The 8 Worst Golf Gifts You Can Buy in 2024 (And What To Buy Instead)
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The 8 Worst Golf Gifts You Can Buy in 2024 (And What To Buy Instead)

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The 8 Worst Golf Gifts You Can Buy in 2024 (And What To Buy Instead)

We’ve focused a lot of our content on ensuring you know exactly which gifts to buy this holiday season. However, some gifts stand out as something you just shouldn’t buy. If you are wondering where the real mistakes are, the gifts we don’t recommend investing in, here are the 10 worst golf gifts you can buy in 2024.

Non-adjustable drivers

In our Best Golf Driver testing of 2024, we found that non-adjustable drivers are becoming obsolete. Having the ability to adjust a golf driver is important, especially important if you are buying one as a gift. The golfer you purchase for will want the ability to adjust the driver to their needs.

Here are a few of our top drivers from 2024 to try instead:

Poorly rated golf balls

Not sure which golf balls are rated poorly? Take a look at our testing and our Ball Lab quality awards. Not all golf balls are the same and if you are going to spend money on them, get something that golfers will truly benefit from. Stay away from matte golf balls. They cut spin rates too much.

Best Golf Balls: Titleist Pro V1x

A few options are:

Uncomfortable golf shoes

More golfers are walking the course and realizing comfort is just as important as any other feature in a golf shoe. When we did our best golf shoe testing this year, we rated each spiked and spikeless model for comfort. The most comfortable shoes were the Skechers Go Golf Blade and the Skechers Go Golf Max 2 Rover Slip-In.

Non golf-specific apparel

Buying a basic polo not made specifically for golfers is a mistake. Look for something with moisture-wicking fabric, four-way stretch, performance material and some style. Our favorites include the Rhoback Classic Stripe, Lululemon Evolution and the TravisMathew Heater Pro Polo. If you want a fun design, check out the options from Bogey Bros.

Cheap Rangefinders

It’s tempting to scroll through Amazon and see golf rangefinders priced at $49 or less. Some of the top models are over $400 so this can seem like a great deal at first glance.

Trust us on this one: it’s not. We did the testing to prove it.

The cheap rangefinders aren’t accurate or reliable enough to make them worth using. Instead, look for something like the Shot Scope Pro L2. It’s on sale right now for $129 and was the Best Value Golf Rangefinder we tested in 2024. It’s accurate, has a cart magnet and features slope technology.

Golf cart speaker without GPS

Golf cart speakers were a big deal last year. You could find magnetic options for carts or small ones with the carabiner clip to attach to the bag.

In 2024, it’s all about the speaker with the GPS. We can take it a step further and say it’s all about the GPS speaker with a screen.

The Player+ Golf GPS Speaker and Bushnell Wingman View are great options. Pricing on the Wingman just dropped to $149. Golf cart speakers are a fun gift but at least give something with yardage capability and great functionality on the course.

Short tees

We tested tees of varying heights and the results proved shorter tees hurt distance capability. If players aren’t teeing their driver high enough, they lose distance, sometimes up to 15 yards. Tee height will impact the launch angle, backspin and angle of attack. If you buy golf tees as a stocking stuffer or part of a gift, get the long ones.

The Pride Professional 3 1/4 inch is a good option.

Golf tees are a solid gift for mothers

Expensive sunglasses

Expensive sunglasses for golfers may not be worth it in 2024. With new sunglass brands offering great options made specifically for golfers, it’s hard to pass up value choices from Knockaround or Goodr.

Something like the Goodr Just Knock it On pictured below is just $35. If you have a friend who is bound to leave their sunglasses on a table at the 19th hole or sit on them as they are getting in the golf cart, go for a more affordable (practical) option and even get two pairs!

More gifts

It’s is not necessarily about spending more money on the best golf gifts. It’s about thinking like a golfer and getting something practical and useful. Here are some other golf gift guides if you want more ideas.

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      Dr Tee

      2 months ago

      For golf specific Sunglasses I’ve been using Glasses USA. Huge variety of frame styles with frequent steep discounts and specials like BOGO. Ordinarily I wear progressive lenses so I can’t get away with “cheapies”and I won’t wear contacts. My solution, as used by many others has been distance only Rx glasses. Glasses USA allows you to pick the lens color, tint, and level of darkness of the lens. Transitions are a good choice as well and now come in about a half dozen lens colors. I like them particularly here in AZ where we have to deal with a variety of lighting conditions depending on time of day.
      A typical setup with nice frames and distance only Rx lenses will run between $140 and $160 and for something so essential, used on EVERY round, I think (especially compared with many other golf related equipment prices ) that’s a pretty great buy !

      Reply

      Kuso

      2 months ago

      GIFT CARDS always work
      😂

      Reply

      Andrew the Great!

      2 months ago

      I’m a big Shot Scope GPS fan, so I got the Shot Scope PRO L2, and do not like it. It almost never locks on the target. I used it for a year, and got fed up with it and replaced it with a Callaway, which works just fine. Buddy came to visit, didn’t bring his rangefinder, so I gave him the L2 to use. After just 3 holes he gave it back to me because it was so bad. I don’t understand all the accolades repeatedly bestowed upon the L2, because my experience was awful.

      As for short tees, I get them and I use them on par-3s. Don’t know why they’re a “don’t buy” item.

      I have the Wingman. I never use its GPS. My GolfLogix app and my Shot Scope X5 give me ALL the distance data I need. The speaker is for music. Get a speaker and forget about its GPS. It’ll never be as accurate, as comprehensive, or as quick as GPS-dedicated devices.

      Reply

      Dr Tee

      2 months ago

      Don’t understand your problem with the ProL2. I have used one for 2 years and many other members at my club have this rangefinder and it works perfectly. Maybe you or your friend forgot to adjust the lens focus? Or maybe you or your friend are tremulous–support it with two hands. Frankly, I have no problem getting it to lock on the pin (it will vibrate) and it agrees within a yard with the cart GPS and my Shotscope V5 watch (which is also a great buy), and I know of no one else having trouble with the L2 I think you are in the minority on this one–it has been an immensely popular great buy for many many other individuals. Spending more on other manufacturer’s rangefinders is a total waste. That being said, I am also in love with my tiny Voice Caddy Laser Fit which triangulates ball to pin distances from the cart or anywhere else ($199), for cart path only days and holes–very useful

      Reply

      David Eikner

      2 months ago

      I purchased a new $38 Range Finder. It gives the same yardages as a $300 Callaway that my partner uses.

      Reply

      KRay

      2 months ago

      I agree. Spent a bit more than $38 but $200 less than my Bushnell that started falling apart. Same yardages +/- yd, same as my buddies get when we compare readings. Funny how cheap sunglasses are now “OK” given that in today’s world, putting together the mechanisms for a golf quality range finder is probably simpler than getting the optics correct for glasses, especially if corrections are needed. I have two different glasses that I wear depending on the light conditions & both have prescription lenses. You can make arguments for getting fitted for clubs, but getting “fitted” for glasses makes even more sense, especially as one gets older. Good luck with your ball striking if your vision is off!

      Reply

      FakeRichGuy

      2 months ago

      Clubs and balls are a risky purchase unless you KNOW what they want. Balls less so than clubs, but the point stands.

      I personally have no problem opening up a nice gift card.

      Reply

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    LIV USGA LIV USGA
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