The Power of Analytics

I just love checking out our site analytics, and seeing who's been looking in and from where. At the moment our we've had viewers everywhere from Connecticut and Virgina to California and Maine. It feels a bit random when you are used to doing magazines, but exhilarating at the same time as you know you can connect with people in so many different states without having to raise millions to launch an actual magazine in the US. Or India, or China, or anyway else that golfs played for that matter. I am wondering which countries in the world don't have a golf course.

I lived in the Ukraine for a bit and there were none there, but I think one was being built when I was going. I know there's one in Afghanistan. There's a nine hole in Nepal near Katmandu airport. Tibet's probably short on courses. And then there's the various Stans - Kazik etc where the great game has probably not yet exploded. Africa is a tricky one, and I'll tread carefully here as the Congo isn't exactly a belly of laughs at the moment.

Latin America is pretty well covered - some great courses in Argentina I'm told.

Iceland's doing fine on the golf front - if not so well on other fronts.

Alaska has got have some golf action - but I'm steering well clear of Palin country.

I know El Salvador has a course, as Richard Archer from Hard Fi has told me that there's a great course there. Sorry for the shameless name drop. But it is almost relevant, and I don't know many famous rock stars - although Shane McGowan was at my school. A little before my time it has to be said. And Gavin Rosedale from Bush was there. I like to think that I encouraged him with the guitar. It's just that he went on the sell millions of records in the US, and I didn't.
Not that I'm bitter you understand.

The Gualapagos are probably underserved, but as they are part of Ecuador they don't count.

Falkland islands have a few courses.

I doubt golf has taken off in Iran yet - better google that to check. One moment. No - 8,880,000 entries for golf Iran. They must be mad for it. That's given me a terrible Google ranking inferiority complex. Apparently they are building a multi billion dollar golfing complex there. Can't be right. How do you spend a billion on a golf course?

Where else? Ethiopa. Check. Spa as well. How about Bhutan? .......no, covered. Go to www.golfbhutan.com - of course! They've even got a Youth Association - but no pro shop in the country, so there's an opportunity. Of sorts.

North Korea is obviously a hot bed as the great leader shot a -38 on his first ever go. He's planning on joining the Race to Dubai I'm told.

Just had a stab at Azerbiajan - yup, covered. Forgot about Baku Golf and Country Club.

Now I'm really starting to struggle....

Kazahstan - covered again. Just played their 3rd national Open.

Mongolia. Surely not. Let's check. 2 courses including the Genghis Khann Country Club - and there's an article about a berk who played 1320 miles of golf from one end of the country to the other. Get a life.

Anyway, so there you have it. Golf is pretty much everywhere - which we all knew - but you'll struggle to get a game in Tibet, and some parts of Africa. Otherwise, wherever you are heading, bring your clubs. You might just need them.

JohnD