We've been getting tons of emails and comments telling us how much you guys enjoyed Tuesday's PGA Show photo essay.
So we're particularly excited to follow up with what has become a Golf Vacation Insider tradition.
That is, our annual picks for some of the most off-the-wall - and most promising - products and pitches found on the PGA Show floor.
To be honest, we didn't see quite the volume of crazy golf stuff this year that we've giggled at in the past. But what weird stuff we did find...let's just say there's plenty of fun to be had with it.
So, without further ado...
The Tee Trimmer (teetrimmer.com)
This little beauty is basically a pencil sharpener but for golf tees. Insert a broken tee, twist a few times, and you're back in business.
Not the worst idea, but the company's tagline is, "Never buy another tee. Ever!"
Guys, wooden tees cost like, three cents. And even broken ones work pretty well.
Here's the really crazy part: most people only use 5-7 tees to play 18 holes (I looked it up).
So, at $9.95 (plus shipping) for the Tee Trimmer, I figure you need to play 18 holes every week for a year before this puppy pays for itself.
Vaporcade (vaporcade.com)
By now, e-cigarettes have become a legitimate force in the nicotine-delivery industry. And Vaporcade is aware that golfers particularly like cigars. Behold, the e-cigar! But that's not the product we found so strange.
For those not satisfied looking like a mere jackass while vaping (sorry, it's true) comes this handy device: the world's first cell phone / vaporizer combo.
We're not kidding -- just attach the port onto the top of the phone and vape to your heart's content. Tell callers to simply ignore the sucking sound.
Chilly Cheeks (chillycheeks.com)
The name is cute, but this product seems to be nothing more than an oversized version of the cooling/warming gel packs you can buy at CVS.
If you want to lug it with you onto your golf cart, more power to you. We'll stick with a cool, wet towel for our necks when it's hot and those nifty Hot Hands pouches when it's cold.
The G-Trike (g-trike.com)
The golf world is awash in alternatives to golf carts at the moment, and we're not sure the association of "golf" and "tricycle" is going to attract a lot of self-respecting golfers.
This inventor evidently built a prototype (see photo) but didn't think it was important to display it at his booth.
Base2 Golf (website is inactive...generally not a positive sign)
These folks were set up at Demo Day, with a few different prototypes for a golf tee that allegedly helps the ball fly straight.
Similar to billiards, you're supposed to align the black plastic sphere behind the ball and hit it, rather than the ball.
Theoretically, the golf ball is supposed to fly dead straight every time, no matter what (similar to angled shots in pool). Our tests did not exactly support this claim.
MiniZoo LLC (minizoogolf.com)
To MiniZoo's credit, they keep showing up at the PGA Show, which indicates someone is buying their silly, animal-themed golf bag covers...
There's the goofy stuff. Now for the flip side: a handful of products that we actually thought looked promising:
SteriShoe (sterishoe.com)
One of the most dangerous jobs in golf has to be that of a locker room attendant.
Dealing with smelly golf shoes for a living is rough, which is why we were impressed by the SteriShoe, which uses UV light and a fan to both dry and effectively sterilize the interior of your golf shoes in 15 minutes.
Don't worry about potentially radiation-poisoning yourself, though -- the SteriShoe has a sensor that detects light and shuts off its UV bulb.
Not only does the $150 apparatus remove the odor, it claims to kill the microbes and bacteria that can live in your shoes and cause athlete's foot.
Rival & Revel SILO Golf Club Carrier (rivalandrevel.com)
Some people might look at this as a handy way to cross the fairway or head to the green with a couple wedges and a putter, but snapping clubs in and out of the $5 "Silo" strikes us as a little cumbersome.
We like it much better as a way to tote a few clubs to and from the practice range if you don't want to lug your entire bag.
FocusBand (ifocusband.com)
If it's true golf is a game played mainly between your ears, the Focus Band could be a real game changer.
The $500 headband is a "brain training device" that connects to your tablet or smartphone and shows you when and why you lose focus...and how to get it back.
A number of PGA Tour players (including Jason Day) are apparently using the Focus Band to achieve a calm, inner mind and better on-course results.
Tica Leather Sunday Bag (ticasport.com)
There are a few companies making handsome, high-quality leather Sunday bags, but this is the first one we've seen with a stand.
Sure, a flip-out stand might seem odd on such a classy, old-school type bag...but so does lying a prized, $500-$800 bag on wet/muddy ground for 18 holes.
There you have it - our nominations for goofy and promising products from the 2016 PGA Show. We're already counting down the days until next year's edition.
Let us know your favorites in the comments below!
A small club caddy that i find very convenient, 2 spikes into ground and holds wedges, putter etc is called The Golfer's Buddy. It has a hook/handle; Roger Dunn in our area carries it in black, pink. yellow. It can be ordered over the internet from the company (thegolfersbuddy.com).
Ray...funny you bring up politics..Obumer paid over $800.00 for his leather carry bag from the guy who made them just like the Mackenzies...It was well publicized and pictured. If I remember correctly Obummer is Democrat...just sayin!
Can't be for Democrats, they don't work. But don't worry, the government can re-distribute and call it "social justice.
$500-800 for a GOLF BAG? This has to be for Republicans.
Mostly all stupid!
I found several products that caught my attention:
1) PURE GRIPS, made in USA & 2yr warranty
2) Two Thumbs putter grips ( takes out any wrist )
3) JONES golf bags ( need I say more)
4) NEXBELT ( golf series buckles ) includes ball marker/divot tool
5) BONOBOS Maide golf clothing ( fits and plays well)
lots of stupid stuff
I agree about the tee sharpener - clever just not sure what the business proposition is. I chatted with the inventor. Lovely guy and passionate but....
He needs to sell it to greens keepers who constantly are picking up broken tees or cutting them with the tee mower.
Sun Mountain just came out with a line of all leather golf bags including one model with a stand. They always make a quality product with a great warranty. I just received the black carry bag model without the stand. It is made from Yak leather (like some high end Ecco golf shoes) and is beautiful. Weighs about four pounds. Similar to the Mackenzie Walker Golf Bag.
I have something similar to the silo golf club carrier. It holds three clubs and has a spike at the bottom of the carrier that you can just stick into the ground. It's cleverly convenient for those days that are cart path only and on early tee times with dew still on the course or wet conditions. Keeps the grips dry and hooks on to the golf bag so you don't have to keep loading and unloading your clubs on to it. I usually carry a couple of wedges and my putter on it for around the green. On cart path only days you don't have to keep running back and forth to the cart to get the proper club. Take three clubs with you, just stick it in the ground in the fairway, pick the right club and hit. Every time I use it my playing partners ask me where to get one. It's called "The club caddy" I looked for it on the net but haven't been able to find another one. My neighbor bought about ten of them off a guy in the local clubhouse and gave me one for my birthday. Best present I've gotten in years.