Black Friday Golf Shopping Suggestions And Discount Codes

Written by: Tony Korologos | Friday, November 25th, 2011
Categories: Golf • Golf Accessories • Golf Apparel • Golf Equipment • Golf Gear • Golf Life • Golf Lifestyle • Miscellaneous

I’m NOT one of the crazy ones who gets up at midnight and shops on black Friday. I usually wait until December 24th to do my golf Christmas shopping. But for those of you HOG readers who are shopping for golfers on your Christmas list, here are a few suggestions I have for you, featuring friends of HOG. These are my personal suggestions and I have not been asked, or paid to post these.

50% OFF orders from Sumi-G

As you may know, Sumi-G is one of my favorite companies. They make the BEST head covers in the world, fantastic belts, and a variety of golf bags unmatched anywhere. Plus they have many other accessories. Sumi-G is offering a 50% off discount in the Sumi-G online store with the coupon code: Holiday11.

20% off orders from Tattoo Golf

Tattoo Golf is one of the all time best HOG supporters and buddies. I have everything imaginable from Tattoo golf from killer golf skull shirts to awesome golf skull bags, to putter covers and more. Get 20% off from the Tattoo Golf online shop with the code: blkfri.

10% additional discount at Frogger Golf

My buddies at Frogger Golf make the best golf brush in the universe, and the killer dual layer Amphibian Towels. Get an additional 10% off from the Frogger Golf online shop with the code: FROGGERFANS.

There you have some fun discounts for golf shopping. I’m off to watch my Utah Utes play the final football home game of the season today. Adios.

2011 – 7th Annual HOG Turkey Awards

Written by: Tony Korologos | Thursday, November 24th, 2011
Categories: Boneheads • Golf • LPGA Tour • Miscellaneous • PGA Tour • Pro Golf • Site News • Tiger Woods • U.S. OPEN

Happy Thanksgiving to all Hooked On Golf Blog readers, fans, haters, critics… I hope you have a fantastic Thanksgiving (those who celebrate it) and don’t eat too much.

It is THAT time of year again. It is time for the legendary (in my own mind) HOG Turkey Awards. The HOG Turkey Awards were created to recognize boneheads in the golf world for the past year. There have been many big winners of the HOG Turkey Awards, from Sergio Garcia spitting in the cup to John Daly passing out in a hooters to Phil Mickelson blowing the lead on the final hole of the US Open. I suggest you look back over the years and read the previous entries. There’s some good entertainment. Links for previous years are below.

Alright, enough talk. Let’s get to it. The envelope please… drum roll….

Honorable Mention: John Daly

This has been a quiet year for John Daly. The winner of many previous HOG turkey legs didn’t really do anything to deserve one this year. But I’m so used to putting him on the turkey award list, I had to just mention his name.

#10 Kevin Na 16

Kevin Na carded a 16 on the par-4 9th hole at the Texas Open. I watched Na as he hacked and hacked and hacked, trying to get out of the trees on the right of the 9th. Na laughed, but the caddie wasn’t thrilled. Later Na said, “I think I made somewhere between 10 and 15.” Um, try 16.

#9 Jim Gray

Jim Gray was removed from his duties by Golf Channel after he got into a “heated argument with golfer Dustin Johnson’s caddie Bobby Brown” at the Northern Trust Open. That was his 2nd dispute in a year. Apparently Gray was crossing the line asking interview questions of Johnson’s round when conversation was not initiated by the player or caddie– a no-no on the PGA Tour.

#8 Tiger Woods Spit Gate

I didn’t know this until it happened, but spitting is quite offensive in the middle east. Not too thrilled with his play, Tiger hawked a pretty large one on the 12th hole in the final round of the Dubai Desert Classic and was subsequently fined by the European Tour.

“The Euro Tour is right – it was inconsiderate to spit like that and I know better. Just wasn’t thinking and want to say I’m sorry.” ~Tiger Woods

#7 Chris Berman

Chris Berman’s lame and tired schtick during the US Open is so nauseating. “Ground control to David Toms.” Please stop. Please stop.

#6 Boneheads Who Yell Get In The Hole

“Get in the hole.” “You da man!” Please, please. I beg you. Stop. Shut up.

#5 Rory McIlroy Blows Masters Lead

I really, really wanted Rory McIlroy to win the Masters. But I did fear he might turn into a rubber band and flame out as he had such a large lead going into Sunday. It was simply hard to watch. The Rory Masters meltdown gets a turkey leg, but I believe it really helped him win the US Open.

#4 Johnny Miller

Johnny Miller is a very polarizing announcer. Some love him. Some hate him. I’m not a big fan, but I do like the fact that he isn’t afraid to speak his mind, especially about Tiger. But Miller gets a turkey leg for predicting that Rory McIlroy would knock his tee shot in the water on the par-3 10th hole in the final round of the US Open at congressional. Instead, McIlroy flew his shot over the flag and nearly backed it into the hole for an ace. He had a tap-in birdie and went on to lap the field for his first major.

#3 LPGA Tour Adds 5th Major

This is wrong in so many ways. The LPGA actually added a 5th major championship, and even more boneheaded is that it is in Europe.

#2 Steve Williams “Best win I’ve ever had. Best week of my life”

After his new player, Adam Scott, won the very prestigious (forget the Masters, US Open, British Open etc) Bridgestone Invitational, Steve Williams had some interesting quotes:

“That’s the best win I’ve ever had.”

“Best week of my life.”

Those comments deserve a turkey leg. Think of all the big major victories, like 2008’s US Open and the playoff with Rocco Mediate. Puzzling.

#1 (and the winner is…) Steve Williams Racial Comments

When accepting a caddie award in Shanghai, Steve Williams described the feeling of beating Tiger Woods at the Bridgestone by saying,

“It was my aim to shove it right up that black ass.”

I talked to a couple of pals who are tour caddies and were at the event. The place went dead silent and people in the audience were stunned.

Williams later apologized for his comments on his web site. Sometimes I wonder if he says things like this just to drive traffic to his web site when he apologizes.

Previous HOG Turkey Awards

2010 HOG Turkey Awards

2009 HOG Turkey Awards

2008 HOG Turkey Awards

2007 HOG Turkey Awards

2006 HOG Turkey Awards

2005 HOG Turkey Awards

Lee Westwood Joins PGA Tour for 2012 – 2012 PGA Tour Season Shaping Up

Written by: Tony Korologos | Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011
Categories: European Tour • PGA Tour • Pro Golf • Tiger Woods
Tags: Lee Westwood

PGA Tour Bound

Wow this is cool news. World ranked #3 Lee Westwood will join the PGA Tour for 2012. Any time the USA tour can snag a top ranked player from the European Tour is good with me. That just means I get to see him play more.

The news though, doesn’t mean that Westwood won’t play on the Euro Tour, or for the 2012 European Ryder Cup team. In fact, the Ryder Cup seems to be one small contributing reason why he’s playing in the USA in 2012.

“It just feels right to me in a Ryder Cup year to commit to a full programme in the United States.”

Lee, if you are playing here in the USA, you’ll need to change the way you spell words like “program.”

2012 Shaping Up

So let’s check this for a second. Westwood joins Rory McIlroy for 2012 on the PGA Tour, and there are hints that Graeme McDowell will be playing more in the states as well. Looks like 2012 is going to be a good year in the USA, and even tougher for Tiger Woods to come back and win with more top 10 ranked players in action here.

Bring it on!

New To HOG Lab: Wilson FG Tour X Golf Balls

Written by: Tony Korologos | Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011
Categories: Golf Balls • Golf Equipment • Golf Gear
Tags: Wilson Golf

The snow has melted and the temps are supposed to be above 50, which is pretty good around here right now. It was possible that we wouldn’t see green grass until March or April. Thankful for global warming I suppose.

Wilson FG Tour X Golf Ball - click for more images

I’m happy to report that I’ll be testing the new Wilson FG Tour X golf balls TOMORROW. The FG Tour X’s are three layer balls with a cast urethane cover. This is the longer/harder distance version of the Wilson FG Tour, which is more of a spin ball.

Stay tuned for my first impressions in about 24 hours.