Andy
Tour Winner
Spot on Crawford. Best golf mag read in ages.
The Other Mags
- Thread starter Master-putter
- Start date
Spot on Crawford. Best golf mag read in ages.
pbrown7582
Money List Winner
GM is the best for me although i do like GW, not a fan of TG seems a bit of a comic at times. I have a couple of issues of the new Golf Illustrated some great articles and pics.
At the end of the day there is something out there for everyone you pays your money and takes your pick.
At the end of the day there is something out there for everyone you pays your money and takes your pick.
sev112
Tour Winner
Bunkered whenever I am in glasgow is quite good
And occasionally Golf Digest, including all the Viagra adverts
And occasionally Golf Digest, including all the Viagra adverts
Garush34
Journeyman Pro
I really like Golf Digest too, always different articles in there, different from the main. only problem is trying to find a copy of it.
srixon 1
Journeyman Pro
I stopped buying and reading golf mags years ago. After a while it just gets too repetitive. No doubt in the most recent issues you are all looking at photo's of Augusta National (again). Same old stuff year after year.
Hacker Khan
Yurt Dwelling, Yoghurt Knitter
Oh yes, I feel I know Augusta better than my local having read about it so many times
I subscribe to GM, GW and TG due to the offers and free balls. And to be fair to them, each mag has some really good editions, and each mag can have some relatively dull ones (the GM issue recently where everyone in it seemed to be over 70 was not the best read). Then again the GM issue with the top 100 courses last year was superb. And I really like the driver comparison where all the staffers hit them recently.
I think TG has got a bit of a bad rap up to yet, but maybe because it's niche is more the younger market and not the more elderly readers of GM (and yes I am stereotyping a bit here). To be fair to Todays Golfer I think it did lose its way a bit, but the last few issues have been very good. I feel it does a lot more comparative reviews than the others (good driver comparison this month) and also this month it has the What Gear 2013 booklet with all then latest gear in it. Yes most of the descriptions are just slightly rewritten press releases, but it's good for any gear junkies. And also there's a very good table showing the lofts of all the major manufacturers irons so you can see who does the most jacking (for example Callaways X Hot 7 iron is lower than TMs Rocketbladz!.) Plus they usually give away 3 top of the range TM golf balls every year to the first 4000 or so people to ring up. And if you are a subscriber you can pretty much guarantee you will get them. And next month they are promising a free sleeve for Z stars for every reader. No pleading to be one of just 20
I personally feel the instruction is much the same across all 3 and I have seen it all before. yes there are some occasional nuggets, but I don't get the mags for instruction. I think the areas where GM and GW score more is the quality of the writers, columnists and articles. Bill Elliot is class, whilst I don;t always agree with everything he says he is best golf writer out there for my money, and I enjoy John Huggan from GW. I really used to enjoy Lawrence Donegan from GW but he seems to have left them now. I'm never sure how much of the columns the pro's actually write or how much is ghost written, but I do like Geoff Ogilvy's column, so he must have a good ghost writer.
Oner thing I can't stand are advertising features. I am not sure which one does it, but I have seen a few recently. Basically adverts made to look stories or features. Horrible things, at least have the decency to make your advert look like one and do not try and deceive me.
scratch
Q-School Graduate
Serious question........are you more likely to be picked for all the free giveaways on here if you are a subscriber?
Ethan
Money List Winner
About 20 years ago, GW was the best, with good layout and a balance of US and European golf, nice travel and instruction features. GM, at that time, was still a rather tweedy magazine, which seemed to be more interested in old British clubs where they drank Kummel. The layout was also a bit dated.
Now, GM has improved enormously and is the best, so congratulations to the editorial and production teams. The layout is much better, and the content and online presence are the best. GW has slid a bit and seems to import content from their US sister magazine rather more lazily than they used to, often retaining references in the text that only mean something to the US reader.
TG has always seemed to aim at those who are not members of a club or who like more blingy gear. Sort of like the magazine for golfers with ADHD. They also like to try to appear controversial, although it sometimes comes over as being a bit shout.
Golf International is for the chap with a lot of money, possibly nouveau riche. If you want to know how many golf bags you can get in the boot of a Bentley Continental, GI is the mag for you.
I mostly ignore all the opinion pieces, although I will read some by (or written for) the pros. Some of these are better than others. Ogilvy is a smart guy with a genuine interest in golf design and his pieces are usually good, and I suspect actually written by him, even if edited a fair bit. Paul McGinley seems like a nice enough bloke, but his pieces are usually not very interesting. Radar O'Reilly just comes across like he does on TV, as a total spanner. I can't stand the stuff written by Clive Agran, and I have a special loathing for the oh-so-hilarious (not!) piece written in the style of an old ex-military member in GI.
Now, GM has improved enormously and is the best, so congratulations to the editorial and production teams. The layout is much better, and the content and online presence are the best. GW has slid a bit and seems to import content from their US sister magazine rather more lazily than they used to, often retaining references in the text that only mean something to the US reader.
TG has always seemed to aim at those who are not members of a club or who like more blingy gear. Sort of like the magazine for golfers with ADHD. They also like to try to appear controversial, although it sometimes comes over as being a bit shout.
Golf International is for the chap with a lot of money, possibly nouveau riche. If you want to know how many golf bags you can get in the boot of a Bentley Continental, GI is the mag for you.
I mostly ignore all the opinion pieces, although I will read some by (or written for) the pros. Some of these are better than others. Ogilvy is a smart guy with a genuine interest in golf design and his pieces are usually good, and I suspect actually written by him, even if edited a fair bit. Paul McGinley seems like a nice enough bloke, but his pieces are usually not very interesting. Radar O'Reilly just comes across like he does on TV, as a total spanner. I can't stand the stuff written by Clive Agran, and I have a special loathing for the oh-so-hilarious (not!) piece written in the style of an old ex-military member in GI.
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Hacker Khan
Yurt Dwelling, Yoghurt Knitter
I probably doubt that the person picking the names out goes through and cross checks all the entries against subscription records.
Imurg
The Grinder Of Pars (Semi Crocked)
You know, I was going to write this - word for word......
Tiger
Money List Winner
if you are more likely to buy the magazine than not you should subscribe for no other reason than the fact it's cheaper
T
thecraw
Guest
I assume that's your opinion and you haven't just elected yourself spokesperson for everyone?
Ethan
Money List Winner
I wouldn't speak for you. I don't speak fluent [redacted].
ScienceBoy
Money List Winner
Another +1 for this, NCG is always around our clubhouse so I browse it every now and again. Its a very different mag really and GM stands out from its direct peers.
T
thecraw
Guest
M
MetalMickie
Guest
Sorry to have to say this on a GM forum but, for me, the overall standard of journalism on Golf World is far superior (with the exception of Bill Elliott).
I appreciate that some of it is "imported" but that does not detract from its overall quality.
Would, however, agree with the majority view on GW's stablemate Today's Golfer.
I appreciate that some of it is "imported" but that does not detract from its overall quality.
Would, however, agree with the majority view on GW's stablemate Today's Golfer.
i don't get any other mags apart from GM anymore. Occ flick though the free ones that get left at the club. Scottish Golfer and National something or other.
When i started playing i used to get TG, but stopped as it was full of tips that just didn't interest me.
I buy GM, but used to subscribe but it always used to turn up after it was on sale in the shops.
When i started playing i used to get TG, but stopped as it was full of tips that just didn't interest me.
I buy GM, but used to subscribe but it always used to turn up after it was on sale in the shops.
Hacker Khan
Yurt Dwelling, Yoghurt Knitter
Possibly true in the past but I'd challenge anyone to buy the latest issue and not say it's a decent read. Interviews with Westwood and Bubba plus 4 other players in the masters, obligatory masters preview and interview with a past masters winner (in this case Sandy Lyle), I think a new masters angle with a discussion on how you improve Augusta asking course architects, obligatory travel section on Portuguese courses, a bit of instruction, big driver test, 100 best courses under £60, pull out booklet listing all the latest gear for 2013.
I fully take on board they do not have the quality of journalists and comment/articles of GM and GW. But I would not totally dismiss it.
Junior
Tour Winner
GM's my fave golf mag. I prefer the layout, the writers and content of GM above all the other publications. The balance in content for my liking is perfect.
That said, I agree with the above and do think this months TG mag was very good and found the piece on the Masters in particular a good read. They are improving and have gone down the route of having staff writers in Cotter and Rob Lee. That said, the McGinley and Wayne Riley articles are streets ahead. McGinley's article on how he was told about the captaincy was superb, It had me on edge as I was reading it, then there is Radar's straight talking, no nonsense approach always captivates me.
TG's issues in my opinion stem from the fact that they can test any number of drivers, irons, putters etc and you know what the top three will be in any particular category. There is no deviance from Ping TM and Callaway with the odd intevention from Mizuno or Titleist. Never a chance another brand like Adams, Benross etc get a look in.
