By Hershel Sarbin and Jim Brown
Golf After 50 Editors
It's time to start dropping hints about what kind of golf gift you want for Christmas. We have two out-of-the-box ideas that are appealing to the after 50 group. Remember: We don't endorse or promote anything and the information comes from the manufacturers. The rest is up to you.
Let's start with some comments from Dr. Michael Cormier. He is a golfer, tennis player, and dermatologist in southwest Louisiana, which qualifies him to speak on the risks of exposure to the sun in one of the hottest climates in the United States. "I see hundreds of older recreational athletes every month who have pre-cancerous or malignant lesions that have to be removed. And they are not all above the neck. Many develop on the upper back. Most golf shirts -- especially light-colored ones -- don't block the UV rays at all. Anything that does is a good idea."
PING Shirts with UV Protection
The makers of the PINGä Collection (www.pingcollection.com) have become very aggressive in marketing golf shirts that offer protection from ultraviolet rays. Ping is not the only company that sells UV resistant products, but eighty percent of their shirts for women and sixty percent of those made for men are treated with UV cutting agents. These agents make the shirts carry at least the equivalent of a 20+ SPF (Sun Protection Factor), and according to a PING spokesperson, "You can't wash it out."
The anti-UV shirts also have an interlining that incorporates NASA technology to keep body temperature steady regardless of climate conditions, as well as a fabric that absorbs, wicks, and dries. The ComforTemp feature has been used in the outdoors market for some time and the PING Collection people think there is a need for it in the golf industry. For about $68, you get a temperature-controlled shirt that is a little pricey, but one that offers a fashionable alternative with a health benefit.
Twilight Tracerä Golf Balls
Have you ever ended up on the 17th or 18th hole without enough light to finish the round? Well, the winner of the PGA Merchandise Show "Best New Product of 2002" is a golf ball called the "Twilight Tracer," and it addresses that problem.
"This is not a toy," says John Gill, president and owner of Twilight Tracer (http://twilighttracer.com). "It is a golf ball (80 compression) that meets USGA standards on size, weight, and distance, although it does not carry that organization's sanction. It violates rule 14.3.a that prohibits a player from using artificial devices and unusual equipment that "might assist him in making a stroke or in his play."
On contact with the club, the Twilight Tracer lights up in a bright red color that flashes several times a second. How does it do that? With an embedded LED battery that has a 40-hour life. After you hit the ball, the lighted effect lasts five minutes or ten minutes, depending on which type you purchase. The light inside can be reactivated 450 times -- enough to get Hershel and Jim through a couple of rounds. The Twilight Tracer costs either $9.95 or $12.95 (five-minute or 10-minute light-up) for one ball and it comes in its own pouch with two tees.
That's a start. Let us know if you like (or don't like) these two ideas. In the next column, we'll tell you about a book and a back-saver. Contact Jim at hmspublishing@mindspring.com or Hershel at HershelS@aol.com.
©2003 Hershel Sarbin Associates
