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Interview: Greg D'Andrea from Golf Stinks

Interview: Greg D'Andrea from Golf Stinks

Written by  Paul Gibbons on Thursday, 14 April 2011
Greg D'Andrea is the co-founder of Golf Stinks blog. He chats to Leaderboard about broken putters, busting golf jargon and how he was forced into playing the game - kicking and screaming!

To visit Golf Stinks click here.

How did you get into golf?

 Kicking and and screaming - my mom forced me to take up the game so I wouldn't waste the summer of my 14th year doing nothing (see story here).
 
If you had to name one thing you love the most about golf, what would it be?

 The scenery. I love being outdoors in nature and nothing beats a beautiful mountain range or ocean vista while teeing off or putting out.


 What has been your favourite golfing moment personally?

 The time my ball knocked off some guy's gut and landed in an advisable spot in the fairway (see story here).

 
What has been your favourite professional golfing moment?

 I was in the gallery at a PGA event some years ago and after missing a couple of putts on 16, one pro (I forget who now) snapped his putter in half across his knee! He raised the broken club over his head in triumph as the crowd cheered. I remember thinking: "That goes against every golf etiquette rule on the tour, and damn was it refreshing to witness!"

How did you get into blogging?

 Golf-related content is so serious all the time - there's so much pressure to improve your game. I felt there needed to be an escape to all of that - a blog that average hacks could relate to - thus the Golf Stinks blog was born.

 Which other golf blogs or news sites do you read?

 I read a ton of other bloggers - a full list can be seen in the right sidebar on our site (golfstinks.blogspot.com). As far as major publications, I don't read too many. Golf Magazine is one I subscribe to - mainly to poke fun at all the crazy swing-help articles. I used to like T&L Golf (which was a golf travel magazine) but it stopped publishing a few years ago when the economy tanked. Many major publications have sold out these days - the blogosphere is where all the candid news is.

 What makes a good golf blog?

 I think bloggers just need to be true to their audience. If they report on the tours and tour players, then they need to cover angles that no one else is covering, you know, give people a reason to keep coming back. For a blog like Golf Stinks, we need to provide content that average golfers can relate to. Most of our fans probably don't realise it, but we take the ideology we project very seriously. We've actually turned down potential advertisers because the product went against what Golf Stinks is all about.

Do you follow any golfers / golf fanatics on Twitter?

 We follow a ton of golf-related tweeters - you can see our list of who we follow and who follows us here: www.twitter.com/golfstinks.

 
Do you think the golfing industry is using social media well?

 I don't think too many industries are taking full advantage of social media yet. I think many businesses are just trying to wrap their head around it still - they know it's something they should be doing, but are kind of lost as to how to do it effectively.

 
Do you think golf courses could benefit by using the internet and social media?

 Absolutely. GenX is becoming middle-aged. They are the first generation that grew up around computers and they will soon replace the boomers on the golf course. The boomers may not have been online, but you can be certain that GenX will be researching courses, booking tee times and planning golf vacations all online.

Do you buy golfing equipment online? What are some of your favourite places?

 I still don't! I like to swing a club before buying!

 
Do you watch golf tutorials online? If so, where? What is great about them?

 Personally, I don't watch too many golf tutorials online. However, there's one guy (Golf Dude in the Basement) that average hacks may be able to relate to - see story here.
 
What are your golfing and blogging goals for 2011?

 For blogging, I'd like to convert more golfers over to the notion that you don't have to be good to love this game. For golfing, I'd just like to get out and play more often!

 
Greg D'Andrea is the co-founder of www.golfstinks.com. It is a popular and humorous golf blog with a forthcoming social media site appealing to average hacks - Golfstinks is taking the frustration out of the game of golf!
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Paul Gibbons

Paul Gibbons

Paul Gibbons is responsible for the overall running and development of the company.

Paul originally started Leaderboard in the late 90s, after selling his share of the Auto Trader. He gradually added new sites to the roster and now Leaderboard are the proud owners of four courses and the Leaderboard Golf Centre.

Paul enjoys being the Chairman of Leaderboard Golf profoundly and finds his role highly engaging and rewarding. He particularly enjoys working with his great team and developing new and exciting ideas for the Leaderboard brand – for example Paul has been instrumental in Leaderboard's quest to become 'The Authority for Golf Online'.

Paul states that his work is made all the more enjoyable due to the support, creativity and vision that his wife Jennifer offers. She created the Oxfordshire Hotel, was responsible for the refurbishment of Dale Hill, the rebuild of Chart Hills and designed the new Hotel that is in planning at Sandford Springs.

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