Check out Father's Day golf gift ideas

Father's Day, which will occur, as usual, on the final day of the U.S. Open, is fast approaching, but it's not too late to snag a nifty gift for the Dad who loves golf.

You can never go wrong by giving Dad a round of golf and there are plenty of bargains around the Valley, where green fees usually take a big plunge around June 1.

Two of the more inviting possibilities are being offered by the TPC Scottsdale and JW Marriott Desert Ridge in Phoenix.

At the TPC, Dad can play the new Champions Course, which opened about six months ago, plus the Stadium Course, which is the site of the FBR Open, and have lunch in between for $127. You can book tee times seven days in advance at 480-585-4334.

If you're looking for something a little cheaper, Dad can play on Father's Day for $39 on the Nick Faldo-designed course at Desert Ridge after 11 a.m. And because the Open is in San Diego, he should still have time to watch the end after he's done playing.

The Faldo course, with its Australian Sandbelt design, offers a different experience from most Valley layouts. Information: 480-473-0205.

If a golf round isn't quite the right gift, here are some other choices, ranging from $7.99 to $129:

Find your sweet spot

If Dad is convinced that his bad putting is because of his off-centered golf balls, you can shut him up with the Check-Go Sweet Spot Finder. The device has a gyroscope and spins the ball at 10,000 rpms to locate the exact sweet spot. You then mark an equator on the ball, matching the center of gravity, and use it to align putts. Find it at golfgiftsetc.com for $24.95.

Find your golf balls

If Dad is sick of losing golf balls, you can help him out with a Ballfinder Scout, a 3.2-megapixel digital device that claims to quickly and easily locate golf balls, even if they are buried at the bottom of a New Jersey swamp. Endorsed by Faldo, it sells for $129 at ballfinder.com.

Read all about it

You can tell plenty about a person's character and honesty from a round of golf, and being an election year, Dad might like to know which U.S. presidents played the ball as it lies or told lies. In that case, he might enjoy reading First Off the Tee: Presidential Hackers, Duffers, and Cheaters from Taft to Bush. Authored by Don Van Natta Jr., you can buy it for around $25 from Internet booksellers.

If Dad is more of a blue-collar guy, he might get a kick out of the 22nd book authored by Jeff Foxworthy, entitled How To Really Stink at Golf. Then again, Dad might already be an expert. Released this month, the cover price is $16.

Gadgets for less

For the budget-minded, Ballzee is a gadget about 3 inches in diameter that lays flat, easily fits in a pocket and is used to clean golf balls, because you never seem to have a wet towel when you need one. Just rinse it with water and it stays wet on the inside and dry on the outside. It sells for $8 for two, $16 for four or $24 for six at ballzee.com.

Another budget item is the Thumb Caddy, a training aid that easily snaps onto the club shaft, stabilizing the thumb to keep the grip consistent and instill muscle memory. It's available at globalgolftrainingproducts.com for $7.99 for a single unit or $24.99 for three with an instructional DVD.

Keep him hydrated

With searing heat upon us, you can help Dad stay hydrated on the course without carrying a bunch of bottles and cans by giving him a Kooler Klub. The device looks like a golf club, but its shaft can hold 48 ounces of water, or, uhh, another beverage. The shaft is large enough for ice cubes, and a tap makes it easy to draw a cold one. It sells for $54.99 at golfgiftsetc.com.

Keep him gagging

For the ultimate golf gag gift, the UroClub works well with the Kooler Klub. It also looks like a golf club, but with a large hollow shaft where Dad can deposit the water, or, uhh, another beverage he has consumed, because there never seems to be a bathroom when you need one. And, with apologies to Jerry Seinfeld, you don't want Dad to get uro-mycitis poisoning do you? The manufacturer says it is "the only club in your bag guaranteed to keep you out of the woods." It claims to be leak proof, holds a half-liter, and comes with a "privacy shield" that hooks across the front of the pants, "allowing freedom of the hands to manipulate the club and zipper." But please don't tell John Daly that it's available at uroclub.com for $49.95.

You can help Dad stay hydrated on the course without carrying a bunch of bottles and cans by giving him a Kooler Klub, shown here.