Here’s your reminder: Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 10th.
At a loss about what to buy? Click through and see a few great gifts mom’s sure to enjoy on the course.
Blingo ballmarks
Price: $15.95 ($18.95 with hat clip)
Purchase here
Over the past decade, Blingo has become iconic in women’s golf. Tune in to the LPGA on any given week, and you’ll see players with the sparkly-yet-functional accessory clipped to their caps.
Blingo ballmarks are handmade with Swarovski Crystals by founder Charlotte Daughan (formerly Campbell), a four-time national player of the year at Rollins College, who created the product as a hobby, began selling the ballmarks to fund a budding professional golf career and has since cultivated Blingo into a small business.
The designs and color combinations are endless. Daughan uses rhinestones in roughly 50 different colors to create designs on a number of different bases, from traditional, white, black or silver to red glitter, blue glitter and emerald. She has an array of colorful designs for sale on her web site, but if you’re looking for a custom color combination or a specific design, just email your idea to Daughan and she’s happy to oblige.
Last year, Daughan introduced a neon line, which produces a stunning visual effect in the sun. They’re especially popular among LPGA players.
“I watch the LPGA tour and I just keep seeing this neon pink on white and it looks so good on TV,” Daughan said. “That’s been the most exciting product I’ve launched since doing this.”
Crab & Cleek Flagstick wine tote
Price: $50
Purchase here
Pin flags have long been an iconic symbol of the sport. The same hardwearing qualities that allow them to withstand the outside elements also make pin flags a smart choice for golf-themed travel gear. Crab & Cleek’s Flagstick Golf line demonstrates that with products like this durable wine tote.
Shea Mullen, an avid golfer, had the idea in her head for the Flagstick Golf line years before bringing it to life. In fact, the first flag product she created was from an Oakmont flag (where she grew up) back in 2003. The Flagstick Golf line launched small four years ago, but now Mullen said it’s one of her favorites.
The wine tote is roomy enough to fit a large bottle of wine and the durable construction (heavy stitching to secure the handle and thick material) means you don’t have to worry about the bottle falling through the bottom. The Flagstick line is substantial while still being feminine.
A flagstick product is a clever, one-of-a-kind gift as is, but it also comes with several options for customization. Choose a sentimental number for the flag, pick the color or even add a logo or a grosgrain handle.
Chippo
Price: $189.95
Purchase here
Most golfers will admit that practicing the short shots – chips, pitches, putts – isn’t the most exciting thing about golf. But don’t be fooled by this Chippo game. It’s not a tool intended for boring practice, but rather one intended to spice up your backyard (or your beach or your campsite) barbecue. Once you pull out your wedge and set up Chippo boards, it’s easy to get sucked in and throw out a little trash talk in the process.
The Chippo game is marketed as “the glorious lovechild of golf and cornhole.” The game includes two turf-covered backboards that look very similar to cornhole boards as well as two 9- x 11-inch hitting mats and six special balls. Game rules suggest setting up the boards at a distance of 15 feet, so as long as you have that amount of space, the game can be played anywhere – no grass needed.
The first thing to note is that Chippo is not nearly as easy as it looks, but that’s the beauty of the game. It’s wildly addictive, but simple enough that no prior golf skill is needed to play. Chip your ball in the big hole and you score two points. That’s easy enough. It’s much more difficult to hit either of the two larger holes on top of the board and score five points. The game rules introduce another intriguing challenge: Bounce a ball off the hitting mat in front of the board and into any hole to score double points.
The Chippo game features high-quality turf material covering the surfaces, a sturdy base and thick rubber underneath the hitting mats (which stow away conveniently on the back of the board when not in use). It’s easily portable, despite being a bit heavy, and durable.
GolfChic standard quilt golf cart seat cover
Price: $70 (plus discounted bulk rates)
Purchase here
On a hot and sticky summer day of golf, a blazing hot golf cart seat can create a fair amount of discomfort. Sharon Brown, an avid golfer and sewer, came up with a much more permanent and portable option than a beach towel (too big) or a golf towel (too dirty) – makeshift solutions she saw other golfers trying. Brown and her husband Bob are the brains behind GolfChic, a company that produces fitted golf cart seat covers in an array of colors and materials.
Sharon Brown, retired from the insurance industry, developed and then refined the product with help from her golf pals in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. She would take her creations to her ladies league friends and ask for feedback on fit, fabric and color.
That early product testing paid off. GolfChic cart covers fit snuggly and easily over both armrests of most golf carts (such as Club Car and EZ Go models), which means they stay put as players constantly get on and off the cart. The standard cover measures 40 inches between armrests, but GolfChic also makes an oversize option, which measure roughly 42 inches between armrests (so measure your golf cart before picking out the right option for mom). The cover features a quilted upper, made of cotton-polyester material, for a bit of extra padding and a seven-inch drape to protect the back of a player’s legs from dirt and sunscreen that might have built up from previous riders. The cover folds up for easy transport and is machine washable. Different colors and fabric options – including a color-treated material – are heavy and durable, suggesting a long lifespan for this product.
Garmin Approach S40
Price: $299.99
Purchase here
A GPS-equipped golf watch should be both attractive and functional, and the Approach S40 gets a check in both categories. It’s a practical accessory for a golfer who likes to know her yardage but it’s a comfortable piece to wear off the course, too. In fact, in just a couple of clicks, a traditional watch face can replace course schematics, making the S40 an all-day watch.
The S40 comes preloaded with data from 41,000 golf courses worldwide. After selecting from the courses in your geographic area, each golf hole is easy to navigate with a responsive touch screen. The watch displays front, middle and back yardage as well as yardage to layups and doglegs. It’s perhaps a speedier option than a traditional distance device, considering that it requires just a quick glance at the wrist to see a yardage needed to select a club.
Stopwatch, timer, alarm clock and activity features are included and the S40 feels very user-friendly – it’s easy to navigate back and forth between functions without spending a day reading the manual.
Any outdoorswoman who has worn a similar GPS equipped watch to track mileage while running will appreciate the soft band and lightweight feel of the S40. It doesn’t overtake your whole wrist or weigh down your arm. The face is rimmed in an attractive light gold and offers a more petite look without sacrificing screen size, which is necessary to display all the relevant numbers.
Glove It
Price: $47.95 (glove, visor and wristlet bundle)
Purchase here
Nearly two decades ago, Karen Gleason had an a-ha moment at a women’s golf outing.
“There’s just a white glove?”
Gleason set out to add color to the game – and oodles of prints – when she launched Glove It, a hobby she thought she might run out of her house. Gleason, who had previously owned Regalia Accessory Co. for 18 years, went to her first PGA Merchandise Show in 2002 and her display consisted of 12 gloves on a table. Now headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, the company boasted best new products at the Show in 2005 and 2010 and has expanded well beyond gloves to include cart bags, shoe bags, carry-all bags and visors.
Gleason gives women the chance to coordinate all their golf accessories or mix-and-match depending on the day of the week. Everything from florals to animal prints to geometric shapes. Options abound.
For those who might worry that a colorful glove won’t be as functional or feel as soft as more traditional models, rest assured that’s not the case. Each glove offers UV50 sun protection and is made of stretch Lycra with a soft cabretta leather palm.
The wide brim visor also offers UV50 sun protection and fits snugly with the adjustable coil. (As someone who has always used a Velcro visor, the coil was surprisingly comfortable.)
Round off the look with a wristlet that complements mom’s golf bag. The Mother’s Day bundles come in a variety of looks, including the subtle and classy Rose Gold Quilt and Shaded Leaf, a black and gray print that pairs nicely with a wide variety of outfits.
Buy all three items (visor, glove, wristlet) in a bundle and save $19.95.
Royal Albartross The Grace Grey
Price: $299.00
There’s something about a pair of handmade leather shoes that sets a woman’s heart aflutter. And that feeling can certainly carry over to the golf course with a pair of slip-on loafers from Royal Albartross.
The details of this high-end shoe begin with the cardboard box, which develops a sense of intrigue right from the start with the following inscription:
“When you buy something made by a person, there is something very special there, and you do feel it. The consciousness with which a product was made, is often more important than the product itself.”
Alex Bartholomew took up golf while a student at England’s Brighton University, studying fashion and woven textiles. While in school, she worked as a shoemaker’s apprentice and used the cash prize from an award in shoe design and business concepts to eventually launch Royal Albartross London in 2012, after spending several years working for LK Bennett and Burberry.
The best-selling shoes for Royal Albartross last year were the Liberty and Runway models, though the timeless beauty of The Grace Grey could easily become a staple of any woman’s closet. The decorative tassel and colorful side ribbon add pizazz to a high-quality shoe that would take any outfit to the next level.
The soft, cushiony leather lining feels like an old, luxurious friend.
Go ahead, it’s the perfect Mother’s Day splurge.
Katherine Way Doral Dress
Price: $198
Eight years ago Katherine Way reinvented herself, moving from a corporate career in brand development to designing shift dresses like her mother used to make. Way’s Doral dress, available in a number of eye-catching patterns, will easily become one of mom’s go-to favorites. Why? Because its athleisure-inspired style is as comfortable as it is smart. And it’s the perfect attire for transitioning from course to clubhouse. Favorite features include three-quarter length sleeves, a zippered neckline, front pockets and lightweight, breathable material that’s UPF 50+. (Important to note that shorts aren’t included.)
For those on a budget, there are a number of great sale items available online too.
Way’s dresses and separates, all made in the U.S., are sold in over 350 boutiques and 175 golf club resorts in the U.S., Canada and Caribbean.
During the coronavirus outbreak, Way’s team donated over 2,000 yards of fabric to make masks and isolation gowns for Baptist hospitals near the company’s headquarters in Jacksonville, Florida. Sixty women in the community helped sew the masks with the donated material. The company is currently working on making over 5,000 gowns for its second order.
ECCO Women’s S-THREE
Price: $190
Ecco’s spring line includes the new S-THREE model, a pair of shoes that feel as comfortable as they look. There’s no need to break these shoes in. They’re ready for 36 holes from the moment you pull them out of the box, which is saying something.
The triple injection Zonal Fluidform process sounds technical but translates to a cushiony feel, particularly in the heel. The middle of the shoe is designed to deliver more lateral stability throughout the swing, and the forefront brings an added layer of softness for those long days on the fairways.
These shoes boast waterproof GORE-TEX protection, which means the dark gray option might be good as these well-built shoes will undoubtedly become the reliable pair for tricky weather days. And if mom typically wears the same pair of golf shoes over and over, waterproof is key!
The three-color midsole brings a nice pop to a sporty shoe with soft calf leather. The removable Ortholite inlay soles add long-term cushioning, breathability and moisture management. And they can be taken out to add more width.
The low-profile traction system (no spikes) will keep mom secure on all different kinds of surfaces.
