| When a friend of mine introduced me to golf | | | | worked better for me than others (I am a Titleist |
| many years ago, I wasn't overly impressed and | | | | man), and spent a small fortune on golf equipment |
| asked him what he saw in the game. He said, | | | | (Nike made a small fortune off me) I did or did |
| "Well, golf means different things to different | | | | not need. Truth be told, my lack of knowledge |
| people. To me, it's mostly about being away from | | | | and my being ill at ease with the sales people in |
| my busy life for a few hours, being one with | | | | the pro shops probably kept me from enjoying |
| nature, and talking to some good friends." That | | | | the game as much as I should have. |
| made sense to me, but I quickly found out what | | | | All of this changed in the past few years. I am an |
| he meant as I became a golfer, too, taking | | | | online person. To me, finding accurate and |
| lessons and burying myself in golf equipment | | | | unbiased golf equipment reviews on the web was |
| reviews. | | | | just what I had been waiting for. I am not talking |
| People do take up golf for different reasons and it | | | | about just online golf stores or golf bulletin boards. |
| does mean something different to almost every | | | | What helped me were sites done by golfing |
| player. For some, like my friend, it's relaxing on a | | | | enthusiasts who simply wanted to share their |
| beautiful course and enjoying nature and the | | | | knowledge with others. See, while I used to be |
| scenery. To others it's a great way to meet with | | | | aware of the likes of Burton or Ogio or Ping, |
| clients and close deals. Some just enjoy an | | | | there wasn't anyone who told me who truly |
| occasional round. Others get hooked and pursue | | | | made the best bag for me. I was told some of |
| mastery of the game with single-minded passion. | | | | the training aids out there really worked while |
| But no matter what attracts you to the game of | | | | others were a waste of money but I didn't know |
| golf, we all have something in common: we need | | | | which was which. I knew of amazing |
| equipment. Lots of it. | | | | advancements in golf carts and I had even heard |
| Initially I had a real problem with that. Golf shops | | | | of new technologies like golf gps, but I didn't |
| intimidated me. I didn't really know much about | | | | know what was valuable information and what |
| golf clubs, golf shoes or even golf bags and I was | | | | was just marketing. |
| embarrassed about my lack of knowledge. | | | | For me, the emergence of golf enthusiast sites |
| Whenever I went to a pro shop, everyone else | | | | with golf equipment reviews made all the |
| seemed to be an expert, knowing everything | | | | difference. I love reading reviews written by real |
| about golf, except me. I didn't understand half of | | | | people as opposed to just sales spiels, and I love |
| what sales people were talking about and I didn't | | | | how some of those sites explain it all in terms |
| even understand many of their questions. So I | | | | that make sense. I love to read and learn, and |
| felt they were talking down to me and I resented | | | | these days I totally rely on golf sites that are not |
| that. | | | | only entertaining, but also provide me with the |
| So I began reading golf books and magazines and | | | | reviews I need and even recommendations on |
| asked golfing buddies for advice. I ended up with | | | | where to get the best deals. |
| a good set of clubs, found that some balls | | | | |