We all love our social networks, don’t we? And even if  things like Facebook, Twitter or Instagram aren’t your daily drug of choice, you can still probably point to a personal network of friends that have – for lack of a better term – kept you honest.

So what about golf? Do you have a swing coach? A friend who holds you accountable? Or at least gives you another set of eyeballs? What about the guys in you regular foursome (assuming you have one)? Do they give you helpful advice? Are they encouraging you? Challenging you? Celebrating your milestones? Do they genuinely care about your milestones? It’s ok… you don’t have to answer that…

Don’t think I don’t see what goes on after a round… Everyone walks off, talking about their own game. Rarely do you talk about each other’s game.

Here’s one for you – when have you ever gone to the driving range with a buddy and you both worked on your weaknesses while providing feedback for each other? Right. And yet, ironically, there are very few sports out there that need as much accountability, encouragement, and an extra set of eyeballs as golf.

The many things we can learn from gym rats.

Talk to someone who is successful in the gym. Most of them will tell you they have a workout partner. Especially the serious competition weightlifter types. Not only do their friends keep them accountable, they are a source of encouragement. And most importantly, they serve as an ESSENTIAL extra pair of eyeballs. With weight lifting, form and technique is everything. And it can easily get as nuanced as the golf swing.

Our CEO got much of his inspiration for this site from an online weightlifting community.

That’s right – weightlifters are way ahead of golfers with this concept! It makes sense… There are tangible and personal goals to strive for; metrics to measure along the way; nuances to perfect technique; various points of view on said technique (depending which “guru” you talk to)… sound familiar?!

And while, yes, the PGA and others make significant efforts to get folks into lessons with a local PGA coach – for most of you, financially or logistically, it just may not be feasible. I know – we can’t all afford to spend regular time with Butch Harmon, and then see our personal trainer… and nutritionist… and then our putting coach… and our sports psychologist… But for some reason (some very good reasons), the Tigers, Rickies and Jordans of the world feel they need that.

While I know that it’s overkill for an 18 handicapper to have all of these folks at their disposal, wouldn’t it be great to at least have many of these resources at your fingertips? At your discretion? According to your schedule?

Amazing things can happen when you gather like-minded (read: golf obsessed) people from all over the world. Crowdsourcing mixed with hand-picked subject matter experts and a close knit circle of friends. That’s what thegolfobsessed.com is all about.