Golf gear I'm looking forward to testing in 2011: Starter Coin, Nike and Fairway and Greene

The northern golfer spends an off-season collecting tips, equipment, apparel and other golfing elements, carrying forth the inextinguishable hope that any or all of these will assist her/him in improving his/her game toward glorious heights (or depths.) I’m not unlike my cold-weather brethren, harboring buoyant dreams of improvement and heroism. A golf-appropriate foursome of items rests in the trunk of my elegant Elantra, awaiting its opportunity to test more than the walls of our local golfing domes. I’ll let you in on this yoke of products in whose reliability I place my ambition.

My first acquisition belongs to a niche whose visibility has increased in stature, thanks to Ian Poulter and Padraig Harrington’s clumsiness. I speak, of course, of the humble ball marker. Unless it’s of the souvenir ilk, most folks don’t bother paying for one. Given the recent spate of unreliable coins, it’s high time that we focus our eyes on acquiring a personally-fit ball marker. I believe I have the one. The Starter Coin is equal parts ball marker and decision maker. The inner circle is the removable, magnetized ball marker. It bears one of a series of memorably brief, golf-related sayings. For example, “Measure Twice, Putt Once” “Get In Your Home” or my personal favorite, “Your Honor, Your Honor.” The outer coin is the decision maker, embossed with four directives: Honor, 2nd, 3rd and 4th. That’s right! The Starter Coin lets you determine, with one flip of the disc, the batting order on the first tee. It’s an attractive item that arrives for $12 (no tax, no shipping) quite promptly.

The last two drivers that I’ve used with consistency and power (think Thor or Oden) have been Nike Golf products. Why mess with a good thing? When that good thing begets a better thing, I guess. The Nike VR Pro stood by me well in 2010, but I’m confident that the ebony SQ Machspeed will relegate it to backup duty in 2011. As with all drivers, the most important element is the shaft. This one has a fine, flowered Fubuki securely anchored in the head (unless I decide to change face angle.) The head looks like the others in my bag, unlike those white drivers that are all the rage. I’ve ripped a few holes in the webbing that hangs from the roof of the dome with it and anticipate its prowess into head and crosswinds.

I also have a pair of Lunar Control shoes from the same company. I’ll be honest and admit that my last pair of Nike kicks did not live up to expectations. I found the Zoom TW a bit confining, to the point that I actually blistered up my heel. The sizing was correct, as anything larger would have slipped and slid like a waterslide. I much prefer my wet-weather Nike Bandon cleats, especially in the fall, spring and even winter! The moment I put on the Lunar Control model, however, memories of the Zoom dissipated. Their fit is balanced around the heel, whether walking, swinging or standing still.

The final piece to the puzzle is a pair of shirts from Fairway & Greene. I grew up a pique, cottony kind of chap, but I’ve long since converted to the whicking, microweaves that populate the marketplace. F & G takes its pique and lisle styles into the tech world with a series of understated and classy stripes and solids.

If you’re of a similar ilk, check out the offerings from these companies. They’re not the only worthwhile brands, but they exceed my expectations.