Happy New Year From Hooked On Golf Blog – Hello 2012

Written by: Tony Korologos | Sunday, January 1st, 2012
Categories: Miscellaneous • Site News

Happy new year to all Hooked On Golf Blog patrons, friends, associates and golf buddies!

Goodbye 2011

2011 was a hell of a year for me and this golf blog. The blog logged roughly 38 MILLION hits in 2011 by about 1.8 million unique visitors. That’s an average of over 3 million hits per month by 150,000 unique visitors. Not bad for an independently run, one man blog with no advertising.

I’m working on the fourth and final look back at 2011 post which will be likely up tomorrow, unless I have an emergency golf round come up. That emergency round is quite possible, as the temps here tomorrow will be around 50. Normally this time of year we are buried in snow, so any chance to play golf is taken.

Hello 2012

After the final look back at 2011 it is all about 2012 and the new year/season. 2012 is going to be a huge year and I’m very excited for what it will bring. Stay tuned and don’t miss the action. I plan on doing a LOT more product giveaways and contests, giving patrons (readers) here more and more chances at free golf gear.

Happy Birthday Tiger Woods – 36

Written by: Tony Korologos | Friday, December 30th, 2011
Categories: PGA Tour • Pro Golf • Tiger Woods
Tags: Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods turns 36 today

Two birthdays on December 30th I can think of. One is my late grandma Myrle and the other is Tiger Woods.

Today Tiger turns 36, what should be the exact middle of the prime of his golf career. Now that he turned 36, golf magazines and media scribes are once again nauseatingly asking the same repetitive question over and over, “can Tiger beat Jack’s record?”

Nobody really has the answer, but it makes for good water cooler discussion. Time will tell.

A Look Back At 2011 – Part Three – Hooked On Golf Blog – January through June

Written by: Tony Korologos | Thursday, December 29th, 2011
Categories: Boneheads • Fantasy Golf • Golf • Golf Accessories • Golf Apparel • Golf Babes • Golf Balls • Golf Clubs • Golf Courses • Golf Equipment • Golf For Women • Golf Gear • Golf Life • Golf Lifestyle • Golf Media • Golf Videos • Hackers • HOG World Tour • Interviews • Life • Miscellaneous • PGA Merchandise Show • Pro Golf • Site News • Travel

Part one and part two of my look back at 2011 covered the professional golf world, Tiger Woods, PGA Tour etc. Part three today covers the first half of 2011 for Hooked On Golf Blog as well as my own unique experiences. I’m lumping them together because it is too hard to separate them. So here’s a sequential look at January to June 2011 through the HOG and TK filter:

January 2011

January is always a big post month because of the start of the PGA Tour season, and because of my annual trek to do live blogging from the PGA Merchandise Show. At the PGA Show I did a ton of interviews including Titleist, Taylormade, Bridgestone Golf, Cleveland/Srixon and many others.

Unfortunately in January I separated my shoulder skiing. I was blogging and shooting photos with one arm in a sling. The injury caused me to miss the annual Battle of the Golf Blogs in Orlando at the PGA Show. My role became photographer, reporter, tweeter and videographer.

Nike Machspeed Black Driver - click for review

February 2011

My new Nike Machspeed Black driver review was posted.

Did a review of the Hexcaliber, a golf ball compression and roundness testing device. Very cool.

Nailed down Nike Golf as the grand prize provider for 2011 HOG/Space fantasy golf. I rule.

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A Look Back At 2011 – Part Two – Pro Golf

Written by: Tony Korologos | Wednesday, December 28th, 2011
Categories: (British) Open Championship • Boneheads • Champions Tour • European Tour • Golf • Golf For Women • Golf Media • Golf Videos • Interviews • LPGA Tour • Miscellaneous • PGA Championship • PGA Tour • Pro Golf • Tiger Woods • U.S. OPEN • Web.com Tour

Today’s post is part two of my Look Back At 2011. Part One – Pro Golf, covered the first six months of 2011, ending with Rory McIlory’s fantastic win at the U.S. OPEN. Today we start from July 2011, pass through the Tiger Woods hot dog incident and finish out the year.

July 2011

In July the Nationwide Tour was in my back yard at the Utah Championship. I watched soon to be NWT player of the year J.J. Killeen win in a tight battle with Jeff Gove. I also followed around a few future PGA Tour stars like Bud Cauley.

In July it became official that Steve Williams was no longer Tiger Woods’s caddie.

In a puzzling move, the LPGA added a “5th” major. What’s next?

The 2011 (British) Open Championship was an all time historic tournament. Darren Clarke was possessed. He was SO consistent and calm. He finally got that major win, the Open. The one he wanted most. Congrats to Darren.

Keegan Bradley wins 2011 PGA Championship

August 2011

Dustin Johnson won the first round of the FedEx Cup playoffs with a -19 score at the Barclays. Donald Ross courses are just too easy anymore. Too short. The tournament was too short too, cut short by hurricane Irene.

J.B. Holmes underwent successful brain surgery. Glad he’s okay.

Despite complaints about the course and the endless low testosterone ads, the PGA Championship was terrific. Keegan Bradley locked up PGA Tour rookie of the year with his 2nd win of the season and his first major win. That’s one major win in one start for those scoring at home. Bradley wore the same exact outfit on Sunday that he did when he won his first tournament at the Byron. Wonder if he’ll wear that every Sunday… (more…)

A Look Back At 2011 – Part One – Pro Golf

Written by: Tony Korologos | Tuesday, December 27th, 2011
Categories: Boneheads • Champions Tour • European Tour • Golf • Golf Courses • Golf For Women • Golf Life • Golf Lifestyle • Golf Media • HOG World Tour • Interviews • LPGA Tour • Miscellaneous • PGA Tour • Pro Golf • Site News • Tiger Woods • U.S. OPEN

There were many newsworthy items in the 2011 golf world and obviously I can’t mention all of them. But here are a few which stand out in my mind, with relevant links to the original HOG posts. Part One of my look back at the golf world of 2011 covers professional golf, January to June. Part two, tomorrow, covers July to December.

2011 General

2011 was a year of parity. No player won more than two times on the PGA Tour in 2011.

The official world golf rankings were about as volatile as John Daly in a Hooters. The #1 golfer in the world position seemed like a hot potato, switching from Lee Westwood to Martin Kaymer to Lee Westwood to Luke Donald.