By KrisF on 12/29/2008

The Lake Oswego Golf Course may not be the most prestigious course in the area, but they're trying hard to attract players during the off-season. 

Their pricing during the week is directly related to the temperature outside.  Golfers pay just $1 per degree over freezing for their round of golf.  The colder it is, the less they pay (can I get paid to play in sub-freezing temps?).

In addition to the discounted pricing, you can earn yourself free handwarmers and hot cocoa if you bring a foursome out to play or if the temperature is under 45 degrees.

I'm not saying that prices like these will bring in droves of people for the course, but it's all about publicity.  This is the kind of announcement that will make people take notice and, hopefully, bring golfers back during the actual golf season.

By KrisF on 12/23/2008

Well, my list of great golf gifts has turned into the 14 Days of Christmas.  I saved this last idea for last because it's got a great Northwest flavor to it.

Today's gift idea is the Widmer Golf Game.  I know there are probably several incarnations of this one, but the Widmer version is great because of its connection to our tasty local beers. 

The game is a simple one: four tokens to be earned by golfers and a dollar amount attached to each of them.  Players want to avoid the sand, water and three-putt tokens, while trying their best to get ahold of the master token.  Even if you're only playing with each token as a dollar or two, it still keeps things interesting.

The tokens from Widmer are nice and heavy and come in a handy drawstring bag.  To get yours, order online or visit the brewery in NE Portland.

By KrisF on 12/22/2008

With all the harsh weather we've been getting in the Northwest this week, I've been thinking about some important golf gear.  I'm talking, of course, about your outerwear or rain gear.

This past year, I had the opportunity to borrow a new rain jacket from a friend of mine that was a little different than all the others I've worn.  What, you're probably wondering, could have made this jacket unique?  It was the special 'rain channel' on the sleeves.  It kept all the rain from running down on my hands and grips.

It's a little thing, I know, but the jacket was also extremely comfortable and fitted, and didn't let a single drop get through to my underlayers.  It was breathable, too.

I know there are a lot of great outerwear products out there from just about every clothing manufacturer, but if you want to pick up something a little different this year, check out the golf collection from Sunice.

By KrisF on 12/18/2008

Today's gift is a Vijay Singh endorsed item, but it's in celebration of the news that Tiger Woods appears to be ahead on the road to recovery and is back to fitting some short iron shots.  Golf's most dominant player will soon be back, which should inspire all of us to work on our games and get ready for Spring.In the Northwest right now, it's hard to think about golf because we're currently stuck in a rut of freezing temps with snow and ice.  Not fun.Anyway, on to the gift idea of the day.  The Golf Mat by Vijay Singh is a unique practice mat, designed to simulate the feel of real turf when you hit a ball.  The mat accomplishes this by compressing as the ball is struck.  It takes a little getting used to, but that means the end of jarring your arms on the hard ground beneath your practice mat.Several driving ranges in the area have started installing these mats and there's even a home version to buy (MSRP of $229).  If you order now for Christmas, you can also get one of the company's stance mats to go along...

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By KrisF on 12/16/2008

Today's gift idea comes as a tribute to the 2008 PGA Tour Player of the Year: Padraig Harrington.  Why not own a little piece of golf history by purchasing a piece of authentic Harrington gear.If you shop carefully, you can find really good deals on autographed items from some of golf's biggest stars.  Oddly enough, there are a lot of different items from the majors and Ryder Cup that Padraig Harrington has signed.A simple place to look is getitnext.com, a service that makes it easier to do searches on eBay.  Click here to see a list of Harrington memorabilia available for sale right now (and you can still get it in time for Christmas).We might as well take the time now to congratulate Harrington on winning the Tour's top award.  He was given the award despite only winning two times all year, they just happened to come during British Open and PGA Championship week.  Good timing.Harrington...

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