Golf Chatter Bio: @golfbloggercom
Real Name: John Retzer
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
What Do You Order from the #GolfChat Bar?
Bourbon Sour
2 Ounces Lemon Juice (fresh)
1 Ounce Simple Syrup
5 Ounces Bourbon
garnish with a maraschino cherry or two
How Did You Get Into Golf?
I’m a handy guy and one day a golf teaching pro friend asked me for help repairing a club. I thought it was an interesting project and ended up building a set. Then the friend gave me a few lessons to go with my set of clubs, and I was hooked. I bet I’m one of the few people in existence who built his own set of clubs before ever setting foot on a course.
What Are You Doing in Golf and Why?
Since 2004, I’ve been posting daily material on GolfBlogger.Com. The tally now stands at more than 10,000 articles comprising some eight million words.
I see GolfBlogger.Com as the blog of golf’s 99% — the working stiffs who play at munis with ten year old clubs and whose family and work preclude long hours at the course and range. These are the people left behind by the Major Golf Media, whose reviews of equipment, courses and topics often are more applicable to the low digit handicapper and well-heeled executive.
Since I am one of those working stiffs — GolfBlogger.Com is not my day job — I like to think that what I write is often more relevant than the MGM.
Favorite #GolfChat Topics?
#rakes
Playing from the correct tees
Tiger Woods (I’ve never been a fan).
The (imaginary) crisis in golf
Favorite Golf Quote?
Golf is played on a five inch course: the space between your ears. — Bobby Jones
Favorite Golf Destination and Why?
Northern Michigan. Even if I didn’t live in Michigan, I think I would want to return here again and again. There are more than 800 courses in Michigan, and many of the absolute best of them are in the Northern half. The prototypical “Up North” Michigan course is physically huge, featuring magnificently isolated holes cut through forest and across marsh, with significant elevation changes. The scenery ranges from dramatic to peaceful to simply sublime.
How Do You View the State of the Game of Golf?
I don’t think there’s anything “wrong” with the game. What we had was a “bubble,” similar to the real estate bubble that crashed the economy. This bubble, however, was the Tiger Bubble. Developers, manufacturers, and other golf industry players seriously miscalculated the long term (and even near term) effects of Tiger’s popularity.
A decline from an artificial high is not a decline, but a correction. Even so, the number of golfers is up from 5 million in 1960 to 25 million today. Five million golfers in 1960 was 2.7% of the population. Twenty five million golfers today represents 7.8% of the population.
Who Are Your Favorite #GolfChatters and Why?
I enjoy the whole crew. That’s why I keep returning to the #golfchat pub. But if I HAVE to choose, here are are specific reasons for two of them:
@connectgolf – I like to read what a person on the other side of the planet has to say about golf. Jeremy’s tweets are always interesting.
@motorcityJ – I like Jim for the opposite reason of Jeremy. He’s right here in Southeastern Michigan and give me a chance to see my own golfing world through another set of eyes.
Favorite Golfers and Why?
Among active players, I pay attention to Phil Mickelson, Rickie Fowler and of course Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy.
I also have started to enjoy watching Tiger Woods. It’s like watching NASCAR for the crashes. |
