Golfers look easy to buy for. The pro shop is full of gear, and every second ad promises an extra 20 metres off the tee. The catch is that many golfers already own the basics, and they're fussy about the rest. Buy the wrong ball or the wrong putter grip and it lives in the garage.

This guide to gifts for golfers in Australia is built around what actually gets used on a round: on the course, in the cart and at the 19th hole. We make drinkware, so a few of these are ours (we'll flag them), and the rest are good gifts from elsewhere.

Quick answer: good gifts for golfers in Australia are things they'll use every round or an experience they'd never book for themselves. Under $50, think a quality golf towel, tees and ball markers or an insulated cup for the cart. Around $50 to $100, an engraved cup or a dozen of their usual ball. For a big gift, a lesson, a round somewhere special or a rangefinder.

Gifts for golfers in Australia, by budget

Our prices are as listed on our site at the time of writing. For non-RUGD gifts, prices vary a lot by brand, so we've kept to rough bands only where they're obvious.

Stocking fillers and smaller gifts

• A quality golf towel. A big waffle or microfibre towel with a proper clip gets used on every hole. Easy to get wrong if it's tiny, so go for a generous size.
• Tees and ball markers. A tin of good wooden or bamboo tees, or a metal ball marker with a hat clip. Small, useful, and they get lost often enough that spares are always welcome.
• A sleeve of their usual ball. Check their bag or ask their playing partners which ball they play. Golfers can be very loyal to a ball, so don't switch them.
• The StubCup, $49 (ours). Coffee in the cart for the front nine, a cold can or stubby at the 19th. More on it below. See all the StubCup colours.

Around $50 to $100

• An engraved StubCup, $64 (ours). The $49 cup plus $15 for engraving. Their handicap, their home course or the date of that hole-in-one they still talk about. Ideas further down.
• The StubJug, $79 (ours). For hot rounds when water matters more than anything. It holds 1000ml, keeps drinks cold for 12 hours and iced for 36, is leak and sweat proof, and comes with a straw lid plus a silicone beer lid for afterwards. Have a look at the StubJug colours.
• A dozen of their usual ball. Premium balls can cost a fair bit by the dozen, which is exactly why they make a good gift. Same rule: buy the ball they already play.
• A quality golf glove or two. Only if you know their size and hand. Ask their partner or check the glove in their bag.

The big gifts

• A lesson with a golf professional. Plenty of golfers have a fault they keep meaning to fix. A lesson voucher gives them the push.
• A round at a course they've always talked about. Many clubs sell gift vouchers or green fee packages. Even better if you book a tee time and go with them.
• A rangefinder. The top-end gift, often several hundred dollars. It's a big help for distances on unfamiliar courses, but check which features they want before you buy.

The 19th hole cup: drinkware that belongs in the cart

We'll own our bias here, since this bit is about our product. A round can run four or five hours in full sun, which is hard on a takeaway coffee and harder on a can. Here's how the StubCup handles it.

• Front nine: coffee stays hot for up to 6 hours, and the sip lid is leak proof, so it can ride in the cart without spilling on the scorecard.
• Back nine: cold drinks stay cold for up to 24 hours, so water or an iced coffee is still cold on the 15th.
• The 19th hole: it fits standard 330 to 375ml cans and stubbies, and the bottle opener is built into the base.
• In the cart: the slimline base is designed to fit standard car cupholders. Cart holders vary from club to club, so it's worth a quick look at theirs.

A quick note on the course itself: plenty of clubs have rules about bringing your own alcohol onto the course, often tied to their liquor licence. The StubCup is just as handy with water, an iced coffee or a soft drink, so check the club rules and save the cold one for the clubhouse if that's what they require.

Engraving ideas for golfers

Personalising turns a good golf gift into their golf gift. We laser engrave in-house at our Sunshine Coast warehouse, and the engraving goes into the powder coat rather than being printed on top, so there's no ink to peel or rub off. You get up to 3 lines of up to 40 characters each, and a live preview on the cup in your chosen colour before you order.

• Their handicap: "Handicap 18 and honest about it".
• Their home course: the course name and the year they joined, written out as text.
• The hole-in-one: hole number, course and date. They'll tell the story anyway, now they've got a prop.
• A running joke: "Mulligan Society, Life Member" or the nickname their four-ball uses.

Personalisation adds $15 to the cup price for text or an image, or $19 for both. One rule: we can only engrave artwork you own or have permission to use, so a golf club's logo or crest needs written permission from the club. Writing the course name as text is the simple way around that. Start on the personalise a StubCup page, or browse more engraving ideas that fit on a cup.

What to skip

• Novelty balls and joke tees. Funny for one hole, then they're in the bin or the lake.
• Training aids they didn't ask for. A swing gadget can feel like a hint about their game.
• Clubs, unless they've chosen them. Clubs are fitted and personal. A voucher for their pro shop is the safer way to help.

Gifts for golfers FAQs

What do you buy a golfer who has everything?

An experience often lands better than more gear: a lesson, a round at a bucket-list course, or a weekend away built around golf. If you want something to unwrap, personalise an item they'll use every round, like an engraved cup for the cart. For more ideas, see our guide to Christmas gifts for men who have everything.

What's a good gift for a golfer under $50?

A quality golf towel, a sleeve of their usual ball, tees and a ball marker, or our StubCup at $49 for coffee on the course and a cold one after. We've rounded up more ideas in our gifts under $50 guide.

Can you take a stubby cooler on a golf course?

An insulated cup of water or coffee is usually no problem, but bringing your own alcohol is a different story. Many clubs have rules about it, so check with the club before you pack a can.

Can you engrave a golf club logo on a cup?

Only with written permission from the club. Without that, engrave the course name as text, their handicap or the date of a big round. It reads just as well.

Is a rangefinder a good gift for a golfer?

For a keen golfer who plays different courses, often yes. They're a bigger spend and come with different features, so it's worth asking their playing partners what they'd want before you buy.

Will it arrive in time for Christmas?

We process orders, including engraving, within 1 to 2 business days. Order-by dates for each state are on our Christmas delivery cut-off dates page. If you've left it late, our e-Gift Card arrives by email.

Whether it's a lesson, a new towel or a cup that finally keeps their coffee hot past the turn, the gifts golfers remember are the ones they use every round. See you at the 19th, and Merry Christmas from the two of us.

Malin and Andre