Yesterday, I did a little research and found 18 categories of “Top 10 Gifts for Christmas.” I have the links below if you would like to take a look. It might save you some time shopping for that perfect gift:

http://astore.amazon.com/toptengiftsforbaby-20

http://astore.amazon.com/toptengiftsforchildren-20

http://astore.amazon.com/toptengiftsforboys3-7-20

http://astore.amazon.com/toptengiftsforboys7-10-20

http://astore.amazon.com/topgiftsforgirls3-7-20

http://astore.amazon.com/toptengiftsforgirls7-10-20

http://astore.amazon.com/toptengiftsforteenagegirls-20

http://astore.amazon.com/toptengiftsforteenageboys-20

http://astore.amazon.com/toptengiftsformen-20

http://astore.amazon.com/toptengiftsforwomen-20

http://astore.amazon.com/toptengiftsformom-20

http://astore.amazon.com/toptengiftsfordad-20

http://astore.amazon.com/toptengiftsforgirlfriend-20

http://astore.amazon.com/toptengiftsforyourboyfriend-20

http://astore.amazon.com/toptengiftsforgrandma-20

http://astore.amazon.com/toptengiftsforgrandpa-20

http://astore.amazon.com/toptengiftsforteachers-20

Sometimes I think back of the days when I started playing golf. Things were simple then. A wood was still made of wood, and a 5-iron was a 5-iron. Or at least that’s what I thought until I learned more about equipment. Still, things were relatively simple, but they are not anymore. Just read some golf equipment reviews. It’s totally amazing how technology has changed the game of golf, and how radically golf equipment has changed over the past couple of decades.

As someone interested in new gadgets, I have been fascinated by the introduction of Golf GPS. Let me give you a few basics. GPS stands for Global Positioning System and uses satellites and a receiver to determine where you are on the planet with amazing accuracy, as close as a couple of feet. GPS is available in most new cars and it’s also available for golf where it can help you improve your game. It’s not a traditional training aid, though. What a Golf GPS receiver does is figure out where you are on a course, and then give you the exact distance to the green, water hazards, bunkers and fairway boundaries. This way you know the number of yards, golf clubs to pick, and even the size of the green from the angle you’re approaching it!

How did I learn about all this? Certainly not by going to an electronics store. If I want information on golf, I go to websites dedicated to golf and golf equipment. I love to read what golf enthusiasts have to say about golf shoes, golf bags and other equipment, as I have no use for the usual marketing hype. I mean, where else than at a golf enthusiast site could you read comparisons of electric golf carts and what’s important when you consider getting one of your own? Did you know, for example, that you can create tricked-out custom golf carts with special suspensions, paint jobs and fancy wheels?

But it’s not only emerging technologies like Golf GPS or big ticket items like carts that you can get good information on at a golf review site. There are probably thousands of different golf bags out there, and I love to read about the latest from some of the best companies like Burton, Ogio or Nike, and that includes the good and the bad. Nothing’s perfect, and I rely on unbiased reviews to give me the real scoop.

Same with clubs. We all have our favorites, of course, but I keep an open mind. Nothing can replace trying out a club, and that’s where the pro shops come in, but I like to do my research online. Did you know companies like Ping actually have online fitting systems? Or that Titleist clubs are no longer just for top-level players with low handicaps? The company is clearly going for new and aspiring golfers with their new lines of clubs. Again, I found out on an enthusiast golf site that also does golf equipment reviews. There’s just nothing like it.

When a friend of mine introduced me to golf many years ago, I wasn’t overly impressed and asked him what he saw in the game. He said, “Well, golf means different things to different people. To me, it’s mostly about being away from my busy life for a few hours, being one with nature, and talking to some good friends.” That made sense to me, but I quickly found out what he meant as I became a golfer, too, taking lessons and burying myself in golf equipment reviews.

People do take up golf for different reasons and it does mean something different to almost every player. For some, like my friend, it’s relaxing on a beautiful course and enjoying nature and the scenery. To others it’s a great way to meet with clients and close deals. Some just enjoy an occasional round. Others get hooked and pursue mastery of the game with single-minded passion. But no matter what attracts you to the game of golf, we all have something in common: we need equipment. Lots of it.

Initially I had a real problem with that. Golf shops intimidated me. I didn’t really know much about golf clubs, golf shoes or even golf bags and I was embarrassed about my lack of knowledge. Whenever I went to a pro shop, everyone else seemed to be an expert, knowing everything about golf, except me. I didn’t understand half of what sales people were talking about and I didn’t even understand many of their questions. So I felt they were talking down to me and I resented that.

So I began reading golf books and magazines and asked golfing buddies for advice. I ended up with a good set of clubs, found that some balls worked better for me than others (I am a Titleist man), and spent a small fortune on golf equipment (Nike made a small fortune off me) I did or did not need. Truth be told, my lack of knowledge and my being ill at ease with the sales people in the pro shops probably kept me from enjoying the game as much as I should have.

All of this changed in the past few years. I am an online person. To me, finding accurate and unbiased golf equipment reviews on the web was just what I had been waiting for. I am not talking about just online golf stores or golf bulletin boards. What helped me were sites done by golfing enthusiasts who simply wanted to share their knowledge with others. See, while I used to be aware of the likes of Burton or Ogio or Ping, there wasn’t anyone who told me who truly made the best bag for me. I was told some of the training aids out there really worked while others were a waste of money but I didn’t know which was which. I knew of amazing advancements in golf carts and I had even heard of new technologies like golf gps, but I didn’t know what was valuable information and what was just marketing.

For me, the emergence of golf enthusiast sites with golf equipment reviews made all the difference. I love reading reviews written by real people as opposed to just sales spiels, and I love how some of those sites explain it all in terms that make sense. I love to read and learn, and these days I totally rely on golf sites that are not only entertaining, but also provide me with the reviews I need and even recommendations on where to get the best deals.