It’s like a nasty shank that just won’t stop.  No matter how hard you try, you just can’t get away from it.  Yes Christmas is here and it’s everywhere.

Grandma’s little cherubs have been marched onto our screens and into our lives sending musical shivers down Frosty the Snowman’s spine.

Elsewhere the Little Drummer Boy keeps on banging and the weary warblings of a Fairytale in New York continues to drone on like hospital radio.

It’s not that I’m anti-Christmas, certainly not.  I cherish a tot of festive flavoured merriment as much as the next, but just not at the expense of some pushy sidewalk Santa.

That said, like an unshakable shank, I’m making every effort to embrace the encroachment of Christmas with some top tips and a sprinkling of jollity.

Call it a combination of Do They Know It’s Christmas meets Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree – if you will.

So here’s my Christmas list of golfing must-haves, brought to you with all the gaiety of one of the Big Man’s little helpers:

GARMIN’S NIFTY GPS WRISTWATCH

Not just any handy little wristwatch – The Garmin Approach S1 is unlike any other golf GPS device.  It gives ultra accurate GPS yardages measuring the distance to the front, back and middle of the greens on any of the preloaded 5000 golf courses.

£148 (RRP: £179.99)

CALLAWAY PENCIL STAND BAG

I’m a huge fan of this bag.  It’s lightweight and compact at only 2kg but big enough to carry a full set of clubs and half the contents of my handbag.  Complete with collapsible stand and Izzo Double strap it’s perfect for trudging around courses during a damp and dreary winter.

£45 (RRP: £80)

NIKE AIR EMBELLISH GOLF SHOES

As the Imelda Marcos of golf shoes, I speak with authority when I tell you these ladies shoes demand a health warning: ‘May Cause Sensation of Walking on Air’.  Don’t waste money patching up tender toes and painful feet.  The Nike Air Embellish are worth every penny and considering ladies are somewhat lacking in golfing footwear choice, these rock.

£71 (RRP: £100)

THE MASTERS

It might mean tapping into the kid’s college savings, but if you’re an obsessed golf fan, this may just top your ‘bucket list’. Become one of the privileged few to walk along the pristine fairways & hallowed grounds of Augusta National watching the world’s top golfers compete for the Green Jacket.  Select from practice and tournament packages between 2 – 8 April 2012.

RRP: Brace yourself, it’s expensive!