discgolfer magazine: Is it (the print version) worth it?

[Nemmers]

Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF): Would you join the PDGA if the price was lower? If so, could/should they lower their membership fee by making discgolfer magazine a digital quarterly?

Thoughts?

(Those of you who don't care about the reason I ask this question are free to stop reading here.)

--------------------------------------------------

I just renewed my PDGA membership last week. Some people don't buy in to that because they don't play in enough (or any) PDGA events to justify the $50/year fee. I get that. It can be viewed as pricey. However, I do it because I really appreciate the services they offer: a national rating, stats, the discount you get at most (if not all) PDGA events, the national magazine, and a few other minor perks they mention that I've yet to avail myself. Nevertheless, it's the magazine I'd like to talk about here.

The Winter 2015 issue arrived in my mailbox today. It's 64 pages total. A lot of good stuff in there. However, I've noticed that for all the work they put into this, I would never, EVER pay $5.00 for this if they didn't send it to me every quarter with my membership.

Why? Well, of the 64 pages in it:

- 6 pages are pictures of the pros. Yep. That's pretty much it. Pictures of pros throwing discs in PDGA tournaments punctuated by sponsor shills and breathless adorations of other, not-pictured pros who've recently won and placed in various tournaments.

- 4 pages are of upcoming tournaments around the country.

- 7 pages are coverage of tournaments that have already happened.

- 8 pages provide original content articles such as "First Tee" by Randy Michael Signor, "The Hole Truth" by John Houck, "19th Hole" by Paul Wright, and some very interesting gouge on #17 at Winthrop that has apparently taken the lunch money of various professionals who have not given it proper respect.

- 14 pages dedicated to advertisements of the next great mold, bag, plastic, and/or disc.

- 22 pages are devoted to "getting to know" the pros. This issue is Elaine King, Ken Climo, and (as usual) Paul McBeth.

- The rest is various filler such PDGA contacts, who's given the PDGA the most money, etc.

(For those who are itching to tell me I have too much time on my hands by counting said pages, please save your typing finger. I learned how to count a long time ago….it didn't take that long even though I did have to take off both shoes.)

I'd like to know how much it costs to make, print, and send the magazine to the membership and how much the PDGA could save by making discgolfer a digital magazine? Almost all of this information is already online. In essence, if they did that, how much would it reduce annual fees? And more importantly, would those of you who aren't currently PDGA members, if this option was available and PDGA membership was (say) $30 instead of $50, would you be more apt to join?

Just curious.

 

[onemilemore]

I'm not a PDGA member for various reasons, but I would like to see them take some of the effort from the magazine and put it toward more timely digital content. I know you suggested a digital mag, but how about just putting this stuff on the PDGA website - or on some other PDGA-focused site - when it's ready? Got a tourney wrap-up? Post it. Photos of the pros? Put it on instagram and link it to your site. All kinds of stuff they could do with that money.

Still, that kind of content takes people, and those people may not have the time to produce it in a timely manner, so that may be the overriding problem. Either way, I think the print version could stand to go by the wayside and the PDGA could look to the future with more online content.

 

[PWaggoner]

If it's lame they should just drop it and keep the money. I'd pay for a monthly subscription I think if it was good. Save the money and use it to promote the sport

 

[Pbmercil]

I'm probably in the minority on this, but I like my Disc Golfer subscription. I always take the time to read the just about the whole thing, and I find the content usually well written and interesting. Houck's articles by themselves are worth their weight in gold.

Obviously print is dead and all that, but I don't really care.

 

[Nemmers]

I'm probably in the minority on this, but I like my Disc Golfer subscription. I always take the time to read the just about the whole thing, and I find the content usually well written and interesting. Houck's articles by themselves are worth their weight in gold.

Obviously print is dead and all that, but I don't really care.

I like it too, but I think that it'd probably make the membership happier if they made it a digital-only magazine and put the money they saved in printing and mailing it towards updating the ratings monthly instead of once every....whatever they do now.

 

[zgmc]

I also like it. It would be disappointing if they discontinued the magazine.

 

[Halcón]

I'm probably in the minority on this, but I like my Disc Golfer subscription. I always take the time to read the just about the whole thing, and I find the content usually well written and interesting. Houck's articles by themselves are worth their weight in gold.

Obviously print is dead and all that, but I don't really care.

This. I love receiving my mag in the mail. I read it cover to cover.

That being said, they could definitely improve it, as has been discussed in various other threads.

 

[Mr. Butlertron]

Those mags are annoyingly worthless, it's mostly adds and a bunch of fluff. I get a discount for only having one delivered instead of two, but I'd much rather not get one at all if it meant cheaper membership.

The biggest thing that I don't like it that you have to pay 75 $ money for a "professional membership". I'm really not sure what I'm paying extra for. My annual USA Hockey membership for 40$ includes accident insurance, magazine, and covers coaching, plus it's a real sport.

I think the free disc with a first time membership is a nice thought, but it's not like you can choose it from a list or anything. I'll never use the one I got with my membership.

 

[Star Shark]

The last about 8 issues of the mag that I've recieved are still in the plastic wrap. I'm not so much interested in the articles and I can get all the tournament results and video months before the magazine is released.

 

[Steve West]

If it's lame they should just drop it and keep the money. I'd pay for a monthly subscription I think if it was good. Save the money and use it to promote the sport

The paper magazine is one of the best ways to promote the sport. Handing one to a potential course owner makes the sport real.

 

[DavidSauls]

As with others, I like the magazine and think its an appropriate endeavor for the organization. Digital is so ephemeral, and at any rate there is a ton of digital material in the disc golf world, and making the PDGA magazine digital wouldn't accomplish much.

I don't know the cost, and am too lazy to look it up, but I doubt it's a huge expense to the membership. I'd be surprised if it's enough to make much of a dent in membership fees, if it was dropped.

 

[sandtiger]

People pay the full $50 to reup? clearly your google fu is failing. http://bit.ly/1tGfViq

 

[Cgkdisc]

If there were other printed DG publications, there would be a more compelling reason for eliminating the magazine. However, it's the only printed DG publication and probably needs to be there in the same way the PDGA underwrites the development of live coverage with DGPlanet and now others. The PDGA props up the media landscape in areas where it matters for sponsors, Park and Rec people, entrepreneurs and credibility with other media.

From a practical standpoint, it still has tangible value to many members to prove DG legitimacy to their family, friends and businesses who may kick in a little sponsorship at local events. An online version could relatively easily be copied and circulated to nonmembers even if password protected undermining the value of membership.

 

[eday1022]

Caution possible thread drift coming soon

For where I'm located $30 membership and no magazine would be a much better option. I was able to play 4 PDGA events this year, listed below is the mileage I had to go to play these. I'm also may be playing 1 more this weekend. Of these 5 events 2 of them had the PDGA $10 non member fee covered. This means the I only paid $20 for my membership, well that's how they make it sound. So taking away the magazine and saving me $20 would make it somewhat more worth it.

60 miles away
378 miles away
109 miles away
791 miles away
*148 miles away

Caution Thread Drift Starting Now
My problem is the non member fee. Why So High??? I have a real hard time understanding this one because these players are not getting ratings, magazines, mini, sticker, halfway decent payout, 10% off item from the PDGA website, or a black disc that hardly anybody would ever throw. These players are often new to the game and are being charged way to much extra for no return, ***unless those player choose to become hardcore baggers because they don't have a rating. I'm sure if You have played a PDGA event You have seen that guy(s). I would much rather get a true discount for playing a PDGA event, maybe $5 per event off the next years membership. I'm sure they make plenty enough money to allow this between the 100's of events and all the money they don't use in the Worlds.
Sorry for the tread drift, felt the need to vent.

 

[B3NDER]

Nothing can go worse than Hucker Magazine...

 

[DavidSauls]

For where I'm located $30 membership and no magazine would be a much better option.

I don't think it would be $30. I doubt it would even be $40. Magazine-less, my guess is somewhere between $40-$45.

 

[Cgkdisc]

I doubt there would be any membership fee reduction. The money saved on printing and mailing I suspect would be used by paying more for those doing digital media coverage. Plus, ad revenue gained from the print version would likely be reduced.

 

[JedV]

There isn't much in the magazine that legitimately interests me. That being said, the Loomis's Ragna interview and the roller article in the latest issue were quite well done.

 

[ru4por]

Love it. I understand the drones, I live among, looking for a digital version. What is more joyous than an excuse to detach from society further, with more time spent on a phone or computer. I read it cover to cover and usually slip it into a pile of magazines at a doctors, dentist, barbershop......I would gladly pay more for my PDGA membership and see the magazine as a free perk.

 

[Halcón]

I read it cover to cover and usually slip it into a pile of magazines at a doctors, dentist, barbershop...

That's awesome. I like saving mine for posterity, but that's a great way to raise awareness of our game.