This article covers 7 must-have items to improve your golf game. Add them to your bag and boost your performance on the course.
When you go to the golf course and look around you might see other people’s golf bags and see items hanging from their clubs or little compartments hanging from hook. Have you ever wondered: What do I need to bring with me to the golf course? What are other people carrying on their bag? Are these things necessary? If you want to know what Golfer’s are carrying inside their bag, click here.
On the outside of someone’s golf bag you might see some of or all of the following items. A towel, headcovers (usually covering the driver, woods, hybrids and putter. See golf club anatomy) a groove cleaner or brush, one or two alignment sticks, a rangefinder or GPS device for the golf course. An umbrella and sometimes a rain cover for your golf clubs when you are playing golf in the wet. Yes, people are crazy enough to play in the rain. That is personally my favorite time to golf. Although, it is foolish to golf when there is lightning. You are swinging around a metal rod afterall, haha!
In this article I will talk about each item and what the purpose of it is for. Reading this will help to answer your questions about golf accessories and give you a better idea of what items are needed. This will help you to be more prepared when you go to the golf course.
Alignment sticks
Rangefinder
Headcovers
Groove cleaner/brush
Golf towel
Umbrella
Club rain cover
What are Alignment Sticks?
We’re going to start with the alignment sticks. An alignment stick (or rod) is a thin stick about four feet long. They are about a half inch thick and usually made of Fiberglass, carbon fiber or wood. Some of them come to a point, others are blunt on the end. You can buy them in almost every color. Blue, black, red, orange, yellow, wood. No matter the color or the material they are made from they all serve the same purpose.
Alignment Rods are used to help a golfer who is practicing align their feet with the same direction the ball or club face is aimed. They can be used at the range, wedge areas or on the putting green. I personally love David Leadbetter’s alignment rods. To find the alignment rods I currently use, click here.
What is a Rangefinder/GPS Device?
A rangefinder (or GPS Device) is used by a golfer to calculate the distance from an area. That could be measuring your distance to the pin, a bunker, or a pond. A rangefinder or GPS device can be just about anything, from an app on your phone to a handheld GPS device, it could be a watch, or a laser rangefinder. Whether you are new to the game or you are a professional golfer, you will benefit from using a rangefinder. The rangefinder I use and other’s can be found here.
What is a Headcover?
Generally you will see a headcover on three or four clubs in someone’s bag. The driver, the wood, the hybrid and the putter will all have headcovers. Headcovers are used to protect the golf club from getting scratched or scratching other clubs. You will occasionally see headcovers for irons and wedges but not very often. For whatever reason they are slightly made fun of in the golfing world but it really is based on personal preference. There are also other people who will use them while storing the clubs but when they go out to play will remove them and not put them back on after each shot.
What is a Groove cleaner/Brush?
It is a tool you will find hanging on the outside of a golf bag. These brushes can be made of plastic, metal, or rubber. It is normally about six inches long and has bristles on the end, similar to a small scrub brush. These tools can be used to scrape out the grooves that are found on your golf club heads. One side of the bristles can be plastic, and the other side can be metal. It is best to use the plastic side. The metal side can be really useful for scraping out some of that hard dirt.
What is a Golf towel?
A golf towel really is a basic towel, there isn’t anything special or different about the towel that you use to dry your hands or wash your dishes. Most golfers try to find a microfiber towel or something with similar material, that way it won’t scratch your clubs, it lasts the longest and cleans them in the best possible way. There are many different kinds that you can get and use; heck you could even use a kitchen towel. My golf coach loves towels that are magnetic so he can attach them to his club. It is all personal preference, check out the different kinds of golf towels here.
What is a Golf umbrella?
A golf umbrella is the same as a typical umbrella. If you can, you want to find one that is as big as possible. That way you can stand under it while it is pouring rain and you could use it to shield a friend who is golfing with you. Professional golfers who play with caddies have their caddie hold it while they play and then the player will hold it while they are walking in between shots. It is nice to buy a larger sized umbrella so it can keep you dry. Find some great options here.
What is a Golf club head rain cover?
A club head rain cover (or a clubhead cover) is referring to an accessory that is used to cover all of your clubs at once so that they don’t get wet while you are playing in the rain. It will attach directly to your golf bag. It usually has a zipper down the middle, so you can unzip it. Then, when you are finished using your golf club, you can put it back and zip it up. Usually, your golf bag will come with one that is made specifically for the bag, but they easily get misplaced. For other options about selecting a golf club rain cover that will fit, click here.
