The Golfing Magazine Market

Today sees the launch issue of EMAP Pursuit’s Fore!, “aimed at 90% of regular golfers who do not currently buy golfing magazines”. Fore is also targeted at a younger market than its stablemate Today’s Golfer (52% male readership is 35+ – Profiles follow).

Fore’s editor proclaims that the magazine offers a livelier approach to golf, and certainly its competitors are less likely to include an article on Payne Stewart at home (almost Hello- like); and a serial (soap).

Fore is well produced, and concentrates mostly on the practical aspects – skills and (affordable) courses.

Fore is also reasonable value – 132 pages for £1.60 (Golfer – 112 pages at £1.95; Golf World 258 pages at £2.60). Front cover of the launch is very similar to July’s Golf World (spoiler by the latter?) – predictably both feature Nick Faldo.

All three of these titles offer a similar mix of tips and course reviews – Golf World offers a lot more of both.

Fore does have some ground to make up to match either of these competitors for advertising. It is only the first issue, but there is only one non- Golf advertiser (colour DPS for Ford), and 15 ad pages of Golf-related ads. Golf World carries advertising for Honda,Rolex,Gillette, Sky,Bollinger and others and The Golfer includes Mitsubishi, NorthWest Airlines and Silverstone. Golf World has an impressive 90+ pages of golfing advertising; The Golfer has 15+.

It will be a while yet before EMAP can provide circulation data for the launch but the aim to attract younger readers may well be at the expense of lucrative mainstream advertising it would seem.

Basic Facts

Readership Profiles %

Fore: 0733 264666