Happy “Rory plays Royal Melbourne this week” week to all who celebrate.
For today’s newsletter, we put together a little gift guide for … your spouse.
Let me explain: If you’re reading this, I know there’s a [checks notes] 96 percent chance you’re male and also a 65 percent chance you’re between 25-44 years old. Audiences are so often reflective of their congregators. You are me. I am you.
In light of this, I know how I operate around Christmas when my wife asks what I want. “Nothing,” [mumbles something vague about a pair of shoes or a jacket].
I am … not the most helpful.
So we wanted to make it easy on people like me (and you!) by building a Christmas gift guide for you to … simply forward on to your spouse (no talking necessary).
With the added bonus that everything is 30 percent off for members through Wednesday, Dec. 3 (we extended this from Dec. 1) and all shipping is free until then, too.
Your spouse doesn’t need to be logged in to your account either. I’ll drop the 30 percent off code below for members, and your spouse can just use that at checkout.
This is not the entirety of today’s newsletter, but it is a decent chunk of it.
We always appreciate anything your support of our business, and taking advantage of our BFCM deal — please, take advantage of us! — is a great way to support us.
In other words …
Name drops today: Jon Scheyer, Wirecutter, Cam Smith, Duke football, Golden Bell, Lane Kiffin, Skins game, Honus Wagner.
Today’s newsletter is sponsored by Meridian Putters, which is winding down its biggest sale of the year — 35 percent off all in-stock putters.
Honestly, it’s about as good of a deal as you can get in the golf world for the holidays.
If you’re in the market for a new putter (for yourself or as a gift) or just need a honeymoon phase with something fresh, you should absolutely check them out.
In fact, I feel so strongly about this, let’s do this … I will buy a Meridian putter for the first two people who spend $100 or more in the Normal Sport pro shop on Monday.
You can just email me your receipt, and if you’re one of the first two people who does so, I’ll buy you a putter and have it shipped to you asap.
That’s how strongly I believe in Meridian’s product and in what they’re doing.
You don’t have to take it from just me, either as other Normal Sport readers recently sent us their favorite thing about Meridian as well.
OK, now onto the news.
1. My favorite piece in our shop right now (Kyle): The Lawson pullover. I probably prefer the gray, but the light blue is money, too. And it’s the most comfortable hoodie I’ve ever worn. If somebody said, “You can only keep one item with Norman’s face on it,” this would 100 percent be the one I would keep.
I was also going to create a category entitled, “product my wife steals most often,” but it would also just be this pullover.
2. My favorite piece in our shop right now (Jason): Kyle stole my (and my wife’s) favorite piece of merch so I’ll go with my close second, this scorecard holder by Winston Collection. I’m a sucker for green leather products and this one’s got a nice patina to it. It’s also reassuring to see Norman’s goofy face staring back at you when things go sideways on the course. He observes, but he doesn’t judge.
3. Our most popular item: The 2025 bestseller so far has been our oatmeal Norman hoodie. We only have small and 2X left, but will absolutely be putting in a fresh order soon. It’s the safest purchase you can make. Everybody — from my other 40-year-old friends to my 12-year-old daughter — is a fan.
4. Best BFCM deal for members: Probably this YETI mug. We’re losing money on it, but I don’t really care. It’s awesome. I use it all the time. It’s an easy recommendation at $45 and possible theft at $30.
5. The one we’re most proud of: This crazy Honus Johnson Wagner t-shirt. It’s so comfortable, and the translation of Jason’s illustration into a real-life product is perfect. If your spouse is a fan of esoteric, ridiculous memorabilia, he or she will absolutely love this shirt.
6. Best hat option: If your spouse is a hat guy (or gal), this is the one I would recommend. It has gotten the most positive feedback thus far and — to borrow language from Wirecutter — is probably the best choice for the most people.
If your spouse prefers a more dad hat look, this is the one.
7. Best IYKYK merch: The Outdoor Sport hat + Scottie shirt combo is the go-to gift for the truest of golf sickos (if they don’t mind constantly explaining Scottie Scheffler’s all-time quote about playing in bad weather).
8. Thus ends the gift guide portion of today’s newsletter. Don’t forget: We still have a 50 for $50 deal going through Monday, Dec. 1 (today). That’s 50 first-time memberships, all for $50 (regularly $82).
You can use the code NSBLACKFRIDAY at checkout right here.
9. Rob Perez explains on Twitter why Twitter messing with Twitter is still happening and how the monoculture nature of the app — which was its biggest draw — has never felt more distant. It’s a good read and will make you update your settings.
10. At some point this month, I’m going to put together an entire hot takes newsletter where everybody gets to just unload thoughts they’ve been thinking but are scared to say out loud. For now, I’ll whet the appetite with this one from ANGC Burner about how Cam Smith’s putt at the Road Hole in 2022 is overrated.
This one (you can watch it here).
I … don’t agree with the take, but I’m definitely into the fact that somebody believes it. The hottest one I can think of right now that I do believe is that the wind on No. 12 at Augusta National isn’t really that difficult and is more or less used as an excuse for weak shots in big moments.
Also, this is probably a better version of that take.
11. As a purveyor of “imagine telling yourself …. X number of years ago” takes, both of these resonated with me.
12. This is the perfect way to sum up Lane Kiffin. Like, it could not be more perfect.
And yet somehow Kiffin isn’t even the person for whom I find this turn of phrase to be most fitting ………..
Aside: I was entranced by the Kiffin saga all weekend. Is it bad for CFB? Maybe. Does it make Kiffin untrustworthy? Sure. Is everything he does absolutely entertaining as hell? 100 percent. Aside to the aside: I’ve been told I look like both Jon Scheyer and Kiffin. Not sure either is a huge compliment.
13. I watched parts of the Skins Game on Friday. It was … fine. To repeat something I’ve been saying for a while: We don’t need more golf, especially YouTube-adjacent golf with worse characters than the actual YouTube Golf characters. We do need more consequential golf. This wasn’t that. It wasn’t bad, per se. It wasn’t great, either.
It was kind of just filler. Which I guess is OK in a pre-streaming world. But in the world we live in now, things need to be compelling for folks to seek them out. And I don’t really see how that’s ever going to be the case with pros playing unedited YT Golf for prizes none of them really care all that much about.
We appreciate you reading our handcrafted, algorithm-free newsletter about golf. We put everything we have into every newsletter we write, which is why they are frequently 1,427 words like this one. Everything you read and consume was created from scratch by two humans who are absolutely obsessed with the game.
If you ever want to support our business, you can buy Norman merch here or become a Normal Club member (we have over 1,000!) right here.
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