Issues with the December issue....

[Dodger]

Homer,it was hee haw to do with the 2 you mentioned it was Fergus Bisset's review of Balmoral GC (Name something like that,I don't recall exactly) where you canny get a game as it is a private club....what is the point in a review in the magazine for the masses when you canny peg it up yourself and the only way you can get a game if you know Farquar Macpherson the local land baron??!!

 

[Jahmoo]

Great reviews I have to say

Because of the Tinsley review, myself and my Old fella are trying the track in December, as up in Doncaster for a couple of days, not knowing where to play, that review helped me chose

I like Wine also

 

[vig]

Great reviews I have to say

Because of the Tinsley review, myself and my Old fella are trying the track in December, as up in Doncaster for a couple of days, not knowing where to play, that review helped me chose

I like Wine also

Jahmoo, if you are up for a couple of days, try my track, only 10 mins from donny

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Dodger,

Thanks for the heads up. I'd completely forgotten the Balmoral thing, probably because I've more chance of a game at Augusta than there. Glad the reviews were well met and hopeful and I'd like to thank everybody while I'm on the subject who helped me with information and scores from meets, review pieces or even just words of encouragement.

I had a blast and hope my successor enjoys the opportunity and takes the pages to new heights.

 

[Imurg]

Was about to post the same idea
I bet all the editors of all the IPC mags went to a meeting and they were all told to advertise another magazine.
And anyway its only a few lines - not a whole page.

 

[Spoff]

Personally think it is a superb edition, then I am in it twice!!

As for the wine article, a month or two before christmas I assume it was little more than advertising hoping that readers would subscribe to that mag?

 

[JustOne]

If I wanted to read about wine I would buy wine bloody weekly!

You can't. It's full of reviews about golf clubs

 

[viscount17]

If I wanted to read about wine I would buy wine bloody weekly!

It's a golf mag FFS.....next it will be recipes for steak n kidney pies.

oh I hope so, I love steak pies - not so mad abaout wine

 

[MikeH]

Hi Allan (and indeed all)

sorry for the slow reponse on this - I've been on holiday for half term week so only just catching up the forum now

As I always say it's good to get feedback on anything to do with the magazine so criticsim (or praise!) is always welcome

I guess most of the points have been mulled over here but FWIW, as editor, here's my twopennth

1 chipping by the tee as a warm up advice in the Private Lessons instruction piece - This was checked before publication because as you righly say it'd be pretty poor if we gave advice that broke the rules! We are lucky to have two qualified R&A rules offical in Jezz and Neil in the office and have a hotline to Grant Moir at the R&A if we need to refer anything that we're unsure of which we always use if Neil and Jezz are in doubt.

2. Bill Elliott's use of the word gypsy in his column when refering to Joe Smith, the author of the book 'Gypsy Joe" . Bill obviously noted in the column the word gypsy was how Joe Smith refered to himself ("his words not mine" was what Bill said) and was therfore in no way used in a derogatory way which from memory was the issue with the forum post that was edited/suspended.

The book is apparently a good read - one of the guys in the ofrice has read it. We have sent one copy out for review by the book club but we have another copy in the office. I'd be delighted to send it to you (or indeed any other forumer) to read and maybe review on the forum. Drop me a line if you fancy it

3. Decanter wine recomemdations in the 19th hole range news pages.
We didnt go to a meeting with all the other IPC editors as getting 90 odd of us in the same room at the same time would be impossible! But yes we're always keen to help each other out when we can and if there's a bit of cross over of interests between our respective readerships then we might do the odd thing. We have written golf holiday type pieces Xmas golf present suggestions for some of the women's mags and done golf equiment reeviews for the gadget section of loaded in the past.
I obvioulsy wouldn't put anything spiurious in there (eg tips for the latest rods fron Anglers Mail or budgie cages from Cage and Aviary Birds mag!) but from previous reader research projects we know a significant percentage of GM readers have listed 'wine' as one of their other interests.

So when the editor of Decanter (himslef a very keen golfer) offered to pen a few words on wine recomendations in the run up to the festive season then I agreed. The piece obviously does give a plug to Decanter but that's only fair win my book and what I'd expect if we did something for another IPC mag. We did the same thing last year and didnt have any negative comments so though it was worth repeating this year and it was a mere 1/5 of a page didnt really think it ammounted to more than a snippet in the great scheme of things.

From reading this thread I can see some found it not uniteresting while it wasn't at all relevant to others. Given the mixed reaction we probably wont do anthing similar again next year but if you do like wine then I can highly recommend Decanter magazine and website!

all the best

 

[Parmo]

I thought Dec mag was one of the best this year, some great kit and reviews and interviews, I really liked the winter kit section as I have been leaving pages open for HID

 

[JustOne]

I think the original post was much-ado about nothing.

There's probably not a single publication that stays 100% loyal to it's topic. Every mag contains ads, related articles or special offers. Nothing out of the ordinary and nothing to justify really. The word gypsy is fine in my book unless preceeded with "bloody theiving...".

As an aside, has the word gypsy been removed from the dictionary?

 

[Dodger]

Thanks for the heads up Mike and I appreciate your reply while not agreeing with it all...I look forward to seeing the Golf Gear Guide in Decanter Wine magazine.

 

[USER1999]

Probably not, but then neither has tw@.

Does it need another T? @ is 'at' afterall, so surely the correct spelling is tw@?

 

[toonarmy]

We did the same thing last year and didnt have any negative comments so though it was worth repeating this year and it was a mere 1/5 of a page didnt really think it ammounted to more than a snippet in the great scheme of things.

From reading this thread I can see some found it not uniteresting while it wasn't at all relevant to others. Given the mixed reaction we probably wont do anthing similar again next year

Blimey Mike, you're meant to be an editor for crying out loud! Since when did editors get so touchy-feely and run their publication by democracy?

It seemed pretty apparent to me that it was a bit of inter-house trading and frankly took up no significant space. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think most people like their post-round tipple in the clubhouse, so why wouldn't some wine pointers be relevant? Funny how no one seems to mind the enormous 'articles' paid for by the likes of VW...and I think the fact they make a car called 'Golf' is pushing the link a bit...

Take no notice of the wine-whingers Mike and rule your house with the tyranny of Kane. I for one would welcome some occasional asides like this. A handful of internet dissenters should not inform your publication. I would hate to see GM become dictated by the forum users. Yes it's great that we can influence to a small degree, but it really should be to a small degree only.

After all, we ain't the professionals in this game.

Keep up the good work and don't pander to us too much - we need keeping in line!

 

[madandra]

I could afford the wine before I could afford a Rolex or Range Rover.

 

[didsbury_duffer]

Well done toonarmy, a damn good post.

 

[Pants]

Thanks for taking the trouble to read and respond Mike.

As far as I can make out, Dodger in his opening post found 3 things in the Mag with which he took issue.

He was proved wrong on his point 1.
Ditto point 2 as he probably hadn't read things properly.
Point 3 was inconsequential.

Re-reading the subsequent posts I don't think that anyone else would have or did actually complain about the wine issue - just a few sheep bleating in the background .

Out of over 3,000 registered members you have 1 complainant. Keep doing what you do Mike without pandering to the vocal tiny minority.

 

[MikeH]

Blimey Mike, you're meant to be an editor for crying out loud! Since when did editors get so touchy-feely and run their publication by democracy?

My view is that if you guys as readers have shelled out four quid on the mag and have a query about why something is the way it is then it's the least I can do is reply and show my working or why soemthing is the way it is.

I have always tried to do this and feel it's a really good use of my time.

like everyone on here, all the GM boys are golf nuts, so we have our own opinions on what we'd want to read about in a golf mag and then we put our professional publishing hats on and see what of those ideas we think will and wont work in magazine format.

But, ultimately its down to whether you, the paying punters, feel what you're getting is enteratinng/useful so we genuinely do welcome every single bit of feedback on the mag - the opnions you all post on here and the stats we're currently getting back from the ongoing reader survey is like gold dust to us.

If we dont know what you like, and just as importantly, what you don't like, then we'll never have that real insight into what changes/new features will improve the mag.

 

[JustOne]

My view is that if you guys as readers have shelled out four quid on the mag and have a query about why something is the way it is then it's the least I can do is reply and show my working or why soemthing is the way it is.

I have always tried to do this and feel it's a really good use of my time.

like everyone on here, all the GM boys are golf nuts, so we have our own opinions on what we'd want to read about in a golf mag and then we put our professional publishing hats on and see what of those ideas we think will and wont work in magazine format.

But, ultimately its down to whether you, the paying punters, feel what you're getting is enteratinng/useful so we genuinely do welcome every single bit of feedback on the mag - the opnions you all post on here and the stats we're currently getting back from the ongoing reader survey is like gold dust to us.

If we dont know what you like, and just as importantly, what you don't like, then we'll never have that real insight into what changes/new features will improve the mag.

Um, Ok then... A nice photoshoot in every edition of topless women on the course aged 21-35 please

 

[Deleted member 1147]

.........but if you do like wine then I can highly recommend Decanter magazine and website!

all the best

Mike,
Please let the editor of Decanter know that if he needs someone to test drive a case of Petrus, Latour or any other nice wines then I'm his man.
Cheers