Every year I take a trip to a northern Michigan golf resort with 19 of my buddies to play 108 holes in four days. After seven years, I have definitely figured out what I need to play well and survive the long days.
Below are the items I am bringing with me in a few weeks because they work so well for me and help me have the most enjoyable experience possible.
When you are playing a tight match, sometimes you need some music to calm you down or get pumped up. I have used a lot of wireless speakers over the years, but the Rokform G-Rok Pro has become my go-to favorite. The battery life is amazing; one year, I played 54 holes and still had 29 percent battery left. Rokform went all out with the magnet strength as well, boasting a 49-pound pull force. It doesn’t matter how bumpy the ride gets, the G-Rok Pro won’t budge. You can even use it to charge your phone on the course if it gets low.
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On these types of long trips, you need to be able to carry a lot of stuff out on the course. The team engineered the Ghost GT-14 to fit securely on the cart with its strap pass-through system, and all of the pockets are accessible even with a partner’s bag next to yours. There are plenty of pockets for you to stash away extra golf balls, gloves, a rain suit, and anything else you might want to bring along. A 14-way top, lined with soft fabric, keeps all of your clubs organized, and if you see an empty slot, it will remind you to run back and grab that wedge from the green. I have been using mine all summer, and the material still looks brand new.
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Glove users know you need to bring a glove, but these trips usually require a few extra to get through. I usually bring four to six depending on the forecast, as I will sweat through more than a couple each round. I love the FootJoy StaSof as it is a great blend of feel and durability. The leather is soft and thin but doesn’t wear out too fast like some other premium gloves. It took me a couple of sizes to try on, and once I got dialed into a Med/Large, the fit has been great. Each glove is consistent in size, and I never have one that fits way too big or too tight. This year, I am bringing six gloves to rotate during the weekend.
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Again, we all know we need to bring a towel, right? I like to bring more than one, and Ghost’s Magnetic Golf Towel 2-pack is perfect. It never seems to fail that Mother Nature will bless us with a quick rain shower for one nine. When that happens, you are looking for anything to dry off your clubs, hands, and golf cart. These magnetic towels feature a metal clip for attaching to your bag like a normal towel, but then they go further. Each towel has a magnet sewn into it so you can attach it to your clubs or cart.
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There is a case to be made for having a rangefinder and a GPS when you are playing a resort or course you aren’t familiar with. ShotScope combined them both and added way more into the ShotScope Pro LX+. You get a lightweight laser rangefinder with slope, dual-color LCD display, and a magnet on the side. There is also a spot where the included small GPS unit attaches to the rangefinder. This small GPS gives you front, middle, and back distances to the greens as well as yardages to bunkers and hazards. It is preloaded with 36,000 courses so there is a good chance the one you are about to play is on it. You also have the ability to use ShotScope’s shot tracking system with robust data and analytics that use a sensor on each club.
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When you are warming up on the range and then playing 100+ holes, your clubs are going to get dirty. I was always an “all brushes are the same” guy until I tried the Ghost Club & Shoe Brush! They really thought about the details and how golfers use brushes when they designed it. It has a reservoir you fill with water that lasts for 400 squirts, but it didn’t make the brush too large. You can keep it attached to your bag with the sturdy retractable cord or detach it and use the built-in magnet to stick it to the cart. The faces of my clubs have been squeaky clean since I added this to my arsenal, and I will even use the water feature on my golf balls if my towel has dried out on the second 18.
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This one is a little more personal, I guess! Along with carrying regular sunscreen for my face, arms, and legs, I carry a Banana Boat SPF50 Lip Balm in every golf bag I own. For this trip, I will bring a couple of them in case I leave one in a cart or lose it. Back in my early 20s, I went on a cruise, and my lips got burned so badly. I am not going to let that happen again, as it was really uncomfortable. So I bring a few and make sure to apply every 4-6 hours, depending on how much I am eating or drinking.
Light, breathable shirts are a must when you are spending all day on the course. I have been a huge fan of the Ghost Monday Qualifier collection (I am wearing one as I write this). The polos are performance-focused with materials that keep you dry and cool in the hottest weather. I also love the fit because they aren’t so slim-fitting that I need to move up a size, but they aren’t so baggy that it looks like I moved up a size! All of the designs are fresh and modern but not too wild where I feel out of place wearing them as a 45-year-old father.
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