Looking through a golf store can be daunting for those unfamiliar with the sport.

Each shop has a seemingly endless selection of drivers, hybrids, iron sets, apparel and shiny new golf gadgets.

Golfers tend to like the newest and nicest equipment. But determining what a golfer would actually want from a barn full of merchandise can be tough.

The good news is that golf equipment is generally becoming less expensive.

“With the competition in the marketplace and the economy, you can really get a nice gift for $100,” says Nelson von Stroh, who manages Pro Golf of Bend. “Where a lot of times on an avid golfer’s Christmas list his bottom item was $300 for a driver, now you can come in and get a nice hybrid or fairway wood, or even a decent driver, for as low as $100.”

Following is a list of some of the hot golf gift items this Christmas, with the manufacturers suggested retail price in parentheses. At many outlets, items and others can be found for less than the MSRP.

Wedges

The United States Golf Association’s ban on manufacturers from making u-groove wedges goes into effect on Jan. 1, but for the overwhelming majority of golfers those same grooves are legal for play until 2024. (Competitive golfers will have to conform to the new rule sooner.)

Chances are that every golfer still has u-groove wedges in his or her bag, as that has been the dominant technology for more than a decade. Those wedges help golfers produce a higher spin rate and more control out of the rough than legal v-groove wedges.

Cleveland Golf’s CG15 wedge ($119.95) and Titleist’s Vokey Spin Milled wedge ($125) are two of the most popular models of u-groove wedges.

Confused about the rule? TaylorMade offers a solution with its TP with XFT (Exchangeable Face Technology) wedge ($129.99). The wedge features a detachable face, allowing a golfer to switch between conforming and nonconforming grooves or replace a worn-out set of grooves without replacing the entire club.e_SClBDrivers

Only a few 2011 models have already hit the shelves in time for Christmas. Among the newest easy-to-hit, game-improvement drivers is Ping’s K15 ($300), Callaway’s Diablo Octane ($399), and the Titleist 910D2 ($399). But driver technology has not drastically changed during the last several years, leaving an opportunity for some bargain hunting.

Golf stores generally mark down models from the previous year (2009 in this case), offering an opportunity to purchase a good driver at an affordable price. Pro Golf of Bend, for instance, is currently offering 2009 Nike SQ drivers, initially priced at $299, for $100.

Drivers work best when fitted to a golfer’s swing. Gift givers may want to buy a gift card — at a local retail outlet such as Pro Golf of Bend, Dick’s Sporting Goods in Bend, or at any of the region’s golf course pro shops — in the same amount as the price of the desired driver. And each store will make sure that the happy gift-card recipient will find a driver that fits his or her game.e_SClBClothing

What has changed in golf clothing?

Well, not much — unless you consider the advancements of weather-proof clothing.

Over the years, golf manufacturers have made their weather gear more and more stylish.

Take Mizuno’s Golf Windlite zip-neck sweaters ($119.99). The outside of the sweater looks like a stylish knit sweater. But that sweater is lined with a windproof layer, made for golfers who play in less-than-ideal conditions. And golfers who live in Central Oregon can find such conditions with relative ease.e_SClBAccessories

GPS units, which help show a player the precise distance from where a golf ball lies to the cup, are always a popular choice for Christmas. Unlike a good driver, GPS units do not have to be matched with a golfer’s swing and they are appreciated by most golfers. And they have gotten less expensive in recent years, says von Stroh.

Bare-bones units such as Bushnell’s NEO Golf GPS ($99.99), which has a black-and-white display and shows yardage and little else, are inexpensive alternatives to the pricier, graphics-loaded units such as the full-color SkyGolf SkyCaddie SGX ($399.95).

Range finders, which are a cross between a pair of binoculars and a laser gun, have become more accurate since golf courses — including most in Central Oregon — began to attach laser guides on their flagsticks.

Beaverton-based manufacturer Leupold is among the market leaders for range finders. Leupold’s range finders are priced from $375 to $500 for its GX-1, GX-2 and GX-3 models. All three models are tournament legal, as are the majority of range finders that do not measure slope. An easy tell: If the range finder is painted yellow, that means it does not conform to the rules of golf and cannot be used in tournament play.e_SClBLocal help

Martin Chuck, the director of golf at Tetherow Golf Club in Bend, several years ago developed the Tour Striker ($99.99-$119.99) training device.

The device is a modified iron (such as an 8-iron or wedge) and is grooveless on the heel, the toe, and the bottom of the club face. The only way to get a golf ball off the ground with the Tour Striker is to hit it with the small grooved section on the face of the club.

The idea is to teach golfers where to correctly make contact on a conventional golf club.

And business is booming.

“The Tour Striker has done well,” Chuck says. “We’ve sold about 30,000 units in the U.S. and another 20,000 around the world. Recently they were picked up by most of the big-box golf shops around the country.”

The device can be found on Chuck’s website, www.tourstriker.com, or at select local outlets.

It is not the worst idea to buy local AND improve a golf swing.