Just when you think you’ve seen it all ...

Hobbyist woodcarvers have discovered that the materials in the core of various brands of golf balls make excellent carving materials. They strip the covers off of half the ball, and the work the rubber cores with woodcarving tools. As you can see in the photo, some of them can be quite cute.

There are more photos of carved golf balls here.

If you want to get started, you could begin with some golf ball carving patterns as found here. Woodcarvers.Org has some basic instructions on getting started with golf ball carving.

The Viking Woodcarvers Group’s Newsletter has some instructions on golf ball carving.

Instructions for converting a PVC pipe cutter to a golf ball cover remover.

Amazon has a book on the subject: The Carving Range - A Guide To Carving Golf Balls Or, if you don’t already have the tools, you can get this
golf Ball Carving Kit, (shown at right) which contains everything you’ll need.

For the entrepreneurs among you, I think that there’s a market out there for pre-cut balls. Amazon is selling a BOX OF 3 CUT GOLF BALLS for $10. I’ll also bet that the finished ones would sell to pro shops like hot cakes.

If you just want to buy some carved golf balls, you can find them on EBay:

Time is fast running out to order golf gifts for this Christmas. Fortunately, Amazon has FREE Two Day Shipping in effect right now. They’ve also got a nice selection of golf stuff: Amazon Golf Page

For suggestions, take a look at our book review section.

As I was looking for this week’s Ridiculous Golf Item of the Week, I began to wonder what are the BEST golf Christmas (or other holiday) gifts you’ve ever received.

I think the best one I ever received was unexpected: a set of R7 XD irons that TaylorMade sent just in time for the holidays. It was the first review set I’d received from a big name manufacturer, and I was truly floored. It wasn’t really a Christmas gift, but it sure felt like one. Other sets have come and gone, but I continue to play those R7s.

From my family and friends, the best gift I ever received was a gift card for a round at one of Michigan’s premiere courses, Bay Harbor.

What’s yours?

Pride Golf Tee Co. Personalized 2 1/8 in. Tees in a Tin

Pride Golf Tee Co. Personalized 3 1/4 Inch Tees (Qty 1000)

I actually think that—in spite of the plethora of “golf gifts” out there, golfers are hard to shop for. Many (most) of the tchotchkes sold as “golf gifts” will end up on the shelf or in the trash: electronic score keepers, ball stampers, golf toilet paper, desktop putting sets, golf ball candles, potty putters, “premium” iron headcovers, putt retrievers, golf tee utility belts and the like. (For a full list of these, see my Ridiculous Golf Items of the Week section)

The more practical items, on the other hand, are no easier. Balls are always welcome—if you know your golfer’s favorite makes and models. But get the wrong one, and you’ve wasted your money. Purchasing clubs is out. Period. Your golfer may be very specific about the desired club, I think it’s still necessary to go to the shop for a test. Strangely, even clubs of the same model are not identical in practice. Ditto shoes, bags and gloves.

Wood tees, I think, are another matter. Everyone needs tees. Just look in your golfer’s bag to find the size. After that, they’re pretty much all the same. Get ‘em personalized and that makes a great gift. I got some GolfBlogger.Com tees a couple of years ago, and I an still using them—and handing them out as “business cards.”

Golf Galaxy Gift Card

It’s time to start thinking about Christmas gifts for your favorite golfer. My advice this year is the same as last: forget about buying clubs. Golf clubs are so much a matter of personal taste that even different clubs of the same model feel different. The ideal situation is for your golfer to get a fitting; barring that, a long demo session is warranted. In either case, a gift card is the best way to get a new club for the golfer in your life.

Tee It Up!: Valentine’s Day Golf Gift Basket

Valentine Candy Heart Golf Balls - Top Flite XL Distance