What do you want to see more/less of in GM next year

[MikeH]

Afternoon all

It's that time of year when the GM team start working on ideas for what new ideas to introduce in the magazine next year.

As ever we want to make sure we are giving you what you really want so why not help influence what you'll see next year by sticking down your thoughts on what you'd like to see more or indeed less of in 2009

A few general areas of content to get the ball rolling...

More/less instruction and tips
Tips from our Top 25 coaches (PGA pros) or Tour pros
More/less equipment pages
More/less interviews with Tour players
Features about issues at club/grassroots level
Features about issues on Tour
More/less courses reviews and features
More/less travel features

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and input!

cheers

 

[theeaglehunter]

I think this years magazines have been superb, however some of the travel features have been a bit lengthy in my opinion, and reading about different places each week is nice but often frustrating as I can't go to them all Anyway keep up the good work and as an idea which may well already be in hand, how about in one of the coming months an article on the race to dubai and what it has to offer and players opinions etc, you could even do an article with one of your staff arguing for it one against! Either way some written information should provide some clarity for people.

 

[Dodger]

More travel reviews and not just the usual places that seem to be reviewed all the time i.e.Vilamoura,East side of the Algarve.
Also more travel ideas for GB places more in keeping with joe public price wise as all too often high cost tracks are featured and not all can afford £80 plus a round....surely GM must get the nod from time to time on deals that clubs may have like the St Andrews winter 3 rnd offer etc??
More interviews with tour players would be great as would an insight to life on tour,what the guys do at night to amuse themselves and likewise the caddies and how life differs for say the man on Paddys bag to that of the man carrying David Drysdales sack!

Apart from that all is fine so keep it coming!

 

[HTL]

Less travel!

I want to see more on pro players and a feature on how they prepare for a round including their diet pre / post round, relaxation methods etc.
More blogs, like Golf World.
More gear reviews and info.

 

[nackanut]

firstly thankyou all for a great magazine.i would like to see more in depth articles about the various projects that the R and A are involved with in the promotion of golf not just in this country but around the world. the interviews with peter dawson are always enjoyable with regard to debates about the ball and equipment regs etc but the R and A seem to go about their business in a very quiet understated way not seemingly wanting to draw too much attention to themselves. i think this is a great shame as valiant as it seems. i would like to read more about projects helping, for example, the poorest of kids in brazil through the introduction of golf. im sure there are many other interesting things that the custodians of our great game are involved with that may be of interest to gm readers.

 

[Toad]

Like to see a feature on golf schools for us amatures, with details such as prices, reviews and readers thoughts.

 

[vig]

Travel = more budget that many can afford including uk & Ireland (hidden gems). Nice to see the more expensive ones but as we have tried, and failed to get people together for meets, cost is an important factor.

Behind the scene at pro events, preparation, practice rounds, what the pro's look for in a practice round

Course management, scenario's around strategies for
certain holes to come out with best/consistent results.

More grass roots golf.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

I like info about equipment - especially why certain items are made as they are and how that helps.

I'd like to know more about what clubs different people play (tour pros, top amateurs, club players etc), and the reasons why they play them.

 

[CarpeDiem]

Less Travel !!! maybe a seperate magazine included that is dedicated to travel in the summer months.

Loads more tips and interviews from tour pros and whats in the bag articals. More tour interviews, with caddies etc. Equipment pages are great so keep them up. Behind the scenes at events, how pros warm up, their routines, what they look for in courses and equipment. What they had to do to turn pro, what they do during practice.

 

[evita4]

I am also going with less travel related features especially the really high end ones. After all there is a credit crunch going on.I would like to see an in depth diary/blog of a full pros week during a tournament. More equipment tests by forum members as I have recently registered to become a tester It would also be good to see more grass roots club golf featured

 

[Dodger]

Guess the less travel guys wont be featuring in a JF style article then...

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Less travel especially to the further flung resorts which I think would be better served in quarterly separate magazines specials. The void could be filled with more European and especially UK and Ireland resorts and maybe not aim for the top end but feature budget breaks for those counting the pennies like me who wiuld still like to play value for money courses.

I think a feature on clubs and grassroots levels would be great. Maybe pick a club each month and include the greenkeeper, head pro, steward, club cpatian (men and ladies) etc. and give a general feel for the place. You are more than welcome at Ascot (please don't bring Jezz and his sombrero).

How about a day in the life feature too. This can range from top end stuff like behind the scenes in press tents/TV facilities and how European events are staged down the scale to how clubs run (dealing with societies on regular basis) through to pros running ranges/club shops, teaching pros and all the unsung heroes behind every club (secretary, stewards etc)

I think overall the balance of tour stuff (interviews etc), tuition and equipment reviews is pretty good and the readers panle gives us a chance to voice and independant opinion which I think is valuable.

Keep up the good work and heres to an even better (is that possible?) mag next year.

 

[billyg]

One thing that I would be happy to see less of (takes cover) is golf tips and the sort of 'how to nail the stinger' type piece. In fact IMHO I would do away with any and all advice on golf mechanics.

The problem is that the way it is presented falls between approaches which I would favour:-

1) A very focussed and in depth piece about a single mechanical (for example) component with good drawings, explanations, classic Vs contemporary thinking, competing theories and proponents of such looked at exhaustively.

2) A tiny , clear snippet along the lines of a Videojug style presentation which might help to act as a guide to people wanting to take something specific to a pro.

As things stand I'm embarrassed to say that I rapidly move on from 'The top 25 coach bit' (which means little to me- sorry pro's) or 'Ian Poulter shows us in 2 static photographs and four sentences how to drive one 300 yards' (no use to me i'm afraid).

I keep all my copies of GM as some of the domestic and international travel articles act as inspiration and a reference point for possible visits. The tips are just fish wrapping to me and I would like see them become either type 1), type 2) or do away with them and make the travel section and/or gear section more in depth and personal.
For example, If I want to know what Jumeria group think about their latest course Ill head to their website. From GM I want to feel that the staffers are there batting on my behalf and come back armed with the full 'SP' warts and all. Not just gentle platitudes which I can get anywhere.


Same with gear. With more space you get a deeper opinion but with gear I think the group test- multi standard player format in place already throws up interesting and personal comments.

How about something similar with group tests on waterproofs, gloves, bags,golf balls, trolleys etc.?I would like to see 12 of the most used 'accessories '(one a month) group tested in a 'living with it' type test each year - kind of a mini -JDPower survey.

I used to be big into motorcycles and every year Ride magazine did that sort of thing and published the results in a suppliment. I remember looking forward to that issue for months in advance. The survey forms were in the back of the magazine for months in advance and you just filled it in and sent it in.

I would like to see more articles about the golf industry - how is tourist golf fairing?, are there more people coming into the game than leaving it? how much does it cost to stage a tournament and how much can a sponsor expect to make out of it? How does , for example, TaylorMade measure the direct sales impact of a tour pro dripping in their logoed gear have?...or do they?

The R&A bits are sort of in that direction but more of them please and longer if possible.

I really like the rest of it and look forward to a couple of hours worth of hot baths and a beer while letting myself daydream through the magazine each month.


Thanks to MikeH and the rest of the GM staff for a good year.

Bill

 

[minty18]

Great mag however I personally would like to see more on the average club player. i.e. a feature on a low, mid and high handicapper in each issue. Being a high handicapper it would be nice to have someone in there i could relate a bit more to. Maybe even cover a club competition in each issue, I dont mean a club that charges £2000+ per year either, i'm talking about your average working mens golf club.

You could follow a high, mid and low handicapper and se ehow they prepare for a club competion. I'm really not to interested in what Tiger Woods does before a round, I'm never going to do that however If there is a 20 handicap who does something that may help my game i'd be very interested.

I also think by doing the above you'll get a few more buyers of the mag.

I'd also like to see a GM Tourny. If you subscribe to the mag for a year you get entry to the annual GM Masters. I dont subscribe annualy but would do if it got me in the tourny.

 

[MVP]

Id like to see more interviews with the tour players, these are probably my favourite parts of the magazine. Also perhaps some stuff on the manufacturing process of clubs and balls etc if thats possible!

 

[golfcitydweller]

took the words right out of my mouth minty .....same for me mike

 

[GB72]

I like the direction that the magazine has been heading in. As far as equipment is concerned, I would like to see more comments from the demographic that the gear is aimed at and the readers review panel has been excellent for that. For example, I am not interested on the views of a low handicapper on the latest large cavity backed irons, they are aimed at the mid to high handicapper and it is their views that I would like to hear. Certainly would advocate having a double figure handicapper on most review panels.

If there are going to be travel articles then I would like to see some more obscure places looked at. I have seen enough articles on Spain and Portugal so other places in Europe, especially the cheaper options, would be ideal.

With regards course reviews, would like to see more reviews of 'every day' courses. Those that noboday has heard of that do not cost a fortune to play. Would also like to see comments on how they suit different handicaps as would not like to pay to play a course that would be too difficult for me to get any enjoyment out of, in the same way that lower handicappers may not get much out of an easier course.

To be honest, I do not look at the lesson articles so much. I went through a period of looking at them and got myself in a right mess so it is off to my pro for tips.

 

[forefortheday]

Less travel in the sense of trips to Dubai, maybe more road trip style pieces around the UK,Ireland for the average golfer (in terms of finance not ability)

More stories, I really enjoyed the Hickory golf feature recently and the piece about uncovering the Old Tom Morris course was good too.

Always turn to Bill Elliot first so more from him

I personally want to hear about what golf means to people not why X pro uses X club (because he/she is paid to).So I guess that mean more stories about clubs etc.

And a piece on how GM took a hacker like me and turned him into a competent golfer(hint hint)

 

[Boabski]

player profiles - apart from whats in their bag, have a standard questionaire for them to fill in asking their like and dislikes, films food etc first set of clubs, favorite clubs,favorite people etc

 

[Basher]

Less travel, more instruction, less kit the pros have (it's a done thing that a TM sponsored player will have TM gear in his bag!)
A bit less on course reviews too.

Oh, yes, and do we have to have some of the tacky adverts that sometimes appear at the back of the mag?

Other than that, keep up the good work.