Definitive 2023 Golf Shopping Guide

Do, you want to get a gift for that special person in your life who loves golf but you don't know much about golf? The surest way to make sure you're getting the right golf club is to simply ask them what club or accessory they want. But I get it, there's no fun in that because it removes all the suspense and joy that comes with a surprise. Well, you've come to the right place to get the answers you need to find the right club. This guide will steer you in the right direction so that you can rest assured that whatever you get for them will put a big smile on their face. Skip to Step 2 if you want to get right into the best gifts of 2023.

I spend a lot of my time at golf courses buying the inventory that you see in our store, and 9 out of 10 times when a person comes up with a new club that they want to get rid of, it's because it was a gift they never even took out of the packaging. I'm not trying to dissuade you from buying a club, I tell you because you need to understand how personal a golfers' clubs are to them, and you cant just buy the shiniest club off the rack and expect the person you're giving it to, to use it. A golfer has an intimate relationship with every club in their bag, love a club, hate a club. They will go through phases where a certain club is their, "money club", the club that they hit, not because it's the 'right' choice, but because they know exactly where the ball will end up. For a long time, my money club was an off-brand hybrid that was practically an antique. It looked so out of place in my bag. Everything else was pristine but my money club had chinks and gashes on the bottom, the shaft was steel and there was rust forming on it. None of that mattered because when I hit it, the ball was launched 245 yards at low trajectory with a slight draw. It worked for me every time. If someone had gifted me a brand new, top of the line hybrid, I would not have replaced my money club. Many people have that money club in their bag. Whether it's the same putter they have used since they were fourteen or driver they got three years ago. So that brings me to my first pitfall to avoid, you gotta know what they have and how they feel about them.

Step 1 - Reconnaissance: You have to gather information. There's two things to figure out; currently played clubs and how they play those clubs. The first objective is pretty easy, look at their golf bag, what's in there currently? Take pictures of the heads of the clubs, take a pictures of what's printed on the shaft for the driver, woods, and an iron. You'll need that information to take stock of what they currently have and it will also inform purchasing decisions. Is every club in the bag the same brand or different brands? Is everything new or everything old? Is just a jumble of a bunch of different things with no continuity? Spend some time on google searching for the clubs you took pictures of and figure out what they are, if it's this year's model you probably shouldn't be looking to replace it. Once we figure out what we have we also need to try to figure out how they play. This is definitely the more difficult task but not insurmountable. When he or she comes home from the golf course, be attentive to what they say. Is there a trend? Do they always come home and complain about not being able to hit a good shot off the tee? That would mean they probably need/want a new driver. Are they struggling with three- and four putts? Time for a new putter. Do they throw their bag in a corner because, "That cheating turd, Ben beat me because I couldn't get up and down once today!" That means it might be time for a new set of wedges.

Step 2 - Research: Once you have the lay of the land, it's time to figure out what to get. This is the main reason you came here. Here is the breakdown for each category

Driver Gifts:

If this is a gift for someone else make sure you check the shaft flex on their current driver and get the same flex on the new driver, it's a good idea to match the loft as well.

Top of the line: TaylorMade Stealth 2 Driver When it comes to test result this driver just performed better than all the rest. 

Economical: Callaway Epic Flash Driver This model came out in 2019, it was a favorite then and it still holds up today. 

Fairway Wood Gifts:

Match the shaft flex to their current fairway wood.

Top of the line: Ping G430 Fairway Wood Ping does it again, creating a fairway wood that seamlessly blends accuracy and distance.

Economical: TaylorMade SIM2 Fairway Wood This model came out in 2021 and it a big improvement on feel and forgiveness over its predecessor, making it a hot ticket when it was revealed. 

Hybrid Gifts:

Match the shaft flex to their current hybrid. 

Top of the line: Ping G430 Hybrid It's accurate, it forgives, and it goes far. What's not to like in Ping's newest addition to its hybrid line.

Economical: TaylorMade RocketBallz Hybrid It might be older than what you're looking for, but this club was a powerhouse. In 2012 these clubs were out for blood, 11 years later they still have the juice and you can find them for cheap cheap.

Iron Set Gifts:

There is a lot to take in when it comes to iron sets, probably not the best choice to get as a gift but if you're staunch and sure this is what they need, check out this Iron Set Guide to figure out what you're getting into.

Top of the line: Callaway Paradym Iron Set These are the player improvement irons that take the cake this year, easy to hit, crisp sound at impact, and they look good in the bag.

Economical: Titleist 718 Iron Sets There were three offerings under the 718 umbrella, the AP1 are the bladiest of the bunch, the AP2 are the player sets, and the AP3 are the game improvement irons. All were and are really good clubs.

Wedge Gifts:

Make sure that you match the loft, the lie, and the grind if you want to get a wedge or wedge set as a gift.

Top of the line: Titleist SM9 Wedge The Bob Vokey design wedges have been the most popular wedges for a long time, and it's not without cause. The technology and precision that goes into each wedge is astounding and the performance bears that out. You can't go wrong with a new SM9.

Economical: Cleveland RTX Zipcore Wedge Cleveland is a company that produces the full range of golf clubs but what really makes them stand out is their wedges. Personally, I don't think you can find another wedge that puts more spin on the ball. Even if you're not a great ball striker, these wedges will compensate and your ball will stop and roll back when you hit the green.

Putter Gifts:

This may be the murkiest water to tread because of the intimacy a golfer shares with their putter. If you insist on gifting a putter put extra time into the reconnaissance phase. At the very least match the head shape to their current putter. And for this section, I can't give a specific putter model because everyone uses a different putter for any number of reasons. I can just give a brand overview.

Top of the line: Scotty Cameron Putters When Scotty introduced the Newport, the putter was no longer just a tool, it was a piece of functional art. They are undoubtedly some of the most beautiful and well crafted putters ever created and the reason that rare Scotty Cameron putters command the highest prices. 

Economical: Odyssey Putters If you want bang for you buck, Odyssey is the way to go. The 2-ball was a revelation when it arrived in 2001. It had two balls on the top to help with alignment, a big head made it forgiving on off-center strikes, and a urethane insert on the face made it feel good and gave it a nice sound. These babies were sweet and if you can find one in good condition, it's a steal.

Bonus: Ping Anser Putter "They say God made man, but Sam Colt made them equal" -Charles Martin. Samuel Colt's impact with the revolver reverberates throughout time. Karsten Solheim had this effect on putters. The Ping Anser is the blueprint, the prototype, the genesis, of all modern putters. Before the Anser, there was darkness, then Karsten came along and said, "Let there be putters!" You might not play with this putter but it makes for a great club in a shadow box and hung on the wall.

Golf Accessory Gifts:

Always a good gift. Easy to fit into a stocking. Can't go wrong getting accessories, because who doesn't like all the little extras?

Rangefinders: If the golfer in your life doesn't have one of these, they should. It is the fastest way to improve your game, knowing how far away a pin is, is the first step in hitting a ball close.

Bags: If the bag your person is walking around with has holes or the zippers don't work it's time for a new bag. They will appreciate it because it is the last thing they think about when they want to upgrade their golf equipment but it feels so great when you walk out on the course with a new bag that looks good, and has all the pockets to hold all your things.

Gloves: Look, we don't have any gloves in our store right now and I am not incentivized by Costco, but I would be doing you a disservice if I didn't mention these. The Kirkland brand Golf gloves that come in a four pack are incredible. 

Balls: Again, we don't have any balls in our store right now and I'm in no way incentivized to sell balls for other people but I don't want to not let you know what's out there. If you want to spend a bundle of money the Titleist ProV1 golf balls are the way to go. You can try and save money getting refurbished ProV1's but I would be wary because some times they just apply paint to crap balls to make them look like ProV1's. The alternative path for inexpensive balls is again Costco, the Kirkland brand golf balls are great. TaylorMade also makes a really good ball, the TP5 and TP5x are really good at a fraction of what you would pay for ProV1's.

Step 3 - Repeat: After you have reconnoitered and researched. You buy the gift, you give the gift, you bask in the joy of the receiver. They love what you got them. You love that they love it. It's a love fest and everyone is happy. Once the elation dies down, it's back to the grind. In a year it will be time to do it all over again. Golf continually evolves, people grow, and bodies change. A year from now the 'money club' isn't a 'money club' anymore so it'll be time to get something new. Get excited because this is life now. You found the perfect golf club to get as a gift so now it's expected. I'll see you next year when the 2024 shopping guide drops.

PS - The best clubs of the year are totally subjective along with everything else I've written here. It's just one man's shot at picking out the clubs that suit the masses. So don't come crying to me if the club doesn't work out, just buy a new one. "All we are is dust in the wind." -Kansas