As we wind down the 2008 Gear Guide, I’ll admit that I would have liked to cover a bit more. With apologies to major players like Srixon, Bridgestone, Yonex, and others, it’s time to move on. The same can be said for outstanding putter manufacturers Yes, Rife, and Divix, who also deserve more attention than I can give this year. I’ll try to do right by them in 2009. I’ve also done a great disservice to many apparel retailers as well; choosing to exclude them altogether. What can I say…it’s hard to get excited about shirts and shoes when there are so many new clubs to talk about. Again…maybe in 2009.

So with my virtual bag pretty much full (I’ll tell you what I”m putting in it in tomorrow’s 2008 dream bag post), it’s time to take a relatively quick look at some interesting accessories for 2008.

No Joke Golf Divot Tool

A divot tool for the masses. Yes, it will repair ball marks, but there is so much more to this handy little tool. As many divot tools do, the No Joke Divot Tool includes a couple of ball markers, for those frequent occasions when you don’t hole out before you reach the green.

Apart from what you might call standard features, the 7 in 1, No Joke divot tool functions as a cigar holder, bottle opener, groove cleaner, and grip saver (keep your grips off soggy fairways).

Finally, because, according to No Joke Golf, “beer drinking is a golfing necessity”, the No Joke Golf divot tool is designed to puncture a beer can so you can shotgun like a frat boy. In fact, the No Joke website has a small guide outlining examples of bad play that warrant a shotgun penalty.

As basic divot tools go, the No Joke Golf Divot Tool has more features than most. With the addition of a cigar holder, and shotgun opener, it’s hard to argue that it doesn’t belong in just about everyone’s golf bag.

The No Joke Golf Divot Tool retails for $14.95

Ball Brite Personal Ball Cleaner

Because life is too short to play with dirty balls, the folks at Ball Brite have created a clip-on personal ball cleaner. All you have to do is put a little bit of water into the Ball Brite pouch, clip it to your golf bag, and you’re all set for 18.

Unlike on course ball cleaners, which aren’t always conveniently located, don’t always have water in them, and too often smell like…well…dirty balls, the leak proof Ball Brite pouch is always at your disposal. You can even bring it on the green with you to clean your ball prior to that birdie (or in my case triple-bogey) putt. What’s truly remarkable is that balls come out of the Ball Brite, not only clean, but dry as well, which means no more towel drying.

The machine washable Ball Brite Personal Ball Cleaner works for club heads as well, which will come in handy the next time you hit one fat.

The Ball Brite retails for $19.95

Caesar Golf Featheries

While we’ve already discussed plenty of golf balls this year, we haven’t talked about anything quite like the Featherie from Caesar Golf. Billed as “No Dimples, No Hooks, No Slices”, the Caesar Featherie is unlike any golf ball we’ve seen to date. The impossible-not-to-notice difference is, as the advertising suggests, that the Featherie is 100% dimple-free. The surface of the Featheries is as smooth as a baby’s bottom…and I’m talking about a baby without a trace of diaper rash.

While the company admits there is some distance loss as a result of the dimple-less design, they maintain that because the Featherie doesn’t have spin causing dimples, and doesn’t suffer from imperfections in the surface thickness that result from the application of the dimple layer in conventional balls, their golf ball will fly straighter from tee to green.

Because of the perfectly smooth surface, the Caesar Golf Featherie should also roll truer on the green.

At $10 per ball (3/$30), you’re unlikely to find a more expensive ball. However, if they fly straight as advertised, you won’t be hitting them into to the woods or other lateral hazards.

While I’m not sure I’m ready to spend $30 on 3 golf balls, I’d love to try a Featherie out to see how it compares to the tree-seekers I usually play.

In case you’re wondering, yes, the Caesar Golf Featherie is USGA legal.

SKLZ Gyro Swing

SKLZ golf has taken golf training into the 21st century. The Gyro swing is without a doubt the most technologically advanced swing trainer ever created. While we’ve all see training aids like the Momentus and Medicus, that are designed to help you keep the golf club on plane, the Gyro swing is the first club that actually forces you to keep the club on plane.

The secret (ok, it’s not really a secret) to the Gyro swing, is its built-in, battery powered gyroscope that spins at 20,000 RPM. The high spin rate prevents casting, and encourages a proper release. As the club head descends, the gyroscopic action keeps the club on plane, and helps maintain a smooth tempo throughout the swing.

The Gyro swing also features a dual-color shaft which further reinforces proper club rotation.

Currently the Gyro Swing is available in right-handed models only. Rechargeable batteries, and a charger are all included in the $219 package.

No, you cannot hit balls with it.

Momentus EEZ-Read

We’d be remiss if we didn’t share the “Best New Product” from the 2008 PGA Merchandise show. The EEZ-Read from Momentus Golf won that just that distinction. The remarkably simple EEZ-Read is little more than a bubble-level attached to a durable steel base. The promise of the EEZ-Read is that it will help you read the break on any green.

Here’s how it works. Simply place the EEZ-Read on the imagined break line half way between your ball and the hole. The bubble will indicate which direction the ball will break (as well as whether or not the putt is uphill or down). Take a 2nd reading 6 inches from the cup and you’re pretty much good to go - assuming you don’t shank your putts.

The EEZ-Read fits in the palm of your hand, has a lifetime guarantee and retails for $14.95. As you might expect,the EEZ-Read is not USGA legal, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use it during practice rounds. I suspect that after playing a few rounds with the EEZ-Read your ability to read greens on your own will increase substantially.

Golf Pride DD2 Grips

Every golf club need a grip right? Golf Pride is the undeniable leader in the grip industry. There’s a good chance your using a Golf Pride grip right now. They manufacture OEM grips for such industry heavyweights as TaylorMade, Titleist, Callaway, Ping, and pretty much everyone else I’ve talked about so far this season.

You may be thinking, “My clubs have grips, why should I care”. Every grip will eventually wear out. If you play often you’ll need to replace your grips every year, if not more frequently. Even if you never play, your grips will eventually become dry, brittle, and consequently as slippery as a Caesar Featherie.

When it comes time to regrip you’ll have plenty of choices from not only Golf Pride, but from Lampkin, Winn, and a dozen other lesser-know companies. What works for me may not be what works for you, you should at least take a look at my new favorite grip, the Golf Pride DD2.

For fans of Golf Pride’s Tour Velvet series, will probably love the DD2. I currently play the Tour Velvet on most of my clubs, but when it came time to regrip my driver I decided to try the new DD2. The all rubber DD2s feature the same grip pattern as the Tour Velvet, with a firm core and a softer exterior which, for lack of better descriptive abilities, provides just the right amount of squishy without being too soft.

The Golf Pride DD2 is the best grip I’ve ever played. When it comes time to regrip my irons, wedges, woods, and probably even my Momentus swing trainer, I’m putting the DD2s on.

The DD2 is available in red, blue, yellow, and green. Undersized DD2s are also available.

The DD2s retail for about $5.00 each or $76.00 for a set of 13. If you don’t regrip your own clubs, you can expect to pay a between $1 and $2 for installation at your local proshop.

GolfKnickers.com

Golfers sure don’t dress like they used to. While that might be fine with you, the team over at GolfKnickers.com is determined to preserve the game’s traditional wardrobe. Granted, Golf Knickers are anything but new for 2008, but I’m a big fan of the upstate NY company (even if I don’t own any knickers myself), so I’m going to spread the word all the same.

GolfKnickers.com can outfit you from head to two with more plaid and argyle than you can shake a niblick at. Their knickers are available in plaids and solids (20 colors to choose from) and are made from your choice of microfiber, wool blend, or cotton/linen. For those of you too cowardly to wear knickers, they also make a very nice looking trouser (that’s right, trouser…it’s an ancient word that means “pants”), also available in solids (light blue, green, yellow, red, pink, and orange), and of course, a selection of plaids.

GolfKnickers.com also offers a complete assortment of shirts (solids and patterns), caps (solids, plaids, two-tone, tri-tone), and socks (solids and argyles) designed to match their knickers and trousers (although they’re perfectly capable of standing on their own). If you still haven’t found something you like, take a look at the sweaters (solids and argyles), belts, and bowties. Like I said, golfers just don’t dress the way they used to, and it’s a damn shame.

I would love to hit the links in a fancy knicker set from GolfKnickers.com, but I’d be hard pressed to convince any of the guys I normally play with to do the same. One of these days though…I may just do it anyway.

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