This week out in Las Vegas (my favorite city) is Blogworld - a conference about, well, blogging.  At the same time, the same people that brought you the very successful Blogs With Balls conference in New York earlier this year are having BWB 2.0 at the same time as Blogworld.

Provided that some of the most influential bloggers and sports journalism folks are out in Vegas, I think it may be more than symbolism that I couldn't attend.  That isn't to say that golf's influential blogging voices are not well-represented out in Sin City. 

Most interestingly, I saw a Tweet from friend Jason Woodmansee that said, "The golf blogosphere is not that mature."  He didn't mean the pokes at Sergio or Adam Scott.  Rather, he meant that golf blogs lag behind those in other sports in terms of depth and maturity.  By and large, he is probably right.  But the statement prompted me to think about the state of the golf blogging union.

Everything following this is my thoughts on where we golf bloggers are at this point in 2009.

As an observer of the golf blogging world, this year has been quite a banner year for our little niche.  At the onset of the year, our community was pretty thin and largely unaccepted in the golfing community.  Thanks to some persistence on our part and a bit of a change of heart within the industry, golf bloggers are a more accepted entity now.

Companies like Titleist, organizations like the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour, and golf sponsors like American Express have embraced some of the golf blogging community as a way to reach golfers and potential customers.  This is not to say that every blogger can get credentials to a major championship or even your run-of-the-mill Tour stop, but we are making inroads in that regard.  Simultaneously, golf entities like manufacturers and other sponsors that are looking to provide product in exchange for content (the ole FTC dilemma) are reaching out to golf bloggers.

Why?  This is because golf bloggers are generally more receptive to pitches than the professional commmunity.  They have tight deadlines and a lot more editorial choice in what they cover.  Golf bloggers do not have quite that breadth available to them.  Also, our community is always looking to be a little more innovative than the next guy - the mainstream media.  This means that companies with clever pitches and content, including videos, contests, and interviews will be fairly well received by bloggers.  It's not to say that golf bloggers are easier to get to than the traditional media, but perhaps we are more receptive.

Take a look at how companies like Puma, Nike, and RSM McGladrey have embraced getting their message out in our medium.  They realize the value of buzz marketing and pathing that through blogs.  It has played to our benefit.

At the same time, we are gaining acceptance when it comes to coverage of the professional endeavor of our game.  Getting a credential for a golf blogger has never been easier.  There are provisions on this, though. 

A golf blogger interested in mimicking professional writers has to have an audience, a voice, and a modest interest in attending and covering tournaments like professionals do.  This does not mean write a game story (which is a dated concept) and sit in the media center all day, but it does mean being there and taking in the action.  In all honesty, the best content I have done this year has been from tournament site.  We can provide an inside view of what really happens at golf tournaments and communicate that story in ways that most news operations simply cannot do.

As author and editor of Waggle Room, I control every editorial decision instantaneously - or at least as fast as I can conjure.  I can produce a video on site with a camcorder and software and have it up on YouTube before anyone else.  I can Tweet important information and beat the mainstream guys to the punch.  Now, the trick is developing more sources that trust the reporting that I do and scoop stories.  We're getting there with that.

Here's the thing for golf bloggers.  There are different types of blogs in our sport that don't exist in other sports.  We have blogs about actually playing the game - its equipment, fashion, and technique.  There is no such thing for baseball or basketball.  We have an entire segment of passionate players devoted to sharing how they experience the game as amateurs.  Those bloggers are great to connect with for honest, in depth posts and opinions.  By and large, these folks don't want to become full time reporters.  They just want to share their game with the world.  Blogging is a great medium for golf in this regard.

Then, there is the group of us that covers professional golf and seek to do so professionally.  We want to do interviews, podcasts, videos, and real news - in addition to the sarcasm that the world comes to expect from bloggers.  Curiously enough, golf writers have a natural skepticism and analytical nature that lends itself well to blogging.  There is a natural fit.

To be a great golf blogger about the professional sport, though, takes time and honest effort.  As I said before, the best work really is done off of the couch.  It doesn't have to be at a tour stop, but great pro golf blogging has to be more than observing and typing.  It involves asking questions, getting content, and putting in that extra effort.  There are plenty of great professional writers that attend tournaments and write thorough, thoughtful commentary.  The challenge for the golf blogger is to tell the story a little differently and with more tools at their disposal.

Video, photos, and audio are media that the mainstream publications still struggle in doing.  They're working out the kinks.  Some are further along than others.  But bloggers can be out ahead of them.  That is something I have realized this year and continue to strive to do. 

Golf blogging can bring this sport into the 21st century.  If that is the attitude that our community holds and continues to pursue in the coming months, then we will be the cutting edge for the game.