Christmas Golf Gift Guide

Here’s our 2018 Golf Gift Guide that checks the boxes on authenticity, great value and are “MacDuff Guaranteed” to bring a smile to the face of any real golfer. 

LEE WYBRANSKI - GOLF ART

Lee has had another outstanding year in 2018 creating official artwork for the majors and the Ryder Cup. Lee's work has become highly collectable and his website features his iconic posters as well as one off originals. www.leewybranski.com

MACDUFF CANDLES - SWEET SMELLING CANDLES

We introduced our own golf themed candles in 2017. This year we have a number of gorgeous Christmas scents including Chocolate Chip, Cinnamon Stick, Cranberry Crush and Peppermint Candy. Beautifully packaged and ready for the tree. We also have a gorgeous Yoga themed gift collection, called The Chakra Range. www.macduffcandles.com

SEAMUS GOLF - PORTLAND CRAFTSMANSHIP

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. They also have introduced all manner of new items that continue to amaze us. These include ball marks, hand made golf bags, hip flasks, restored golf clubs and pitchforks. You'll find great gift items and different price points on their site, each one handcrafted by our friends in Oregon. www.seamusgolf.com

TIN CUP - THE BEST BALL MARKER

This is a golf gift you can safely give golfers and know they will use it. The rules of golf 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 since 2010. www.tin-cup.com

TOM COYNE'S A COURSE CALLED SCOTLAND - MY FAVORITE READ

My favorite golf book of the year, Tom's book is a worthy follow up to his Irish tome about golf in Ireland. www.amazon.com

MacDuff's Nine Favorites from the PGA Show

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As is customary after three days of walking and talking around the giant, soulless space of the Orange County Convention Center here are my favorites from the show. As much as I love technology, you won’t find any here. Golf balls with microchips, range finders, GPS all leave me cold. They will never be in or on my golf bag. I have enough going on without additional data and many of these devices are contributing to slow play. When I play, I hit it, find it and hit it again! Here are nine great companies and their beautifully crafted products.

MacDuff Candles

Okay, I am slightly biased here. This is my 13-year-old daughter’s company (I’m the unpaid intern!) and this was her first show. We were on the booth courtesy of our U.S. distributor, Signs by the Sea and it was busy from Wednesday morning until closing time on Friday afternoon. Lily (with a little help from me) has created scented custom candles for clubs and resorts. They are made in the USA and 100% soy. I have been going to the show for more than two decades, but this one was more fun than ever! Seeing her engage with existing and potential customers and write orders was a thrill. Email her on lily@macduffcandles.com to learn more. www.macduffcandles.com

Holderness and Bourne

This fine young company was started by two friends, Alex Holderness and John Bourne. They entered the ultra-competitive golf clothing world a couple of years ago with a small number of elegant shirts and bags. As their business has grown, so has their range, with new shirts, sweaters and belts. I particularly like the low-key branding and emphasis on detailing.  www.holdernessandbourne.com

Jack Grace

A classic story of the owners creating something they wanted and finding out others wanted it too. The company is named for the owners two young children, yes, Jack and Grace. As we have a young Jack in our house the name appealed to me! Their well-made saddle style shoes have a unique feature that allows for the saddle to be changed out in a matter of seconds. This gives you the option of matching your shoes to your outfit without the need for two pairs of shoes….brilliant idea! www.jackgraceusa.com

Lie + Loft

Lie + Loft create timeless art featuring renderings of classic golf courses as seen from on high. The production qualities, elegance and simplicity of their work may even predicate the move from man cave to living room. I also loved their new addition of old school wool pennants. www.lieandloft.com

 

Seamus Golf

It’s always exciting to see what owners, Megan and Akbar Chisti come up with for the show. With their roots in Oregon, I love their laid-back philosophy of hand crafted, beautifully made products. They work with local craftspeople to create one offs, as well as the gorgeous plaid and leather products they are well known for. I’m drafting this blog in one such product – a leather notebook made from one piece of supple brown leather that holds a notebook and folds in two and has two holes in the cover that holds a pencil – simple, ingenious and it will last a lifetime. www.seamusgolf.com

Signs by the Sea

Signs by the Sea is owned by husband and wife, Mike and Kathy Yevchak. They also have a wonderful team who were on site and it’s a good job, because their booth was undoubtedly one of the busiest on the show floor. The company makes unique wood signage and wood and glass gifts, both large and small for pro shops and resorts. They are also our U.S. distributors for MacDuff Candles. www.signsbythesea.com

Sik Putters

This is the putter currently being used by PGA Tour player and resident Tour scientist, Bryson DeChambeau. The owner of this business also happens to be Bryson’s putting coach. The putters are beautifully made and feature a highly technical milled face that features different lofts that promote ball roll however the golfer strikes the ball. www.sikgolf.com

Smathers and Branson

Just like MacDuff, this cool company is based in Bethesda, MD. Owned by two good friends, Austin Smathers and Peter Branson, they are market leaders in all things needlepoint. Their range includes belts, wallets, headwear and they are always innovating, yet remain true to their core specialization. I was particularly struck this year by a range of needlepoint golf course layouts – above you see the great Fishers Island Club. www.smathersandbranson.com

Stitch Golf

Wow, was I in for a surprise when I visited Stitch Golf. Their booth was huge and they have come a long way in only a few years. What started as a head cover business is now a company with a full range of products including a host of head covers, weekend bags, and accessories. I really loved their new one strap golf bag (two straps are banned in our foursome!) with its cool material and logo detailing. www.stitchgolf.com

Christmas is Coming - Here's our Top Six Golf Gifts

This year is destined to set yet another record for online purchasing. It remains a mystery to me why anyone would want to visit a physical shopping mall when all you need to buy is online. I'll leave that to the sociology students and talk about what I know - namely, great golf gifts. All the products listed here are made in America by small(ish) companies. Here are my six favorites:

Holderness & Bourne

The two young guys who founded H & B are making great strides in the golf business. They are doing so by creating fashionable, well made clothing and accessories. I have the Maxwell shirt below and it still looks perfect after at least 20 outings (and washes!).
www.holdernessandbourne.com

Lamb Crafted

Based in Texas, Tyson Lamb is creating gorgeous putters and hand crafted accessories. His website is brand new and there is a limited selection available, but more is on the way. Who needs a ball marker shaped like a donut, complete with sprinkles - me, that's who!
www.lambcrafted.com

Links Candles

Okay, full disclosure here - I own this one! My 12 year old daughter wanted to go on Shark Tank and I told her we needed a product or Mr. Wonderful would not see us! So, we researched and then sourced American made 100% soy candles. They are themed around the smells of golf and include beach (below), dirt, fescue, magnolia and more.
www.linkscandles.com

MacKenzie Walker 

The Mackenzie Walker is my golf bag of choice. Hand crafted in Oregon with real care and attention to detail, this is a golf bag that looks better with each year of use. It is unashamedly at the top end of the market, but you get what you pay for in life. (and yes, that is my bag below)
www.mackenziegolfbags.com

Seamus Golf

Our friends at this other Oregon company continue to astound us with their versatile and diverse range of products. They started five years ago as a head cover company and have come along way. Their new range of luggage looks outstanding and is made with the same precision as their other beautiful products. Here are just a few of the cool covers that will give your bag a lift.
www.seamusgolf.com

Tin Cup

The best ball marker in golf, bar none! And their custom program allows customers to create a unique mark guaranteed not to be used by anyone else on the first tee! Tin Cup has recently signed a sponsorship deal with PGA Tour player, Bryson DeChambeau and had fun creating a cool caddyshack video which you can see here.
www.tin-cup.com