Golf Connoisseur Magazine... Anyone heard of it?

[rygolf10]

Details most prestigious courses/life in the golfing world...

Very interesting Mag... here's an exerpt for it:


"NEW YORK, Feb. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Golf Connoisseur magazine announces the publication of its first major list, "The 100 Most Prestigious Private Clubs in America" as it hits Barnes & Noble newsstands today across the country. The clubs were judged by a panel of experts -- golf writers, players, administrators, and others -- on their history, upholding of the game's traditions, quality of the golf course, quality of the membership, and those intangibles that promote prestige.

"Every magazine with 'golf' in its title does lists," says James A. Frank, Editor-in-Chief of Golf Connoisseur, "but they're almost always about courses. Our list is different. As everyone who belongs to one knows, a club is much more than its course. A club is defined by the people who belong to it, the tradition that surrounds it, the history that shapes it, and the game of golf that unites us all.

"Ranking clubs on prestige is a natural for Golf Connoisseur," says Frank. "Our audience of private-club members knows this world well. These are the clubs that they and their friends belong to."

What makes these clubs special?

* No. 1 Pine Valley, in Clementon, New Jersey, not only has a world- famous course, but also has its own police department;

* Chicago Golf Club, No. 7, had the first 18-hole course in America and was the first club outside of the Northeast to host the U.S. Open;

* Members of No. 15 Burning Tree, outside Washington, D.C., have led the Departments of State and Defense, plus many other federal agencies;

* The Creek Club, No. 45, was founded by Vincent Astor, J.P. Morgan, and Marshall Field, and once had yachting facilities as well as a casino.

The other clubs on the list (link below) include the old and new -- although clubs had to be at least five years old to qualify -- and stretch from Vermont to California, Montana to Florida . Many are well known, while some will surprise even golf insiders.

Says Chris Riggs, Chairman, CEO, and President of Riggs Heinrich Media, publisher of Golf Connoisseur, "We had to create a different list because our readers are different. They know and expect the best in everything. Our list had to reflect their expectations of what makes a club special."

Golf Connoisseur is a golf and luxury lifestyle magazine created for a unique audience of discerning readers who have the means, intelligence, and motivation to savor the finer things in life both on and off the course.

Golf Connoisseur, with a BPA audited rate base of 235,000, is distributed at top golf and country clubs, luxury resorts, spas and casinos, airline lounges, on private jet fleets, and to professionals in select areas of the country. The magazine is also available at select Barnes & Noble bookstores and airport newsstands or by subscription. Golf Connoisseur is published bi-monthly by Riggs Heinrich Media."

Just curious if anyone owns this?

[Guest]

What course in Montana?

[Golf-Junkie]

Unsure - but I just played Spanish Peaks and Yellowstone CC (not Yellowstnoe Club). Both are just awesome tracks - especially SP. Some of the best greens I have ever played. Just so pure.

I did some digging on this Golf Connoiseur magazine, not much out there on it. I did find this, however (but the website is not correct):

[i]Golf Connoisseur Magazine publishes golf, travel, and luxury lifestyle magazine. Its magazine provides information of private clubs, golf resort destinations, new real estate developments, and fashions. The company’s magazine also offers editorial contents covering business lifestyle topics, such as finance and politics, restaurants, wine and cigars, art and theater, technology and gadgets, casinos, hotels and spas, and celebrity profiles. Golf Connoisseur Magazine is based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. As of October 23, 2007, Golf Connoisseur Magazine operates as a subsidiary of D Magazine.

8988-L S. Sheridan Road

Suite 360

Tulsa, OK 74133

United States

Phone: 918-492-0660



Fax: 918-492-0680



[url="http://www.golfconnoisseur.com/"]www.golfconnoisseur.com[/url]




[/i]

[OneBowTie]

This is what I found on the net in regards to the Magazine.

 

The Land Report, Golf Connoisseur Cease Publication... Without Paying The Freelancers?

By Neal on Jan 02, 2008 11:20 AMWhat happens when a magazine that just got feted as one of 2007's best launches ceases publication? We're about to find out...

 

High-end golf mag Golf Connoisseur and ruralcentric pub The Land Report have ceased publishing. The last issue of GC came out in September, while TLR's was in October... and the mags' failures follow some questionable business decisions, including the purchase ofLuxury Golf & Travel and Nicklaus magazinesby parent company Patience back in 2006. Publisher Reid Slaughter was formerly involved with D Magazine as well, but has apparently moved on. We've heard that non-payment from advertisers also contributed to the failure of both mags... official confirmation on that is, however, lacking.

 

Also noted is that The Land Report was one of min's top magazine launches of 2007.

 

An email to Slaughter has not been returned as of press time.

 

But the worst part? It appears that writers, at least at Golf Connoisseur, have not been paid for stories dating back to April 2007. After the jump, a "you're outta luck" memo to the freelancers, straight from parent company Patience Partners Golf.

 

Dear All,

 

I am writing to give you a status update on Golf Connoisseur. As you know, we have suspended publishing and are currently marketing the title and its assets to several potential buyers. Our goal remains to keep the award-winning title alive, or at least collect enough money to pay off all current vendors. At this time, we have approximately $4,000 in cash against approximately $200,000 in accounts payable. As I have stated before, no one on staff has received any money since April, 2007 and every dollar collected will go to creditors.

 

The following information is intended to help answer any questions you may have:

 

If money comes in, who gets paid first?

Legally, all funds go to the secured creditors first. The investment in Patience Partners Golf LLC is structured as secured debt, not straight equity, so the investors would be entitled to the proceeds equal to the amount of their investment. That said, the investor group has expressed a desire to see vendors paid and may waive their right.

 

Should I hire a lawyer to help me collect?

We cannot offer legal advice. You should know that since the total investment plus interest is more than $1.5 million, it is unlikely that an asset sale will cover that amount and produce a profit. Therefore, legally, unsecured creditors will not realize any return in a bankruptcy proceeding, and so filing a claim will not make any difference. That said, the investor group has indicated their desire that some significant portion of the asset sale go to satisfy the vendors.

 

What is the timetable for a sale?

We have been working on this for several months and hope to have closure within the next 60 days.

 

I am a freelancer who wrote a story for Golf Connoisseur. What happens to my story?

This notice is our formal release for you to sell your submitted manuscript to another publication. There are several excellent stories which, in our opinion, still have considerable value despite the lapse of time. You are free to market that story, and we will still pay the appropriate kill fee should we collect the necessary funds and receive secured creditor approval.

 

Are all vendors on equal footing?

Yes. Legally we cannot prefer one creditor over another. All vendors are treated the same, regardless of the amount owed, length of time past due, or other factors.

 

In summary, this is not welcome news, especially during holiday time, but we wanted to give an update before the year's end. We are doing everything possible to make the best of a bad situation, and we sincerely apologize for the considerable inconvenience this has caused to a talented and deserving group of professionals. We will alert you as soon as we have definite news about the magazine's future.

 

Patience Partners Golf, LLC

December 20, 2007