A Suggestion for Golf Digest

[Rick Shefchik]

This is a letter I sent to an upper-level editor at Golf Digest (a guy who used to work for our newspaper) on April 4th of this year:

Kate Upton, Holly Sonders, Paulina Gretzky.

The magazine's "values" are as clear as day.

And they're not mine.

I can't tell you to cancel my subscription, because I don't have one anymore -- but I can tell you, as the father of an excellent female golfer (and as a man living in the 21st century, not the mid-20th), that I am amazed by the magazine's self-incrimination.

Sincerely,
Dan

His reply:

Dan, he's worked pretty hard to ignore our input since he started working there -- not, in my opinion, to the magazine's benefit.

Seeing Jimmy Fallon on this month's cover made me genuinely sad.

[cary lichtenstein]

Every golf magaizine will go bankrapt

[John Kavanaugh]

Every golf magaizine will go bankrapt

That is not true. Owning a magazine has an intrinsic value beyond profits. Might even be more fun than building your own course.

[Mike Sweeney]

Every golf magaizine will go bankrapt

That is not true. Owning a magazine has an intrinsic value beyond profits. Might even be more fun than building your own course.

Is this some sort of code for "rater access"?

But I agree, very few will go "bankrupt". Most will just go out of business....

[Tim_Cronin]

I'd love to know the inside story of the changes. The magazine is owned by Conde Nast, has been since CN bought the Golf Digest group (including Golf World) from the NY Times Corp. several years ago. It was its own fiefdom until recently, when Anna Wintour, who made always-profitable Vogue even more crazily profitable, was made the magazine company's overall creative director.

I don't read fashion magazines, but the look of the layout certainly looks more "fashionistic," to make up a word. As was noted, it's more difficult to tell the real editorial pages from the advertorial. From a technical sense, it's not a bad looking magazine, but the changes in typeface and other things wouldn't turn off a reader expecting his usual Golf Digest. The content and in some cases the tone might.

If the plan was to gain younger readers as older readers left, well, only the second half of that plan may turn out to work. It took some years for the medium to follow newspapers, but newsstand sales of magazines are falling. Perhaps the e-magazine version will catch on.

Jerry Tarde will likely have a great tale to tell someday. But, even though they had some wild flights of fancy that drew attention, I can't imagine this is exactly what Bill Davis and his co-founders from the north suburbs had in Chicago all those many years ago.

[Dave Doxey]

Golf Digest continues to arrive in the mail, although I have not paid for it in years.

I don’t need: a monthly article on one more way to cure a slice or hit out of a bunker, an equipment section that prints what are essentially press releases from manufacturers/advertisers, or a travel section that echoes similar material from resorts/advertisers. A new trick is advertisements that are formatted to fool you into thinking that they are actual articles.

I enjoy articles on the history of the game, ithe ndustry, rules, competition, interesting people and events.

For me, only Golfworld and Golfweek remain as magazines that I’ll pay for, and even they are moving toward less “real” content and more travel & equipment articles to cater to advertisers.

Some things that you never see mentioned in golf magazines:
  - component clubs or any equipment not made by the major manufacturers
  - in-depth looks into the decline in the industry (courses closing, financial troubles, etc.)
  - cost of the game (equipment, course fees, resort fees)
-   negative reviews of anything (equipment, courses, tournaments)

Print magazines are obviously dying.  I find it interesting that the print version is full of suggestions that one go to the web site, while web sites never suggest that anyone read the print version…

[Garland Bayley]

...
Some things that you never see mentioned in golf magazines:
  - component clubs or any equipment not made by the major manufacturers
...

You just haven't been looking hard enough. Wishon components have received some golds in the club ratings. Even Acer has got mention for something like best value priced set of irons.

[David Kelly]

I like Golf Digest's new format.  It allows me to take it from the mail box, leaf through the entire issue while I'm walking and then throw it away when I reach the kitchen.  

[Ryan Hillenbrand]

In a way, I think Golf Channel has gone down the same road. As much as I like to look at Holly Sonders we're getting overloaded with her playing lessons in the latest skin tight outfit. Throw in Win McMurry, Megan Kelly? and Big Break women, its less golf and more T&A.

If you're not hot, good luck making it as a female news anchor today. Far cry from the Peter Kessler days

[Nigel Islam]

In a way, I think Golf Channel has gone down the same road. As much as I like to look at Holly Sonders we're getting overloaded with her playing lessons in the latest skin tight outfit. Throw in Win McMurry, Megan Kelly? and Big Break women, its less golf and more T&A.

If you're not hot, good luck making it as a female news anchor today. Far cry from the Peter Kessler days

I think that they should make Ron Burgundy and Veronica Corningstone the anchors on The Golf Channel.

[Ryan Hillenbrand]

Stay Classy Orlando

[Keith Grande]

I like Golf Digest's new format.  It allows me to take it from the mail box, leaf through the entire issue while I'm walking and then throw it away when I reach the kitchen.  

Post of the day!

[Joe_Tucholski]

I'll join Lou in the minority and say I'll continue to subscribe to GD, just as I will continue to get Golf Week and Links Magazine.  There is definitely lots of junk in the magazine and I don't read most of the articles (just like I skip most threads on GCA).  But there is always something I find interesting.  While not the most interesting this issue contained a little strategy 101 with Jack Nicklaus and design thought when building a dogleg.  I also find I tend to read the articles at the end of the magazine (this issue had two articles on the US Opens in the last few pages).  One with a bit of a negative outlook and one with interesting first hand insight on the Pinehurst selection to host the women's US Open.

[Dan Herrmann]

I knew the magazine blew it when a picture of a golfer had the brand/price of each article of clothing and jewelry next to the person.   And, like I said earlier, men's perfume (some call it cologne) ads.

What the hell does men's perfume, the price of a pair of slacks, and an article about using a substance illegal in 48 states (pot) have to do with golf?

00000000000000000000000000
To stay true to Phil's original post, part 2.  The 2nd worst course I've ever played is Delaware Park in Buffalo, NY.

[Carl Rogers]

Is the premise of the mainstram golf media, print or broadcast, that the core viewer-reader will put up with just about A N Y T H I N G (to attract the temporary attention of the non-core) in order to get to the golf?

example:
Paula Creamer interview in GD.  Just the standard fluff.  Do we ever get a glimpse of the people beyond the competitve golfer?  She might be a very interesting person.

[Dan Kelly]

Is the premise of the mainstram golf media, print or broadcast, that the core viewer-reader will put up with just about A N Y T H I N G (to attract the temporary attention of the non-core) in order to get to the golf?

I think that's the premise not only of the golf media, but of a HUGE portion of modern business (including modern sports).

The marginal customer is always the one being catered to, while devoted customers see their loyalty tested as what they loved becomes something else.

[Bill Crane]

I knew the magazine blew it when a picture of a golfer had the brand/price of each article of clothing and jewelry next to the person.   And, like I said earlier, men's perfume (some call it cologne) ads.

What the hell does men's perfume, the price of a pair of slacks, and an article about using a substance illegal in 48 states (pot) have to do with golf?

00000000000000000000000000
To stay true to Phil's original post, part 2.  The 2nd worst course I've ever played is Delaware Park in Buffalo, NY.

My wife pointed out that last months issue of Golf Digest had Dustin J's scantifly clad girlfriend ................ stretching ( I think ).
This month was the marijuana round.
She predicts next month will be - - -  a rock band foursome.


SEX, DRUGS & ROCK AND ROLL.

But really no worthwile GCA.


Wm Flynnfan

[Thomas Dai]

I knew the magazine blew it when a picture of a golfer had the brand/price of each article of clothing and jewelry next to the person.   And, like I said earlier, men's perfume (some call it cologne) ads.
What the hell does men's perfume, the price of a pair of slacks, and an article about using a substance illegal in 48 states (pot) have to do with golf?
00000000000000000000000000
To stay true to Phil's original post, part 2.  The 2nd worst course I've ever played is Delaware Park in Buffalo, NY.

My wife pointed out that last months issue of Golf Digest had Dustin J's scantifly clad girlfriend ................ stretching ( I think ).
This month was the marijuana round.
She predicts next month will be - - -  a rock band foursome.
SEX, DRUGS & ROCK AND ROLL.
But really no worthwile GCA.
Wm Flynnfan

Trying to be broad minded, I guess there's a place for (just about) everything somewhere, sometime. I'm not convinced that GD is the place for any of the above though. I have thus cancelled my regular edition. I only wish I'd done so quite a while earlier. For many reasons, not just the above, GD is no longer worth spending $£$£ on IMO.

atb

[Richard Hetzel]

I like Golf Digest's new format.  It allows me to take it from the mail box, leaf through the entire issue while I'm walking and then throw it away when I reach the kitchen.  

Mine doesn't even make it that far, my recycle bin is just by the entrance to the kitchen as I walk through the garage. GD is a shadow of its former self. It sucks now,

[Joe_Tucholski]

example:
Paula Creamer interview in GD.  Just the standard fluff.  Do we ever get a glimpse of the people beyond the competitve golfer?  She might be a very interesting person.

This month there was an article about agents, there are occasionally articles about families and there are often articles about caddies.  Nearly every topic that people have asked for can be found in the current golf magazines.

I wonder if GD put this slideshow together to combat all those people who are upset with the "recent" trend of non-golfers on the cover.
http://www.golfdigest.com/magazine/2014-05/gd-celebrity-covers-photos#slide=28
I imagine those born in the 1800’s were bitching about seeing Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis on the cover of a GD in 1953

A lot of people resist new things and change for whatever reason.
I think these Nike commercials do a pretty good job at humorously showing the reluctance of people to change.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJ-F404cw60
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amOH2B9FkzQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmALMW-6Pxk

[David Kelly]

A lot of people resist new things and change for whatever reason.

Correct, and a lot of people just accept whatever they're given.

[Dan Herrmann]

Joe_Tucholski - I worked for Nike for about 9 years.  Trust me, I don't mind change - in fact, I enjoy it.

But it needs to be a change for the better.  Golf Digest has made a significant turn for the worse.