When $ky’s the limit

Got money to spend?
Golf got things you can buy!

Tiger Woods by Associated Press/Ian Stewart
Inset photos by Ken Sakamoto, Star-Bulletin
Golf equipment can get pretty costly. Take for instance,
the Scotty Cameron putter, shown in the lower inset photo.
It is the one that Tiger Woods uses and costs only $240 retail
-- if you can find one to buy. Local distributor Les Tamashiro
owns one, but he's not selling his. But the price of the putter
can't compare to what a pair of good shoes can cost. The ones
pictured above are made out of alligator skin. The price for
the Footjoy-made shoes? $1,900.

---

By Bill Kwon
Star-Bulletin

The sky's the limit for Tiger Woods in the world of golf.

You might not ever get to play like Tiger, but, you too, can feel -- in the pocketbook, anyway -- and enjoy the game of golf the same way he does.

In other words, at least feeling like the sky's the limit.

With that in mind, just check out the kind of golf equipment you could buy if money were no object.

We're not talking about going to Roots & Relics, Nevada Bob's or Kmart and picking up discounted clubs. Kmart surely must have a line of discontinued Fuzzy Zoeller clubs for sale, by now.

Rather, we're talking top-of-the-line stuff with prices to match.

Let's start with a set of irons, three to pitching wedge. It's all titanium now and Callaway, Tommy Armour, Cobra and Taylor Made rate right up there, all around $1,200.

But money's no object, right?

Well, then, buy a set of the Yonex Super ADX Titanium Plus irons, three to pitching wedge. The cost? $2,400, suggested retail.

That in the bag, for woods get the Ena Titanium Driver for $1,000, and also the Ena "F" (for fairway) and "U" (for utility) titanium woods, the equivalent of 3- and 5-woods. The latter two are $850 apiece.

Ask either the Yonex or Ena dealer to throw in a golf bag. If they decline, missing out on the free advertising, go out and buy a staff bag (Ping, Wilson etc.), which costs around $300. Of course, you could spring for a Louis Vuitton golf bag ($4,200), if you really want to splurge.

All the pros now carry three wedges. Local golf guru Allan Yamamoto thinks the best-moving sets right now are the Phil Mickelson models put out by Yonex. The sand wedge and lob wedge are $250 apiece.

The putter. Now, here at least you can use a putter like Tiger Woods.

The Scotty Cameron putter with Teryllium inset put out by Titleist costs only $240 retail -- if you can get it. Because it's the putter Tiger uses, Titleist can hardly keep up with the demand, according to local distributor Les Tamashiro, who has one, by the way.

And he's not selling it.

Golf balls. Greg Norman can have his Maxflis. Srixon and Precept Tour Double Cover golf balls go for $60 a dozen, but the golf ball of choice for most pros (including Tiger) is the Titleist Professional -- $50 a dozen. Don't use them at the Koolau Golf Course, unless money's really no object.

And a sky's-the-limit golfer wouldn't be complete without a pair of Footjoy alligator shoes. You can check them out at the Sawada Pro Golf Shop in Waikiki. They go for $1,900 a pair, suggested retail.

Of course, we haven't even begun talking about clothing apparel.

After spending nearly $10,000 for just the aforementioned golf equipment, any golf shirt won't do. But we'll leave the clothing apparel up to you.

We've spent enough of your money.