Merry Mecca Christmas
Happy Holidays Gift Ideas
By Greg Johnson
The Gaylord Golf Mecca may be closed down for the winter, but we have a foursome of gift ideas at a range of price points (just like golf in the Mecca) to help you make for the merriest holiday celebrations.
While the establishment of Mecca golf packages for 2024 are underway and will be announced at a later date with fabulous savings and specials, it is possible through our 16 member courses and 20 lodging partners to book ahead. See the list of member websites at the bottom.
First though, our fabulous foursome of ideas.
1. The eye doctor likes me to wear sunglasses outside, especially when I play golf. Almost all major sunglass manufacturers have lines aimed at golfers. I like the Tifosi line. They are comfortable with rubber ear and nose pieces. They don’t slip and I forget I have them on. The lens adjusts to light changes. I can see the greens and glare is reduced. It includes a hard-shell zippered case and a microfiber cleaning bag. They can be found for under $50 and I saw some at $35 online recently. Check tifosioptics.com. to learn more.
2. This one is especially good for the tech lover/golfer. The Garmin Approach S12 GPS golf watch. It has a nice screen, Bluetooth technology, 30 hours of battery life, and provides yardage to the front, back and middle of the green as well as hazards and dogleg turns on the course. You can also keep score and update your statistics when paired with a smartphone. More than 42,000 courses from around the world, including the Mecca, are preloaded on it, too. I saw options at $149 online. See garmin.com.
3. This might be my favorite. The Clubglove travel carrier for your clubs makes trips to great places like the Mecca as easy as a tap-in putt. The company claims it is the favorite of professional touring players, and that’s easy to grasp once you have one. It is padded, keeps your clubs safe, is quite easy to transport with wheels and handles, not too heavy and all those good things. It fits great in the back of my car, by the way. Depending on the model/size you choose, figure on the $320 to $450 range. They also have other travel products. Check them out at clubglove.com
4. Gaylord Golf Mecca gift cards! Most of the Mecca member courses have SHOP buttons or email clubs you can join through their websites, and gift cards for golf, merchandise, lodging and more are available. These are perfect gifts for those who annually make a pilgrimage to the Mecca for golf, or for those who just need another nudge to go ahead and book a trip. Our lodging partners have cards, too. For instance, Marriott, Hilton and Holiday Inn have partner properties in Gaylord. Look through Northern Michigan Golfer Magazine for our partners, restaurants and more. Contact numbers and email addresses are available there, too.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and here are the websites for our golf course members: blacklakegolf.com, gaylordgolfclub.com, golfgarland.com, indianrivergolfclub.com, michaywepines.com, otsegoresort.com, treetops.com, lakesofthenorth.com/golf.
