GolfBlogger Blogiversary: The Golf Blog Turns 19
Today marks the beginning of the nineteenth year of GolfBlogger.com.
In the past year, I have published 589 articles, bringing the site total to 14, 642. Twenty-two new Michigan golf course reviews. were added, bringing that total to 257. I have also played and reviewed 42 in other states and countries, for a total of 299 overall. Other articles included a couple of dozen reviews of golf related products (golf clubs, balls, gadgets, apparel, shoes and so forth). The bulk of the rest of the posts were accounts of my own golf experiences, essays, commentary, photos, random thoughts and news items that interested me.
Indeed, the entire site is about what interests me — not what I think might generate clicks and visitors.
Such writing production surely pales in comparison to internet sites with teams of writers churning out click baity content on an hourly basis. GolfBlogger, however, is a one-man, part-time publication. I teach school as a day job and write GolfBlogger in my “spare time.”
It is all about the process, and the process has been fun and personally rewarding. I have no intention of stopping any time soon.
GolfBlogger began as nothing more than an outlet for my compulsion to write. My working life began in journalism/public relations in public policy in Washington, D.C. and after I made a career change to teaching, I found I missed the discipline of writing on a daily basis. Blogging was still in its infancy in 2004, so I thought I’d give it a try. The basic advice to writers is always to write about what you know and love, so it was either public policy or golf.
Obviously, golf won.
In truth, I did not expect anyone to actually read the blog. To my (continued) amazement, however, I have a large and steady stream of visitors. I am grateful for all who stop by to see what I have to say.
The number of visitors, however, is not the measure of the blog. GolfBlogger has been a labor of love, and the friendships and opportunities it has brought to me are incalculable. I am blessed to have so many friends in golf through the blog such as Tony and Alisanne Korologos, John Duval, Tom Lang, Kevin Frisch, Ken Griffin, Greg Johnson, Phyllis Barone, Bill Hobson, Dave Donelson, Vaughn Halyard, Dave Hill, Jimmy Dee Dowsett, Zach Szawara, Alec Grant, Brian Weiss, Neal Kotlarek, Bill Cuebas, Shane Sharp, Chakib Ghadouani, Carter Sherline, Art McCafferty, Carl Mickelson, Chris King and many, many more. In their own ways, each has made my life better.
Aside from traveling to various places to add to my “collection” of golf courses, I spent much of my golf time this past year at Washtenaw Golf Club, a 120-year-old club with which I am totally in love. The owners and staff — Dave and Karen Kendall, Zach Szawara, Matt Kopony, Tim Czerniawski, Donna Hatch, Mark Pappas and more — are so welcoming and accommodating.
In 2022 and 2022, I managed to extend my streak of playing at least once every month of the year in Michigan. With my round at Washtenaw in March 2023, I have now played in 97 consecutive months in Michigan. February 2023 was weirdly warm, letting me play several times; March, however, has been quite cold and snowy and I have been out just once.
This season, I hope to add another dozen course reviews and perhaps take a trip or two out of state. My friend in golf Vaughn Halyard jokes that I’m such a homer for Michigan that I need special dispensation from the Governor to leave the state to play.
A small pile of gear is waiting for me to test and review this season. Hopefully, I will soon have more. I’m always looking for things to write about so if any manufacturers are reading this, I’m happy to write about whatever you send.
In any case, in this next year, I will continue to write about golf from the perspective of one of golf’s 99%: the working stiff who plays at munis with well-worn clubs; whose family and work take precedence; but whose love of the game never diminishes.
I will end this tract with a special thank you to Mrs. GolfBlogger who has put up with my golf and writing obsession for decades and without whom none of this would be possible.
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Congrats on 19. The longevity of golf-related blogs is often short. You have set the bar high for other blogs.
I do not remember why or how I found my way here. I do recall the original online format of the website was very different. You, someone in TN and I would occasionally have online discussions.
I look forward to reading and being informed for a 20th year.
Thank you for the kind words and encouragement over the years.
The gentleman from TN was Martin.
There was a long period of time after I switched to the new software (the old one was no longer supported) that I did not realize that the comment system was not working. It worked for me and I didn’t think to check it from a “clean” computer.