Here are the GolfWiz Blog predictions for 2012:

1. Tiger Woods will win the Masters: Tiger finally broke through in 2011 and he will continue his winning ways in 2012. I predict four wins including the 2012 Masters in April.




2. Lexi Thompson will not only contend on the LPGA Tour this year but she will win: Thompson is a rising star and her stellar play will continue in 2012. Yani Tseng will have a new challenger.
   



3. Lee Westwood will finally breakthrough and win a major this year: He has proven he has the game and consistency to play on the big stage and in 2012 he will finally hoist a championship trophy.




4. The Young Guns of golf will continue to shoot it out this year on the PGA and LPGA Tour: The rising crop of young players on both tours will make some serious noise this year. There is far too much talent out there for them not claim some tour wins in 2012.





5. U.S. wins the Ryder Cup: With the Ryder Cup being played on U.S. soil and the reemergence of Tiger Woods the U.S. team will pull a stunner and win the 2012 Ryder Cup 16 1/2 to 12 1/2.

Is Tiger Woods Back?

The number one question on the minds of golf fans around the globe in 2012 is: Has Tiger Woods returned to his winning ways? I wish I had the answer to that question but like most golf writers I can only speculate.

Woods broke a 270 day slump by winning the Chevron World Challenge in December in dramatic fashion. Coming down the stretch he birdied the 17th and 18th holes to edge Zach Johnson out by a shot. His win was not only a major win for Woods but it was a shot in the arm for the golf world as a whole. Let's face it golf needs Tiger Woods.

In his absence golf was that also ran sport on television right behind professional bowling and beach volleyball. Rating dropped and there was little or no buzz about golf in general. During Tigers' absence no one really stepped up and grabbed the spotlight. I agree Woods left some huge shoes to fill, but no single player dominated golf in the manner Tiger did in the past. Granted there were some great individual performances in 2011, but nothing to duplicate the accomplishments of Tiger Woods.

I know I sound like a die hard Tiger Woods fan and in many ways I am. However I love the game of golf a lot more than any single player and I feel like Tiger Woods embodies what the game of golf is all about. His tenacity and drive to win in unparalleled in his sport. Woods has set a standard that is so difficult to attain that he may never reach it again himself. In 2011, we saw Woods struggle with his game and his life. the world saw a man who seemed lost on the golf course. It seemed as though Tiger didn't know who Tiger Woods was. But in typical Tiger Woods fashion he kept grinding and found the winniner circle at the end of the year.

What does 2012 have in store for the world former # 1 player? Will he regain his form and dominate the game he once ruled with a iron fist or was his year ending win a mere fluke? Only time will tell. As the 2012 Masters nears all eyes will be on the well- manicure grounds of Augusta National to see if Tiger Woods will win his fifth green jacket and once again become the Tiger we all knew and sometimes loved.

Woods Wins Chevron !!

Tiger Woods ended his 2 year drought with a win today at the Chevron World Challenge. Woods birdied the 17th and 18th holes to edge Zach Johnson.

Sweet Spot Golf Holiday Sale !

Sweet Spot Golf is having a huge holiday sale today Nov 26 2011. Please stop by the Sweet Spot Retail Location at

2075 West Park Place Blvd

Suite A

Stone Mountain, GA 30087

Hours: 9am - 4pm

Phone: 678-418-8561

Tiger Woods wows Aussie crowd en route to a 67 and Australian Open lead

Tiger Woods wows Aussie crowd en route to a 67 and Australian Open lead

Thanksgiving Day is “Turkey Day” for most Americans

Had founding father Ben Franklin had his way the Wild Turkey, not the Bald Eagle, might have been our national emblem. While it is the domestic turkey that graces the Thanksgiving dinner table throughout the nation, its the wild bird that commands our attention.

With his awesome fanlike tail, colorful bald head, long beak, and 3,500 feathers, the mature male “gobbler” or “tom” is a sight to behold. This is one impressive bird. When he is “courting” his hens, he knows how to strut and warble. Quite the ladies man. The wild turkey was once plentiful throughout the country, but over hunting and loss of habitat caused a serious decline in population and in the early decades of the 20th century the birds were nearing extinction. Conservation efforts have successfully saved the wild turkey and today there are more than seven million birds in the North America. They are now hunted in all states except Alaska, and in parts of Canada and Mexico.

Long before European settlers arrived in the Americas, Native Americans enjoyed abundant populations of wild turkeys, and hunted the birds for food. At least 4,000 years ago, these early Americans created calls from turkey wing bones to help them bring turkeys in close enough range to kill.

The National Wild Turkey Foundation (NWTF), headquartered in Edgefield, South Carolina,
is the leader in wildlife habitat conservation in North America. The nonprofit organization is dedicated to conserving the wild turkey and preserving our hunting heritage. Since 1985, the National Wild Turkey Federation's volunteers and partners have spent more than $372 million on projects to help wildlife agencies trap and relocate turkeys to areas of suitable habitat and improve the health of our nation's forests and woodlands.

The Winchester Museum, located at the NWTF headquarters, is the only museum in the world dedicated to the restoration, management and hunting of the wild turkey. The amazing comeback story of the American wild turkey unfolds through exciting displays in the modern 7,200-square-foot museum, which welcomes more than 10,000 visitors annually.

The museum features an animated, lifelike storyteller who sits in a rocking chair and tells stories about the history of the NWTF, turkey hunting and conservation. Also featured is an animated Cherokee Indian, who shares legends and stories about wild turkeys. An exciting video highlights America's largest resident game bird and the conservation methods and people who have lifted the wild turkey from the brink of extinction to populations in the millions.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, more than 45 million domesticated turkeys are cooked and eaten in America each Thanksgiving. In 2010, more than 242 million turkeys were raised with an average live weight per bird of 28 pounds with nearly 6 billion pounds of turkey processed.

All turkeys have great hearing, but no external ears. They can also see in color, and have excellent visual acuity and a wide field of vision (about 270 degrees), which makes sneaking up on them difficult. Domestic turkeys cannot fly, but Wild Turkeys can fly for short distances at speeds up to 55 miles per hour. They can also reach speeds of 25 miles per hour on the ground.
Don’t try to catch one.

To learn more about Wild Turkeys visit the NWTF website at http://www.nwtf.org/. Travelers in South Carolina will want to plan a visit the the Winchester Museum at the NWTF headquarters in Edgefield.

Jim Weaver
GolfWiz Blog
Sr. Travel Writer

Crystal Springs Golf Resort, Sussex County, New Jersey

I truly never knew New Jersey had mountains. While there are miles of beaches and scores of casinos to be seen and enjoyed, you need to know where to look to find the mountains. In the very northwestern corner of the state just east of the Delaware Water Gap in Sussex County are the Kittatinny Mountains, and best of all they’re only an hour from New York City and Liberty International (Newark) Airport. While these mountains are not the Alps or even the Rockies, they are nevertheless quite beautiful and offer a variety of great recreational opportunities year round.

Located in a pristine mountain valley just outside Hamburg, NJ, Crystal Springs Golf Resort offers outstanding vacation and weekend getaway opportunities for couples, families,
and golfers looking for a variety of world class courses. Crystal Spring boasts seven championship golf courses, unmatched by any other New Jersey resort including Ballyowen, Black Bear, the new Cascades, Crystal Springs, Great Gorge, Minerals and Wild Turkey all located within a 5-mile radius and open to resort guest and the general public.

Ballyowen Golf Club was just named as one of the Top 50 Public Courses in the U.S. by Conde Nast's GolfWorld Magazine. More than 21,000 individual golf courses were evaluated based on thirteen different performance criteria, including quality and condition of the course, reputation/prestige, food/dining, and service.

Boasting a 6,673-yard layout co-designed by famed developer Jack Kurlander and PGA “Golf Instructor of the Year” David Glenz, the nearby Black Bear course offers players an inviting diversity of terrain, scenery, and shot selections.

Cascades is the newest golf course at Crystal Springs Resort. Nationally renowned golf course architect Roger Rulewich, of The Golf Group was responsible for the course’s design -- his third at Crystal Springs Resort. Measuring just 3,627 yards, the course’s design stresses playability.

Crystal Springs Golf Club is recognized as one of the finest golf facilities in the northeastern United States. When it opened in 1992, it was rated among the top 25 new golf courses in America by Golf Digest Magazine. Year after year, Crystal Springs ranks among Golf Digest’s top 10 list for public golf courses in New Jersey.

Crystal Springs is also considered the most challenging course layout in New Jersey. Despite measuring just over 6,800 yards from the championship tees, the distinct character of the club can be attributed to designer Robert von Hagge of Houston, Texas, one of the leading golf course architects in the United States.

Great Gorge Country Club is a golfer’s paradise. The George Fazio designed, 27 hole complex was given four stars by Golf Digest. It offers a truly exceptional challenge for golfers of all skill levels. Great Gorge is composed of three separate and distinct nine-hole courses:

The Minerals Golf Club is designed for great family fun. Known locally as the best 9-hole golf course in the region, its Robert Trent Jones-designed layout is perfect for every member of the family. Advanced players can be challenged on a spectacular mountainside layout measuring over 2,305 yards, while younger players have their own tees way ahead of mom and dad.

Wild Turkey is the Crystal Spring Resort’s second Roger Rulewich design, following Ballyowen. Located next to Crystal Springs Golf Club, Wild Turkey’s features two distinct terrain types combine the sheer expansiveness of Ballyowen with the rugged, multileveled nature of Crystal Springs.

The resort features two luxury hotels -- the Minerals Resort & Spa featuring 175 spacious and elegantly appointed guest rooms, as well as condominiums, and the Grand Cascades Lodge
offering 250 outstanding 4-star Adirondack style accommodations and world-class amenities.

After a rewarding day of golf, resort guests can head to the spa. Crystal Springs features two award-winning spas - Reflections Spa and Elements Spa. They were recently ranked among the top 20 Spas in America featuring mineral-based treatments and therapies.

Crystal Spring has twelve different restaurants, cafes, and bistros, serving a variety of delicious food. Restaurant Latour, at the Grand Cascades Lodge, is the resort’s premiere restaurant. It is known for its fine cuisine, outstanding selection of wines, and impeccable service. Its 64,000 bottle wine cellar (one of the world’s largest), winner of Wine Spectator's Grand Award, is available for tours and group tastings. Latour offers a truly memorable dining experience in every respect. You can even watch a colorful sunset beyond the distant mountain tops while you enjoy your superb dinner.

To learn more view http://www.crystalgolfresort.com/

James Weaver
Sr. Travel Writer
GolfWiz Blog