Head Covers: Enough with the teddy bears, try these ones instead

I know I’ll probably be alienating not-so-small part of the golf community with this take. But it’s about time that we give a voice to those who can’t stand seeing golf bags lined up in front of the clubhouse you see an array of cute little creatures covering up the drivers, fairway woods and putters and you start to wonder.

Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

Guys that drive up the club in a Maserati, that claim to hit their driver 270 yards and have three grown up kids pulling plush toys over their toughest clubs? Why not, I guess. It’s a free world after all.

But there are plenty of good alternatives out there, whether you’re looking for simplicity, elegance, bright colours, luxury or anything in between.

We’ve checked some of the brands that focus on head covers and found some real beauties.

Cayce – HIT BOMBS! Driver & Fairway Woods Cover

There’s nothing more satisfying than hitting a bomb straight off the tee. And you won’t manage it if you’re mind is distracted. So, to keep yourself in the right frame of mind and focus on what to do next when you’re pulling out the big gun, Cayce has this little helper to remind you what it’s all about.

I’m a big fan of the Cayce head covers, especially those made of DURA+, making them fully water resistant. Also available as fairway wood cover. $ 64.99 or $ 59.99 (for the FW) on caycegolf.com

Bobby Golf – Respect Blade Head Cover

Stylistically Bobby Golf isn’t always the most confident, but this one showing Hideki Matsuyama’s caddie, Shota Hayafuji, respectfully removing his hat and taking a bow after returning the pin at the 2021 Masters, is right on point. What Cayce’s Hit Bombs head cover might be for your driver, the Respect cover is for your putter. Get yourself in a winner’s state of mind. Available for $ 85 at bobbygolf.com

Reinland Golf – Shibori Head Cover

Not a misspelling of the German river region, Rhineland, Reinland Golf is the head cover brand of the Reinlands, a golf-crazed family whose son, Maxton Reinland, was seeking quality head covers for his golf label Muni Kids. His mother Marti spent hours and hours developing and sewing them and soon, Reinland Golf Company was born.

This one is a nice canvas/ fleece two-colour tie-dye version for all the hippies at heart.

Available as driver, wood and hybrid versions for $44.95 or $49.95 on reinlandgolfco.com

Headgear – Electrified Red Styling Edition Covers

Headgear Golf, another US-based company that specialises in head covers, are producing the finest leather goods for your woods and putters. Aside from their usual elegant collection, they offer the option for customisation. They come with a no-pill blizzard fleece lining and will be sure to keep your clubs lint-free. This Electrified Red Styling Edition is really good if you’re looking for something to match your brand-new red Ferrari. Get it for $ 50 (woods) to $ 60 (driver) on headgeargolf.com

Desired Line Co. – Barber Pole Cover

Take some fresh colour, add a touch of graphic minimalism and a heavyweight polyester canvas with UV, and you’ll get this weather-proof Nano fabric protection head cover that is 100% made in Australia.

It’s got a sort of vintage touch, as it brings to mind the old-fashioned barbers poles.

Wood/ hybrid $ 54.95, driver $59.95 at desiredline.co

Golf Team Clothing – Arnold Driver & Fairway Wood Head Covers

Now it’s time for one from Europe. Golf Team Clothing specialise in personalised/ branded clothing for your team, friends, club, tournament or golf academy.

Aside from the customised/ personalised designs, they also feature a wide range of very nice head covers like this one in golf’s greatest colour variation, the Arnie umbrella colours.

Truth be told, I’m just one click away from ordering one for my own hybrid. You can also choose from various colours for the inside fleece lining.

Get driver and wood covers for €52 each at golfteamclothing.com

Seamus – Pride Rainbow Head Cover

With golf still being stuck with one foot in ancient times, it’s good to see some brands moving forward, with both feet in the 21st century.

“As a tribute to our friends and customers from all different backgrounds, ethnicities and genders, we are proud to introduce our peace and pride golf head cover”, say Seamus on their page.

Why not show off your LGBT+ pride on the course?

It’s not the cheapest option out there. It’s sewn together from six colourful Cardura pieces, red inner lining and an embroidered peace sign on top. All things considered, it’s still a reasonable price for the craftsmanship you get. If you fancy, you can also add a personalised leather label for an additional $10. Fairway for $85, driver for $95 on seamusgolf.com

Rawhide – Splattered Neon! Covers

Let’s keep it colourful with this one. Ok, it’s not an original Jackson Pollock but still one for the Pop Art lovers.

Rawhide hand cut, embroider and sew all their high quality leather products at their Vancouver facility and also give you the chance to create a custom design. T

his splatter design isn’t printed but splattered manually, so each cover is a one of a kind product.

Hybrid, fairway, driver for $110, $120 and $130 via rawhidegolf.com

Stymie – Fabric no. 22

This piece by Stymie is made put of finest imported wool in an elegant navy and Carolina blue hound’s-tooth pattern with a fleece lining on the inside. Add some style to your bag!

Putter and hybrid covers cost $50, woods cost $55 and driver covers cost $65 at stymiegolfsupply.com

Fillibegs – Tweed Yellow

Now one from my home country, Germany. Fillibegs makes head covers made from tartan and tweed fabrics that are purchased at traditional woollen mills in Scotland and England.

All covers for drivers, woods, putters are manufactured in Germany and come in a very quintessentially British style.

These patterns are available for all clubs, even irons, ranging from €44 to €74 on fillibegs.de

Big Dog Golf – OG White & Tan

Big Dog Golf make genuine leather (as well as some woollen) head covers which are beautifully constructed and handcrafted by a family of third generation leather-smiths from Melbourne, Australia.

All very clean, minimalistic, mostly unicolor or duotone with quiet embroideries and a branded leather patch, these covers are just what they’re supposed to be: quality covers to protect your clubs.

And that’s what they do- with style. Hybrid/ wood $ 85, driver $ 95 at bigdoggolfco.com

Cody Golf Co. – Granite Fairway Cover

Cody Golf, a brand from Utah, started by the two friends, Cole and Brody (combined Cody), make some of the most timeless and classic head covers around.

Simple, functional, effective in a design language that can be best described as understatement. There are no gimmicks with these ones, just elegant covers in the classic sock and barrel design that will be sure to stand the test of time. They offer a relatively limited range of just five different colours.

Fairway covers cost $44.99 and driver covers cost $ 59.99 on codygolf.com

Western Gales – Express Send

Western Gales is a division of State Apparel which makes head covers from up-cycled sails, handmade in San Francisco.

I’m a big fan of the idea of using old sails for head covers. It’s not just a good way to save materials, it’s also worth pointing out that sails tend to be very durable and weather proof.

On top of that, each piece is absolutely unique, a one of a kind cut out of a larger piece.

The best piece in their collection probably is this FedEx one. I like to thnk of it as using the FedEx cover to help “send” your ball to its destination.

From $60 (hybrid) to $68 (driver) at stateapparel.com

Flush – Nose Candy Putter Cover

Remember that Uma Thurman scene in Pulp Fiction where she takes a bump of cocaine in the ladies rest rooms before getting on the dance floor with John Travolta?

Whether you’ve seen it or not, you’ll definitely find the right “line” with this putter cover from Flush.

Available for blade and mallet putters for $65 via rflushgolfco.com

Golden Soul Golf – The Iceberg Putter Cover

Last but not least we it’s another simple and elegant cover. Golden Soul’s Iceberg putter cover is available as mallet and blade putter cover. With its maritime and/or festival look, I can’t help but imagine a putting green aboard a yacht somewhere in the Aegean Sea. That said, I bet it would work out well on any real course anywhere else too.

Get it for $ 70 on goldensoulgolf.com