Real World Go Map

The Real World Go Map was an interactive map of Go clubs, retailers, players and professionals, created by GoDiscussions.com. It is designed to help promote networking by Go players who want to meet in person, find clubs, and otherwise locate Go resources not found on the web.

When I first got into Go, I drove from Green Bay, Wisconsin to Chicago, Illinois looking for Go equipment only to find out that Samarkand’s warehouse was less than two miles from my house.

After I got my equipment, it was seven years before I had the opportunity to play face-to-face against someone I didn’t have to teach the game to first.

That's one of the frustrating things about the game: you know people on the Internet, but in the real world, sometimes you feel all alone.

In setting up the Frappr! Map for GoDiscussions.com, I realized a similar map for real world go resources would be a tremendous help to the Go community.

The Real World Go Map has the following functions:

   * Moveable and scaleable from world map to street level.
   * Features Go Clubs, players, and retailers all over the world.
   * Can be filtered to show only clubs, only retailers, or only players. Players can be further filtered by skill level (beginner, DDK, single-digit kyu, Dan Level)
   * Each map pin has a pop-up callout with contact information and photo, if available.

Some of the possible uses:

   * Finding Go clubs and players near you, or while you travel
   * Finding other players in your time zone for setting up online games and chat
   * Convincing a pro (or, if you’re a pro, researching) if enough people exist in your area to host a workshop
   * Finding local retailers to buy from, so more retailers stock books and equipment
   * Etc.

I am in the process of loading in everything I can find on the Internet. I have started with the AGA club list. In the meantime, anyone can contribute to the map—it’s easy. Please click on the link below, put yourself on the map, and list your club as well.

Thanks for your help. I hope you find this to be a useful resource. Any feedback, positive or negative, is appreciated.

Countries currently added for Go Clubs: If I have missed your club or placed it incorrectly, please let me know!

Argentina Australia Brazil Chile

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Update, June 25: Real World Go Map now has over 100 Go clubs represented across every continent, with many more to be added.

-Peregrine

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Update 2013-11-03: There is a new Google map project with the same aim – see World Go Clubs Maps.

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Update 2016-05-04: There is now an online database of go clubs which you can edit, and which feeds into this map.