Great Gift Ideas for Those Who Love Golf - For Her

Have you noticed each year, holiday paraphernalia appears earlier and earlier? Be it Halloween, Easter or Christmas, these days you can't go in a store without seeing some themed display. It's almost as bad as the modern day Presidential Campaign. We at Midwest Golfing Magazine are treading dangerously close to the retailers, but the way we look it at it is, it's never to early to come up with a fabulous gift idea for yourself and the golf fanatic in your life. So rip out the page, circle it with big arrows, add some highlighter and prominently display it in a location he's sure not to miss. Here are the top items on my Christmas list for 2007 and some outstanding ideas for him.

For Her

TaylorMade Burner Driver

It's lighter, it's faster, it works! If you have an interest in knowing how and why the club does what's promised, then the more power to you. Suffice to say, all of the research TaylorMade did to create the brand new Burner Driver was well worth the effort. The sleek aerodynamic clubface gives you the illusion of a faster swing speed, while the 50 gram shaft and 40 gram grip make that happen. It's a longer club that weighs less. And what does that all mean? A faster swing speed that generates greater ball speed and ultimately more distance off the tee. With the RE*AX SuperFast 50 shaft and the WINN Grip, this club is a can't miss on my list. For more information on the Driver and matching fairway woods, go to www.taylormadegolf.com.

Nicklaus Dual Point Hybrids

The optimal time to make equipment changes is in the spring or fall. So don't be shy asking for new sticks this Christmas. By adding the Jack Nicklaus Dual Point Hybrids to your bag, you'll be aiming for the rough - they instill that much confidence in the average player. These clubs are so forgiving miss-hits are a thing of the past because you don't loose much distance when it comes off the toe or heel. The Nicklaus Dual Point Hybrids are available in 18, 21, 24, and 27 degree lofts and feature a Fujikara shaft specifically designed for this club. With the soft WINN grip and the stylish but trendy orange and gray Nicklaus color scheme, your fashion sense comes through on the course. For more information, visit www.nicklaus-golf.com.

Adams Idea a3 Irons

Serious Ladies golfers need only apply. Keep your game moving forward with the Adams Ideas a3 Irons. Aldila shafts and WINN grips compliment this progressively weighted set. It is a combination set that takes advantage of the best technology has to offer. The hybrid irons (4, 5, and 6) feature a boxer style clubface that resists twisting and turning giving you a squarer club at impact. A hollow-back head comes on the 7-iron giving you the feel of the boxer hybrid but the look of the cavity short irons (8 through PW). To sum it all up, you get the best of all worlds in this set of irons. Round it all out by adding the 3-hybrid, gap and lob wedges to your bag, and you are ready for any situation. Check out www.adamsgolf.com to learn more.

adidas Clothing

Yet again, adidas has created a fall 2007/spring 2008 line to be reckoned with.

With the likes of Natalie Gulbis and Paula Creamer sporting the adidas line on tour, you can look like the Pros on the course. 2008 brings the ClimaCool Motion Convertible Dress to stores. With the modern design features and technical fabrics we've come to expect from adidas, the dress also converts to a separate polo and skirt. Now that's a two for one! Contemporary clothing trends have not bypassed adidas. With a three panel constructed hoodie and kangaroo pocket, the ClimaLite Engineered Hoodie is just what you need to keep warm and look good on those early spring golf days. For more information on other offerings, visit www.adidasgolf.com.

Yes! C-Groove Valerie Putter

Has your putting got you down? If you don't have confidence in your equipment, your putting prowess will show it. Then it's time for an equipment change. The Yes! C-Grove Valerie Putter is the answer to all of your putting woes. The single sight line alignment aid helps you line up your putt, and the patented C-Groove technology gives you a truer forward role and puts more balls in the cup. Still unsure? Retief Goosen won two U.S. Opens using Yes! technology. So say Yes! It's available in both right and left hand dexterity, a plethora of lengths and comes with a pink and white grip for women. For more information, visit their website at www.yesgolf.com.

Wilson LUXE Balls

When I think about luxury, it's plush surroundings, fine automobiles, a butler named Jeeves, and of course golf balls. Golf balls? Brand spanking new from Wilson, the LUXE Ball is a little bit of elegance because it's all fairways and greens. A two piece ball featuring Wilson 's exclusive Pan Head Design (a duo dimple design), this ball can really fly. The blended cover enhances spin rates off irons and straighter ball flights off of woods. Complete with a pink alignment arrow so you never miss "the line" again, the ball is appropriately balanced for a woman's swing speed be it driver or putter. In summary, it's 2008 technology wrapped in a state of the art cover yielding effortless use. That's luxury! To learn more about the new LUXE Ball, go to www.wilsongolf.com.

Nike Women's Air Zoom Spirit

Dressing up the game is the brand new Nike Women's Air Zoom Spirit golf shoe due out in November. Grace Park sports their footwear on the LPGA because it has all of the latest advancements in golf shoe technology. The encapsulated heel Zoom Air unit not only provides comfort but allows you to feel your weight transfer through your swing. A premium, full-grain leather waterproof golf shoe with Scorpion Stinger Spikes make this a must to find under the tree Christmas morning. Pictured in white/black-new blue, also available in black/flame red-white; white/olive khaki-birch. Visit www.nikegolf.com for more information.

AboutGolf Simulators

And now for the ultimate gift for either him or her. Maybe your significant other did all of their household chores this year and even some of yours. Or maybe he/she made the ultimate sacrifice and let you get a cat even though they're a dog person. Whatever the reason, it's the right season to invest in a golf simulator by AboutGolf based out of Toledo , OH . Since 2001, the company has been perfecting the art and science of the most realistic simulated golf experience on the planet all while allowing you to never leave your own home. The applications of this system are off the charts. I guarantee if you put one of these in your basement you'll be the first on everyone's Christmas card list. Imagine teaching your children how to play the game the right way without the pressures of the real course. Or, have a league night where you can play at 2:00 a.m. and not have to be in Alaska . Plus, it only takes 90 minutes for one person to play 18 holes and if you have time limitations you can save your round and continue it later on.

Currently, most of AboutGolf's simulators can be found in choice retail stores like the PGA SuperStores of the south and Nevada Bob's in Madison,Wisc. which is a little closer to home. The base system is roughly 3300 sq. ft. and comes complete with 30 distinctive courses from around the world. New for the fall of 2007 is your chance to play the Old Course at St. Andrews from your rec room! Jamie Kaufman has been AboutGolf's World Sales Manager for two years and offers this perspective on what separates AboutGolf from the competition. 'We strive to provide the most realistic replication of indoor golf achievable in the market. The technology in the simulator is phased-ray radar which allows us to track the ball flight for 14 feet,' stated Kaufmann. The software is really something we've been perfecting over the past 20 years. Our courses are entirely rendered in three dimensions, including the ability to see a fly-over of every hole."

I must say everything about the experience was so life like right down to the double bogey I made on the first hole. And the system is so easy to use, as everything is controlled by a touchpad screen. It seems the perfect application for an AboutGolf simulator would be at your local club so you could play leagues despite the weather and give its members the chance to play 12 months a year. The in-depth swing analysis provided after each shot is also being used by many of the nation's top 100 instructors as a valuable teaching tool. So if you've been really, really good in 2007 this is your chance to give the gift of golf year round. For more information on the AboutGolf simulator, visit their website at www.AboutGolf.com.