Golf writer finds position on Web

November 27, 2009 11:00 pm • Last Updated: November 28, 2009 1:50 am

By By JOE WOJTAS Day Staff Writer

Brian McCallen, a founding partner of theaposition.com and a travel writer who specializes in golf courses, sits by the Thames River on the 16th hole of Shennecossett Golf Course in Groton. McCallen, who was a senior editor for Golf Magazine for 16 years, has played golf on four continents.

Stonington - For more than 30 years, Brian McCallen has been one of the country's preeminent golf and travel writers.During his freelance career, he has written numerous articles for publications such as Town & Country, Playboy, Esquire and Cigar Aficionado and spent 16 years as a senior editor at GOLF Magazine, which he left in 2003.

During his freelance career, he has written numerous articles for publications such as Town & Country, Playboy, Esquire and Cigar Aficionado and spent 16 years as a senior editor at GOLF Magazine, which he left in 2003.McCallen, who lives on Prentice Williams Road, has played many of the world's top courses, while also sampling the food, attractions and lifestyles in and around them. Those trips led to him writing three coffee-table books - "Golf Resorts of the World," "Top 100 Courses You Can Play" and "Golf's Best New Destinations."

McCallen, who lives on Prentice Williams Road, has played many of the world's top courses, while also sampling the food, attractions and lifestyles in and around them. Those trips led to him writing three coffee-table books - "Golf Resorts of the World," "Top 100 Courses You Can Play" and "Golf's Best New Destinations."But like many freelance writers, the 59-year-old McCallen has seen the outlets for his work begin to dry up as magazines cut budgets or cease publication.

But like many freelance writers, the 59-year-old McCallen has seen the outlets for his work begin to dry up as magazines cut budgets or cease publication.So he and seven of his colleagues, who have played thousands of courses and written thousands of golf-related articles, decided to launch a golf travel Web site, www.theaposition.com.

So he and seven of his colleagues, who have played thousands of courses and written thousands of golf-related articles, decided to launch a golf travel Web site, www.theaposition.com.The site debuted last week and proclaims itself as the place "where you want to land for great golf and travel writing." In golf lingo, the "A position" is the preferred landing spot for a tee shot.

The site debuted last week and proclaims itself as the place "where you want to land for great golf and travel writing." In golf lingo, the "A position" is the preferred landing spot for a tee shot.And in an era in which anyone can launch a Web site or write a blog, TheAposition.com describes its content as "great golf and travel writing by actual journalists."

And in an era in which anyone can launch a Web site or write a blog, TheAposition.com describes its content as "great golf and travel writing by actual journalists.""I used to love that moment every month when the magazine came out. But we have to be honest with ourselves. It will never be like it was," said McCallen, while sitting in his home office where golf books, magazines and reporter notebooks fill shelves and sit stacked on the floor.

"I used to love that moment every month when the magazine came out. But we have to be honest with ourselves. It will never be like it was," said McCallen, while sitting in his home office where golf books, magazines and reporter notebooks fill shelves and sit stacked on the floor. With opportunities to write for traditional publications dwindling, he said the Web site looks like the next step.

With opportunities to write for traditional publications dwindling, he said the Web site looks like the next step."I'm glad there's another way. I'm very excited to have my journalistic oars back in the water," said McCallen, who had also been doing marketing work for golf resorts. "It's the same thing, just a different medium."

"I'm glad there's another way. I'm very excited to have my journalistic oars back in the water," said McCallen, who had also been doing marketing work for golf resorts. "It's the same thing, just a different medium."Golf before Tiger

Golf before TigerLike the stories he writes, McCallen's life has been an interesting one.

Like the stories he writes, McCallen's life has been an interesting one.A native of Yonkers, N.Y., he started playing golf at 15 and cut back on his lawn-mowing jobs and paper route when he discovered he could make money wagering on his golf game.

A native of Yonkers, N.Y., he started playing golf at 15 and cut back on his lawn-mowing jobs and paper route when he discovered he could make money wagering on his golf game."Back then it was a nerd sport. It was pre-Tiger," he said.

"Back then it was a nerd sport. It was pre-Tiger," he said.After graduating from Marquette University in 1972, he got a job making audio-visual film strips. Soon unemployed, he moved to Berkeley, Calif., to live with a friend and experience the tail end of the hippie period.

After graduating from Marquette University in 1972, he got a job making audio-visual film strips. Soon unemployed, he moved to Berkeley, Calif., to live with a friend and experience the tail end of the hippie period.He sold beer at Oakland A's games, caddied at a local course and during a PGA Tour stop in Napa Valley and worked as a roadie for jazz great Miles Davis.

He sold beer at Oakland A's games, caddied at a local course and during a PGA Tour stop in Napa Valley and worked as a roadie for jazz great Miles Davis.A few years later he began working for a string of local newspapers in the New York area.

A few years later he began working for a string of local newspapers in the New York area. "I wanted to see the world but I couldn't afford it," he said.

"I wanted to see the world but I couldn't afford it," he said.Not for long.

Not for long. In 1977 he got a job writing for a trade paper covering the travel industry and was soon sent to Scotland, the birthplace of golf. Living in Manhattan, he also freelanced, writing about travel, golf and his other love, skiing.

In 1977 he got a job writing for a trade paper covering the travel industry and was soon sent to Scotland, the birthplace of golf. Living in Manhattan, he also freelanced, writing about travel, golf and his other love, skiing. "I said, 'what's better than this?' It was the place that golf and travel met. It just happened, but it gave me my livelihood," he said.

"I said, 'what's better than this?' It was the place that golf and travel met. It just happened, but it gave me my livelihood," he said.In 1987 he started at GOLF Magazine, which had created a travel section. In 1992, when he did not need to work out of the New York office, he and his wife bought their house in the Old Mystic section of town and have raised their two daughters here.

In 1987 he started at GOLF Magazine, which had created a travel section. In 1992, when he did not need to work out of the New York office, he and his wife bought their house in the Old Mystic section of town and have raised their two daughters here."We've been lucky and blessed. This is a great place to raise a family," he said.

"We've been lucky and blessed. This is a great place to raise a family," he said.New content posted weekly

New content posted weeklyMcCallen said golf writing is more than just describing the third hole as having a dogleg and a bunker.

McCallen said golf writing is more than just describing the third hole as having a dogleg and a bunker."That gets old after a while. The game is about the course, the people and the places," he said.

"That gets old after a while. The game is about the course, the people and the places," he said.That perspective is conveyed in the first stories on the A Position Web site, which include one on the Sheep Ranch course in Oregon, where only a few groups a month are allowed to play. There are pieces on drinking whiskey in the British Isles, catching tarpon in the Yucatan, golf cruises and the best opening hole in golf.

That perspective is conveyed in the first stories on the A Position Web site, which include one on the Sheep Ranch course in Oregon, where only a few groups a month are allowed to play. There are pieces on drinking whiskey in the British Isles, catching tarpon in the Yucatan, golf cruises and the best opening hole in golf.Each of the eight partners will publish his own Web site, and Aposition.com will then collect all the golf-related material in one place. There will be new content posted each week along with some of their best past work and a readers forum.

Each of the eight partners will publish his own Web site, and Aposition.com will then collect all the golf-related material in one place. There will be new content posted each week along with some of their best past work and a readers forum.McCallen said he likes the fact that he can write stories or take an approach to a topic that might not be possible with traditional outlets. The site will sell advertising to courses, resorts, hotels, equipment manufacturers and other golf-related businesses, but McCallen pointed out there's no quid pro quo.

McCallen said he likes the fact that he can write stories or take an approach to a topic that might not be possible with traditional outlets. The site will sell advertising to courses, resorts, hotels, equipment manufacturers and other golf-related businesses, but McCallen pointed out there's no quid pro quo. "We're only writing about things because we want to," he said.

"We're only writing about things because we want to," he said.McCallen is optimistic about the success of the A Position because he said there's nothing else like it.

McCallen is optimistic about the success of the A Position because he said there's nothing else like it."Golf and travel is a big business," he said. "And my belief is that golfers are a storytelling tribe. They like to read stories."

"Golf and travel is a big business," he said. "And my belief is that golfers are a storytelling tribe. They like to read stories."As McCallen talked, he pulled a copy of "Golf Has Never Failed Me" off a bookshelf. It was written by famed designer Donald Ross, who laid out Shennecossett Golf Course in Groton, McCallen's home course.

As McCallen talked, he pulled a copy of "Golf Has Never Failed Me" off a bookshelf. It was written by famed designer Donald Ross, who laid out Shennecossett Golf Course in Groton, McCallen's home course."That's the way I feel," he said.

"That's the way I feel," he said.j.wojtas@theday.com

j.wojtas@theday.com