectively.

The trouble with golf is that everything is so darn small. The club heads are tiny, the ball is minute, the holes are just ludicrous (as are the shoes of course), and you begin to wonder what on earth the point is. However, if it wasn’t for someone inventing pinhead golf, then some other idiot wouldn’t have come up with this super-size, super-stupid Giant Golf. Club, tee and ball are all ludicrously big, enabling even the tragically inept to take a successful swing and watch with smug satisfaction as their ball sails across the garden, beach or fairway. Though we don’t suggest trying this on a real fairway as golf clubs are renowned more for their feelings of self-importance than their sense of humor. It’s big, it’s beautiful and it’s a brilliantly fun lawn game.

The Giant Golf Set will retail for £19.99 a pop. You’ll need a sense of humor before purchasing this.

Somebody obviously had a few too many at the nineteenth hole before coming up with this idea.

Plug your Putt Returner into your computer’s USB port. This will automatically activate the game. Place the ball on your desk a short distance away from the Putt Returner and carefully line up your putt. Strike the ball smoothly with your miniature putter. If you hole your putt the ball will be sent right back to you!
Vary the distance and angle of your putts for a never-ending challenge!

The USB Putt thingie can be yours for £9.99 (~$20).

DiXX, a company that seems to specialize in digital products for the golf enthusiast, has created a Digital Instruction Putter designed to improve that dreaded short game. Happy Gilmore could have used one of these things to find his “happy place”.

The Digital Putter can somehow track your swing path, impact position, face angle, swing tempo, and speed balance. I’m not certain what all those golfing terms just meant, but I could figure out enough to know that it looks like it could help you.

As you can see, the DiXX fits onto a putter, and will grade you on the five criteria listed above. If you meet the standards, you will receive a rewarding readout of “NICE PUTT”. It even has a “MY” Statistical data screen so a user can track their progress over time. I’m going under the assumption you can remove the computer from the putter, as the kit comes with a special weight for “recreational” use.

The digital device has an inertial Navigation System, and tracks the impact via Mirco Electro Mechanical System, which in turn helps the golfer learn to improve their stance and balance.

Hopefully, this will improve your game. You might want to see how much, for about $900 USD.

Via Product Page

Golf for Dummies

This is nice gift for the beginner or big headed accomplished golfer.

If you don’t know the difference between a lob wedge and a lemon wedge, check out Golf for Dummies, by CBS commentator Gary McCord, one of the game’s most colorful–and knowledgeable–characters. It’s a wonderful, often hilarious, never boring introduction to the game.

The book is available from Amazon for $7.99 at the time of writing.

Joke Golf Ball Set

One for the golfer with a sense of humor.

set of four Prank Golf Balls which include our Exploder – which disintegrates into a white cloud of smoke when hit, Jet-Streamer – When hit, The Jet Streamer ejects 15 feet of streaming red ribbon., The Phantom – it implodes in to a giant wall of water when hit., and finally the Unputtaball – This will wiggle, go everyway but straight when hit.

Cost: $12.89 at Amazon.

Electronic Scorecard

Because a pencil and paper is so last season.

Our Electronic Golf Scorecard tracks strokes and holes played, calculates scores and even saves your best round—all at the touch of a button.

Price: $25 from Brookstone.

Automatic Golf Tee

This device automatically tees a golf ball perfectly every time, allowing golfers to practice chipping, driving, or putting on grass or mats without changing stance to set the ball. It holds up to 35 golf balls and doesn’t require a power source; by simply lowering the arm with your club, the device places the next ball onto the tee.

For sale for $34.95 at Hammacher

Electronic Drink Caddie

Who says you need to wait until the nineteenth hole.

The perfectly discreet way to enjoy hot or cold drinks right from your golf bag. It looks like a regulation driver, but its secret is the one-button dispensing pump. Designed to sit unobtrusively in a side pocket so it doesn’t take up space inside

Cost: $99.95 at Brookstone.

Golf Swing Analyzing Watch

We reported on the golf swing analyzing watch earlier in the year and it’s still cool but a tad on the expensive side.

If you take your golfing seriously (or just like spending a load of money on golf gadgets) and want to know everything there is to know about your golf swing then this watch could be the answer.
The golf swing analysing watch records a load of statistics about your swing, including:

1. Tempo
2. Rhythm
3. Backswing length
4. Club-head speed
5. and the time

If you’re buying this as a gift you must be either loaded or really love the recipient as it will cost you $399.95.

Stewart Golf X3R Remote Golf Caddie

It might look like a futuristic lawn mower, but this is described as the “the fairway Ferrari” motorized golf caddie and don’t know any golfer that wouldn’t be impressed getting one of these for Chrimbo.

A first-of-its-kind cruise-control system lets you select any of four programmable speeds. Features gradual braking plus an emergency brake for immediate stopping. Includes convenient storage for balls, tees, towel, scorecard and pencil; and a gimbal-mounted drink holder that adjusts for long or short bottles and cans.

The remote control golf caddie costs $1,995.00 from Sharper Image.

Golden Tee Arcade Game for the Home

This is for die hard golfer that finds there just aren’t enough daylight hours (and also has a very rich friend), the Golden Tee Home Arcade Game.

This is the video game that is officially licensed by the makers of Golden Tee, played by more than 10 million tavern-goers each year and renowned as one of the most popular golf video games available, allowing you to play arcade-style golf in the comfort of your home. Each of the 29 included courses have two additional par-4 holes that are reachable from the tee, ensuring better odds of an eagle for players of all skill levels, while a drop feature allows you to place the ball on the fairway and take a penalty stroke instead of attempting to play through an impossible lie.

Cost: $3,999.95 (Ouch).