The debut issue of Women’s Golf Journal came across my desk around the same time we launched FORE Her. Content dedicated for female golfers? This was exactly what I felt was missing from the industry! I’m just sorry it’s taken me almost two years to connect with Meghan Glennon, the editor of the national publication that is dedicated to celebrating the lifestyle of golfing women everywhere.

FORE Her: What inspired you to start Women’s Golf Journal?
Meghan: Traveling with my husband, who works for a publishing company that produces the golf magazine Kingdom, and being in and around the game, we realized there needed to be a media space for women in golf. The idea grew from there! We did some research, and here we are. We worked hard for about two years, and then published our first issue in November of 2015.

How would you describe Women’s Golf Journal? Who is it for?
The magazine is for any woman who enjoys travel, golf, good food and wine, and the lifestyle that golf offers. The beautiful places it takes you. My golf game is terrible, but there is something about the game that speaks to me.

One of the main things that we’ve heard from women in golf is the feeling of being intimidated. It’s hard to go out there and not be great at it; I know it was for me. So through the magazine, we want to reach out and bring women into the game. It is totally possible to have fun playing golf without being good. At the end of the day, there are so few people in this world who are really good at golf. I was the target audience we were aiming for.

But at the same time, we don’t want to isolate women who are very good. It’s a balance. To be honest, the best thing that could happen to us would be if someone started a hardcore women’s golf magazine, with LGPA statistics, instruction and rules info. That would cater to a different woman in the game, and we’d have more bases covered in the women’s golf media space.

Is there a story or topic you’ve covered that you’re especially proud of?
I am very proud of one of the first feature stories we did, which was about Muslim women who play golf. Women in golf are talked about infrequently, but Muslim women? That is another level. There are women pushing the boundaries in countries where they feel persecuted, and golf becomes a tool to empower them. Stories that take something powerful from the game are special to share, and we’re fortunate to have the platform to do so.

What has your experience been like as a woman charting a new path in the industry?
My own experience has been mostly positive. I worked with Kingdom as a writer and photographer. Working closely with my husband (who is also the publisher of Women’s Golf Journal), I felt empowered to jump in with both feet. I’ve been further empowered by the publishing company which obviously supported the creation of the women’s magazine. And the fellow women I have met in the industry have been so supportive and amazing.

But it’s not always easy. At the PGA Show a few years ago one of the major manufacturing companies led my husband and I to throw a big presentation of the release of their new men’s shoe. They had three price points, beginning with the top-end shoe that was selling for hundreds of dollars. Then, they showed us the women’s offering. It came in two colors, pink and purple, and sold for $49. They were almost bragging about how cheap it was. I asked why the stark difference in price, and was told that “women don’t spend money on their golf game.” To make matters worse, they continued with “women aren’t going to spend money on their golf game when they could spend money on their kids.” I was flabbergasted. If there is something I love and am passionate about, of course I’ll invest in it when I can. At the end of the day what they were saying was that women don’t take their golf game seriously, and that couldn’t be further from the truth.

How do experiences like that influence what you bring to the table at Women’s Golf Journal?
We’re serious about partnering with companies that take women’s golf seriously, even if it effects our bottom line. We only work with advertisers who show they care about the women’s game. There have been large golf companies, even ones that sponsor a well-known LPGA Tour player, who submit an ad to run in Women’s Golf Journal and don’t have photos or ads with women in them. They have never done a photo shoot with a female player. That’s not who we are or who we are looking to partner with. We take women seriously. We believe in that.

What’s next for Women’s Golf Journal?
We definitely want to expand our digital presence. And get into the event space. We partnered with Women on Course to expand our readership and reach, and they provide a number of great events for women in the game.

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