The two-question shortcut
You can narrow this list to two or three items with two questions, neither of which requires you to know anything about golf.
Does he walk or ride?Walkers care about weight — a lighter bag, a push cart, comfortable shoes. Riders care about what mounts to the cart — a speaker, a cooler, a magnetic towel. Buying a walker's gift for a rider is the most common near-miss.
Does he practice, or just play? A golfer who practices will genuinely use a training aid or a putting mat. A golfer who only ever plays will not, no matter how good the product is, and it will sit in a cupboard as a small ongoing reproach.
Why a rangefinder is the default big gift
If your budget stretches past about $150 and you want one obvious present, a laser rangefinder is the category to look at. The reasoning is simple: it is used on every hole of every round, it requires no size or fit, it lasts for years, and it is expensive enough that plenty of golfers keep meaning to buy one and don't.
The one thing to verify is that he doesn't already have one. Look for a small rectangular pouch clipped to the outside of his golf bag, roughly the size of a chunky camera. If it's there, buy something else. Our rangefinder guide covers the difference between the models, and laser versus GPS explains the two competing approaches.
Sizing is the trap
Golf apparel and golf shoes look like the obvious gift and are the two most-returned categories in the whole hobby. Golf shoes in particular need both a length and a width, they're worn for five hours on uneven ground, and the fit conventions differ between brands.
Everything on this page is deliberately size-free except where noted. If you specifically want to buy shoes, read our spiked versus spikeless guide first and get the size from his closet, not from a guess.
Things that seem like good ideas and aren't
- Clubs.Golf clubs are fitted to a person's height, swing and hand size. Buying a driver for someone else is close to buying prescription glasses for them.
- A putter. Same problem, and worse — putters are the most personal club in the bag and golfers are superstitious about them.
- Golf lessons, bought blind. A generous idea that lands badly surprisingly often, because it can read as a comment on his game. If you go this route, ask him first.
