my dad has taken up golf in the past year now he’s got too old for mountaineering and climbing, and after some ideas for a useful bit of kit for golfing. where as i could always get him some outdoor kit for Christmas i know nothing of golf. budget £50-80

thanks in advance

Good quality golf balls are always a safe bet. Like Titleist Pro Vs.

Maybe a rangefinder or GPS watch/device?

Fishing rod

Plus fours?

Golf balls +1 or this time of year some over gloves and hand warmers too

Lessons are always a good present for a golfer.
After a year I was still losing golf balls very regularly, so lots of them are always good
Golf umbrella

If he plays all year then something warm would be good (winter gloves, I like my lined trousers from Decathlon, etc. )
Balls are always required but probably wouldn’t go with Pro V if he’s losing them (the Kirkland v2 balls from Costco are very very good for the money ….£23 for 12 I think)
If he has uses a trolley maybe a mug holder
If he has a smartphone maybe 12 month Premium sub to Hole 19 app (does scoring, handicap, distances to hole, etc.)
Maybe a round at somewhere nice (he may play somewhere nice already!)

Maybe a rangefinder or GPS watch/device?

Out of budget – phone/smartwatch running Hole 19 is at least as good

Fishing rod

probably said in jest but mates have telescopic ball retrievers for when your ball inevitably goes in the ditch/hedge/bush – very useful and pays for itself in creating a supply of free balls!

We call it the fishing rod

Lifesystems electric hand warmer for his non-gloved hand.
+1 for Kirkland balls being great and Decathlon do well priced bright orange ones for winter use.
Winter hat, golf flavoured or otherwise, with or without pom-pom.

some oakley golfing sunglasses

https://www.oakley.com/en-gb/lp/mens-golf?cid=PM-SGA_000000-1.UK-Oakley-EN-B-Sports-Exact_Golf_oakley+golf+sunglasses&ds_rl=1293102&ds_rl=1293102&gclid=Cj0KCQiA1sucBhDgARIsAFoytUsdYYWzudeLI5fZdo1KmwlegSPB7_YDuwuLOOGQYRvN4cKi91_U9psaAu0xEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

they also do a packable rain jacket

Lifesystems electric hand warmer for his non-gloved hand.
+1 for Kirkland balls being great and Decathlon do well priced bright orange ones for winter use.

Good shout on the hand warmer…. mate had one yesterday and it’s pretty impressive.

Orange balls are good for frosty weather but are hard to spot in amongst the leaves (see also yellow)!

Golf balls are a funny one, I’d be happy to play with anything but a lot of people always use the same ball to ensure they know how it will behave. My dad is the complete opposite and never uses the new balls as he thinks it’s a waste of money, he just uses ones he’s found. Actually need to find where he keeps all the ones he’s been gifted…

I always find the two ball at a decent local course goes down well (bonus that I usually get the other spot!)

A mug.

Have a look at druid golf online,they do a bundle of clothing for £99.

It looks like £99 buys £25/month worth of passes on GolfPass!

As others have said, for the first year or so expensive balls are a waste of money, there will be a fair few that disappear into the trees never to be seen again on their very first hit.

Rangefinders or GPs stuff will be out of budget

If he hasn’t had any lessons then maybe get a couple of 45 min lessons for him to accelerate his progress.

If he is going to the range over winter then a gift card for range balls is a very practical, boring, saving him some money type gift.

If it was me then the gift I would be happiest with in that price range would be the green fee for a round at a decent local course. I play at the cheap course where I am a member, or at other places in the £20-30 bracket, so hitting somewhere that’s a bit nicer would be a real treat, but you’ll need to make sure he has someone else to go with as it’s not something he is likely to want to do on his own.

Lessons or gree fee payment.

To be fair, the things I have enjoyed since I was a lad have been biking, golf and skiing. Golf can be a cracking way to spend a few hours with your muckers and family.

If he wants to get better then lessons with local pga professional – you don’t necessarily have to be a member to get a lesson from the local pro. Or nearest range with an affiliated professional. If he’s a beginner then short game lessons will be more beneficial I would imagine.

You can get some nice golf clothing from online stores like snainton, clubhouse golf, function18 etc. 1/4 zips, gilets/vests etc. sports pursuit sometimes have good deals on golf brands but delivery time might be an issue.

I’ve used lees tees for personalised tees in the past as a joke/stocking filler. Last I used them they were good quality. You could put together a pack of stuff like winter mitts, rain gloves, decent golf/merino socks.

Thanks for all the input, plenty of good ideas to go at