Under Armour Shorts and Slacks -- I've been using the shorts all year long. They stretch in all directions, including the waistband, don't stain too badly. The long pants are very comfortable too. My only issue with these is the cost. The shorts go for about $60 a pair and the pants are $65 or so. Occasionally they are on sale via Golf Galaxy, not Under Armour!
Izod Golf Shorts -- These are the poor cousin to the UA Shorts. But they cost about 1/3 of the UA's. That's a bit of a stretch as I opened a Belk card to get an extra 20% off. They don't fit me as well as the UA, but they are serviceable. When I found them, I bought a lot, so I have a many years supply.
Ping S56 Irons with new 9 iron -- I've not updated my irons. I don't expect there is much to be gained in new gear. I did replace the 9 iron as I had pounded the grooves flat on that club. I use it to warm up at the range and it gets a lot of action. I've retired the longer irons to add in hybrids. But as I swing better, I may rethink this.
Club distance markers -- this were plastic clip on the club with distances printed on them. I like(d) them a lot. However they don't always stay on and on some the numbers have warn completely away. But they did their job and I don't really need them anymore! $10.
Tectectec range finder -- I'm pretty happy with this. On my course, where there is no slope issue, they work about as well as my old Bushnell. The slope is interesting when it matters, but the yardages turn out to be pretty small. Might be better if they incorporated altimeter correction. $200.
New Balance 1701 golf shoes -- I've played three rounds and am quite happy with them. My toes are not banging on the top of the toe box. The ball on my right foot, while still sore, is doing ok with the padding in the shoe. They are built on a cross trainer type shoe which provides a lot of structure and support. $70.
Sun Mountain 3.5 III bag -- My earlier bag was dying and I went back to Sun Mountain (SM) because I couldn't find a new one of the type I had. It was a Mizuno limited edition Japan only bag. The SM bag added a little weight, but has the perfect number of pockets and a water bottle holder. The strapping system works well and SM tells me that if I need to replace parts, they are available and the bag is designed to replace the wearing parts. I thought the water bottle pocket could use a port to allow rain or condensation to go through. I sent that suggestion to SM. They sent me a thank you email. If you look for one of these, look around, as closeouts can be found. About $150 full pop, I think I got it for about $80.
Greg Norman wicking Golf shirts -- I wear a lot of the wicking shirts these days. More than the cotton shirts I wore for the preceding 40 decades. They are great in a breeze, but quite warm under a jacket. However, every time I put on cotton, I'm reminded how nice the shirts are. I got most of them from Belk's, where the prices are pretty good.
Tilley Hat -- While not a purchase this year, there is a not a round where I'm not wearing my Tilley! The nice design features are a semi-stiff brim that can stand up to most winds without bending up and it's made of sail cloth and can shed a fair amount of water before it begins to get soaked. The sweat band works pretty well, but it could use a port to the outer air to aid in cooling. I sent that suggestion into Tilley, they said thanks. They are washable, which is a good thing as the sweat will start to stink after a while. Retains its shape post washing too. I'm starting to see some of the inside material wear out, so I may be replacing it at some point. There are a lot of models of the hat out there, if one is in the market, so look around. I've not found anyone who discounts them. If you find such a place, please drop a comment with the location.
Water Bottle -- I bought an $8 dollar vacuum bottle from Walmart. Shaped like a soda bottle, it holds probably 16 ounces. The top comes off with a nice coarse thread that doesn't require a lot of effort to unscrew, good size mouth for easy gulping, o-ring seal for no leaks and it does a great job of keeping the water cold. It's fully stainless steel construction and doesn't seem to support mildew much. I use this 5 times a round and would not want to be without it.
That's about all that comes to mind. I suppose I could talk about balls and tees, but that's not very universal.
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