What Is The MyGolfSpy Forum To You?

[MaxEntropy]

In a single word, MyGolfSpy Forum means COMMUNITY (without the edge or attitude) to me.

I've met and played golf with a lot of people: @MattF, @DiscipleofPenick, @tony@CIC, @Mr_Theoo, @revkev, and @fozcycle, to name a few. 

I originally came here for a test I saw on Facebook. I happened to be unemployed at the time, so I spent a fair amount of time reading and learning, although not posting a ton. The membership was very welcoming and patient with silly questions. When I saw the community, I decided to stick around.

I have been lucky enough to participate in quite a few tests now (anywhere from 6-9 depending on how I count the Bridgestone full bag test from 2018) and the reviews are the first place I go when I am in the market for something new.

Identity - that's a trickier question. I think there have been times the forum really struggled to find an identity and I remember being a part of focus groups trying to figure out "what we wanted to be". From my perspective, @GolfSpy_APH and the staff have done pretty well at correcting mistakes of the previous "administration" but there is still work to be done. It is not entirely clear to me a true identity has been developed. Of course, my job has been insanely busy for the past couple years, so I am not able to spend as much time on here as in the past, so maybe there is an identity and I just don't feel it? 

[GolfSpy_APH]

2 minutes ago, MaxEntropy said:

In a single word, MyGolfSpy Forum means COMMUNITY (without the edge or attitude) to me.

I've met and played golf with a lot of people: @MattF, @DiscipleofPenick, @tony@CIC, @Mr_Theoo, @revkev, and @fozcycle, to name a few. 

I originally came here for a test I saw on Facebook. I happened to be unemployed at the time, so I spent a fair amount of time reading and learning, although not posting a ton. The membership was very welcoming and patient with silly questions. When I saw the community, I decided to stick around.

I have been lucky enough to participate in quite a few tests now (anywhere from 6-9 depending on how I count the Bridgestone full bag test from 2018) and the reviews are the first place I go when I am in the market for something new.

Identity - that's a trickier question. I think there have been times the forum really struggled to find an identity and I remember being a part of focus groups trying to figure out "what we wanted to be". From my perspective, @GolfSpy_APH and the staff have done pretty well at correcting mistakes of the previous "administration" but there is still work to be done. It is not entirely clear to me a true identity has been developed. Of course, my job has been insanely busy for the past couple years, so I am not able to spend as much time on here as in the past, so maybe there is an identity and I just don't feel it? 

The tricky part with identity is there is such a strong community presence, but all forums are some sort of community. Forums like WRX and THP have clear identities being PGA Tour content and BST as well as THP and their staple events. Without trying to infringe on those it is trickier - I know what we have here as a community and how it is truly different. I won't say bad things about the others as I haven't spent enough time on them to really judge them, but have had good interactions on both as well. I am sure many could say the same for our forum. 

Either way this thread is certainly a stepping stone in the right direction!

[Erin B]

13 minutes ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

The tricky part with identity is there is such a strong community presence, but all forums are some sort of community. Forums like WRX and THP have clear identities being PGA Tour content and BST as well as THP and their staple events. Without trying to infringe on those it is trickier - I know what we have here as a community and how it is truly different. I won't say bad things about the others as I haven't spent enough time on them to really judge them, but have had good interactions on both as well. I am sure many could say the same for our forum. 

Either way this thread is certainly a stepping stone in the right direction!

We are definitely a diverse community. 

[revkev]

I came to learn about the impact of spin on the golf ball and found a community with a large group of friends some of whom live close enough by that I play golf with them, others of whom have come down to visit and play and others of whom I'm waiting to meet face to face at some point.  

My simply answer would be:

Knowledgeable, supportive, community of golfers.  

[MaxEntropy]

17 minutes ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

Either way this thread is certainly a stepping stone in the right direction!

If we want the identity to be some form of "independent, average-joe testing", the amazing tests recently help with that, too.

[Shankster]

Is “For Golfers, By Golfers” trademarked somewhere?

I asked AI for some help, “create a motto for MyGolfSpy Forum Community”.   I don’t normally use the SkyNet type stuff, but I had “For Golfers, By Golfers” stuck in my head.  I may have heard or seen it elsewhere by I can’t find it.
 

It said,

“For Golfers, By Golfers: A Community Driven By Truth.”

[Mr_Theoo]

8 minutes ago, Shankster said:

Is “For Golfers, By Golfers” trademarked somewhere?

I asked AI for some help, “create a motto for MyGolfSpy Forum Community”.   I don’t normally use the SkyNet type stuff, but I had “For Golfers, By Golfers” stuck in my head.  I may have heard or seen it elsewhere by I can’t find it.
 

It said,

“For Golfers, By Golfers: A Community Driven By Truth.”

Do you remember the brand FUBU?

[Shankster]

Just now, Mr_Theoo said:

Do you remember the brand FUBU?

Haha.  Is that where it is from?

[Mr_Theoo]

11 minutes ago, Shankster said:

Haha.  Is that where it is from?

Yep, For Us, By Us

[Shankster]

5 minutes ago, Mr_Theoo said:

Yep, For Us, By Us

Bummer.  Good to see you btw. 

[tony@CIC]

Bit of an unrelated tangent, I was watching the Solheim Cup yesterday - which BTW was a bit of a nailbiter, and a Ping commercial came on with a Most Wanted Golfspy logo. 

[cksurfdude]

I'll try not to echo all the other really excellent comments with which I agree wholeheartedly!!

So just a few of the things the MGS Forum means to me include: 

• Golf IQ - reading other's comments about their approaches to the game, ways they practice, thoughts on course management, methods for handling the mental game aspects and on and on etc etc have elevated my own knowledge and understanding of the depth of this great game

• Golf talk - there's a funny old Woody Allen story called "The Whores of MENSA" (ie the intellectual society) .. in it a guy comes home from a hard day of work but cannot get intellectually stimulating conversation from his wife, so he goes out to a place with Ivy League coeds where he can discuss literature, history, philosophy, etc with the young ladies

• Equipment knowledge - obviously but being able to read real person honest reviews from regular recreational golfers to me is the heart and soul of the forum and what makes it so valuable. .. Plus delving into topics like what other golfers are thinking about or trying out, comparing shafts, learning about fittings and so on has helped make me a better golfer. 

• Virtual friendships - I don't really spend time on social media (other than here and following recommended links to golf drills on Insta or YT) and similar to "Golf Talk" above my lovely and smart wife, tho she likes playing the game, doesn't like to talk about gear or strategy much... The people on here are friendly, helpful and there's so many I feel I'd like to sit down and have a cold one with and talk golf. 

• IRL friendships - the opportunities to join in on golf buddies trips has been huge for me. Really huge. The time playing rounds and hanging after with fellow Spys have been awesome experiences! *Bonus: several of the better players have been incredibly supportive, encouraging and generous with their time offering help and advice. Thx!

[mr.hicksta]

On 9/13/2024 at 8:16 PM, yungkory said:

Club ho support group

Place to shoot the sh.. with the boys

Source of product reviews from normal people who aren't being paid to shill the product

Source of knowledge from a few members who I trust to give solid advice

Made a really good lifelong friend in @mr.hicksta

Back at ya brother!

I don't forum as much as I used to, but MGS is my no nonsense source for golf product information. It has also been a great place to test products and interact with others who enjoy this crazy game as much as I do. 

Plus, where else can I find people who will cheer on golf purchases instead of complain about them?

[PrismFlopper]

On 9/13/2024 at 3:49 PM, GolfSpy_APH said:

For reference this is something I made up the other day that I feel describes the forum really well. 

A Community Built for Golfers The MyGolfSpy Forum is where golfers who live and breathe the game gather to talk shop, share tips, and, of course, vent about their love-hate relationship with golf. Whether you’re here for the latest gear insights or to connect with others who understand your obsession, our forum offers a welcoming space for every golfer to share their thoughts and passions both on and off the golf course. Explore new products, fine-tune your game, and most importantly, meet fellow golfers who are as passionate as you are about this thrilling (and sometimes maddening) sport.

I agree very much that it is all of these things but it the forums also have a more personal feeling going on. Unlike with FB pages that could follow the similar idea but in MGS you have much more open dialogue where people are almost having “open air conversations” unlike with something like FB where all that goes to a more personal DM. Very much like when a group of friends are all sitting together and talking and you have side conversations going on during the “main” conversation where we can see the two talking but are also part of the main conversation. 
Joined to be get other insights on golf/ equipment and come to see much more than simply golf. Much more like a family of friends or likeminded people. We see how we played that day/week but also learn about other snippets of daily life.