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Interview: Jamie King from Rub of the Green

Interview: Jamie King from Rub of the Green

Written by  Paul Gibbons on Tuesday, 08 February 2011
Jamie King's blog, Rub of the Green, began in 2004 in the early days of  the blogosphere. Since then he has expanded it from tee to tea, as not only does his musings include activities on the course, but also his tastes in everyone's favourite hot drink!
He talks to Leaderboard about his passions.

How did you get into golf?

 I actually had no interest in golf, but my Dad was a golfer. When I was about 14, he came home with a set of clubs for me that he'd bought from a friend (I am left-handed, so I couldn't just use his). I've always thought it was funny that he was so confident that I'd enjoy the game that he went ahead and bought the clubs before I had ever even played. But he was right. 
If you had to name one thing you love the most about golf, what would it be?

 I guess it would be the competition. My Dad and I have always been competitive people, and not just with each other. Growing up, I was always into team sports like basketball, so when I got into golf, that competitive spirit naturally carried over. The great thing about golf is that you're not only competing against your opponent, but against yourself, the course, weather conditions, etc. If you will let it, golf can do so much to make you a stronger person, just in terms of learning perseverance. 
What has been your favourite golfing moment personally?

 Again, it goes back to my Dad and I. I lost him last year, so I suppose he's on my mind a lot. We were playing in a scramble with some friends the year before last. We have a regular foursome of my Dad and I, and another father and son. Usually the fathers would compete against the sons. One week we (the sons) had a particularly good round and won. The next weekend we decided to mix things up and my Dad and I went against the other two. We were confident that we'd win, but Dad really wanted to beat the score that the other son and I had posted the week before. He had gotten to where he didn't play quite as well in his older years, but he was still as competitive as ever, and wanted to show that he could be a good partner to me. Anyway, we managed to birdie two of the last three holes to beat the previous week's score by one stroke. That was the last time my Dad and I played together as a team. 
What has been your favourite professional golfing moment?

 I don't play professionally. 


How did you get into blogging?

 Blogging was kind of "big news" back in 2004 when I started. I started rubofthegreen.org originally as an online journal just to gather my thoughts in written form. I've always been interested in writing, but have never been very good at long form. So blogging suited me. At the same time I started getting more and more into golf (I'd gotten away from the game for several years in the mid-late 90s. So it wasn't long before I decided to turn the blog into a golf-related one.
Which other golf blogs or news sites do you read?

 There aren't any others that I frequent on a regular basis. I get most of my news from Twitter. I know that's probably not a good thing to say, being someone who has a blog and would like to have regular readers on my site. But there's so much out there right now, and it seems the same stories show up on different sites, I just haven't found any one (lately) to be any more compelling than the other. Also, I like to get different opinions. I've never been one to watch only Fox News, or only CNN, if you know what I mean?
What makes a good golf blog?

 Being original. And I can't say that I necessarily fit into that category myself, but I strive to be. I just think that you should put your own personality into your site, just like anything you do in life. I try to do that on my site, and I hope that comes through in the writing. I know that sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't, and at the end of the day you have to actually know me in real life to know if it's actually happening that way. But it's something I strive for more and more with each post I write. 

Do you follow any golfers / golf fanatics on Twitter?


Sure. Quite a few actually. I follow Ian Poulter, Bubba Watson, Natalie Gulbis, Michelle Wie, just to name a few of the pros. I don't follow all of them, and I've unfollowed a couple who didn't fit my personality. Nothing against them, but you know, that's the point of Twitter isn't it? To follow people who interest you. Not because they are a celebrity or golf pro or whatever. But because they have things to say that interest you. If their interests aren't yours, don't follow them. I've had lots of people unfollow me, I'm sure for the same reason. I don't take it personally. And of course I follow lots of various golf enthusiasts and golf bloggers. It's a great community on Twitter. 
Do you htink the golfing industry is using social media well?

 I think they are doing an okay job. Networks like the Golf Channel are using Twitter a lot, even mentioning it on their broadcasts from time to time. But a lot of times they seem like they don't know exactly what they are talking about (and I'm not talking about Golf Channel here, but other networks/outlets), and it tends to have the opposite effect. It just makes them look like they are going for a "me too" attitude. They need to hire some people who actually know what's going on in the space, or educate their on-air talent, before jumping head first into the pool. 
Do you think golf courses could benefit by using the internet and social media?

 I've had a few golf courses "friend" me on Twitter, and to be honest, I haven't been able to see the benefit of it. Given, I don't really live in an area to be able to take advantage of many of the particular courses, and it may be different if I did, but I don't really see social media as a place for an "entity" to live. It feels more like a person to person, one-on-one area to me, and I've always felt it should stay that way. If I ever think I'm talking to a corporation on Twitter, or a golf course, as opposed to an individual, I just have a knee jerk reaction that doesn't sit well with me. Yeah, I think they can benefit. Just don't make me feel like I'm being given a sales pitch about how great your course is.
Do you buy golfing equipment online? What are some of your favourite places?

 I have bought golf equipment online before. I've used anywhere from eBay to Golf Galaxy to The Golf Warehouse. I don't have any particular one place I go to all the time. I usually have a particular product in mind, then I go on a quest to find the best price. Wherever I find it, that's where I buy.
What are your golfing and blogging goals for 2011?

 Simply, to do both more. I basically quit golfing in 2010. The loss of my Dad really hit me hard, plus I had some other personal issues I had to deal with. I plan on getting back to the game in 2011. As for blogging, I've never blogged as regularly as I'd like. I would like to dedicate myself to it more, with the goal of bringing a little more focus, and perhaps uniqueness, to what my blog is specifically about.

 Jamie's blog can be visited here: www.rubofthegreen.org.
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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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