I'm not subscribed to any of teh golf mags, but read them all occasionally. My favourite at the moment is Today's Golfer, as it concentrates on tips and instruction, and other things designed to help me be a better player. I can't quite work out Golf Monthly - it has a bit of everything, with famous players writing short (and often not that helpful) pieces, plus the usual feature pieces about nice courses I'm never likely to play.

What do you read - and why? Which bits of which of the mags do you think are most useful / entertaining?

I sometimes also read Golf World - but like you, Jake, I'm only an occasional and not a subscriber. It's more like Golf Monthly, has loads of celebrity features (they have all sorts of pro's writing tips, and features about famous players) which are interesting. Today's Golfer is good, as its mission seems to be to get you out on the course with cheaper green fees, and a better game (and it seems less focused on getting famous people to write articles). I like that.

I get Todays Golfer on subscription. It seems to focus more on the casual golfer, and gives loads of tips which are a great help.

Good competitions too, I've won some Masters 2000 branded golf socks and a Progen Driver (which I don't use, yet).

I get Today's Golfer every month. I find it very helpful with lots of good tips and reviews.
I was taken away to play on one of their reader reports outings to The Machrie on Islay. What a suberb day and golf course.

I thonk it's "Fore" magazine or Todays Golfer that winds me up on the few occassions I buy it. Should be renamed "Todays hacker!" Articles like..."Learn to break 150" or "why bother with the rules" seem commonplace! Letters page is full of folk moaning that they were refused entry to the course in football boots! Golf World is much better!

I think Today's Golfer is less laddish than it used to be - maybe that was "Fore"? But it does certainly aim at people who aren't memebrs of posh clubs... (I like the football boots story.)

What makes Golf World better? Is it just a good read, or is it actually useful?

If you are serious about your game, you cannot beat Golf Weekly - the oldest and best of them all.

Serious news, serious reporting and serious interviews. Top magazine, always was, always will be. Ain't that right Bob!

FOr the monthlies, Golf World is the tops, there is no better, they address the right issues and it is well written.

What's serious news, reporting and itnerviews? Sounds dull...

And Martin, what do you think the right issues are that Golf World addresses? Are you in the camp that prefers to read about the pros and the championship courses, perhaps not needing to read tips and instruction? Or what exactly is it that you think GW does just right? A bit more info would be helpful.

GW sometimes looks too much like a holiday brochure..nice for the reporters to go on a freebie! I like the editorials, good mix of news and course reviews. Anyone with any good tips on getting free-lance stufff printed, I would be interested in hearing it!

I have subscribed to Golf Monthly for about 5 years and have every copy under the bed.

I am on the point of canceling though cos it only takes aobut 5 mins to read these days.

To be honest, I prefer Golf Weekly to anythign else.

Golf World is great for me becuase it has issues that I want to read about, and yes it does have a good travel section.

TG is OK for the beginner and mid handicapper for its instruction is tops and I do like some of Paul Mahoney's "in my humble opinion" articles.

In World, I like to read Steve Newell's and Jock Howards "A round with" articles, they give a good insight into what it would be like to play with a top tour pro, and Steve can play a bit too.

Gary Firkins is another accomplished author and always comes up with an interesting angle.

Equipement reviews are OK, but primarily aimed towards the game improvement type clubs,whereas Weekly bring you all the stuff for low handicappers, including stats, all the latest news from all Tours, in detail, the best jobs in golf, (which is where I saw both of mine advertised!) and there are always a few good features in there, along with Tony Rushmer's innovative style of investigative journalism!

It could do with a bit more inside the ropes interviews, I like Alan McFarlane's articles, his weekly diary is always a good giggle and I think we should resurrect the "Who's on the bag" features that I wrote on teh world's best caddies! They were pretty popular - but I would say that!

Its a case of "each to his own", but Weekly, and I hope it survives on its own merit, is the "industry bible" and aims towards the low handicapper and those in the business, which is what I want to know about.

phrrrrrrrp!

Don't you think that most magazines are the same. Because what you read about one month in one your get the same stuff 2 moths later in one of the other mags. I would read all the mags if I could but cost does not permit. Think that you should read what you like and go from there it is all about personal preference!!!

What about the regional magazines? Does anyone read the county based ones (I find them pretty poor)? How about National Club Golfer, which is often lying around clubhouses?

The best freebies are National Club golfer and Golf News, Golf News being more informative with regards to what happens on Tour.


Fairway to Green is just - shoddy!

Golf Weekly has more news I find than the other mags. They concentrate too much on lessons which all blend into a bit into dullness for me. If they worked I'd be a scratch golfer. I can scratch my arse but not much else. I think golf is going the way of a lifestyle and all the mags are going downhill coz they're losing the plot.

Interesting what different people read the mags for - some for news, others for a bit of instruction.

If that's the case, what do you use the internet for? What do you use GolfMagic for, for example? I use GM (it's even in my favourites) to read the forum, to ask stupid questions about magazines (!!), and for the odd bit of advice on technique or perhaps equipment (either in the forums or in the articles on the home page). But that's just me... what about others?

Equipment, course reviews, interviews with interesting people (Raquel Carriedo for example)opinions of lesser known players and caddies, anecdotes, jokes, golfing stories. There's a whole rake of things that aren't covered - just the same old rechurned crap about how to get a ball out of a bunker.