68” Golf Umbrella Navy with “President’s Cup” Logo

In case you’re really, REALLY psyched about the President’s Cup.

Gorilla Gold Golf Grip Enhancer

Grade: A+
Teacher’s Comments: It’s found a permanent place in my bag.

The first time I used the Gorilla Gold Grip Enhancer, I shot my lowest score of the summer on a very difficult course. As is the nature of golf, I haven’t exactly duplicated that performance, but I do feel as though the Gorilla Gold has had a positive effect on my game.

Gorilla Gold is a cheese-cloth like material impregnated with beeswax. Rubbing the cloth on your grips (hands, gloves) transfers the material, increasing the tackiness significantly. It’s just this side of sticky, enhancing the grip without feeling gross.

The Gorilla Gold’s obvious use is to keep the club from slipping when your hands are wet from sweat or precipitation. I found, however, that it has benefits even on a cool, dry day. Playing bare handed with a Gorilla Gold coating on my grips (that transfers quickly to the hands), I feel as though I can grasp the club much more lightly than usual, with no feeling of a loss of control. A lighter grip means less tension, and less tension results in longer, straighter shots.

The product literature says that the tacky effect last for several hours, but I found it works best for me if I run the cloth through my hands every other hole or so.

An interesting side effect: the beeswax kept my hands from drying out. my hands have skin issues and keep a tube of lotion near me at all times—including in my bag for application a couple of times a round. This stuff is nearly as effective, without the negative slipperiness.

One thing I feared that hasn’t materialized: sand sticking to my hands. I play out of my share of bunkers, and thought the Gorilla Gold would give me a sandpaper coating. It just hasn’t happened. The key may be that it’s tacky, but not sticky. Of course, I haven’t dipped my tacked-up hands in the trap as an experiment, either.

I’ve had the Gorilla Gold for a month now, and keeping it in a ziplock has kept it from drying out. I think, however, that the average golfer probably would go through a couple of these a season. At around $5 a package, though, that’s not much of an expense for the benefits you could reap.

Recommended. Highly.

VISTA DESIGN STUDIOS NFL Magnetic Headcover

More to kick off the 2011 NFL season.

TEAM EFFORT NFL Hat Clip and Ball Marker

The NFL kicks off this week, as does my obsession with my fantasy football team. I grew up in the Baltimore-Washington area, so my favorite team always has been the Redskins. And that’s good, considering I now live in the Detroit area. I don’t know how Lions fans can live with it.

VISTA DESIGN STUDIOS NFL Jersey Headcover

A very unusual NFL headcover design ...

TEAM EFFORT NFL Jacquard Towel

I was given one of these a couple of years ago for Christmas. Redskins, of course.

Citizen Men’s BM7120-01E Titanium Golf Eco Drive Watch

I’m not at all sure why this thing is billed as a Golf Watch. I’m in the market for a nice Citizen watch, but while I like the look of this, it turns out that the diameter is a bit larger than I would like—42mm. I like one more in the 36mm face diameter range.