Golf training aids come a dime-a-dozen — we’re all guilty of gifting a questionably-legitimate swing correcting gadget or, even worse, a laser guided putter attachment at least once. The myriad of “fix your slice forever” and “two putts or less” tools is far past the point of overwhelming, enough to make you say screw it to all of them (#ThreePutts4Life). But the Putt-A-Round isn’t as much a training aid as it is a discreet, stylish putting game built for those looking to swing the short stick inside (and possibly take a few strokes off your short game, if you’re into that sort of thing).
Consisting of a few simple, easy to assemble aluminum pieces, the Putt-A-Round is designed as a 360-degree target, standing at a little more than a foot off the ground — minimalism at its finest. The simplicity of the design may very well be what makes our favorite feature of the Putt-A-Round all the more striking, that being the customizable flags. Pre-printed flags are available, but unless you really want another American flag-printed golf accessory, go for the personal monogram option, or, better yet, submit a logo or design of your choice.
Though more can be said about the minimalistic design — like the brilliance of the angled plates that capture and hold on-target shots — it does have its downfalls when it comes to how the Putt-A-Round plays. The target is large enough to hold four golfballs snuggly, errant shots are off slamming into the walls or rolling under the furniture. When putting at the 360-degree target from only one angle, though, the shot is completely obstructed once a ball is in the plates’ grasp. It’s not a big deal to simply rotate the target a quarter turn before your next attempt, but if you’re using the Putt-A-Round as a training aid — trying to focus on addressing your ball and finding your line — a back-and-fourth to the target after each shot can get a little old. Captain obvious would say aim at the target from multiple angles, but not everyone has room in the office or apartment to make that happen — at least not without putting a few putter marks in the wall.
At address the Putt-A-Round looks like a big, inviting target — larger than the standard cup size — but get lazy with your line and you won’t have much luck. Spot-on putts payoff not only with a satisfying look at your ball set snug within the plates, but with an even more intoxicating ping noise. We can neither confirm nor deny this sound as being planned in the designed, but believe us, it’s as gratifying as the sound of a pured driver.
The Putt-A-Round has inherited a permanent spot on our at-home practice greens (living rooms and offices), and has easily become a go-to golf gift option for any occasion. Its compact, sleek design will fit in in any home, apartment, or office — even more so with a one-of-a-kind flag. We’ve intentionally waited to note the price of the Putt-A-Round until now, that’s because $29.97 — Games and Prize kits vary in price — is an afterthought for a training aid we’ll actually use more than once.
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