Objects of Desire

Because quality never goes out of style.

Colorado AvidGolfer

“Wealth is the ability to fully experience life.”- Henry David Thoreau

The Club Club
>DON’T SAY IT, PLAY IT: Pronounced zek-si-oh, Japan’s premium golf brand has arrived in America. XXIO, a division of Dunlop Sports, produces custom, high-performing drivers (starting at $600), rescues and irons that also incorporate digital data from both technical (MOI, swing, shaft, trajectory, aerodynamics, etc.) and human (motion, weight shift, fatigue, feel and sound) platforms. The XXIO8 and XXIO Prime lines are available exclusively at PGA Tour Superstore. xxiousa.com

>GALLIC SYMBOLS: Move over, Scotty Cameron. The French company ValGrine elevates the putter-as-collectible-art to a luxuriously new level. Ranging between $1,000 and $6,500 (and higher for a customized “haute création”), these beautiful chefs d’oeuvre feature four distinctive head styles and employ gold, diamonds and proprietary metals from the aeronautics, shipbuilding, racecar and watch making industries— all aligned to marry elegance with performance. Buttery, hand-stitched calfskin grips come standard, but you can upgrade to exotic leathers such as ostrich. Even if you don’t make more putts, you’ll literally be money on the greens. valgrine.com

>PERFECTION FOR ALL: “The good golfer will find me,” says Katsuhiro Miura. For nearly 60 years, low-handicap players have done exactly that, drawn by the look and feel of the exquisitely forged irons, wedges, and putters inspired by the katana-making tradition of his Himeji hometown. But why should better players have all the fun? Miura’s CB57 irons possess the craftsmanship and feel of a forged blade with a mid-sized cavity and leading edge/sole design that make it easy to hit. $275 per club. miuragolf.com

>GREAT, SCOTT!: So confident is Scott Petersen in his SG-01 Elite and SG-02 forged irons that he proclaimed, “a new standard of excellence is now here.” His beautiful, products bear him out: ScottGolf irons are meticulously crafted and precisely milled to airtight tolerances. They set up beautifully and impart a buttery feel. A set of SG-01 Elite irons retails for $2,499; the cavity-backed SG-02 for $1,399. scottgolf.com

Knowing the Distance
>GOOD VIBRATIONS: Accurate to within a half-yard, the Bushnell ProX7 vibrates when it locks onto the target, thanks to PinSeeker with JOLT technology. Whatever the light, its Vivid Display Technology assures rapid, positive target identification, and the next-gen E.S.P. (Extreme. Speed. Precision.) provides lickety-split accuracy. USGA-compliant (unlike the ProX7 Slope), the ProX7 is used by 97 percent of PGA Tour players. $500. bushnellgolf.com

>PIN THE KNOW: Be the envy of your foursome. The SkyCaddie TOUCH features a glove-friendly, easy-to-use touchscreen and a high-resolution, sunlight-readable, color display that amplifies the clear superiority of SkyCaddie’s 35,000 preloaded, high-definition maps. The device’s Bluetooth connectivity provides golfers with the ultimate user experience when coupled with the FREE SkyGolf 360 mobile app. $300. skygolf.com

>KICKS KEEP GETTIN’ HARDER TO FIND?: Par West Golf Shoes fit as snugly as skin, creating the balance and stability that promote a consistent golf swing. Master tanner and cobbler Paul Raddatz guarantees a perfect fi t, thanks to an exacting measurement process. Using skins such as alligator, bison, lizard, ostrich and eel, Raddatz crafts elegant variations on classic wingtips and saddles, as well as his distinctive Charlton, Stewart (as in Payne) and Riviera styles. The shoes cost between $750 and $5,000, but they last for 20 years. Par West belts elegantly complete the ensemble. parwestshoes.com; 800-PAR WEST.

>A ROYAL RIDE: Though it sounds like the name of an exclusive UK golf club, Royal Enfield has been synonymous with classic motorcycle design since 1901. Thanks to a potent, fuel-injected single-cylinder, four-stroke 500cc engine, the handcrafted Classic 500 lives up to the company’s “Made Like a Gun” trademark. A five-speed constant mesh transmission with wet, multi-plate clutch controls the bike’s power, while the exquisite 1950s styling and old-school accessories make this stunning machine desirable as much for its looks as for its ride. Starting at $6,700. Available at Sportique Scooters. royalenfield.com

>TOP SCOTCH?: Compared to the cult following enjoyed by single malts like Glenfarclas, blended whiskies don’t get nearly the love. However, Scotch Ambassador Guy Sporbert of the Westin Kierland Resort (http://kierlandresort.com/) in Scottsdale advises picking up “The Ardbeg Perpetuum, a celebration of the distillery’s 200th Anniversary. It’s a blend of older and younger whiskies that have been matured in sherry and bourbon casks. Fans of Islay whiskies, known for their smoky and peaty flavor profiles, will certainly enjoy this one. It is a one-time bottling so if you find a bottle ($140-$160), buy it now because it won’t last long.” Among the more singular single malts on the market are the 50-Year-Old Glenfiddich ($20,000) and Highland Park ($17,500). But if you prefer to imbibe fine whisky rather than invest in it, go for a 16-Year-Old Lagavulin ($93); 15-Year-Old Glengoyne ($50); Bladnoch 11-year-old ($70); and the “ageless” Macallan Ruby ($160), Glen Scotia Double Cask ($50) and Talisker 57° ($85).
*Prices are for 750ml bottle

>STOGIE CENTRAL: Although you could burn through $35,000 or more on a box of Gurkha HMRs, a number of less pricey smokes remain coveted. According to Peter Roth, owner of the Robusto Room in Lone Tree, these include the special-edition Arturo Fuente Destino al Siglo, ($17 per cigar); the delectable Cubanacan HR Sublime ($20); the under-the-radar J. Fuego Americana ($12); the boutique, uniquely packaged LEAF by Oscar ($10); and the decadent, silky San Cristobal Revelation. ($12). therobustoroom.com

>PERFECTWEAR: An 18-under-par 54 represents a level of perfection worthy of pursuit. That explains the name Chase54, a golf apparel company that defines excellence with every flawless collection. Not only does Creative Director & Chief Designer Lulu Faddis (formerly of Tehama and IZOD G) design the men’s and women’s lines, but the company creates its own luxurious, signature fabric technologies and then manufactures them into fashion-forward shirts, pants, shorts and skorts. This internal process results in affordable golf attire that looks, fits and feels like nothing you’ve ever worn before. Shown on her: Claudia Angora dress ($100). Shown on him: Getaway Platinum shirt ($80). 877-718-2121; chase54.com

>ON THE CLOCK: Keegan Bradley and Miguel Angel Jimenez have more than contretemps in common. They both represent Audemars Piguet, the legendary Swiss watchmaker that also counts 10 other top pro golfers—including Lee Westwood and Louis Oosthuizen—among its ambassadors. Men favor AP’s iconic Royal Oak and Royal Oak Offshore collections (the selfwinding Diver edition with “Méga Tapisserie” pattern, $19,000), while women lean towards the Millenary (the Hand-Wound, with 18-carat pink gold case and hands, pink cabochon sapphire crown and 116 brilliant-cut diamonds, $28,400). Available exclusively in Denver at Oster Jewelers. audemarspiguet.com

> TAILOR MADE: J. Hilburn believes truly custom luxury menswear starts with a personal fitting. That’s why the company trains and employs a national network of personal stylists. The haberdasher also believes custom tailoring shouldn’t empty your well-stitched pockets. That explains why Hilburn’s bespoke clothing, made of fabrics from Italy’s finest mills, often costs less than off-the-rack designer clothes that require additional hemming. The ensemble pictured here—including custom shirt, linen suit, silk neckwear and pocket square— runs less than $1,300. Contact custom stylist Rachel Lefort (917-751-6043; [email protected]) or visit jhilburn.com

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Colorado AvidGolfer is the state’s leading resource for golf and the lifestyle that surrounds it. It publishes eight issues annually and proudly delivers daily content via www.coloradoavidgolfer.com.