2005-08-07

About Eat Golf

Started out as a place for me to write down my swing keys so I could reference them after taking time off from golf. There were not a lot of golf tip websites at all back then and I thought if I am going to type them, I might as well put them up on a website. Now, Eat Golf has grown to a fairly large golf site. Not only a blog, but a directory of golf courses, a WIP dictionary, the rules of golf, a source for golf news, a golf forum scanner, a spot for people to review golf companies, and even a place to look at 1000 pictures of Fred Couples...

The funny thing is, so many people read Eat Golf now that I don't feel qualified witting a personal tip about keeping your elbow in. Now, there are better golfers out there writing tips. I still may sneak a few tips in the blog posts though - normally prefaced with something like *note to self - don't even think about your right elbow*

For the fun of it,

Here were the first words typed on Eat Golf:

July 3, 2004 I have to re-learn golf each time I take it up. It has been nine months since I have even touched a golf club and I am about to start up again. This time I am going to write everything I learn down. That is the reason for this site. To document my swing thoughts and progress as I attempt to become the best golfer I can.

And here were the first words typed after I took six months away from golf:

UPDATE Feb 20, 2005 I have been working on various projects and have not played since September. I am in the process of wrapping up all these distractions and getting back to golf. If the weather clears, I will start this week - so eatgolf will be getting updated regularly again soon! -Thanks everybody for your patience.

These two blurbs have been at the top of the homepage forever. I decided to get them off the home page and that is why I'm building this About Eat page.

So who is Eat Golf?
Hi, my name is Rich, I enjoy long walks along the beach and eating out at nice restaurants... Just kidding. I am just another guy who caught the golf bug. I caught it in 1995. I was at work one Friday when my boss steps in the office and says *Rich, you want to play golf today or work* - man that was a tough decision. I chose golf though and borrowed his wife's clubs. I actually played good enough to round out their normal Friday foresome. Turned out I had very good golf genes from not only my father but my grandfather as well. No big deal, it was social golf - you know, trying to drink a beer a hole, talking on the cellphone taking care of biz the entire time. After a couple months of that, and a couple pars in a row, I somehow got the idea that if I actually practiced, I might get good. Little did I know that the harder you try at this game the worse you do.

I hit that driving range everyday after work in preparation for Friday's round. I got to the point where I would announce to the other three on the first hole *I've been practicing all week. If I don't break 90 today; you won't see me next week because I'll quit!* 91 strokes later I am back practicing again on Monday. Drove me nuts! I finally broke 90 and then 80 and once shot even par at the local par 67 public course. It was on day two of the club championship though so I got a trophy for it!

Somewhere in 95, I was flipping through the channels on TV and saw golf for the first time on TV. Saw it was golf, and instead of passing it by paused for a moment to watch. Turned out it was a playoff between Fred Couples and Vijay Singh. I literally jumped out of my chair when I saw Fred swing and yelled *so that is what it is supposed to look like!* then Vijay swung - wow, I had never seen golf look like that. Fred won, and it seemed like every time I saw golf Fred was in it. By the time he won the 1996 Players championship I was a big fan - and have followed him ever since.

Here is what I look like with a bad haircut. Not sure if I am addressing the ball or in motion on the takeaway. This was at Newport Beach Country Club. I took pictures of what each hole looks like from each tee box. I was posting my pictures * that's hole one, that's hole 2, there is the 3rd, WTF!! who took my picture? How did...*

You can tell this picture was taken with my old camera - look how blurry the corners are - it makes you feel like you are driving while looking through a bubble.. I've never been a camera person my whole life but shortly after this golf course I decided that since I actually do take pictures for Eat Golf that I should breakdown and get a real camera. This may be the last photo from that POS $150 old and busted camera I got from ebay. I picked up the new hotness Canon Powershot S2 IS a few months ago and just love it. Now I can take pictures just like the big boys do.

What else?

Handicap
8.7 as of November 05.

In the Bag
Titleist 975 D
Titleist 904 or 905? F 3 wood
3 - PW Mizuno MP-14
56 Cleveland SW
60 Cleveland LW
Cameron Newport II Midslant Pro Platinum

BIO
Construction worker pre / during college
Ex stockbroker from back in the day (early 90's)
A/R A/P guy the rest of that decade
Full time Internet Geek ever since

Schools
Agoura High
Moorpark College (Biz degree and Gen Ed. degree)
California State Chico (Finance)
Pepperdine (MBA)

Websites
Too many - I have ran news sites, ecommerce sites, reference sites, picture sites, blogs, directories, and whatever other type of website I am forgetting. - Absolutely love each and every one. I have owned / operated about 35 different sites covering industries from bad breath to the stock market - nutrition, web development, copiers, car wash supplies, too many. As I said, I run Eat Golf just for the fun of it as a hobby.

OK, enough about me...

The question now is - Who are you?

GOLF COURSES:
If you represent a Golf Course and want it featured in the Courses Played section: comp me a foursome or just a twosome and I will play your course and take pictures (If you are within a day trip driving distance of Simi Valley). I am far from a professional photographer but have recently bought one of the new fancy cameras with all the bells and whistles and it takes incredible golf course pictures

All other USA courses - Simple. Take a picture from every tee, a picture of something with your logo on it - and email them in - Details soon.

LINK EXCHANGES
If you are a golf blog - heck yeah I will link to you.

If you are a golf website - I can do a short write up about your site / product, Link gets put on its own permanent page (much better than a /links.html page)

PRODUCT REVIEWS
If you work for a golf product company, send me your product and I will review it.

AUTHORS
If you are a golf author - mail me your book and I will read it and put a little write up about it in the books section.

FEMALES:
If you are a hot chick that likes computer geeks that play golf - what, wait - nah, really?

GOLFERS:
If you have a golf joke, email it to me. If it is not too offensive, I'll put it up.

If you have a golf term post it here. The crazier the better.

If you want to see your course up here take the pictures and email them to me: Make sure you get a couple shots of you teeing off so you will be famous. Other golfers from your club will eventually see the site and say "hey isn't that a picture of Bob on the third tee..." Even if you don't feel like taking a kabillion pictures - just take a few and email them in. I'll put up a page about your course and load in your picture.

If you have played golf in California go comment about the course you played here Comment about the rest of the nation here.

If you want to write a post have a story to tell, a tip that works, short, long, anything to say - be a guest commentator. If you ever feel like typing out an amatuer golf article - do it - and then email it in

ADVERTISERS:
This site is a hobby. Has gone months and months at a time with no ads on it whatsoever. There are occasional ads depending upon my degree of wealth (or lack thereof). If you really have a product you think internet golfers would like and want to tell them about it here let me know.

Once again, thanks for visiting, reading, and commenting - keep it in the short grass,

Rich Hodge
EatGolf.com