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Golf Digest Editor's Blog Re: "Golf for Women"

Harry Longshanks

Harry Longshanks

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For those who aren't familiar with the situation, Conde Nast (publisher of both GD and GFW) shut down Golf For Women over the summer. The GFW website was subsequently dismantled and Golf Digest promised an emphasis on women's golf. Now, the golfforwomen.com url takes you to a GD page called Golf Digest Woman. Except, Conde Nast or Golf Digest or whomever failed to transfer over the majority of content . . . or create any new specific women's golf content.

I thought this was an interesting response to a letter from a former GFW reader stating many of the common complaints about the demise of GFW and why GD is not a suitable substitute. And by "interesting response", I mean of course "total blow off".

http://www.golfdigest.com/magazine/blogs/editors/2008/11/golf-digest-and.html

Golf Digest and the Women's Game

Like many Golf Digest readers who also subscribed to Golf For Women, Cherie Riesenberg has a few questions, all having to do with women and our magazine.
Why do you seldom (if ever!) have women on your cover? Also,hardly ever are features or articles about or for women and those that do frequently focus on the beginner or average woman player vs topics related to pros and lower handicap amateur players. Are you mostly a golf magazine for men? I really miss the quality and format of Golf For Women and am disappointed it apparently went under. My husband even said it was a far better magazine than Golf Digest. Can't some of what was learned there be incorporated into Golf Digest?

Thanks!
​
Let me take those questions one at a time. First, we do feature women on the cover, if only occasionally. Lorena Ochoa and Annika Sorenstam, both playing editors of the magazine, have each appeared on the cover, Lorena as late as August. Our December issue chronicles Annika's amazing career in numbers and includes Annika's "10 Rules for Seeking a New Challenge." The Pocket Tps in December is devoted entirely to "My Best Lessons" by Annika. And there is more online, including Annika videos, slide shows and a Q & A. We run the monthly "Ask Stina" column by Stina Sternberg, a former Golf For Women editor.

As for our monthly instruction, we believe our team of great teachers, including Annika and Lorena, appeal to all levels of golfers--and certainly both genders.

But let's face it. We are a magazine with predominantly (more than 90 per cent) male subscribers and about 80 per cent male readers.

Nevertheless, 20 per cent of six million is a lot of readers and with the demise of Golf For Women we will add two special sections devoted to women's golf in 2009, one in April and one in June. They will be called Golf Digest Woman and will be edited by Stina. Let us know what you think.

--Bob Carney
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Wow. Women get two whole "special sections" each year? What a commitment of resources you guys have pledged to the 1.2 million female readers. You must be so proud.

And perhaps it didn't occur to you that, if the content of Golf Digest actually addressed the needs and interests of female golfers, then your female readership might increase. Supply and demand, Bob. Supply and demand.
 
Amen. I still have my old bookmark to the forum there. It worked until fairly recently, but no more. :at-wits-end:
 
It was a shame. Golfer Gal enjoyed the magazine as well. However I think if more people subscribed obviously the publication would still be here.

However I agree that there should be a section devoted to women in each and every issue. Use the resources that are already in place from the failed publication and put in a 10 page section in each issue. Why not?
 
I'd rather read a teaching section from Lorena than one the many ANCIENT old white men instructors they constantly chronicle in the magazines. I have a subscription but recently I have only been reading the travel sections and the bag of the magazine with new equipment releases, tests, and WITB.
 
Harry Longshanks said:
For those who aren't familiar with the situation, Conde Nast (publisher of both GD and GFW) shut down Golf For Women over the summer. The GFW website was subsequently dismantled and Golf Digest promised an emphasis on women's golf. Now, the golfforwomen.com url takes you to a GD page called Golf Digest Woman. Except, Conde Nast or Golf Digest or whomever failed to transfer over the majority of content . . . or create any new specific women's golf content.

I thought this was an interesting response to a letter from a former GFW reader stating many of the common complaints about the demise of GFW and why GD is not a suitable substitute. And by "interesting response", I mean of course "total blow off".

http://www.golfdigest.com/magazine/blogs/editors/2008/11/golf-digest-and.html

Wow. Women get two whole "special sections" each year? What a commitment of resources you guys have pledged to the 1.2 million female readers. You must be so proud.

And perhaps it didn't occur to you that, if the content of Golf Digest actually addressed the needs and interests of female golfers, then your female readership might increase. Supply and demand, Bob. Supply and demand.
Click to expand...


Thanks Harry for your support of women golfers! I can't believe that the publisher didn't keep the website alive even if the magazine wasn't bringing in enough money.

We are in a terrible void now - let's hope another much more women-friendly publisher will pick up the slack.

I'd sure like to see Stina branch out and do a site of her own.

Gayle
 
Remember the promise from the Golf Digest editor for two special sections in 2009 called "Golf Digest Woman" - one in April and one in June? (See the first post in the thread.)


Well, I received the April issue of Golf Digest in the mail today. Guess what? No special section. Big surprise.



:bad:
 
Me too Harry. I am going to contact them on Monday.
 
DDBowdoin said:
I'd rather read a teaching section from Lorena than one the many ANCIENT old white men instructors they constantly chronicle in the magazines. I have a subscription but recently I have only been reading the travel sections and the bag of the magazine with new equipment releases, tests, and WITB.
Click to expand...

DD, I agree...I think the average male golfer can learn a lot from the LPGA pros, or by watching LPGA tournament play. I know my swing speed is a whole lot closer to the average LPGA player versus PGA player. I get much better lessons on tempo and on-course strategy by watching the LPGA.
 
Harry Longshanks said:
Well, I received the April issue of Golf Digest in the mail today. Guess what? No special section. Big surprise.
Click to expand...

Agree, no surprise there.
I am wondering if they decided not to do it because they didn't maintain many of the GFW subscriptions. I had no interest in renewing GD when my subscription ran out, I am wondering how many GFW subscribers did the same?
 
I would've read GFW, but I have no interest in ever reading or spending any change on Golf Digest. Their pathetic attempts at pandering and hoping no one notices are an embarrassment and an insult. There's enough on the internet and at the library that I can cobble my own golf information together, and I see no benefit to me wasting even a small amount of my time cracking Golf Digest open.
 
I thought I'd just add here that not only did GD fail miserably on its promise for content for women in its magazine, but they haven't even bothered to update the "Golf Digest Woman" page of their website (which is where the old golfforwomen.com url redirects.)

They still have the "LPGA Preview" and the 2008 Hot List, along with the timely headline "Creamer Wins Samsung" from October 8, 2008.

http://www.golfforwomen.com

There isn't even a link to the "Golf Digest Woman" section on the GD home page. Nor is there a single link to any story about the upcoming Kraft-Nabisco major.

I guess the editors at GD were too busy gauging the "Demand" for each model of golf ball to actually live up to any of their promises to the GFW readers, or female readers in general.

a$$hats.
 
Sadly enough, it's what we've come to expect.
 
Well, after complaining here last night about the complete lack of mention of the Kraft-Nabisco, I was surprised today to see the following image link on the front page of golfdigest.com (I've included the link for your convenience.):



Thinking/hoping that GD had created a special page, section, or story I clicked the image link.

Spoiler
Wow, GD. Thanks. Way to put some effort into it.

a$$hats.
 
That's pathetic.
 
The good part about having low expectations is that you're less likely to be disappointed.
 
I am away on vacation and do not have my April issue with me, but I would swear that there was a short section for women in the magazine. Not counting ads, it was only a couple of pages, easily missed.

I will say that many of us would play more golf if our significant others played. Not that my wife begrudges my playing, but if it were four hours of family time, I'd certainly get to do it more. The female market is a huge, untapped demographic. GD, Golf Magazine and all major governing bodies in the sport are blowing it. Big time.
 
Harry Longshanks said:
I think we both know that's not true.
Click to expand...

Sweetie, if you throw softballs at me, I'm gonna hit 'em.
OA02.gif
 
Harry Longshanks said:
Big ball-hitter, are you?
Click to expand...

They have to be big and slow--not much eye-hand coordination here.

That's the lovely thing about golf. The ball isn't coming at you as you're trying to hit it.
 
ClairefromClare said:
They have to be big and slow--not much eye-hand coordination here.

That's the lovely thing about golf. The ball isn't coming at you as you're trying to hit it.
Click to expand...

:quiet:
 
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