Some great golf gifts for the holidays

I love Christmas. You get to be nice to everybody for no reason. You get to smile and spread good cheer and clap friends on the back - all without Paxil (except you, Steve...you still need it;)

You also get winter and bad weather, which is the perfect time to warm the heart of the golfer closest to you, especially if they are crazy enough to play in it. Here's some great gifts:

Always make sure the golfer in your life can play at all times of the year, in any inclement weather. Cold weather fleece hats, fleece mittens, sweaters and rain suits are great options:

When it comes to fleece, for the last decade there's Goody's of Vermont and there's everybody else. Old hippies never die, they just get real jobs. Dave Goodesman is no exception. He hand makes all his fleecde products...and ladies let me tell you something...he makes ANYTHING in fleece. Fleece sweaters (he calls "grunges"), fleece sox, fleece scarves, fleece hats, fleece pants, fleece bras (FLEECE BRAS!) if you can wear if, he can fleece it. And Goody's such a good guy, he may even custom make something for you or at least help you pick out from his most select patterns (I prefer darker colors with no white, but that's just me. ) For many years, Goody's have been the only choice for fleecewear of many of the northeast's best rock n' roll bands, with artists like moe., God Street Wine, Ominous Seapods and many others proudly pimping their fleece, but he's not just for grungepunks anymore as you can find Goody's on Wall Street, Pennsylvania Avenue, and San Franscisco as well as Seattle, Boulder and Albany. When it comes to fleece, if it's not a Goody, it's no good at all.

Goody's of Vermont (ask for Dave and tell them Jay sent you)
802.746.9990

When it comes to hats that you can "triple use" - ski/golf/work the best choice is Shred Alert. I've been wearing my Shred Alert ski patrol hat for 6 years (including the new one they made for me with the OLD logo on it two years ago) and it's kept my melon warm from Lake Placid to Lake Coeur D'Alene, from Bandon to Boston and from Sawgrass to Snowmass. Sadly, the newest batch of designs clearly cater to the grungepunk crowd, but if you go to the Cozy Classics page, you'll find the ski hats for those of us over 30. (Don't forget our demographic, guys!) They even outfit the U.S. Olympic Telemark team and are one of the only hats you can find at the Olympic Center and Whiteface Mountain. Hot! When you call, remind them to "throwback" your order and sew on the old logo of the running man with flailing dreadlocks. Best logo ever, period. Great name too. Tell them I sent you too...and that I recommended they "throwback" your order.

Sun Mountain has the lock on rain suits. I like my black full suit, even though the pants make me feel like a black version of the Stay Puff Marshmallow man. Always make sure that your choice in a rain suit is "water proof" not merely "water resistant. 48 of us found that distinction out the hard way at the 2004 Sylvania Golf Writer's Cup, held each year at beautiful and strategic Hiawatha Landing near Binghamton, NY. When we checked in for day two of the tournament (day one saw us play in 3 inches of rain), we were all pleasantly surprised to see each and everyone os us received a free navy blue, long sleeve, Hiawatha-logoed rain pullover waiting for us. You never saw anything like it...48 golf writers all dressed exactly the same headed out to brave another 3 inches of rain. "Waterproof" in that extreme case turned out to merely be water resistant and we all quit en masse after 9 holes. Well, that and the fairways had become rivers. I saw salmon swimming upstream in the 7th fairway and that was before the hot toddy;)

Finally, both Ogio Callaway make good stand bags. What Ogio makes up for in gadgets (great beverahge holder and better balance) they lack in the legs (Callaway has a better mechanical design, but both work admirably.

Merry Christmas everyone and see you from the road on December 30 for the beginning of another epic tour filled with interesting architects, terrific public and private courses and...

Could it be?

Celebrity special guests?! On the golf course? Right here at A Walk in the Park? Well...tis the season!