PDGA Seeks Feedback on DiscGolfer Magazine
pdga.com/announcements/discgolfer-magazine-se...
pdga.comPosted Oct 17, 2019, 11:02 PM UTC
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pdga.comIt usually gets tossed right into recycling. Anything they cover in the magazine is already months old, any news they have had already been discussed to death by the time it's printed.
I'd rather save the $5 on my membership cost. I get to opt out of it for my daughter's membership cause we already get it from my membership.
Or better yet, take the $5 and put it towards video coverage of tournaments.
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The content balance is radically different under the new management. I really enjoyed, for example, the interview with Gregg Barsby and Stork's piece about solving the perceived ease of putting at the MPO/FPO level through course design rather than basket design. The magazine itself was slimmer and less cluttered with written recaps of events that happened quite some time ago. Instead, there were some nice, brief, photo highlights.
I would recommend flipping through the next one and letting us know what you think.
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Agreed.
The "is putting too easy" article was the first one I actually sat and read.
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Yeah, event coverage doesn't make much sense since there's usually video of the largest ones online within 24 hours. I like the in-depth articles like the one you mentioned much better.
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I just joined at the beginning of the month so I'll have to wait until I get the first issue 😉
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Seconding what u/NOVASully said.
Recent changes have been a great improvement in readability and content. Continue the trend, please.
Maybe promote the changes more; give those that have long ignored the magazine a chance to read it and maybe change their minds on it.
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I like the magazine. I think it's an important continuation on what Disc Golf Journal and Disc Golf World News started. With that said, I would make the magazine less full pages spreads of photos from the various events and go towards more articles. Content-wise, the articles from this issue were great. But I usually just flip past the photo pages because I've already watched most of the footage.
If it's a contribution issue then make a post looking for contributors. I know I would be interested.
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I think I'm late to the party, but here's my two cents worth anyway. I do read the magazine each month and like the recent format changes. I usually always read Houck's article on course design and any articles about player instruction and technique. I skip past the coverage about pro tournaments, which seems to get most of the ink each month. I'd like to see more articles that highlight cool, unusual disc golf courses that most of us have never been to. Maybe an article each month that focuses on a particular disc golf hot spot, highlighting the best courses, most active clubs, etc. In my state that would be Houston, Austin, and DFW.
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It's too bad they don't listen to the feedback telling them we don't want to be forced to buy the magazine.
I am sympathetic to the idea that we should have digital options for our members. I'd bet that's a reality sooner rather than later.
But generally, when someone joins a non-profit organization and gets any kind of benefit other than "I support this organization," it's a bonus, not something you're "forced to buy." I got literally nothing for my $25 yearly membership in Virginia NORML, and who cares? I'm supporting the cause. I get nothing for my yearly donation to NPR, and who cares? I'm supporting something I value.
I'm continuously puzzled why the value of joining the PDGA isn't simply supporting organized disc golf. You understand that your memberships make events possible, for your local TDs as much as for national TDs, right?
Europeans don't get the magazine and they have a lower fee, right?
Those are two things that are true but not necessarily related. Shipping, for one, is prohibitive, cost-wise. But that doesn't mean US - Europe = cost of magazine.
European members also have far less access to events than US members do.
Except for Scandinavia, my local club runs nearly as many events as most European countries, and I personally run more than a bunch of them.
Put all the articles on their website.
Save the money of printing and shipping a magazine.
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Profit.
Yearly pdga fee for adult is 50€ ($55) and at least in Finland you can't get it without being a member in a club. Yearly fee for clubs range from 10 to 25€.
Wow!
That sounds backwards.
I wonder why the PDGA cares whether you're a member of some local club???
The reason why it isn't seen as supporting the organization is because:
To play an A-tier I HAVE to join, I don't get to choose on whether or not I'd like to support the organization.
It is never sold and packaged what becoming a member of the pdga does for the sport. I send out more information about the benefits of supporting our team to my booster parents each year.
It's 2019, I should be receiving a monthly update about all the good that the pdga is doing. I'm supporting you, I shouldn't have to go looking to see what awesome things you're doing.
Keep the magazine but let us choose to buy a copy. I keep them in my desk and people ask about it/disc golf all the time.
Fyi your marketing team is doing a horrific job.
These are good points and I appreciate the feedback. A few clarifications/responses:
(1) I agree that we do not do a good enough job of explaining the benefits of membership and where membership dollars go. The information is available, but we can make it more digestible. The marketing team (which has been spun off from media into its own team relatively recently, and I believe you will see the effects of that moving forward) is already working on this. I honestly think this is one of our organization's biggest weaknesses: communicating the valuable work we do. And yes, to play the biggest hundred or so events a year (out of thousands), you have to be a member. if you'd like me to elaborate on why that's a good idea, I would be glad to do so.
(2) There is a PDGA Weekly Update email that goes out to all members who have not opted out of it. I recommend checking your junk mail for it, and if you don't see it there, follow this link to re-subscribe (this is also in the More section of our website, under PDGA Weekly Newsletter): https://pdga.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=94f37a335cc19c2fc37e64819&id=cb25697671
(3) We are always finding ways to be less reliant on paper. Member surveys show the physical magazine as basically a love-it-or-hate-it proposition, with membership relatively evenly divided. The challenge in providing a digital copy instead of the paper copy is to ensure we still have print runs that are high enough to make the magazine affordable at all. As you've seen, the physical magazine can be very useful in growing and marketing the sport.
Thank you again for the conversation, the feedback, and the engagement.
I'm glad that you are willing to listen to feedback. I believe that it is very important. I would also like to see a larger push to help educate players on what state reps do. I voted, but I'm still not really sure what their job means.