About Inside Golf

Inside Golf

Inside Golf is Australia's highest-circulating audited golf publication — a free monthly magazine distributed through pro shops, social clubs, driving ranges and golf retailers across the country. Founded in August 2005 and published by the Gold Coast-based Outdoor Sports Publishing, it reaches more than 40,000 copies a month (CAB audited) and has been named Australia's most-read golf magazine. Its model — free to golfers, funded by advertising — has made it "the recognised golf magazine of choice by golfers, industry leaders and general managers across Australia."

Overview

Inside Golf covers national and international tournament news, course reviews, new products, demo-day directories, golf tips from Australia's best PGA teaching professionals, local and overseas travel features, PGA member columns, play-and-stay packages, player profiles, industry news, rules and games, giveaways and competitions — plus "the best golf deals from over 100 advertisers." The publisher is Sam Arthur; the masthead includes chief editor Richard Fellner, editor Rob Willis and writers Peter Owen and David Newbery.

History

Inside Golf was established in August 2005 by Outdoor Sports Publishing on Queensland's Gold Coast, with a simple proposition: a quality monthly golf magazine, distributed free where golfers actually are. The website followed in 2006. Independent surveys by Golf Research Australia and Sports Marketing Surveys concluded in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 that Inside Golf was the most regularly read monthly golf publication in Australia — ahead of all newsstand and subscription rivals. CAB audits put the circulation at 42,614 copies a month, and at 40,108 a month averaged from April 2020 to March 2021.

The publisher also produces Inside Golf Travel, and has pushed into the golf business segment with an expanded IG Business section. A media partnership with Golf Management Australia underlined its standing with the industry.

The digital pioneer

Inside Golf's proudest claim is its digital innovation record: it was the first golf publication in Australia to launch a full page-turning online digital edition (2006), the first on Facebook (2009), the first to launch a fully integrated online/offline advertising media platform (2009), and the first to move onto iPads and tablets (2011). "Long live print," the title declared while bucking the industry trend — pairing its free-print distribution with digital-first habits.

The free-distribution model

The economics are the story: distributed directly to golf clubs, social golf clubs, driving ranges and golf retailers throughout Australia, the magazine monetises through its 100-plus advertisers rather than cover price or subscriptions — though 12-month subscriptions are also sold. Club packages start from $220 plus GST per month. The model demands trust, and the publisher stresses it: "dedicated to maintaining the highest moral standards possible," partnering "only with high-quality/trusted advertisers," with transparency around CAB-audited circulation "every year."

The business model

Inside Golf's economics invert the traditional magazine: the reader pays nothing, the advertiser pays for access. Distributed directly to golf clubs, social golf clubs, driving ranges and golf retailers throughout Australia, each issue carries "the best golf deals from over 100 advertisers" alongside the editorial — tournament news, course reviews, gear, instruction, travel, industry news. Club packages start from $220 plus GST per month over twelve months, and twelve-month subscriptions are also sold to readers who want it delivered.

The model only works on trust, and the publisher leans into it: "dedicated to maintaining the highest moral standards possible," partnering "only with high-quality/trusted advertisers," with CAB-audited circulation published "every year" — 42,614 copies a month at the headline audit, 40,108 averaged from April 2020 to March 2021. Independent surveys by Golf Research Australia and Sports Marketing Surveys named it the most regularly read monthly golf publication in Australia in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 — ahead of every newsstand and subscription rival.

The travel title and the podcast

Outdoor Sports Publishing extended the brand with Inside Golf Travel, serving the golf-holiday market the parent title's travel features had cultivated. The brand also moved into audio with the Backspin golf podcast — Episode 14 caught up with Australian great Peter Senior ("Is he really the King of Spain?") — extending the interview franchise beyond print.

Industry partnerships

The title's standing with the golf industry is formalised in partnerships. Its media partnership with Golf Management Australia — the body representing golf club management across metropolitan, country, public, private and resort facilities — recognised Inside Golf as "the recognised golf magazine of choice by golfers, industry leaders and general managers across Australia." The expanded IG Business section and a Facebook page dedicated to the business of golf pushed further into the trade audience: the people who decide which magazines sit in their pro shops.

Content and Features

Each issue covers national and international tournament news, course reviews, new products, the demo-day directory, tips from Australia's best PGA teaching professionals, local and overseas travel features, columns from PGA members, play-and-stay packages, player profiles, the golf directory, industry news, rules and games, and giveaways and competitions — "in-depth coverage of Australian golf news, golf events, golf travel and holiday destinations, Australian and international golf course reviews, the hottest new golf gear, tips and great giveaways," written by award-winning journalists with interviews featuring Australia's top professionals, the game's rising stars, industry leaders and equipment manufacturers.

Each issue delivers tournament news, course reviews, gear coverage, instruction from PGA professionals, travel features, industry news and competitions — "in-depth coverage of Australian golf news, golf events, golf travel and holiday destinations, Australian and international golf course reviews, the hottest new golf gear, tips and great giveaways," written by award-winning journalists with interviews featuring Australia's top professionals, rising stars, industry leaders and equipment manufacturers.

The Gold Coast base

Outdoor Sports Publishing operates from Robina on Queensland's Gold Coast — a fitting home for a golf publisher, in the heart of one of Australia's densest golf markets. The company also publishes Inside Golf Travel, and the masthead blends publishing and editorial: Sam Arthur as publisher, Richard Fellner as chief editor, Rob Willis as editor, with writers Peter Owen and David Newbery. It is an independent, specialist operation — "an innovative, independent and trusted voice in Australian golf" — rather than a division of a publishing conglomerate, which may explain its willingness to break digital ground first.

Coverage and Audience

Inside Golf is distributed free across Australia through golf clubs, driving ranges and retailers, with a CAB-audited circulation above 40,000 copies a month. Its audience is the Australian golfer — club members, social players and the industry itself — and independent surveys have repeatedly named it the country's most-read golf publication.

"Dedicated to sharing the wonderful world of golf with Australian golfers" — the mission statement has not changed since 2005, and neither has the model: free to golfers, trusted by the industry, audited every year.

Ownership

Inside Golf is published by Outdoor Sports Publishing, based in Robina on Queensland's Gold Coast. Sam Arthur is publisher; Richard Fellner is chief editor.

The brand's digital-first habits — page-turning editions since 2006, early social adoption, integrated ad platforms, tablet editions since 2011 — mean the free-distribution model translates naturally online: the same issue golfers pick up in the pro shop is readable on any device.

Digital Presence

The brand's website, insidegolf.com.au, carries news and features between monthly issues, with a full page-turning digital edition — a format the title pioneered in Australian golf media in 2006. Inside Golf maintains active social media channels, extending its free-distribution model to digital readers.