This week, Arizona golf needed a voice. So I built one. The Cactus Club started as a hunch and became 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:

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 care. But I learned two fast lessons:

1. Golfers aren’t scrolling for education — they’re craving identity.

   They want to feel part of something local, exclusive, and somewhat under the radar.

2. 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: