Sporting magazine keeps hitting fairway

Golf Digest, March 2018, Top 100 2018 cover

In a print environment where only the strongest survive, the magazine has gone from strength to strength. The latest circulation figures reveal that Golf Digest SA has grown its total circulation by 53.29% since the corresponding period of the previous year. The golf-related market average of total circulation is 11 197; ahead of which Golf Digest sits a comfortable 8%.

The reasons for this success are twofold. The first is the fact that 253 of the 268 issues of the magazine have been edited by the legendary Stuart McLean. Over the last five decades, McLean has covered the careers of SA’s top golfers, witnessing everything from Ernie Els’ multiple SA Amateur, SA Open and major championship victories to South Africa’s successful hosting of the World Cup, Women’s World Cup and Presidents Cup.

During his 21 years at the helm of Golf Digest, McLean has written three books on South African golf courses. He started Golf Digest’s Top 100 Course Rankings, which was first published in 1998 and will be celebrating its 20th anniversary with the 2018 March issue.

Golf Digest, January 1998, first course ranking issue

“Editing Golf Digest has been the pinnacle of my career in the media. It gave me a VIP pass to watch the greatest events in golf, and play the finest golf courses," says McLean. "My 21 years coincided with some of the most amazing developments in the game, from Tiger Woods to Jordan Spieth, and persimmon woods to the latest technology. All you need to know about golf over the last 21 years is packed into 250 issues of great Golf Digest content.”

The second reason for Golf Digest’s success is that since 2015 the magazine has been published by New Media – South Africa’s leading content marketing agency. The move fits perfectly with New Media’s strategy to own centres of expertise in specific sectors and to this end, Golf Digest has been thriving in the company’s Health and Sport Division.

New Media delivers great value to brands and audiences by creating engaging content that is informed by analytics and is skillfully crafted by content experts. It prides itself in its people’s editorial expertise. A formula which makes it the perfect home for Golf Digest.

“We know that great content is what drives reader engagement and loyalty, and Golf Digest is testament to that,” says Cat Anderson, group account director of the Health and Sport Division. “It’s not enough to rely on an eye-catching cover to keep momentum in your copy sales. Readers are looking for real value for their money – that’s where the quality of Golf Digest’s content shines through.”

Between McLean’s expertise and New Media’s long history of publishing excellence, Golf Digest has weathered the “print is dead” storm of recent years and with its loyal, and growing audience remains the biggest-selling golf publication in South Africa.

Follow @GolfDigestSA or Like facebook.com/GolfDigestSA. Buy the digimag at: https://www.mysubs.co.za/magazine/golf-digest. The print edition is sold at all major retailers including Woolworths, Spar, Pick n Pay, Checkers and Exclusive Books.