Is There Such a Thing as Magazine Snobbery ?

[DCB]

In a moment of weekness yesterday, if full daylight, in full view of the Sunday afternoon shoppers at out local supermarket, I bought a rival magazine. I was intrigued by the "Awesome Free Training Aid" which lurked inside the plastic bag as this months free gift. ( well okay, I was bored, didn't want to do the shopping and needed something to read whilst sitting in the car!)

Having quickly written off the "Awsome Free Training Aid" I read through the initial stages of the magazine. At this stage it's only fair to warn you that I've been a subscriber to GM for a good few years never having been tempted to look elsewhere for my fix! I'm glad to say nothing I saw in this other mag has done enough to tempt me away from my normal fix. This got me thinking, is there a form of magazine snobbery? I will admit to reading another magazine, if on holiday or working away from home, similar style and reputation to GM, but some of the other newer offerings are just not quite up to the mark as far as I'm concerned.

Leave the pages of adverts and "advertorials" out and what do you get? The newer mags seem to be full of these things and low on good editorial and good features.

Am I alone in thinking this way ? or am I just an old fuddy duddy ?

 

[Farneyman]

I have to admit I was sucked in by the free gift......havent even looked at the mag yet..I was too busy reading the Sun

 

[Parmo]

I nearly subscribed to golf punk today because of the free dozen Srixon Zurs.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Have to admit I do buy Todays Golfer merely to read on the train to and from work. Mind you its normally done and dusted within two days (and its only 5 stops). I have also started buying Golf World because at least they have some decent articles but it seems quite old fashioned in editorial style.

I think as they are under the same umbrella if they could incorporate the livier style of TG with the content of GW then it would be a magazine to really challenge GM. Until that day happens I'm afraid there is still only one winner - GM every time

 

[madandra]

I learned early on in my golf mag purchasing 'never judge a mag buy its cover' Iust have spent fortunes on 'SHAVE STROKES OFF YOUR SCORE' booklets and gimmicks. Now I just stick to GM and I don't even look at the colour of grass on the other side of the news stand.

 

[HTL]

This is my order of preferred mags

1) GM
2) Extremely close second Golf World
3) Golf International
4) Today's Golfer
5) Golf Punk

 

[theeaglehunter]

GM is in a league of its own I feel. You can really feel in most of the GM articles that the particular author has a passion for the game through the way they write however in the other magazines whilst technically their work may also be of a similar calibre it lacks a sense of passion and realism in my book. Plus the variety on offer in GM is also much better. Todays golfer is good for a quick flick through at the pictures as such but for my real fix and in order to keep myself up to date wit all that is happening in the game I will continue to subscribe to GM.

 

[GB72]

I read TG ony beacause I read alot and GM does not last a month. That said, TG is getting worse and worse. The bias towards Taylormade is not even subtle now. The recent change in style has made it a low rent version of GM. Take, for example, the reader reviews of kit. Not only do they have to review their own kit (and who would go into a national magazine saying their kit was crap) but also they only ask people local to the magazine. Every reviewer in this months magazine plays at a course within 20 miles of the TG offices in Peterborough.
As you can see, not a big fan but will do for a 5 minute read when I cannot find something better (every supermarket stocks it but few stock Golf World, which I woud but in preference.

 

[Basher]

Yes indeedee!
I've come across several tales of golf snobbery.
Notably people who turn their noses up at certain publications.

The magazine which crops up mostly is............Golf Punk. Never read the mag personally, but several have commented that it's somehow a lower class, chavvy type magazine. DO WHAT??? Snobbery if ever I heard it.

 

[time_vans]

i just look at the pictures.............a picture paints a thousand words.

 

[toyboy54]

Hope not!Discovered Golf World and Golf Digest on hols in USA this year.But also buy Bunkered and Todays Golfer.LOve them all!O.K. they last about 5 mins. to read but hey I've got to read something!!!!!!

 

[Cernunnos]

Actually I always associated Golf Punk with Upper class Hooray Henrys.

Never been sure about the point of Bunker babes. b

But Golf Punks actual clothing sections seem reasonably informed. Though the silly challenges seem something more akkin to something off Top Gear than a serious magazine. Good fun & very plush & flashy arty photography of clubs & new gizmo's.

The magazines that I don't see the point of on UK shelves are the Yankie mags where all prices are in dollars & they obviously can't afford a photographer for their techniques pages. Oh & talking of pages the american mags always seem to use substandad paper of the thinest rthey can find.

 

[ColinR]

I read GM and Golf World, like them both.

 

[madandra]

I have only ever bought G-Punk once and it was just a catalogue for clothing and gear that I couldn't afford and even if I could was too vulgar to wear/use.

Am a wee boy rared on a coonsil estate so like to get value for my £3.50 .... GM all the way.