First Bonneville Golf Course Round of 2016

Written by: Tony Korologos | Friday, March 11th, 2016
Categories: Golf • Hackers

One of my three home courses is Bonneville Golf Course, the most popular golf course in Utah. It’s great municipal course with tremendous greens, some nice elevation changes, and oddly, NO fairway bunkers anywhere. The only course I’ve ever seen that does not have a single fairway bunker.

Yesterday was my first round on this course for 2016. I started off nicely with a birdie on the first hole, a reachable par-5. I also made birdie on #10 and the par-5 16th. I had a bunch of bogeys and one double, not surprising since it was my first full round of 18 holes since about five months ago. All that added up to a +6 78 from the black tees. A somewhat respectable score so early in the season.

This was my first full round of on-course testing of the new Harry Taylor wedges. That’s taking some getting used to. I’m not hitting them as far as my old wedges yet. That could be due to spring rust, different grinds and/or different shafts on them. I did make a couple of very nice chips however, so that’s nice.

I’m trying to approach this season with a different attitude. Last season I let the game’s frustrations get the best of me to the point of nearly quitting. I lived and died on each shot, rather than just being out there and enjoying some fresh air and green grass. I’m sure I’ll still have frustrations but I’m going try and focus less on score and individual shots, and more on the overall experience.

We’ll see how long that lasts.

I didn’t walk the course yesterday as my playing partner always rides in a cart. I do need to walk more to get in better shape, and to get ready for the upcoming Scotland trip. Plus it will save a few bucks. By walking I could basically save enough in cart fees to play three walking rounds of golf for the cost of two riding.

Below is a photo I Tweeted from the 8th tee. Look at the fabulous green fairway in the foreground and the snow covered Mount Olympus in the background!

Hell of a view. pic.twitter.com/FLAIU1i5zg

— Tony Korologos (@TheGolfSpace) March 10, 2016

Somehow I managed to squeeze $12 out of my two opponents, despite giving up shots and/or a tee box. It was a nice day and nearly 70 degrees which is not normal for March here in northern Utah. I’ll take it. Bring on the global warming.

I’ve Started Stamping My Balls

Written by: Tony Korologos | Wednesday, March 9th, 2016
Categories: Golf • Golf Accessories • Golf Gear
Tags: Golf Balls

Sometimes it can be hard to identify your balls. It’s especially bad to get your balls mixed up with someone else’s. To avoid problems like that I’m testing out a new ball stamper from StampYourBalls.com. Check it out.

On the first tee I stamped my ball with a scottish flag – lovely

Since I love Scotland so much I chose the Scottish flag as one of my stamps. I have a few others which are quite entertaining. Watch for those soon. There are currently 130 designs to choose from.

The stamp is easy to use and the imprint is very crisp on the ball. I was quite surprised. Of course the big question is how long will the imprint last. Below is a shot of the same ball after the round. The photo is a bit washed out by the sun so it looks like more of the ink came off than really did. And yes, I played the whole round with one ball.

A little bit of the ink is worn off, but quite impressive after a full round

I’ll do some more testing of all the stamps in various colors, and post my full review soon. On first impressions this is a fun product which will help keep my balls properly accounted for.

First Look: Harry Taylor Wedges

Written by: Tony Korologos | Monday, March 7th, 2016
Categories: Golf • Golf Clubs • Golf Equipment • Golf Gear
Tags: golf wedge • Harry Taylor Golf • Sand Wedge • wedge

Golf gearhead drool warning. Have a bib ready for this one. I just got in some fantastic looking wedges from Harry Taylor Golf.

Harry Taylor Golf Wedges

Previously, Harry Taylor was a club designer at TaylorMade, Mizuno, and Founders Club. He’s now making his own wedges and as you can see by the images I’ve shot, they look sweet.

Harry Taylor Golf Wedges

I’ve got a full set of these wedges to test: 52-56-60. These are going straight in the bag and I will start hitting them next week, weather permitting. As I do with all of my golf club reviews, I’ll be spending a lot of time playing these on the course before I post my detailed review. Until then, enjoy these pics and check out the Harry Taylor Golf website.

Harry Taylor Golf Wedges

Visit the Hooked On Golf Blog YouTube Channel – 450 Videos – 5.5 Million Views

Written by: Tony Korologos | Friday, March 4th, 2016
Categories: Golf • Golf For Women • Golf Videos • Miscellaneous • Site News

I just received an email asking if I ever do any golf related videos here at Hooked On Golf Blog. It’s been awhile since I’ve mentioned this so be sure to visit the HOG YouTube channel, and subscribe too! Here’s the URL: https://www.youtube.com/user/TheGolfSpace

The HOG YouTube channel currently features 450 videos. There are 672 subscribers and the channel has logged over 5,486,000 views! That’s substantial! Below are a couple of highlight videos for your enjoyment.

Oasis Palmer Course Hole #5 Reverse Flyover