New Look GolfDigest.com

GolfDigest.com debuted a new look yesterday and I must say that once my Firefox browser history cleared and the warped look was gone, it appears to be a huge improvement visually.


(click to enlarge)(Some of you might initially get a weird look if you use Firefox's browser as you can see on the left, but not to worry, a quick "History" clearing or a few clicks of the refresh button gives you the new setup. And believe me, you'll want to view the site in Firefox, because the pop-up subscription ads are relentless.)

Aesthetically, the site appears to be a ripoff loving homage to the New York Times web site, which is a good thing since that is one of the better looking sites on the web.

Howevever, the GolfDigest.com blog and article font sizes are ridiculously small while Times articles are much more readable. If you've seen The New York Times on the iphone, it looks amazing. I think GolfDigest.com would hard if not impossible to read on the iphone, which is an issue since either it or other web-friendly smart phones will be in most people's hands in the near future.

It's a bit surprising not to see Golf World get its own site, but I'm sure there are platform branding and upward cross pollination issues that I just don't understand.

Most promising is the Local Knowledge blog, which I skimmed after pulling out my magnifying glass. Here's what Editor in Chief, Jerry Tarde, had to say about it:

What's important that you need to know? What happened that was funny?

We think we're capable of doing this better than anyone else because Local Knowledge unleashes the combined resources of Golf Digest and Golf World. More than 50 writers, editors and contributors will be on this blog, seeking you out with the news you need to know.

Meanwhile the Editors Blog, Golf For Women, Campus Insider and Barf and Gag are behind a link that might cut down on their traffic. i'm not sure why they aren't linked on the home page instead of say, the Rule of the Day?