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:

Recently, I attended a charity auction at my youngest’s elementary school. It was an entertaining affair, with a jazz band and lots of food from nearby establishments. Local businesses had donated everything from a $1500 laser wrinkle treatment to a movie gift certificates to tee shirts. And parents with an artistic bent (no shortage of artists in Ann Arbor) had donated jewelry, paintings and crafts. There were even a few rounds of golf to be had.

I would expect to see that sort of thing at a school auction, of course. But what I would not have anticipated was the large number of “gift baskets” that people had assembled. More surprising was the wild bidding that ensued over these baskets. I am sure that each went for at least twice the retail value of the items included. 

When I commented on that, Mrs. GolfBlogger told me that I was being ridiculous. The baskets, she informed me, were cute, and a perfect gift. I am certain that I “harrumphed.”

So imagine my surprise when I was browsing through the GolfSmith website and discovered dozens of golf-related gift baskets. I am apparently more “out of it” than I knew.

How about the Shoe-Shine Gift Basket, or the Desk Duffer Gift Basket or the The Pampered Golfer Gift Basket?

I am reliably informed by Mrs. Golfblogger—who has far better taste than I—that people would like to receive these.

Harrumph.

I’ve bought several pieces of framed art from Art.Com over the last couple of years, including the one you see at left, which now hands over my work desk.

Art is, I think, a pretty good gift for a golfer (or for anyone). It’s certainly better than a box of novelty golf balls, an ugly golf shirt, or a club you don’t need.

Since I’ve bought from them in the past, Art.Com has been sending me notices of “secret” sales and they’ve got a pretty good one going now. You’ll apparently get 25% off your order if you use the code: Holly25 . I have no idea how long that code will work.

Buy Golf posters and prints at Art.com

Tank Art of Daytona, a company which does custom motorcycle art, now has branched out into golf.

For $85, Marc Johnson’s will strip the finish on your club (you have to send it to him), put a custom image on it, and then rebuild and polish the original finish so that it looks like new—except now it will have the logo of your choice.

The photo shots a WWII pinup, but he apparently can do most anything, including sports and military logos. I should get one done with West Virginia’s “Flying WV” logo.

You can get a custom driver done through his Ebay “Buy It Now” auction.

This would make a terrific gift.

Golf Chess Set

Ridiculous Golf Item of The Week