A New Chapter for GolfWRX- We are now part of the Pro Shop family

[pga43]

34 minutes ago, TiScape said:

Here’s to hopin’ Greg @pga43 ain’t goin’ anywhere! Love those pics 📸 and that spicy 🌶️ attitude!! 

 

I'm here until the shutter release finger stops working!  Thx

 

 

Greg

[Lord Helmet]

Congrats.  Looking FWD to the new features.

[Freeze]

I don't post much, but I've been on here almost 20 years (next month), and this site has been a source for many things: cool gear (eg. still have multiple sets of Tourstage VIQ Forged Irons after reading Greg's review of them ages ago), instruction, history, entertainment, Tour info, and scuttlebutt. Congrats to you guys, and I hope it never changes (much).

[CanFred]

Little late to this thread, but sincere congrats to you @easyyy and the rest of GolfWRX team!!!

[Duct Tape]

Congrats to you Richard and Ryan. You’ve built a great product which thousands of us enjoy.   Well done!
 

I’ve spent a lot of time here.   
 

Maybe too much. 🤓🏌🏼‍♀️

 

@easyyy  @Gxgolfer

 

On 7/27/2025 at 11:21 AM, TiScape said:

Thanks! I was gonna ask about the ‘“character” of the moderation’. As we have become close over the years 😊

Personally I’m hoping for a clean slate with the new crew. Starting over. Bygones be bygones and clean up my language a little.  
 

 

[easyyy]

21 hours ago, bobfoster said:

To the WRX Founders - this is one of my usual Bob TL;DR, but maybe worth it. I think I'm one of the old timers - not an original member, but certainly have been here for longer than I can precisely remember (originally as MidasMulligan).

 

This place, this community, has - without exaggerating - added real value to my world. I've been playing and watching golf since I was 8 years old (I'm now 67). Prior to WRX I did have a lot of friends that played golf, but few of them were into it as much as I was. This place was amazing to discover - an entire website full of fanatics. I mostly fixate on 6 forums ... Tour & pre-release, Equipment, Club techs, Tour talk, General, and Rules. I have learned, over the years, more than I can express (from the amazing people here). Hope I've also added a bit of value. 

 

In fact, I think I might appreciate WRX a wee bit more than some younger members, as I remember what golf was like prior to the internet, and these forums. There was no eBay or anything like that - you bought new clubs, or used ones at your local brick and mortar. Most information about new releases came from either OEM marketing materials, or big box clerks, or the friends you played with. Any information about the pros, or pro tours came from either TV, or monthly magazines.

 

There were (and still are) some alternatives, but to me, WRX changed the game. If you are genuinely into golf, this is the place to be. And it isn't just for fanatics. I've played a lot of golf, and have helped friends (young and old) get into the game. I can't remember how many I have referred to this site over the years. Including total newbies intimidated by the game. I told them that they'd be welcomed, and that there were no stupid questions. This is another unique thing about the community here. It isn't just for fanatics - The long time members here are patient. I've seen countless instances in which a new golfer came here, asked a question that (unknown to them) had been talked about in endless threads - but were answered with dignity and respect. This website is not just people talking about the game, it literally helps welcome people into the game. It isn't just about the sport, it grows the sport. 

 

Let me mention moderation. Must admit I've been nailed two or three times over the years (though it was unfair only once). [Funny note, the old-timers sort of see it as a badge of honor - we've all gotten nailed ... you aren't a true WRXer until you've gotten a time out 🤣.] Despite that, I deeply appreciate it. No politics. No religion. Strictly PG-13. This is a place where intelligent adults talk about golf, and only golf. Amazingly refreshing. Golf has always been my refuge from a busy life running a company, and WRX has become a refuge from the (often incredibly crude and nasty) online world. 

 

A couple final points (since I'm going on too long, and will write more suggestions later?). First, please please please do not change the moderation. Moderate as you have been - Keep it clean, and focused completely on golf. And beyond that, don't moderate for golf content. For example - I've seen Easyyy hype Happy Gilmore 2 twice in the last two days. I hope I don't have to like it (because it is really not close to the original). This place works because we can all be blunt and honest. That can't change.

 

Second? ClubWRX. I've been a paid member off and on over the years. I have not done it because I got anything - it was just a quiet thank you to the guys that started this. But it sounds like you guys are now flush with money - you don't need my $35 a year. I'd still pay the membership (and pay even more if it was worth it), but you need to build out the value proposition there. 

 

Last sentiment: To @Easyyy and @Gxgolfer: Thank you for your efforts and energy. I am confident you know the full value you have created here ... for golfers. And confident you can navigate the influx of cash to make WRX better, and do nothing that kills what makes this place special. 

 

[PS. Parenthetically to the Founders. Businessman to businessmen. My corporation is now 23 years old. Medium sized, several hundred employees. I remember the trajectory, and have learned. Once, my partner and I made a bad mistake, partnered with a company we didn't fully vet. It sounds like you know how devastating a bad decision can be. But you learn, right? Thing is, the challenge of recovering from a bad decision is nothing compared to how difficult it is to handle good decisions. Twice in my company's history we nailed it, won huge contracts that almost doubled our size in a matter of months. Managing dramatic success and expansion can be incredibly challenging. I wish you the best of luck - for the sake of all of us here.]

 

 

3 hours ago, Freeze said:

I don't post much, but I've been on here almost 20 years (next month), and this site has been a source for many things: cool gear (eg. still have multiple sets of Tourstage VIQ Forged Irons after reading Greg's review of them ages ago), instruction, history, entertainment, Tour info, and scuttlebutt. Congrats to you guys, and I hope it never changes (much).

 

OG alert. You were early days for sure. Thank you.

 

3 hours ago, CanFred said:

Little late to this thread, but sincere congrats to you @easyyy and the rest of GolfWRX team!!!

 

👍

 

6 hours ago, Lord Helmet said:

Congrats.  Looking FWD to the new features.

 

Me as well. Thanks.

 

6 hours ago, pga43 said:

 

I'm here until the shutter release finger stops working!  Thx

 

 

Greg

 

You have 9 more if you include your thumbs.

[philsRHman]

I don’t want to feel like I’m writing an obituary, but this is a great chance to reflect and recognize that golf wouldn’t have been golf for the past 20 years without these forums.

Every adventure, crazy idea I’ve had, you guys have have come along virtually. When I lost my job and drove to the Masters on a whim. The support wasn’t just the golf, it was the life advice, the empathy, the amazing member who sent me a spare golf bag a month later after mine broke (and included a few August National goodies in the pockets). 

 

When i planned the Scotland trip of a lifetime for April of 2020, only to be canceled by Covid, recanceled due to my wife’s surgery, then rescheduled another year later. And the member who invited me to join him for a round at Royal Aberdeen and another who made a critical introduction elsewhere. And the others who kept my spirits up when all hope looked lost, and eventually told me I wasn’t insane to find a way to turn a week-long trip into 3 weeks. 

 

But you know what says most about GolfWRX? When you discover a fellow golf friend is active here and you can just look at each other like you’re on the inside of the greatest cultural community in golf. It’s instant street (fairway?) cred. I can honestly say the game wouldn’t be the same without these forums. 

[bobfoster]

29 minutes ago, philsRHman said:

I don’t want to feel like I’m writing an obituary, but this is a great chance to reflect and recognize that golf wouldn’t have been golf for the past 20 years without these forums.

Every adventure, crazy idea I’ve had, you guys have have come along virtually. When I lost my job and drove to the Masters on a whim. The support wasn’t just the golf, it was the life advice, the empathy, the amazing member who sent me a spare golf bag a month later after mine broke (and included a few August National goodies in the pockets). 

 

When i planned the Scotland trip of a lifetime for April of 2020, only to be canceled by Covid, recanceled due to my wife’s surgery, then rescheduled another year later. And the member who invited me to join him for a round at Royal Aberdeen and another who made a critical introduction elsewhere. And the others who kept my spirits up when all hope looked lost, and eventually told me I wasn’t insane to find a way to turn a week-long trip into 3 weeks. 

 

But you know what says most about GolfWRX? When you discover a fellow golf friend is active here and you can just look at each other like you’re on the inside of the greatest cultural community in golf. It’s instant street (fairway?) cred. I can honestly say the game wouldn’t be the same without these forums. 

Dude - this was an amazing post (and I don't even recognize your name). I have a similar perspective. This is what the site's founders did (perhaps without even initially meaning to). They built a community. 

 

This thread has been what you'd expect here - a multiplicity of (often strong) opinions. Some cautiously optimistic, others (perhaps justifiably) quite worried. There are some pretty sophisticated people here, many that have seen good companies destroyed by founders cashing out with little concern for what they were leaving behind. 

 

[Side note - there's another active thread tonight about LAB selling to a Private Equity firm - does anyone really think this will lead to revolutionary new putter designs?]

 

So let me throw my voice out to those that are worried. The founders of this site deserve respect. Deserve the chance to show us what they will do with the influx of cash. These aren't guys selling to a PE firm so they can retire to a beach in the Caribbean - they are not going to abandon what they built. The foundation of this site was never about money. And your post was a crystal clear reminder of where it's value really lies.

 

 

Edited July 29 by bobfoster

[KangPD]

Congratulations! 

[Ferguson]

I am hoping my application to be a forum moderator gets processed.  I have never moderated anything but would love to give it a shot. 

 

[cardoustie]

I’m as old as salt and have been here for 15+ years best guess. 
 

great space to learn about all things golf (clubs, instruction, travel, etc) and joke with fellow members

 

Richard, we met once at a PGA show, thanks for all the effort over the years, much appreciated 

[IndyArcher]

11 hours ago, philsRHman said:

I don’t want to feel like I’m writing an obituary, but this is a great chance to reflect and recognize that golf wouldn’t have been golf for the past 20 years without these forums.

Every adventure, crazy idea I’ve had, you guys have have come along virtually. When I lost my job and drove to the Masters on a whim. The support wasn’t just the golf, it was the life advice, the empathy, the amazing member who sent me a spare golf bag a month later after mine broke (and included a few August National goodies in the pockets). 

 

When i planned the Scotland trip of a lifetime for April of 2020, only to be canceled by Covid, recanceled due to my wife’s surgery, then rescheduled another year later. And the member who invited me to join him for a round at Royal Aberdeen and another who made a critical introduction elsewhere. And the others who kept my spirits up when all hope looked lost, and eventually told me I wasn’t insane to find a way to turn a week-long trip into 3 weeks. 

 

But you know what says most about GolfWRX? When you discover a fellow golf friend is active here and you can just look at each other like you’re on the inside of the greatest cultural community in golf. It’s instant street (fairway?) cred. I can honestly say the game wouldn’t be the same without these forums. 

Very nicely said and not an obit at all. It’s always better to give people their flowers while they’re still living! 

[Mitchell]

Having been here in varying amounts of participation since July of 2005 and having witnessed the successes and growing pains of this community, I am wishing continued success and hopeful I can still be a positive influence in some small way on the movement into future growth. Still fondly recall getting pm from @easyyy way back about my Vokey 2006 proto wedges and Circle T Laguna in my first WITB post, which led to several nice exchanges over the years. I have continued to have faith and confidence in positive intent behind decisions made and will give Richard, Ryan @Gxgolfer and heck, even Greg @pga43 👊🏼, the courtesy of benefit of doubt regarding potential changes. Nobody works as hard as those guys have over years, without true dedication and love for what they are doing.

[bladehunter]

Well. I’m late to the news.  No shock in me being late.  Kind of shocked at the news.  But on the other hand. Not.  
 

in the vein of giving flowers while someone is living.  I’d like to say. This place probably has a bigger role than even i understand in my getting into this game and playing down to a plus handicap.  Sounds cliche or joking. But really. I’ve met some great buds here  , and they’ve provided me with guidance in this game ( and in life ) that is basically priceless.  That sounds like not much. But I’m not a great student. Not a great communicator in general.  So it’s actually a huge thing for me.  I talk to folks here ( or members here via text ) alot of days more than anyone outside my household.  Because my work most days is  solitary.  Etc
 

I survived the C word times here .  By the skin of my teeth. Including  Several misunderstandings.  Several predictions , and several heated exchanges.  In hindsight , we were all crashing out a bit due to stress and uncertainty. ( me more).  I feel like it’s the show survivor and I’ve survived till the merge 🤣.  So I’m going to choose to be optimistic.  And hope that we see a revival / continuation combo of sorts.  Hoping for new heights and that all my pals stay around.  Wish I had known it was for sale.  Me @Ferguson and a couple silent partners might have placed a bid 😜.  
 

Thanks for the ride fellas.  I just felt the need to give you credit for some of my best buds. @easyyy @Gxgolfer   The place is the best there is.  Credit where credit is due. 
 

 

[ALX]

Shout out to GolfWRX for getting their bag! Trying to be optimistic, but unfortunately we've all seen how these go and well...it's usually not great.

 

Just waiting for the "GolfWRX classified payments will now need to processed directly through the site with a 10% service fee" 

 

 

[RSinSG]

On 7/27/2025 at 6:52 PM, bobfoster said:

I told them that they'd be welcomed, and that there were no stupid questions. This is another unique thing about the community here. It isn't just for fanatics - The long time members here are patient.

While I agree with this sentiment I do think there should be a warning label when you enter the rules forum. 

[SheriffBooth]

3 hours ago, Ferguson said:

I am hoping my application to be a forum moderator gets processed.  I have never moderated anything but would love to give it a shot. 

 

 

[Hawkeye77]

13 hours ago, bobfoster said:

 

 

These aren't guys selling to a PE firm so they can retire to a beach in the Caribbean - they are not going to abandon what they built.

 

 

 

I'd respect them no less if they made oodles of money and went off to play golf and lounge along white sandy shores!

[Roody]

Congrats you guys! Very exciting news!

 

Also, thanks for allowing me to call this place my home since 2008. If it hadn't been for an unsavory forum admin on a different golf forum (not gonna name names), I might not have wandered over this way. As they say, everything happens for a reason. 

 

Looking forward to the new adventures. 

[J13]

On 7/26/2025 at 6:36 PM, easyyy said:

Some of you have been on this ride with us since the very beginning—when this whole thing was just a few of us gear junkies looking for a cleaner, better place to talk golf. No spin. No agendas. Just golfers talking golf, freely and passionately. That’s what started GolfWRX. And it’s what still defines it today.

 

Over the last two decades, we’ve grown into the most trusted golf community on the internet. We’ve done that together. With no outside funding, no retail motives, no shortcuts. Just a deep love for the game, for great gear, and for each other.

 

Ryan (Gxgolfer) and I had to look in the mirror and think hard about how to protect our beloved WRX. We built this place alongside all of you, and we were worried that without the right partner—someone who could guide us, invest in us, and help us grow—we might slowly fade. We never set out to divest. But after meeting Chad Mumm, David Miller, Joe Purzycki, and the Pro Shop team, that relationship grew into real trust and respect.

 

And now, we’re taking the next step.

 

GolfWRX is joining forces with Pro Shop.

 

Pro Shop is a golf media and commerce company backed by the PGA TOUR and built by creative, golf-obsessed people who share our values. They’re the team behind Skratch, Full Swing, and Sugarloaf Social Club. Most importantly: they get it.

 

They understand what makes this place special—you. They’re not coming in to change who we are. They’re here to help us build more, dream bigger, and future-proof WRX for the next generation of golfers.

 

Let me say this clearly:

• The forums aren’t going anywhere.
• We’ll stay independent in voice, mission, and culture.
• We’ll keep putting members first, just like we always have.
• This doesn’t change who we are—Ryan and I will still be here, just as involved as ever.

 

What changes?

 

We’ll get more creative resources. We’ll gain better PGA TOUR access. We’ll have the horsepower to innovate, improve the forums, expand our content, and build the best version of WRX yet.

 

I know change can feel unsettling. But this isn’t about selling out. It’s about doubling down on what we’ve always believed: GolfWRX is built by and for core golfers. Period.

 

We’ve always said, “Take the high road.” We’ve always believed in integrity, in unbiased opinions, in a clean and respectful place to share ideas. That’s not changing. I wouldn’t be doing this if it were.

 

From the bottom of my heart—thank you. For helping build something real. For holding us to a high standard. For caring enough to keep this place what it is. With this step, I believe we can honor our roots and write the next great chapter together.

 

Richard (EASYYY)
Co-Founder, GolfWRX

 

 

Congrats Richard.  I've been here a minute so I've seen the evolution of this place.  The mission has never changed so kudos to you and the team.

[TiScape]

4 hours ago, Ferguson said:

I am hoping my application to be a forum moderator gets processed.  I have never moderated anything but would love to give it a shot. 

 

Ditto! 
 

I truly feel that I would be a wonderful addition to the ‘team’ and balance things out nicely 😊

Edited July 29 by TiScape

[Duct Tape]

5 hours ago, Ferguson said:

I am hoping my application to be a forum moderator gets processed.  I have never moderated anything but would love to give it a shot. 

 

All words beginning with “Sheffl…” would be added to the banned lexicon. 
 

🤓🏌🏼‍♀️

[easyyy]

16 hours ago, philsRHman said:

I don’t want to feel like I’m writing an obituary, but this is a great chance to reflect and recognize that golf wouldn’t have been golf for the past 20 years without these forums.

Every adventure, crazy idea I’ve had, you guys have have come along virtually. When I lost my job and drove to the Masters on a whim. The support wasn’t just the golf, it was the life advice, the empathy, the amazing member who sent me a spare golf bag a month later after mine broke (and included a few August National goodies in the pockets). 

 

When i planned the Scotland trip of a lifetime for April of 2020, only to be canceled by Covid, recanceled due to my wife’s surgery, then rescheduled another year later. And the member who invited me to join him for a round at Royal Aberdeen and another who made a critical introduction elsewhere. And the others who kept my spirits up when all hope looked lost, and eventually told me I wasn’t insane to find a way to turn a week-long trip into 3 weeks. 

 

But you know what says most about GolfWRX? When you discover a fellow golf friend is active here and you can just look at each other like you’re on the inside of the greatest cultural community in golf. It’s instant street (fairway?) cred. I can honestly say the game wouldn’t be the same without these forums. 

 

Wow—thank you for this. Your post hit me hard (in the best way). It’s exactly this kind of reflection that reminds me why we built this place in the first place. The stories you shared- the generosity, the encouragement, the Scotland trip saga—those moments are everything. They're the reason WRX has always been more than a forum. It’s been a lifeline, a launching pad, and a place to belong.

 

And I want you to know... that isn’t changing.

 

The fact that you can meet someone and say “they’re on WRX too” and just know you’re speaking the same language—that culture, that street cred, that shared understanding is something we’ll continue to protect with everything we’ve got.

 

We didn’t make this move to wrap things up or walk away. We made it so WRX could go even further, with more support, more stability, and more resources. 

 

So thank you for being here, for sharing that, and for helping make GolfWRX what it is. The game and my life wouldn’t be the same without this community either.

 

Richard

 

15 hours ago, bobfoster said:

Dude - this was an amazing post (and I don't even recognize your name). I have a similar perspective. This is what the site's founders did (perhaps without even initially meaning to). They built a community. 

 

This thread has been what you'd expect here - a multiplicity of (often strong) opinions. Some cautiously optimistic, others (perhaps justifiably) quite worried. There are some pretty sophisticated people here, many that have seen good companies destroyed by founders cashing out with little concern for what they were leaving behind. 

 

[Side note - there's another active thread tonight about LAB selling to a Private Equity firm - does anyone really think this will lead to revolutionary new putter designs?]

 

So let me throw my voice out to those that are worried. The founders of this site deserve respect. Deserve the chance to show us what they will do with the influx of cash. These aren't guys selling to a PE firm so they can retire to a beach in the Caribbean - they are not going to abandon what they built. The foundation of this site was never about money. And your post was a crystal clear reminder of where it's value really lies.

 

 

 

Really appreciate this.

You’re absolutely right, this wasn’t about cashing out. It was about finding the right partner to help us grow without losing who we are. Pro Shop respects the culture here, and we’re staying fully involved to protect it.

 

We know the community has seen other places lose their soul after deals like this and that won’t be us. We built WRX on passion, not profit, and that’s still the foundation.

 

Thanks for the trust and for saying it better than I could’ve.

 

Richard

 

6 hours ago, Ferguson said:

I am hoping my application to be a forum moderator gets processed.  I have never moderated anything but would love to give it a shot. 

 

 

Be careful what you ask for. LOL.

[easyyy]

4 hours ago, Mitchell said:

Having been here in varying amounts of participation since July of 2005 and having witnessed the successes and growing pains of this community, I am wishing continued success and hopeful I can still be a positive influence in some small way on the movement into future growth. Still fondly recall getting pm from @easyyy way back about my Vokey 2006 proto wedges and Circle T Laguna in my first WITB post, which led to several nice exchanges over the years. I have continued to have faith and confidence in positive intent behind decisions made and will give Richard, Ryan @Gxgolfer and heck, even Greg @pga43 👊🏼, the courtesy of benefit of doubt regarding potential changes. Nobody works as hard as those guys have over years, without true dedication and love for what they are doing.

 

Mitchell That means a lot as well. 

 

Crazy to think back to those early PMs and your WITB post with those Vokey protos and Circle T… feels like yesterday. You've been part of this place since the beginning (July 2005) and seeing you still here, still engaged, still rooting for us... it’s honestly humbling. We busted our ass to keep this place on the right path and continue to going forward. 

 

Thank you for the kind words, the trust, and for always being a steady presence in the WRX story. 6,500 posts! We’re going to keep earning that confidence, and I hope we can make you proud of where we take it next.

 

Richard

[easyyy]

4 hours ago, bladehunter said:

Sounds cliche or joking. But really. I’ve met some great buds here  , and they’ve provided me with guidance in this game ( and in life ) that is basically priceless. 

 

That sounds like not much. But I’m not a great student. Not a great communicator in general.  So it’s actually a huge thing for me.  I talk to folks here ( or members here via text ) alot of days more than anyone outside my household.  Because my work most days is  solitary.  Etc

 

I feel like it’s the show survivor and I’ve survived till the merge 🤣.  

 

Thanks for the ride fellas.  I just felt the need to give you credit for some of my best buds. @easyyy @Gxgolfer   The place is the best there is.  Credit where credit is due. 
 

 

I cut sections from your post...

 

LOL... I knew that this place had that effect but reading these posts really makes it black and white. Means a lot.

 

You made it to the merge... LOL

 

Thank you!

[easyyy]

3 hours ago, Roody said:

Congrats you guys! Very exciting news!

 

Also, thanks for allowing me to call this place my home since 2008. If it hadn't been for an unsavory forum admin on a different golf forum (not gonna name names), I might not have wandered over this way. As they say, everything happens for a reason. 

 

Looking forward to the new adventures. 

 

Thanks so much and we’re really glad you found your way here (even if it took a bumpy detour to get here 😄). The reason why we even exist is because of horrible motives and cultures elsewhere. 

 

It means a lot to hear you call WRX home. That’s exactly what we’ve always hoped it would feel like. We’re excited for what’s next and even more so knowing longtime members like you are still along for the ride.

 

Richard

 

3 hours ago, J13 said:

Congrats Richard.  I've been here a minute so I've seen the evolution of this place.  The mission has never changed so kudos to you and the team.

 

Justin... thank you and thanks for the text as well.

[DTorres]

Man all this love, reflection and mostly optimism……Sounds like it’s time to organize the GolfWRX Members Best Ball Tournament with the Pro Shop Fam.

 

 

Edited July 29 by DTorres

[easyyy]

1 hour ago, DTorres said:

Man all this love, reflection and mostly optimism……Sounds like it’s time to organize the GolfWRX Members Best Ball Tournament with the Pro Shop Fam.

 

 

Well I think @Chad Mumm is a scratch or a + handicap so I would be getting a lot of candy. Green lights!

[DTorres]

5 minutes ago, easyyy said:

Well I think @Chad Mumm is a scratch or a + handicap so I would be getting a lot of candy. Green lights!

     Probably would be a fairly substantial event not only for the GolfWRX Fam/staff, GolfWRX Members, Pro Shop fam/staff and Manufactures but also just in the amount of content it would produce. Could only imagine getting the Brass and crews together with the most detail oriented gear junkies on the internet for a meet and greet and tournament.

 

 

 I’ll keep an eye out for the “Apply Now: Need 50 members for GolfWRX Invitational” and Pre-pack my Knickerbockers, lead tape and tour extra stiff shafts.

[Hawkeye77]

In my earlier post, I was remiss in not mentioning @golfluvzme ---- I'd have never found or met LaMont Mann absent this forum.  I've had the privilege of working with him on two incredible putters and my daughter the same.  Terrific craftsman and person.