2012 In Review And 2013's New Look
GeoffShackelford.com approaches its 10th anniversary after debuting in March, 2003, coinciding with the publication of Grounds for Golf. The site became a full-fledged blog with the release of The Future of Golf, and the themes in that book (the game is going to hell, etc.) have largely fueled the content to this day. (Notwithstanding the occasional forays into fire hydrant fender-benders, Christmas gift rings, etc.)
For 2013 the art department has come up with a new banner inspired by 1920s orange crate art, accented by a few personal touches like "The Captain" golf ball that may have been architect George Thomas's, a retention of the Hollywood sign homage on the hills of Simi Valley, and a new font inspired by Musselburgh's "The Cradle of Golf" sign. The golf scene is Rustic Canyon's first hole and that is yours truly whapping one down the first fairway shortly before the course opened in, gulp, 2003.
As always, thanks to the art department and site EVP Tom Nacarrato for his inspiration, wisdom and creativity. If you need Photoshop work, especially for golf course scenes like the ones he cooks up for architects making pitches to clients, please check out his website. I can personally attest to his work having taken ideas that became reality only because he could make golfers see how their modified course would look.
2012 marked year two as a partner with GolfDigest.com and hopefully those of you concerned the choice of content or my tone would change dramatically have had your concerns assuaged. I'm happy to report we march on in year three starting today.
Statistically, because of a two-month blackout on Google Analytics, I'm not entirely confident in their numbers, but I am pleased to report that in New Jersey the site's number one city remains Far Hills, I'm still popular (statistically anyway) in Ponte Vedra and the St. Andrews audience is growing!
As with my 2012 resolution, I continue to hope to have more video coverage (as PGA Tour's regulations allow), more podcasts, more architecture and more Twitter coverage. With the many state of the game issues expected to arise in 2013, there will continue to be a nice variety of topics covered both from home in Santa Monica and on the road at various tournaments for Golf World.
With that, I want to thank everyone for reading, for your comments and your passion for the sport we all admire.
Happy New Year!
Monday, December 31, 2012 at 08:20 PM
Reader Comments (57)
PS, typo on the first line, unless it is your 20th anniversary coming up!
Kev, been drinking here on the new year? 2003-2013 is definitely ten years where I come from!
The boys got their old jobs back tonight and flat delivered the goods! HNY everyone!!
Happy New Year to you and yours and all the commenters here. I'm proud of all. Keep up the good work.
Nice masthead too.
Nice masthead too.
Happy New year to you and yours and wishing you good health and prosperity in the coming year.
Fighting a hook Geoff?!!
A Guid New Year to ane and a ... not least to Geoff for this great website and The Principal's Nose (whatever happened to him?) for recommending it in the first place.
Nice masthead too!
Thanks, Geoff, this remains the first golf site visit of my day, even before . . . mine.
How does your site do popularity-wise in Augusta?
Love the new look. Happy New Year!
Randall
Best wishes in 2013
Al P
Geoff, many thanks for such an entertaining site. Love the new look.
Been here since the beginning and it's been great to watch the site grow in readership and posters. I feel as if I've come to really know many of the commentors here and it's a pleasure to read the daily
musings and insights.
Geoff, your vision and tone have never faltered and you remain my only daily MUST read golf site. Keep up the outstanding work. Love the new look. Tommy is a true artist.
Pete the Luddite
Governor Wm. J. Lepetomane
Best wishes for 2013 and plenty of birdies to all who visit this site and perhaps some of you will visit our fair green Isle for "The Gathering" during this coming year.
Irish Golf Nut (though Ivan Morris is more of a golf nut than I !)
JJ
Congratulations Geoff, Tommy, and anyone else who makes the wheels turn, and stokes the firebox, as the train of Shack-shack shack shack chugs on!
Great new look, just beautiful!
To all the regulars, great posts, thoughts, and commentary in general- keeping it real and in the fairways!
To all the readers who don't jump in- hey we need more thoughts and ideas- brainstorming has saved the world more than we'll ever know. Your one comment may spark a world of new discussion and who knows where that could lead.
Again, Geoff, thank you for making my day better.
digsouth
somewhere in South Texas
PS-A thank you to all who think about me and my continued battles with health issues-spent the last day of 2012 hooked up to an IV for 8 hours- IVIG for anyone interested in googling up a miracle of modern medicine! I may finally be back out actually playing again, for real, in a few months. I think of you as my friends, I hope I don't bore you with some of my day to day- uhh- stuff.
Happy New Year Geoff, and get well soon Digsouth.
Embedded in comments - nuggets of gold.
Best to you....
PTL