This week, Arizona golf needed a voice. So I built one. The Cactus Club began as a hunch and evolved into the go-to media hub for serious local players.
How I Turned a Passion Project Into Arizona's
Go-To Media Brand
When I first launched The Cactus Club, I wasn’t trying to be a newsletter guy. I just saw a gap: Arizona golf, a $6 billion+ juggernaut of courses, tourism, and golf technology, had no modern voice. No community spoke to the players who were shaping the game here.
The media options felt like leftovers: too corporate, too touristy, or stuck in old-school formats.
Meanwhile, I have over 20 years of experience in the game. I’ve competed in elite amateur events and worked across every golf vertical, from tech and tourism to coaching and clubs. This experience has helped brands like TrackMan and CoachNow connect with players more deeply.
Still, I had no audience. No paid subscribers. Just a hypothesis:
“What if I built something Arizona golfers wanted to read?”
Fast forward 8 months:
1,500+ targeted subscribers (organic)
70 %+ average open rate
$5,000+ in sponsorship revenue
Consulting leads from founders, brands, and VCs
A new category: niche golf media for serious local players
Here’s how I built it and how you can apply the same model to grow your media-led brand in golf (or any niche with a loyal tribe).
The Challenge: Attention Is Scarce, Especially in Golf
At the start, the Cactus Club wasn’t even called that. I was writing about Arizona golf trends, hoping people would take an interest in them. But I learned two fast lessons:
Golfers aren’t scrolling for education — they’re craving identity.
They want to feel part of something local, exclusive, and somewhat under the radar.
Content is easy to ignore unless it speaks directly to someone’s golf identity.
Generic swing tips? Skip. But a spicy head-to-head on Troon North vs Grayhawk? Click. Share. Sub.
The biggest challenge wasn’t writing; it was positioning. I needed to make The Cactus Club feel like the unofficial clubhouse for Arizona’s most committed players.
So I stopped thinking like a creator and started thinking like a niche brand strategist.
The Approach: A Flywheel Built Around Trust, Not Clickbait
I built the brand around a four-part flywheel that every solo founder or creator can steal:
1. Consulting
This was my monetization anchor. Innovative founders would contact me if I proved my authority through stories.
→ Tactic: Case-study style posts showing how I helped golf brands improve CX, retention, or positioning.
2. Coaching
Although I no longer offer swing lessons, I continue to help competitive players improve, particularly in areas such as mindset and pressure management.
→ Tactic: A “Scratch Attitude” series blending player psychology, performance habits, and behind-the-scenes prep for the U.S. Mid-Am.
3. Community
Golfers crave exclusivity. So, I created a subtle “in-club” vibe with a tone that respected their grind, rather than dumbing it down.
→ Tactic: Local content like “Top 10 AZ Practice Facilities” and “Partner Perks” that made them feel like VIPs.
4. Partnerships
I refused to run ads from random brands. Instead, I pitched brands in Arizona that fit the vibe: WellPutt, Big Game Golf, Lovebite Dumplings.
→ Tactic: Partner packages tied to premium placement in the newsletter, social content, and event drops.
I wasn’t trying to go viral. I was building a bunker that would attract the right 1,000 readers, not 100,000 tourists.
The Results: Real Growth, Local Loyalty, and Monthly Revenue
Once the flywheel started spinning, it all began to click:
1,500+ subscribers, mostly 0–9 index golfers in Arizona
70% open rates, especially when the content had local heat or performance tips
$5,000+ in annual partner revenue locked in before even hitting 2K subs
2–3 inbound consulting leads per month from golf tech founders or community-first B2B brands
Big Game Golf partnership, where I exchanged equity + value for early strategy + activation
Media brand recognition, local pros, and club managers now mention The Cactus Club as a go-to source.
More importantly, I own a permission-based media asset that consistently outperforms email in social channels.
Lessons Learned (You Can Steal These)
You’re a founder, solo consultant, or trying to build a B2B golf business. Here’s what I’d do differently (or double down on):
Niche harder than feels comfortable. I niche into Arizona golf and scratch-level players, making the content sharper and more trusted.
Position the brand like a premium club, not a public course. Everything from voice to visuals has to feel personal, not mass-market.
Talk real outcomes, not product features. No one cared about tools. They cared about scoring 73 instead of 78.
You can build your first offer around what people already ask you for, didn’t you guess? I kept hearing, “Can you help us grow like that?”
The Cactus Club is just getting started. I'm building toward three major next moves:
Scaling consulting with a repeatable offer for early-stage golf brands needing fast traction.
Launching a premium membership limited to 100 players, priced like a club, not a subscription.
Creating the first How Arizona Golfers Spend Time & Money to position TCC as a research-backed player in the space.
Oh, I’ve got a little goal this fall: qualify for the U.S. Mid-Am in my backyard. That story will fuel the next wave of content.
Building a niche brand doesn’t need to be flashy. But it does need to be sharp, focused, and built from the inside out.
Supply you’re working on something in golf. Whether it’s a training app, content platform, new product, or high-end service, you want to avoid the usual mistakes…
