If you have an inner passion in your life, you think about it, you enjoy it, you look for it in mainstream media. Unless that passion is politics, at times you may find a void of content in the media landscape, and then you ask yourself: How can I learn in depth about something very specific that I like? Well, here is my story: One day I began blogging about it. And suddenly I started learning.

Ever since I started playing golf I have been in love with the game—a simple, honorable sport in which you respect your opponent, the rules, and the land you walk. Among the many aspects of this game that capture my attention is the fact that every single round is different from the others. Not only because of the weather, the opponents, or the skills, but because each course is totally different. Tennis is played on four surfaces; golf has thousands.

As I played more and more courses, I began to realize that some of them were good, others extraordinary, and a few were absolute masterpieces—fun, beautiful, and strategic. I discovered that golf course architects are the unsung heroes of the game: Everybody knows Tiger Woods, but only a few know Tom Doak. The media write about Tiger’s successes and failures, but for regular players the architect who designed the course is a much more decisive element in their enjoyment of the game.

As a personal diary, I began using WordPress to keep a blog about golf (wantesgolf.wordpress.com), discussing the different golf courses I’ve had the chance to play. I would try to explain my personal impressions of them, posting pictures and considering the merits of their architecture.

In view of the fact that writing about something forces you to think about it, I created the blog without any concrete goal other than keeping my memories alive. Although it’s brutally niche, the blog has drawn many visitors from around the world. Through blogging I’ve discovered new content, gotten deeper into the topic, and made some great friends in forums and other blogs—some of them now great golf buddies.

Meaningful media can sometimes be as personal as one you create for yourself. And in many ways, the blogging exercise is a door to enter a club, to educate yourself and find golf nuts like you around the world. Blogging has provided me with a lot of new friends, increased my passion for the game, and deepened my experience and joy when I play a really good new golf course.