Three Guys Golf Top Products of 2012

In 2012 we reviewed over 100 items so narrowing it down to just 12 was painful at best. The task was extra hard because frankly, we only review products we like. Therefore, the below items are truly the best of the best. Our requirements were simple: these would be the very last items we would give up. While price was not an overriding issue we did consider it in terms of value. The list is in alphabetical order:

59 Belts:

I am a huge belt buckle fan and I like all the buckles I have but this was an easy choice for me. Even though it is  fairly big (okay honking big), I wear it all of the time. 59 Belts really made a mark in 2012 as players like Beau Hossler were spotted wearing them on Sundays. Besides the buckle, the strap itself is awesome as it just feels more substantial than others. Full Review Here.

Asher Glove:

This was a really tough choice between a few gloves we reviewed but ultimately it came down to value. The fact that Asher sells for way less than most premium gloves ended tipping the scale in their favor. Despite the very reasonable price, we found the Asher glove to hold up extremely well, even in summer heat. Specifically, the cool tech versions were our favorite. The other factor of course was the outlandish style. Full Review Here.

ClicGear 3.0:

Any golfer who can no longer carry his bag, but still prefers not to ride, understands the value of a good push cart. Since Wade and I walk about 80% of our rounds we know a good cart when we see/push one. The ClicGear 3.0 is a simply a work horse that has been engineered to take up a tiny footprint in your car. By the time this cart dies it will have paid for itself 100 fold. Full Review Here.

Kentwool Socks:

Ask anyone who has Kentwool socks in their drawer and they will tell you that they are the only sock that gets pulled out of the dirty hamper to be worn a second time. Seriously, I hate when all of my Kentwool socks are dirty and I don’t care if they match or not, it is Kentwool or bust. True story, my mother-in-law actually touched my feet to see if the 19th Hole Edition socks were as soft as they looked . . . seriously! Whether you choose the tour profile socks, dress socks, or funky 19th Hole Edition, Kentwool socks rule. Honestly at $20 a pair they are a steal! Full Review Here.

LoudMouth Golf:

Yea, I know it is not for everyone, but I have fallen in love with LoudMouth this year. For me, I just have more fun when I am wearing LoudMouth. Sure you get comments like “nice clown pants”, but you will never be short on conversation. Moreover, both of our women bloggers love the ladies side of the catalog and have even purchased additional patterns. My advice: Man up and get some LoudMouth! Full Review Here.

Mizuno Impermalite Rain Gear:

Fortunately, we do not play in the rain too often, but the addition of the Mizuno Impermalite rain gear has made foul weather golf bearable. Water-proof is an understatement with Mizuno. Every detail is top notch and it is built to last. Any serious golfer needs rain gear and the Mizuno will never leave you wanting – or wet. Full Review Here.

Nike Performance Carry Bag:

Think of everything you would ever want in a golf bag (minus the beer tap from Al Czervik’s stick hauler), put a swoosh on it and you’ll have yourself the Performance Carry from Nike. A 14 slot top, carry straps that are removable, and kick stands that tuck away while on a cart. Nike looked at every possible feature they could put into a bag and striped one right down the middle of the fairway with the Performance Carry. Full Review Here.

QED Style

When we were faced with choosing an apparel company from the 20 or so we have reviewed, it was nearly impossible since every one of them makes cool stuff that we dig. We chose QED for some of the same reasons we like LoudMouth. QED is also pushing the design envelope with styles built not only for the course but also for the evening. This hip new brand is also very affordable and has just released a full line including trousers, shorts, sweaters and dress shirts. Full Review Here.

Rukk Net

Every now and you run across a product that you wonder how you ever got along without it. The Rukk Net by Rukket can easily be described as so. Solid construction, the easiest set up and take down you’ll ever experience and with a handy ball return feature – you just can’t go wrong. In season or off-season the Rukk Net is an amazing at home training product that you’ll quickly ask yourself “How did I get by so long without one?”, and think about all of the time and money you will save at the range. Full Review Here.

The Swing Shirt

I am usually gun shy about recommending a training aid, but given the fact that Wade (who is by far the best player of the bloggers) is such a fan pushed us to add it to the list. The Swing Shirt is easy to use, inexpensive, and most importantly effective (and fairly easy to disguise when you wear it on the range). The basic idea is that it helps you stay connected during a full swing. We have also found that  it is great for grooving your chipping motion. Again, Wade chips very very well so I figure if he digs it, who am I to argue.  Full Review Here.

Scor Wedges:

The primary reason why we chose the Scor Wedges is because they are appropriate for a wide skill level. Personally I carry 5 of these and have really improved my short game with their addition. The other big selling point is that they can be ordered in 20 different lofts from 41 degrees to 61. Finally, the V-Sole make them playable in a variety of conditions whether tight lies or fluffy rough. Full Review Here.

Seemore Putters

2012 was a great year for Three Guys Golf. We want to thank all of the companies that allowed us to review their products and all of the readers who spent part of their day reading our blog. Please help us spread the word – Share this post!

59 Belts (a very cool golf belt buckle): Every sport has its magic number. In baseball it’s 73 homeruns*, basketball 100 points and in golf it is 59. Typically 13 under par, 59 has only been carded five times in a PGA event. Stuart Appleby at the 2010 Greenbrier Classic, Paul Goydos at the 2010 John Deere Classic, Al Geiberger at the 1977 Memphis Classic, Chip Beck at the 1991 Las Vegas Invitational and David Duval at the 1999 Bob Hope Classic.

The number 59 is also the inspiration for 59 Belt founder Trevor Derrheim. Despite only being around for six years, 59 Belts are worn by number of PGA players including Keegan Bradley, Ricky Barnes, Jason Gore and of course Mr 59, Stuart Appleby. On the lady side, Yani Tseng wears 59 Belts on a regular basis. New to the 59 team is US Open surprise Beau Hossler who wore a 59 Belt during his memorable 2012 run and Troy Kelly who wore his 59 Belt during the 2012 Greenbrier Classic.

The 59 buckles come in a number of versions but all are hand milled from either solid stainless steel or more recently aluminum. The aluminum buckles are powder coated in a durable finish to protect the surface of the buckle and come in a number of styles. While the aluminum is their least expensive buckle, they still carry the unique look and feel. At just $79 for both buckle and strap the Players Series is an absolute steal.

As cool as the Player’s Series is, it is the stainless steel version where the 59 brand really shines (literally). One look at this baby and you know it is all quality. To start, these belt buckles are all hand milled and polished making no two exactly the same. Not only that, but because of the finish, the buckle has a different look depending on the angle of the light. You will notice from the below pictures how it picks up blue and purple colors when held at certain angles to the sun.

For me, golf belt buckles are a great way to show off a bit of personality. Clearly, I am not alone as most clothing companies have added one to their product lines. Unlike most companies, 59 Belts only makes buckles and straps, keeping with the old adage “do one thing and do it well”. I had the opportunity to meet Trevor at the PGA Show in January 2012 . . . easy going, but incredibly proud of his work, the company is clearly in good hands. While the core product remains the same, Trevor continues to tinker with styles and finishes. In fact the finish on the above buckle is just now hitting the market and it was only because he was wearing a prototype that I found out about it.

Just like each buckle is one of a kind, the sizing for 59 straps is personalized to fit your waist perfectly (with some wiggle room for the winter months). Additionally the locking system allows you to change straps, giving you the option to utilize the same buckle with multiple colored straps.

Even thought the buckles are clearly golf inspired, they can be worn anywhere without looking out of place. Unlike most golf buckles that look stupid when worn with jeans or off the course, I will wear my 59 buckle for nearly every occasion.

Aside from the 59 branded buckles, Trevor will custom make buckles with any logo or writing of your choice. You can see all of the styles of buckles on the super cool 59 Belts website and more images of these on our Facebook Gallery.

2012 PGA Show:  Having just returned from my first visit to the 2012 PGA Show I am feeling a bit punch drunk. Much like a kid in a candy store, the PGA Show had so many sweets it was easy to go overboard and end up with a sugar high. So without further adieu, lets get to some of the highlights.

PGA Show Driving Range

Equipment:  Yes, all of the big boys had a huge presence at the show but for me it was a great time to learn more about some of the boutique companies. In the putter and wedge niche, I was able check out Edel, Piretti and T.P. Mills putters which are simply stunning (I only wish I had taken pictures). Newer on the scene but also impressive is a line of putters from former player Chris Carnahan who makes both wedges and putters for Carnahan Golf.  Finally, in the putter and wedge area, we visited with Rife putters and Renegar Golf, both of which I really like and look forward to taking out on the course.

While I did not make the demo day, I did get to spend some time with Stephen Boccieri of Boccieri Golf who explained his weighted club design. In short, his clubs, or separately sold grips, are weighted at the butt end to promote greater lag and hence better club speed.

Golf Shoes:  Since Ecco came out with their Fred Couples street shoes, everyone seems to be jumping on the band-wagon. While Ecco is not about to go away, new mid-sized companies will give them a challenge. For example Kikkor added about 4 more lines to their portfolio including, wait for it, a high top. TRUE Linkswear is simply exploding with new styles and even Crocs is jumping into the market. However, the most minimalist shoe I found was Barefoot BERBS which are as close to no shoes as you can get. While each brand has a unique style, consistent among them is a lower profile, closer to the ground feel. Stay tuned as we will be putting these shoes to our 18 hole test in the coming months.

Even Crocs is getting into the golf shoe game

Golf  Apparel: Although am no fashion expert, it seems like the Europeans are having an impact on the fashion industry. Bright colors were everywhere – this was no more evident than at the LoudMouth booth where everyone was decked out in the zany attire.

LoudMouth Golf PGA Booth

While not quite as colorful as LoudMouth, Ian Poulter’s collection is just as unique as you would expect from the man who seems to always be ahead of the fashion curve. As an added bonus Ian made an appearance at the booth and I can honestly say he is a super nice guy.

Ian stops by to sign a few autographs

Speaking of super nice, let me just say that just about everyone at the show was awesome, but a quick shout out to some of the folks were were particularly welcoming to Three Guys Golf Blog:

Kikkor:  Hosted an awesome night golf event.

Sligo:  Great clothing selection plus they had Brian Gay stop in for a while.

Abacus:  A Scandinavian company who will be outfitting the Euros this year.

Cross Golf USA:  Great outerwear and clothing.

Tattoo Golf:  We have already done a product review for Tattoo so it was cool to meet Bill and Greg in person.

Arnie Wear:  Can’t wait for this new line of clothes that was literally designed using real items from Arnold Palmer’s closet.

Other Stuff I liked: There was so much great stuff and hopefully we will get a chance to review much of it in greater detail, but for now this is a quick list of items that caught my attention.

Asher Golf:  Makers of creative golf gloves and part owned by the #2 long distance driver in the world Ben Tua’one.  I was lucky enough to play 9 holes of night golf with Ben and suffice it to say we used all of his drives in the captains choice except when he hit it too far and it went into a lake we did not see 325 yards out.

Jan Craig:  Wonderfully hand made head-covers.

59 Belts:  In the top 3 coolest belts I have ever seen.

Pro Mental Coach:  Computer brain training for us mental disasters. Look for a review in a couple of months when I finish my training.

Jones Bag:  Throw back to the simple days of golf when bags did not have 36 zippered pouches.

Kentwool Socks:  Saved my feet on Saturday.

Optishot:  Affordable indoor golf simulator.

Flavor Flav:  Yes, Flavor Flav was in the house with the Back 9 channel. No idea why but Matt is such a huge fan that I got him a signed hat.

Flavor Flav shouts out to Matt!