From time to time, the cold call works. Over the winter, a fellow named Joe D. reached out to me, eager to make me aware of his company’s line of golf-related, groomsmen gifts. When I say line, it’s more line than line segment. One blog entry details “75 Best Gifts” and I suspect that the feature could have gone on … and on … and on. GGG is a neat place to while away some time, and whether you plan on getting married or not, you can certainly shop for some cool stuff for you and your golf buddies.

Joe D. offered to send two products my way, as a means of putting inventory in my hands. This would allow me to test, first-hand, a smidgen of his company’s offerings. Understand that it took all my patience to not write “on my feet” and “first-foot,” in the previous sentence. Why? The products that I selected were socks and a shoe bag. I’m a fan of socks, and rarely get pairs that don’t wear through too soon. I’ve also been an admirer of shoe carriers but, for some reason, never owned one myself. In receipt of my wants, Joe D. promptly shipped the swag my way, and I was off to the races, in full test mode.

The Socks

It’s quite easy to get carried away when you receive new socks. One of my favorite poems, written by Chilean Pablo Neruda, details the value of warm socks in winter. My personal lean targets thicker socks; I convince myself that their thickness will translate to greater durability and longer wear. Sometimes it is that case; other times, the let-down is real. The socks that come from Groovy Groomsmen Gifts are hosiery style. They are thinner than what I typically wear, and they run halfway up the calf. When I golf, I typically wear low-cut peds; could I be on the hook for a more-different style than this? And yet, I like these! I have five pairs, and love the eccentric designs that adorn the apparel. The socks stay up on the calf; they don’t droop (unless I want them to.)

Wait…what? Why would anyone want socks to droop? Here’s the thing: remember what I said about wearing low-cut peds? A really good sock will droop on command, yet not put a stranglehold on my ankles. Yep, I’m pretty demanding when it comes to gaiters. They need to stand tall and slouch low. The stockings from Groovy Groomsmen Gifts do just that. One thumb up.   

The Shoe Carrier

I traded skiing for snowboarding a decade or two back, because I was sick of injuring my knees when one ski went left, while the other headed right. With both boots anchored to the same slab, at least I would crash in one piece and direction. Until the shoe carrier arrived, the unknown was always: would I pull two identical shoes out of the trunk, closet, or room? The shoe carrier ensures that not only will I do such a thing, but that I can simply chuck it where I aim, and the shoes will remain paired. Selfish cad that I am, what mattered originally was the protection of MY shoes, but then, it occurred to me that the bag would serve a second purpose: to protect car trunks and closets from my shoes! How often do we come off the course, with shoes caked in mud, or styled with a bit of wet grass? Let it be known that the GGG shoe bag will restrict all natural additives to its confines. It even comes with a mesh closure, to allow breathing of said footwear. It’s also pretty darned durable, as I tried to cut through it and was thwarted. Two thumbs up.

Summary

I married a woman who doesn’t golf. I employed (using the term loosely) a whole bunch of groomsmen, none of whom golfed. Were I to marry, or be responsible for a stag, or even have a retirement party for friends, I would take a long look at all the items that Groovy Groomsmen Gifts has on offer on its website. For my money, it would be best to pick a selection of appetizers (totaling, say, $40-$50 per groomsman) rather than one wad-blow item. Groovy Groomsmen Gifts will personalize the shoe carrier (and other items) and add a name-bearing wrapper to the socks. I get the sense that GGG is as much a labor of love for Joe D., as it is a money-making proposition. Have a look at the 75 items linked above, and I’m betting you’ll find something that you like (or more than one something.)