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This article is intended for both beginners and seasoned players. Besides clubs, golf bag, and golf balls, read further for a list of the some necessary and fun items for golfer:
Basics
- Divot Tool: Standard, Foldable
- Ball Marker Hat Clip & Ball Marker: Flat, Coin
- Rain Jacket & Rain Pants
- Waterproof Gloves
- Waterproof Shoes
- Finger Band-aids
- Sunscreen: Supergoop Unseen, Spray
- Golf Towel: Carabiner, Magnetic
- Range Finder: Callaway Golf 300 Pro Laser
- Tees: Standard, Martini, FLIGHTPATH, Tornado
Must Try Items
- Golf Travel Carrier: Sun Mountain
- Hat: Vimhue Sun Goddess Hat, Melin Hydro Collection
- Golf Ball Retriever Stick
- Heated Seats: Seat Cushion, Seat with Back Support
- Heated Vest
- Tee Bag
- Golf Dotz
- Club Scrub
- Lion Latch
See below for detailed explanation on each item, what I recommend, and what to watch out for!
There is nothing worse than terrible greens. Could have cost you that hole-in-one! Be a good golf citizen and clean up any divots you see on the green even if you did not create them. There are many different options for divot tools, some that come with extra features like a bottle opener or ball marker.
Ball Marker & Ball Marker Hat Clip
Ball markers come in all shapes and sizes. I recommend getting some flat ones because if your ball is in someone else’s line, you can still mark yours where it is with a flat ball marker without messing up their putt. Of course, the non-flat ball markers are fun because you can pick from so many options that allow you to express yourself on the golf course.
Instead of digging in your pocket through tees and spare balls, having a ball marker on your hat is convenient and fast to find and put back. A hat clip fits on most hat and is magnetic which works with the majority of ball markers. I personally like to have multiple hat clips and leave them on all my hats so that I don’t have to remember to transfer clips given they are only $2-$3 per clip.
If you love the ball marker hat clip, I still recommend keeping a spare ball marker in your bag because you never know when you will be in a rush and forget a hat.
Rain Jacket & Rain Pants
Whether you are a fair weather or rain-or-shine golfer, having rain gear in your golf bag can save your round if you get caught suddenly in the rain. We all know how reliable rain forecasts can be. While long sleeve jackets keep you dry, you might want to consider short sleeves if swinging a club with a long jacket feels too constrained.
Waterproof Gloves
Even when it’s not raining, if the grass is wet or dewy from the early morning, it is good to have a pair of gloves that won’t get ruined by a little water.
I personally like FootJoy Raingrip gloves because they are extremely comfortable, comparable to a normal glove. They are rated as one of the most popular rain gloves on the market.
Waterproof Shoes
When I was a new golfer, I wanted all the cute golf shoes (G/FORE is one of my favorite brands) but I was given great advice that the first pair of golf shoes I own should be waterproof shoes. On more than one occasion, I have been caught in rain unexpectedly or walked through some swampy grass. The last thing I want to be thinking about is wet socks and cold feet while golfing.
Finger Band-aids
This might appear to be the strangest recommendation but if you ever have a cut on your fingers, it is impossible to golf. This happened to me once and all I could do was focus on not bleeding all over my golf grip such that I could not finish the hole. Luckily, I had only played one hole before my finger started bleeding so I was able to turn around and get a band-aid from the pro shop. I recommend keeping a small container of finger band-aids for the small chance that you might need one.
Sunscreen
I personally love the feeling of Supergoop Unseen since it is incredibly lightweight for my face. Since Supergoop is more expensive, I use spray for the rest of my body. Spray is faster to apply and reapply. It’s also much easier to use spray for most men because rubbing sunscreen cream through arm and leg hair is no fun. I don’t have personal preference on brand of sunscreen spray but the travel-size Banana Boat spray is available at Target so easy to find in-person.
Since my best friend is allergic to zinc, I always like to disclose to others that Supergoop is made with zinc oxide. Since I don’t have this allergy, I can’t personally recommend another brand.
Golf Towel
While hitting on the fairway is most ideal, most golfers have probably found themselves in all sorts of situations, some muddy, some sandy, and some extra grassy where the ball needs to be cleaned. A golf towel on your golf bag is perfect to clean up balls, wipe up accidental spills in the cart, and also to keep the golf grips dry on wet grass if you are carrying multiple clubs out.
My significant other likes to use the carabiner style golf towel since it is relatively quick and easy to clip on and off your bag to bring out with you onto the course. I enjoy the magnetic golf towel because I can stick it on any club and pick it up from the ground with my club too. However, two downsides that I noticed is: 1) you have to move it from club to club depending on which club you are using and 2) the magnet is so strong that when it sits on my golf bag, sometimes it sticks onto two golf clubs that are close together so I have to tug them apart if I plan to use either of them.
Range Finder
With golf watches and golf apps that work on general smart watches and smartphones, range finders are less of a necessity than before. However, range finders are still helpful on practice ranges, especially for those that want to improve on their precision and understanding of distances. For great golfers, range finders provide the exact distance of the pin (whereas apps only give front, center, and back of green).
I have tried expensive and more affordable range finders and if you are spending any amount of money on a range finder, at minimum, it should read slope else you might find yourself investing in another one in the future. I recommend the Callaway Golf 300 Pro Laser Rangefinder, it is one of the highest rated range finders for ease of use. However, if you are looking for a more affordable option, I also own a Redtiger Range Finder which does the job.
Tees
If your club provides free tees, I still recommend trying new tees from time to time in case you get to play a round of golf somewhere else and did not bring tees with you. I am part of a club but the ladies I play with have been sharing and trying all sorts of tees, claiming some of them make you hit straighter, further, and less errors.
FLIGHTPATH: These tees are supposed to help with hitting straighter by reducing ball spin. At the time I tried it, I was playing with an aggressive slice. It’s unclear to me if it helped because of my swing path but I have a friend that swears by these tees.
Martini: These tees are nearly unbreakable. Funny enough, my significant other who can hit 350+ yards on his drive broke one the first time he used it. For us normal golfers, these tees last significantly longer and we are more likely to forget it at the tee box than break it. This might be a good investment for those that break tees often.
Tornado: These tees are supposed to help with hitting further because the top of the tee is made of a softer netting material so when the club face makes contact with the ball, there is less resistance since it is being propped up.
Golf Travel Carrier
If you are plan to travel to golf and you want to play with your own clubs, a golf travel carrier is a necessity. Like normal suitcases, there are soft cases and hard cases options. I personally tried soft cases and what I did not like with almost all of them is that the bag gets extremely heavy while wheeling it. However, the Sun Mountain Golf ClubGlider Meridian Travel Bag is unique in that it has an additional stand with wheels to allow the weight to shift away from the person hauling it. This makes it lighter and easier to transport around.
Sun Mountain Travel Bags are more expensive so for those looking for more affordable options, make sure to look into ones that can protect the golf club heads (either part of case or additional travel accessory).
Hat/Visor
Wearing a hat in golf is ideal for both females and males as it provides many benefits:
- Sweat absorbing: the hat helps to prevent more sweat accumulation from rolling down your face and eyes during points (I hate distractions)
- Controls the hair: if you have long hair (guy or girl), a hat helps so that those hairs don’t get into your line of vision especially on a windy day
- Sun protection: your scalp can burn like every other part of your body. Especially those with dark hair or bald, there is more risk of scalp burn
- Blocking the sun: you can’t control the sun and many people play during the hours that overlap sunset and sunrise so having a hat helps with visibility.
For those with long hair, Vimhue Sun Goddess is the perfect hat. I got these last year and love how comfortable and feminine they are. It has a neat backing design where you can put a ponytail through with varying ponytail height AND its rated UPF 50+ (win, win)! From a decade of tennis, I have seen hats similar to this and was not convinced when I tried them on because they were too stiff. Vimhue Sun Goddess hat is soft material and its got multiple heights that you can string a ponytail through.
Melin hats are more expensive than your typical Adidas/Nike hat but they are also high quality and specialize in water resistant hats (Hydro collection). I find their hats to be more masculine than I prefer but they are popular especially for the male population. Hydro collection comes in various hat types/fits.
Golf Ball Retriever Stick
Some golf balls cost $5+/ball so it is really unfortunate to lose balls. Sometimes, I end up finding my ball but just cannot reach it because either its in a bush or in the water.
Recently, someone told me about this extendable retriever stick that has saved them many balls. I am excited to start using Callaway Golf Ball Retriever which is extendable to 15 feet and highly rated.
A more affordable option is a 9 ft extendable retrievable stick.
Heated Seats
For those that want to continue golfing throughout the winter and live in a rainy/cold state, heated golf carts making golfing more comfortable. If you have a cart, you could hook up a space heater with gas tank but for those that do not have their own cart, portable heated seats are great because it can go on any cart. Even if you have your own cart, heated seats are nice to have. If you have ever tried a heated bidet seat, it can be game changer on a cold morning.
Heated Vest
This might be my favorite gift that I have given to others because it is such a versatile gift. Personally, I am a huge fan of the Ororo brand because they have many different vest designs for both women and men.
These vests are great for golf; easy to move around in for any activity. It comes with three heat settings so as you warm up, you can lower the heat settings, turn it off, or take it off completely once you are at a comfortable temperature. It allows me to comfortably play golf in the winter or early cool morning.
Even if you get this vest and decide not to use it for golf, I am confident you will love it for at least something else. I personally wear mine for everyday use and outdoor sports. It is the most used item in my closet.
Tee Bag
When golfing, most people have many tees in their bag. Rather than leave them floating in your bag, a tee bag is a nice way to contain the tees so that it doesn’t poke at your hand while digging around looking for some. It’s also a benefit to always knowing where your tees are and how many are left.
Golf Dotz
Golf Dotz is a company that makes transferable ink golf ball marking “tattoos”. They have many different designs that make it fun to express yourself and also share as little gifts.
I have used these and they work better than permanent marker for labeling balls. They are easy to apply and make identifying your ball from others straightforward.
Club Scrub
Clubs and balls get dirty all the time. On the range, the facility might leave out water buckets for people to clean up their clubs but on the course, your options are limited. Club Scrub is a great item to add to your golf bag where you can fill it with a little water and use it as a small water bucket. They come in multiple colors options.
The inside is made with rubber so that it does not leak through and the outside is made of Neoprene or Microfiber (depending on if you buy the Classic or Pro option) so that you can use the outside to dry off your ball or club. This makes keeping your clubs and balls clean between shots simply and fast while keeping your gloves clean. Particularly if you just got brand new clubs, this is a great item to keep nearby.
Lion Latch
I am a forgetful golfer so I tend to show up with my rings on my finger but cannot golf with them on. I tried many options for storing my rings including other containers, ring necklace, and putting it just in my golf pocket. I did not enjoy the lack of security most of the options had and the ring necklaces was too small for my ring and would bump against the band which I worried about scratches.
I love the Lion Latch, it hooks easily to my golf bag. The way the hook is designed, it cannot easily unhook from something. The hook is the lock for the holder so there is no way to open the holder without removing the hook completely which ensures that it is safe in the holder.