The Story Behind ParTalk – Your Weekly Golf Buddy
How A Drone Turned Into A Golf Obsession
It didn’t start with a swing tip.
It started with a drone.
Back in 2018, I wasn’t worried about my handicap. I was obsessed with capturing golf courses from above — fairways curling through trees, bunkers framing greens, golden light over the 18th. I flew, filmed, and edited for hours, just trying to show how beautiful golf felt from the sky.
Somewhere between tee boxes and takeoffs, something shifted: I didn’t just want to photograph golf anymore — I wanted to play it. I bought a starter set, booked a tee time, and fell straight down the rabbit hole.
Fast-forward to today: I’m a 14-handicap golfer, course photographer, and the creator of ParTalk — a newsletter built to be your weekly golf buddy: someone who keeps you up to speed on what’s happening in golf, and shows you simple, practical ways to actually play better.
What ParTalk Really Is (And Isn’t)
ParTalk is not another golf magazine full of tour stats and tips written for scratch players.
ParTalk is:
A friendly voice who explains what’s happening in golf and why it matters for your game
Simple, clear advice that works for weekend golfers, not just elite athletes
A mix of tour stories, mindset shifts, strategy, etiquette, and drills you can actually use
The people who read ParTalk are:
Weekend players trying to break 100, 90, or finally see an 8 on the card
Mid-handicappers who want consistency without rebuilding their swing
Golf nuts who enjoy the culture, jokes, and little stories inside the game
Course explorers who love hidden gems as much as famous venues
“I’ve subscribed to every golf publication out there, but ParTalk is the only one that’s actually helped me enjoy the game more. It feels like talking golf with a buddy who knows what he’s doing.”
— James R., 18 handicap
What You Get As A Free Subscriber
When you join ParTalk for free, you get a friendly weekly email that makes the golf world easier to follow and easier to apply to your own game.
Free subscribers receive:
Smart weekly golf stories that explain what happened and why it matters
Simple, try-it-today tips on swing, strategy, and mindset
Course stories and culture pieces that remind you why you fell in love with golf
Instant access to the Mental Mastery Kit to help you feel calmer and more confident on the course
Think of the free edition as your golf buddy dropping by once a week to catch you up, make you laugh, and leave you with one or two things to try in your next round.
What You Get As A Paid Member
The premium side of ParTalk is where your weekly golf buddy turns into your on-call coach. The articles don’t just explain what happened on tour — they show you exactly how to use it.
Paid members unlock:
Tour news translated into step-by-step drills you can use this weekend — wedges, pressure putting, fairway finders, and scoring routines
Printable 4-week improvement plans (Break 100/90/80, wedge and putting programs, stat trackers, green-reading and scoring checklists)
The full archive of premium drills and mini-series on wedge mastery, mental game, course management, and tee-shot patterns
Members-only Q&A with quick, practical answers, so you never waste a range session guessing what to work on
If the free edition feels like having a beer with a golf friend after your round, the paid edition feels like that same friend handing you a clear plan for the next month.
“ParTalk’s routine advice helped me drop 4 shots in two rounds. It’s the only golf content I’ve read that turned straight into scores.”
— Mike T., 12 handicap
From My Camera To Your Inbox
Before ParTalk existed, I built an audience as the photographer behind @golfingphoto on Instagram, capturing courses from angles most golfers never get to see.
Since then, I’ve:
Photographed more than 200 courses across 15 countries
Had work featured in Golf Digest
Shot everything from bucket-list venues to quirky local tracks
That same eye shows up in ParTalk: many issues include original course photography to give you inspiration, not just information. Golf should look and feel good, not just read good.
Why I Built ParTalk
A lot of golf content makes regular players feel one of two things:
Overwhelmed (too technical, too much jargon, too many “musts”), or
Broken (if you’re not scratch, you’re doing it wrong)
I built ParTalk to be the opposite.
I want you to:
Understand what’s going on in the game without needing a translator
Have a simple plan for what to practice this week
Enjoy your rounds more, even when the scorecard isn’t pretty
Feel like someone is in your corner, not judging your handicap
That’s what a good golf buddy does.
Join The ParTalk Community
When you subscribe, you’re not just signing up for another newsletter. You’re joining a community of golfers who:
Care about getting better
Don’t take themselves too seriously
Want golf to feel fun again
Free to start. Upgrade if and when you’re ready for more structured coaching.
I’ll be in your inbox soon — as your weekly golf buddy, helping you make sense of the game and quietly nudge your scores in the right direction.
— Hakan | Founder, ParTalk.com
Instagram: @golfingphoto | LinkedIn | X/Twitter: @ParTalkGolf
