The web3 space as a whole rapidly evolves each day. Just take a look at Twitter where constant updates are thrown around. The news cycle, already short in 2023, seems even shorter in this particular focus. Trends come and go, projects succeed and fail, and the updates keep flowing like drinking water from a fire hose.
Back in early 2022, one major trend in the space was derivative projects. If you were around at the time, there was every version of some ape profile photo (PFP) out there. Fast forward a year and many of these piggyback projects haven’t really done much other than create images inspired by a project that found serious success in the space.
Many people create new projects in the space but one, in particular, has an interesting story to tell with a concept that seems to be pretty unique. Enter DeGolf, run by Dougie DeGolf.
The Origin Story
Over the course of a couple of conversations, Dougie has provided some of the origin story of DeGolf. After working in the festival scene and then joining the world of FinTech, Dougie found himself with some time on hand during the pandemic and became interested in NFTs. Upon stumbling upon DeGods, Dougie found himself with a sense of belonging and excitement for the community. There was just one problem – the floor to purchase a DeGod was about $10,000 fiat USD at the time, which was a bit over Dougie’s price range.
After some brainstorming and creativity, Dougie entered a raffle, selling most of his previous NFTs to do so, and ended up winning a DeGod to join the community he’d been eyeing for so long (https://twitter.com/DougieDeGolf/status/1530967491165528069). Upon becoming a member, he finally had the standing needed to know that he would be backed by his DeGod compatriots as he ventured on into the web3 space.
Fast forward a bit and Dougie decides he wants to launch DeGolf out of his love for DeGods and the game of golf. Upon receiving support from his fellow community members, he makes some key decisions that reflect a different way of creating in the space than many others before.
“Offshoot Subproject”
DeGolf is essentially an offshoot subproject from DeGods. While subprojects, or follow-up initiatives, from many players in the space have been common, offshoot subprojects are not owned by the original project themselves. As an example, Otherdeeds by Otherside would be considered a subproject for Yuga Labs and Bored Ape Yacht Club, since it is owned by Yuga, run by Yuga, and supported in their ecosystem despite not launching the ecosystem. DeGolf is owned and run by Dougie using the IP he holds from his DeGod with support from his fellow community members, but outside of the DeGods ecosystem of ownership.
DeGolf’s Goal
DeGolf’s mission, as quoted from Dougie, is as follows: “Our goal is to use a combination of live events and digital media content to bridge the gap between the Web3 world and mainstream audiences”. This is done using many tools that other projects use in the space, but one notable exception is an NFT collection under the DeGolf name and likeness. DeGolf chooses to focus on real-world applications and events, as well as some serious networking, but you won’t find anything under DeGolf when you go search marketplaces for a new NFT purchase.
The first major DeGolf event, deemed “DeCountryClub Classic”, is set to tee off on Wednesday, April 12th at Forest Park Golf Course. The event corresponds with the NFTNYC conference and allows participants to get outside of the typical conference feel and enjoy some time on the course together. More information about the tournament can be found at https://decountryclubclassic.com/.
Dougie has shared that the goal is to continue to offer real golf events and bring people together for actual experiences. One can’t help but think that the time spent working the music festival scene, followed by the isolation many of us experienced during the coronavirus pandemic, has given Dougie a deep appreciation for what it means to spend quality time and share experiences with other people. The ability to launch a web3 native project that has little focus on creating more virtual IP or games and instead is about getting people outside to experience a round of golf together shows the room to bridge the physical and digital in ways that go beyond sending out stickers and t-shirts to holders in the mail.
One way they’re focusing on doing this in 2023 is to lean heavy into digital content and provide golf through the lens of a web3 degenerate. DeGolf has acquired media credentials to cover three different LIV Golf events in 2023 and will also be starting a YouTube series, called the “Go Touch Grass Tour”, in the summer where DeGolf takes on notable holders of web3 projects in 2v2 golf matches. The goal is to provide a lens to the game that lines up with the space and caters to an audience both inside of web3 and in the golf world at large.
Broader Takeaways
The approach of launching DeGolf is exceptionally unique and really highlights the networking and community utility of projects. It is clear that after all that has happened in the space, the community itself can’t be the only benefit of getting into a new project, but being able to share projects with others, connect with them, and form real relationships with others has serious value, especially when considering the difficulties of the market at this time. It shows that being creative in the space when trying to create an idea pays off. The ability to create while having a network of support, feedback, and connectivity in the space really helps provide a launchpad. There are multiple paths to accomplishment and offshoot subprojects utilizing IP could very well be a more common way to build in the future.
DeGolf does not maintain its own discord. Any community communication either occurs via Twitter, where DeGolf can be found at https://twitter.com/DeGolfers, or within the DeGods discord channel. Further information about DeGolf, as well as their blog, can be found at https://www.degolfers.com/.
If you’re interested in more golf related articles, then check out the my recent article on LinksDAO‘s newest bid to buy a golf course.
