T&L Golf, R.I.P.

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A sad day whenever a golf publication disappears and especially frustrating when it's one covering course design and golf travel. Travel and Leisure Golf, which rose above the temptation to regurgitate junk by giving several unque writers a place to reinvent the golf travel story, will be sorely missed. Their website is still up and according to some of the stories filed today, they may keep the site around in some form.

"While the award-winning editorial product has enjoyed a loyal and passionate following, the current advertising climate has severely impacted the magazine’s bottom line to where the short-term and mid-term prospects for the magazine are not viable,” president and CEO Ed Kelly said in a statement.

AdAge added this:

Ad pages at Travel & Leisure Golf sunk 13.9% in 2008, according to the Publishers Information Bureau. It reported average paid circulation of 194,047 in the second half of 2008, 32% lower than the 286,053 paid circulation it reported for the second half of 2007, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations and BPA Worldwide. Including free copies distributed to public places such as doctor's offices, the title reported average overall circulation of 637,048 in the second half of last year, according to BPA.

Barney Frank: Order Up More Golf Sponsorship, Go Easy On The Excess

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Ron Sirak pulls an interesting clarification out of Congressman Barney Frank regarding the Northern Trust/TARP situation.

"No one is saying they shouldn't sponsor golf tournaments and honor existing contracts," Frank, the chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Financial Services Committee, said in a telephone interview. "It's the spending on luxury hotels and limousines they should not be doing. Now, if they weren't getting federal money it would be up to them to decide if that's how they want to spend their money."

That's an improvement from Frank's original outburst in which he implied running a golf tournament was a waste of corporate money. But it still means the tour has some work to do in getting its message across to the power brokers in Washington.

"It's certainly good news that Congressman Frank understands the title sponsorship partnership component, but we also need to do a better job explaining the charitable aspects, the economic impact and the marketing benefits it creates for the companies involved," PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said by telephone when told of Frank's clarified position. "We have to work harder to make sure the business model is being understood."

Suggestion Commish: start by not saying that you have to work harder to make sure the business model is understood. It'll go a long way toward gaining support from people who are tired of hearing jargon-laced corporatespeak as a substitute for straightforward talk.