While a number of my friends in different parts of the country have been able to sneak in some bonus golf this December, I haven’t been quite as fortunate. 

Temperatures have been well above normal here in Minneapolis, but it hasn’t exactly been golf weather for many beyond the true diehards. Plus, the combination of work and short days made it difficult.

But that doesn’t mean it can’t be a golfing Christmas. Yesterday afternoon I got texts from two of my buddies who wanted to share their haul. One got a new set of irons and another got Ryder Cup tickets. Talk about something that is better than a sweater.

Me? Well, here’s what I scored:

So what was the haul here? I might have had some influence on these, but it is always good to find some golf gear under the tree.

Nike 1/4 zip Ryder Cup pullover: I’m not always a huge fan of dated items as they become, well, dated. But I requested this one in part because the Ryder Cup is still nine months from now and because I spent a summer in college working at Hazeltine. I know there are people out there who dog the course for being a hard slog that lacks personality, but I have good memories of the place. 

The Confidential Guide: The original version of The Confidential Guide, written by Tom Doak, came out in the mid-90s. It is difficult to find in print and is expensive when you do find it. A year ago, Doak added three co-authors and they are in the process of putting out a five-volume version. I didn’t get the Volume 1, which includes Great Britian and Ireland, but I’m excited about the two editions that cover the Americas. Volume 2 looks at winter destinations while Volume 3 (expected to come out in Fall 2016) will focus on summer destinations. Doak has been somewhat controversial in his ratings and I’m looking forward to what he has to say.

The Midwest Associate: In the past couple of years, I have gotten my first look at the work of architect Perry Maxwell. Maybe because most of his work was done in the middle of the US, Maxwell doesn’t have the same profile as architects such as Donald Ross and Seth Raynor. But what I’ve seen of Maxwell — I have played Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club and recently saw the work he did with C.B. MacDonald at Crystal Downs — is really cool. I’m looking forward to learning more about a guy who was a genius at designing interesting green complexes with great internal movement.

When you live in a place where snow is a sad reality, you need something to get you through the winter. These three items will certainly help.