MacDuff's 2016 Father's Day Gift Guide

It's a tradition for the final Sunday of the U.S. Open to be played on Father's Day, and as a father it is one that is much appreciated. My main gift each year is to get to watch the golf with few distractions and it doesn't get much better than Oakmont Country Club. It's in my personal Top 10 in the world and with the recent tree removal the course looks better than ever. As well as the gift of golf on television here are five great gift options you can forward on, leave on the printer or tweet out to children, wives and anyone else you may think could buy you a gift!

Beltology
At Beltology they believe belts should stretch! Their belts have no holes, as the prong passes smoothly through the webbing (fabric or leather) allowing for a comfortable and adjustable fit - after lunch for example! Read More Here

Holderness & Bourne
Alex Holderness and John Bourne never much cared for the exhaustive and hyper athletic styling associated with most modern golf apparel. They believe the branding should be subtle with classic styling and a tailored fit. I agree and am a H&B convert! Read More Here

Lee Wybranski
Lee is one of the leading golf artists in the world. This year he has once again created work for the major championships and the perfect gift for dad would be his Oakmont poster shown below. It features the famous church pews bunkers on the 4th and 5th holes and if you look hard you'll see the famous Oakmont squirrel. Read More Here

Links Candles
This new range of golf themed scented candles will be a big hit with dads. Full disclosure, we own this company and it's been fascinating how many dads have declared their passion for scented candles! The range based on the elements of the game includes, Dirt, Fescue, Ocean and Pine. Read More Here

Tin Cup
The only way to really make your mark on a golf ball is with a Tin Cup. They are available in over 140 designs and a new section of specially priced custom cups gives you a good chance of finding a unique cup for dad and his golf balls. How long he can keep it in play is his responsibility! Read More Here

Six Great Christmas Gifts

Like many people in this country I can't really think about Christmas until Thanksgiving is over. The perpetual "holiday creep" taking hold is so unnecessary and so blatantly led by retailers stuck with too much inventory. OK, I have that off my chest...on with my Pick 6 for Christmas.

1. Links to St Andrews - Love Letters to the Home of Golf - This extraordinary 350 page book passionately compiled by Josh Evenson is an ode to the first town of golf. www.linkstostandrews.com

2. Beltology - The perfect belt on and off the golf course. With enough stretch to take in a full lunch and dozens of colors and styles to choose from Beltology belts are instant classics. www.beltology.com

3. Tin Cup - Yes, I'm biased as I have been on board since the beginning with this cool golf ball marking stencil. It's available in 150 design and and also custom designs. www.tin-cup.com

4. Best Made Co - It's just not the same unless I get something from one of my favorite online retailers. They sell cool, well made American products, like this match striker - Go see at www.bestmadeco.com

5. Lee Wybranski - Lee created the official posters for three Majors in 2015. His iconic imagery is extraordinary and his work is a fitting reminder of the great courses and memorable events played through the year. www.leewybranski.com

6. Bob Dylan's All the Songs - Maybe it's just because I really want this book that it made the list. But, if you like music then you owe it yourself to find the reason behind Mr. Zimmerman's genius. And for less than $30 on Amazon.com

Cool Belts for Golf - Beltology

The golf season is off and running, so you need to get your best golf pants on and keep them up in style. There's no better way than with stylish belts from the US company, Beltology. Several PGA and European Tour players are now wearing Beltology and with more than 40 styles and colors to choose from they are finding the perfect accessory for their daily outfits.

At Beltology, they believe belts should stretch and their belts are different from traditional leather belts. There are no holes as the prong passes smoothly through the webbing, allowing for a comfortable and adjustable fit. Beltology uses premium stretch webbing, top quality buckles and 100% genuine leather trims. I have been wearing the belts non stop now for about six months and can attest to the quality, finish and comfort.

Go online here and see all of the styles and colors, priced between $55 and $65. Go on, get your belt on!

Christmas Gift Guide

It's that time of the year again - seems to come quicker each year doesn't it? So, in keeping with tradition here's our Christmas Gift Guide featuring clients and even some who aren't clients, but we love their products! Here are my six of the best.

BELTOLOGY

No more boring belts! That's what they say at this cool new belt company based in New York. Beltology belts have many colors to choose from, each made from a unique stretch material and achieving adjustability by eliminating holes. The styles are perfect for golf and for business and with beautiful packaging are an ideal gift for the holidays. Take a look at their site here.

CLUB CHAMPION

If you play golf and haven't been fitted, then you have a problem. I can almost guarantee you are not playing with the right equipment and as a result you are not getting everything out of your game. I was recently fitted and had shafts that were way too stiff for the amount of golf I play and practice - it's no good looking like a hero in the parking lot with blades and 6.5 stiff shafts if you hit them poorly! So, leave a few subtle hints and you could get a gift certificate for a proper club fitting at one of the ten Club Champion locations around the country. Read More Here.

JOSH SMITH GOLF LANDSCAPES

Tom Doak's newly published, revised version of his Confidential Guide features artwork by the incredibly talented golf landscape artist, Josh Smith. The hole on the cover is the 6th at Cornwall's St. Enodoc and Josh has released a limited edition of 31 pieces of the artwork on canvas. The artwork measures 24 inches square and is hand finished and stretched by Josh and is $825. You can order by emailing me here. By the way, Mr. Doak has the original!

LEE WYBRANSKI POSTERS

Lee has had another outstanding year creating official artwork for all of the major championships. His distinctive style is well represented here in this special "Open Package" featuring Pinehurst No. 2 and Royal Liverpool. Lee's work has become highly collectable and his website features his iconic posters as well as one off originals. You can see all of his work here.

SEAMUS GOLF

We have always been big fans of Portland based Seamus Golf. Their core products are unique headcovers designed from literally hundreds of tartans and other fabrics. In 2015, they introduced all manner of new items that continue to amaze us. These include ball marks, restored golf clubs, pitchforks and most recently a wash bag. You'll find great gift items and different price points on their site, each one handcrafted by our friends in Oregon. The website is here.

TIN CUP

This is a golf gift you can safely give golfers and know they will use it. The rules of golf do state that you should mark your golf ball before playing and Tin Cup has made this a simple process for hundreds of thousands of golfers over the last five years - which is nice! Buy a gift package here.