Having already reviewed my 2025 golfing year, I wanted to pause and reflect — not on handicaps, swing thoughts, or my latest putter review — but on the blog itself and the people on the other side of the screen.
This year wasn’t just about writing more. It was about understanding who was reading, why you stayed, and what actually resonated.
Growth wasn’t explosive — but it was meaningful
I didn’t experience viral spikes or overnight success in 2025 (although a couple of posts did surprise me). What I did see was something better: steady, consistent readership growth.
More returning readers.
More interaction with readers in the comments section on Substack and on social media platforms.
More reposting by readers. It’s great when readers share content they liked.
More people subscribing and stating that a post genuinely helped or entertained them. However, converting clicks and readers into subscribers remains a key challenge.
That kind of growth feels earned, and, if I can keep producing the right content, hopefully it’s sustainable too. I’ve no aspirations to become St Andrews answer to Golf Monthly, but I do have some plans and ideas that I hope can take off.
As a platform, getting data out of Substack isn’t easy and is a key frustration. WIX offer a whole host of blog analytics, making assessing performance much easier.
What performed best (and what surprised me)
Looking back, a few clear patterns emerged:
Honest reviews were appreciated
Posts where I talked openly about flaws, trade-offs, or personal preferences consistently drew more engagement than overly technical breakdowns. While I am often able to borrow review equipment from Auchterlonies, I have no site sponsorship or manufacturer relationships, so you can be assured of my independence.Personal context mattered
Articles that explained why something worked for me — not just what it was — kept readers reading longer. That personalisation has often helped spark conversation in the comments sections.Meaningful data
Adding data has helped marry my “feel” with “real” numbers. The update on how AimPoint helped my putting would have been nothing without the Tangent data to back it up.Fewer posts, better depth
Whilst I’ve reviewed a few putters that could best be described as “special interest” items, some have surprised me with their popularity (BGT Paradox). The longer, more thoughtful pieces (AimPoint anyone) didn’t always get the most clicks, but hopefully they built trust. And trust is what brings people back.Equipment reviews outperformed other posts
Golfers love equipment. Luckily, I love testing equipment and writing about it!
Looking at the top posts for the year, I’ve aggregated the performance across both blog platforms, as not everything has been migrated to Substack yet.
L.A.B DF3 Update - theory v practice - written in 2024 but thousands of views again in 2025
2025 Scotty Cameron Catalina and Fastback 1.5 review - only just behind, don’t underestimate the power of Scotty Cameron
Taylormade Spider 5K ZT review - has seen a strong uptick in early 2026
In-depth Review of the BGT Paradox Putters - funky putters and a well received post
Tangent Golf App - 250 Round Review - there’s lots of GPS apps out there but I have tied my colours to the Tangent mast for the last 2 years.
Three of the top five posts were zero-torque putter reviews, which tells you a lot about where the market attention is right now. That trend is showing no sign of slowing down any time soon and I hope to have a few more ZT putter reviews coming soon.
The posts readers stuck with
Some of the strongest-performing pieces weren’t necessarily the ones I expected. The common thread?
They felt:
Useful (hopefully)
Opinionated (the best review was a negative one)
Written for golfers, not algorithms (doesn’t help them get found though)
What I learned about the audience
Having started blogging with www.thoughtsfromthetrain.com, this year helped clarify who my blogs are for and saw me launch www.theclubhouse.blog on Substack. While the original blog will stick with more personal content, The Club House is for:
The average golfer who can’t afford to waste time or money
Golfers who love testing new kit, enjoy the details, but don’t obsess over them
Readers who value experience over marketing language
People who want honest takes, not buying advice disguised as reviews
Golf nerds like me!
The blog name is a play on words. The primary focus will be as a House for my Club reviews (mainly putters). But like all good clubhouses, there will be space for general golf chat too. I’d love for there to be more reader interaction in the comments section and that is something Substack is better for than WIX was. There is a lot of content still to be migrated to the new platform and I am currently trying to decide the best way to do that - copy them over or use URL redirects. If you have any insights then please comment below.
What didn’t work (and that’s okay)
Not every post landed, but even if they only helped one reader, then I still count that as a success.
Book reviews - hopefully I can sort some of the wheat from the chaff
More personal posts - these are some of the most enjoyable posts to write, but I know they’re not for everyone
Lesson reviews - they perform better when they focus on reviewing kit like Smart2More or Sportsbox AI rather than talking about things I’m working on
Writing publicly forces you to learn faster — sometimes uncomfortably so.
Looking ahead to 2026
Next year, the focus is simple:
Keep improving
Go deeper, not wider - expect more putter reviews
Quality over quantity
Keep the tone human and personal
If you’ve read one post or every post this year, thank you. Your time is the only metric that really matters. If you have any suggestions about what you would like to see more of (or less of) in 2026. Please feel free to leave a comment below.
Here’s to good golf, good health, fun and enjoyment in 2026.