Golfers can be surprisingly hard to shop for, even for fellow golfers. So, not surprisingly, I get questions from non-golfers, especially at this time of year, about the best gifts to buy for the golfers in their lives.
The good news is that you can get this right without learning a single golf term. The trick is to buy things golfers use up, lose or never buy for themselves and to skip anything that depends on their size or their swing.
Start with golf balls
Golf balls are the safest gift in golf. They come by the dozen (12 in a box) and golfers lose them all season so a box never goes to waste. The one catch is that golfers are loyal to the brand they know so the easiest move is to peek in their golf bag and buy the same one.
If you can’t check, our 2026 golf ball test is a good guide. We robot-tested 48 balls and a few picks stand out.
- Maxfli Tour, $39.99 a dozen. A value pick that performs like balls that cost more.
- TaylorMade Tour Response. In our 2026 ball test, it was our higher-flight, low-spin pick among soft urethane balls. This one suits golfers who want a soft feel without paying top dollar.
- Bridgestone Tour B XS. In 2026 testing, it was a top pick for golfers who want extra spin around the green, at faster swing speeds and slower ones. More spin helps the ball stop quickly once it lands on the green.
- Titleist Pro V1x. The famous premium name and our best overall ball in 2025.
- Kirkland Signature Performance+. From Costco, and our budget pick again in 2026, because it’s rare to find a soft, premium-style cover at that price.
Small accessories golfers always use
If balls feel too obvious, small accessories follow the same logic. They are relatively cheap, useful and some pair nicely with a box of balls.
- Ghost Golf Magnetic Greenside Towel. Comes in more than 10 colors.
- GrooveIt Club Brush. Always makes it on our list of must-have golf accessories.
- Melin Links hat. We’ve called Melin the best golf hat for years and the latest Links version has a ball marker built into the underside of the brim.
- Mileseey GeneSonic Pro speaker. Our best golf speaker of 2026 with the Pinned Sound Stick PRO as our staff pick and the DPROFY V7M as our best value.
- Sundog Alpha TrueBlue sunglasses. Our best golf sunglasses of 2026.
- Vice Advent Calendar. A good one for the holidays, a unique gift with limited sets available.
Bags and clothing
If you want to give something bigger, here are two good options.
- Jones A2 Backpack, about $160. A roomy travel backpack with five outside pockets, water bottle sleeves and a luggage strap. It’s in our 2026 gift guide and two of our staffers use one and love it.
- A performance polo or quarter-zip. Golf shirts are made from fabric that wicks away sweat so pick a plain, neutral color. Check the size on a shirt in their closet and always include a gift receipt. A few of our favorites from this year include:
Rangefinders and golf watches
Tech is where you can really impress a golfer as long as they don’t already own the gadget. Peek in their bag or ask one of their golf buddies first. We tested 27 rangefinders and 12 golf GPS devices for 2026 and any of these made a great gift.
- GoGoGo Sport ZeroIn, $149.99. Our best value.
- Bushnell Tour V7 Shift, $399.99. A name nearly every golfer knows, and our runner-up.
- Mileseey GenePro G1, $499.99. Our best overall.
- Garmin Approach S70 golf watch, $699.99. Our best GPS golf watch for the second year in a row.
Lessons and practice
For a golfer who wants to get better, a gift that helps them practice keeps giving.
- Lessons with a local pro. A package of three to five lessons is a great gift. Most courses sell gift certificates so the golfer can pick the times.
- A club fitting. A trained fitter picks the right clubs for their swing and the fee is often credited toward a purchase.
- GolfForever Golf Fitness Training System. A flexibility and exercise program that Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 golfer in the world, uses for golfers trying to improve their physical capability and shave some strokes.
- Speed Toad Live 6-week challenge. A six-week speed and distance challenge featured in our 2026 gift guide.
- PGA TOUR Superstore Players’ Club Plus membership, $299.99 a year. It includes a free club fitting and a free lesson each year, 30 free grip installations (grips not included), a free practice session every day and discounts on lessons and repairs. Benefits vary by location so check with the store before you buy.
You can see our complete list of the best golf gifts of 2026 here.
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