aboutGolf PGA Tour Simulator

Okay, now this is fun and I've always wanted one of these. It sort of falls under the category of big boys and their toys. And while this item tends to be on the periphery of the world of golf, we feel it is our duty to pass the information along. And I'm sure someone else wants one of these also.

So, let's examine (with a few pertinent observations) the newest aboutGolf PGA TOUR Compact SimSurround – the 15-foot version.

aboutGolf is the world leader in indoor golf simulator technology and has pioneered the three-screen simulator which allows the player a greater potential for a real world experience. Meaning that very little additional atmosphere is required to give you the total realization. For instance, if you choose to play St. Andrews, all you need is an oversized, high speed fan blowing right into your face (add an artificial downpour if you so desire). Or, if you play a course in the desert, add a couple of high intensity heat lamps for special effects.

The newest model is the 15-foot wide version that is tagged as ideal for residences and indoor golf centers. The total dimensions of this newest golf toy are 15 feet wide by 20 feet long by 10 feet, 6 inches high. Now I don't care if the local indoor golf center has one of these, but if I lived in northern Minnesota in the winter I would surely want one in my basement. I would emerge from the depths of frozen hell in the late springtime with my game ready for the dollar nassau.

It comes complete with PGA TOUR Software for range and course play, 29 standard courses, 3Trak ball-tracking technology and club data, as well as screen, enclosure, computer and turf. That's right, 29 courses at your finger tips and all real (or at least fictitiously conventional) – except one. Remember the Fantasy Holes by artist Loyal H. (Bud) Chapman? Well, with the aboutGolf simulator you can actually play this course. Imagine playing the 291-yard par-4 at St Ludiwg's Golf Club in the shadow of Neuschwanstein Castle? Now that would be fun.

Holy golf ball, Batman, there's a real and a fantasy golf resort right is your basement.

If there is one ultimate golf toy to possess, this is it!

Golf books make the perfect last minute Christmas gifts

In case you haven’t looked at the calendar, there are but four shopping days left until Christmas. And in case you have yet to select a gift for the golfer in your life, permit us to provide a few literary suggestions for your last minute shopping. We’ve placed these into categories if it happens that your golfer is selective in his or her golf reading.

HISTORY: The top selection in this category and for the season is easy - Sports Illustrated’s The Golf Book. You can read our review here, but suffice it to say that this book will please any golfer. It’s a perfect blend of everything golf – completely and totally loaded with stunning pictures and informative text by many of SI’s writers.

INSTRUCTION: The best is still Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book. Penick was a lifetime teacher of the game and his wisdom is priceless. If you want a glimpse of what he taught Crenshaw and Kite, get the Little Red Book. Teach Yourself Visually Golf is an excellent volume for learning the game. It was published in 2007 by Wiley Press. It is straightforward presentation on the game. It’s colorful with lots of how-to pictures. For a more in depth examination of the mental side go for Tom Dorsel’s Golf: The Mental Game. Dr. Dorsel presents a practical, yet non-clinical approach to our mental game on the course. His approach is heavily tilted to the practical side with barely a hint of psychobabble.

RULES: My favorite books dealing with the Rules of Golf are not volumes that attempt to explain the rules but rather present intriguing theory and/or history on the rules. The Principles Behind the Rules of Golf by Richard S. Tufts presents the two guiding principles of the rules and demonstrates how all other rules emanate from them. This one may be a little hard to find, but it will satisfy the golfer’s curiosity about the rules. The Rules of the Green by Kenneth G. Chapman is a scholarly work on the history of the rules that will not induce the slightest bit of insomnia. Chapman takes us on a historical journey from a time before the first written code in 1744 up to the present day carefully providing the logic behind the evolution of the rules. Can I Get a Ruling? by Dave Marrandette – Although this is self-serving, I would be remiss if I did not recommend by own volume on the rules. This book is historical in the sense that it presents a time capsule of actual rule incidents presented in categorical fashion.

GOLF COURSES: For a whimsical journey to fantasy courses we suggest David Barrett’s new volume Golf’s Dream 18s. Golf's Dream 18s is a collection of fantasy courses, 18 to be exact, that teases the golfer's mind and pleases his visual senses. You might also try Secrets of the Great Golf Course Architects. This compilation was put together by radio host and author Michael Patrick Shiels. The “Secrets” are short, pithy tales from the lives of 118 golf course architects.

ANTHOLOGY: Every sports fan has heard of Dan Jenkins. This year Jenkins published a fun volume appropriately titled Jenkins at the Majors: Sixty years of the World's best golf writing, from Hogan to Tiger. It is collection and re-editing of his essays and press room work from 1951 to 2008. The bottom line on this book is quite simple: If you are a golf fan and have even the slightest interest in the history of the game, you need to read Jenkins at the Majors. It is a massive history lesson presented with the Jenkins' flavor.

HUMOR: While literary humor in the world of golf is in short supply former radio golf talk show host Bob Cayne published a work this year entitled Nothing Major. It’s a collection of amusing golf stories and essays that will have you laughing out loud. We have not review this yet (it’s coming soon), but trust us on this one. You can get it at http://www.nothingmajor.net/.

Happy last minute golf shopping.

Father's Day golf gifts

Father's Day is just around the dogleg and poor old Dad is waiting with heightened anticipation for this year's latest and greatest golf gift. If he's the only golfer in the family, each (and every) Father's Day he's subjected to the reception of a myriad of unusual golf gifts from members of his loving family. Of course, their intention is good. They want their golfer to have the latest in low-tech gadgets designed not necessarily to improve his game but to enhance his experience on the golf course. You know the sort we're talking about here: the golf towel with a trite golf adage upon it or the pocket electronic gadget to help him keep track of fairways hit, putts and GIR. These and their golf gift cousins are all admirable, but inevitably repetitive.

So let's suggest a few ideas that might actually help Dad's game, a gift or two that will raise his confidence level just a touch when he next tees it up.

The number one gift on our list that will help Dad with his game is a swing weight. That's right, a simple device that adds weight to the club. The best deal on the market right now is the I Gotcha Ready. It's a combination of swing weight, tempo trainer and release helper. The I Gotcha Ready simply snaps onto you shaft in one of three different positions to give you the desired swing training. It's simple to use and really does work most effectively. It'll probably cost you about $25. If that's not in the budget then go for the time-tested weighted donut for about $4. It'll do the trick to help Dad loosen up before his round.

Number two: a good book. You can go in two different directions when selecting a book: either go for an instructional book or choose a volume that is educational and entertaining. With an instructional book keep it simple. Choose nothing with a lot of technical or mechanical jargon. A couple of favorites are the now classic Little Red Book by Harvey Penick with Bud Shrake. Teach Yourself Visually Golf by Anderson, Crowell and Mackin is also an excellent choice. It covers all aspects of the game and is well illustrated.

Number three: Regrip his clubs. Now realize here that you don't have to kidnap his clubs from the trunk of the car and bring them to the golf course where they originally began their journey. Simply make arrangements with his favorite golf shop or golf retail store for a gift certificate. Or if he likes to tinker with his golf clubs, purchase a gift certificate from an online retailer such as The GolfWorks.