Lesson 4: Golf Journalism, Podcasting, and the Democratization of Commentary
Golf has always had journalism — from the earliest newspaper coverage of the Open Championship to the sophisticated long-form writing in Golf Digest, Golf World, and Sports Illustrated’s golf coverage at its peak. But the economics of media have transformed golf journalism as dramatically as they have transformed all journalism.
Traditional print golf journalism has contracted as advertising revenue moved to digital platforms. Many of the long-form writers who built careers covering golf for major publications have moved to Substack, podcasting, or digital-first outlets.
The No Laying Up podcast, launched in 2014, exemplifies what this transformation has produced: deeply knowledgeable, independent commentary that reaches a passionate niche audience without the commercial constraints of traditional media. Its success — and the success of similar independent golf media — represents a genuine democratization of golf commentary.
What this means for the quality and diversity of golf coverage is debated: some argue that independent media produces better work, free from advertiser influence; others argue that the contraction of well-resourced traditional journalism has reduced the quality of investigative and long-form work that requires institutional support.
Golf journalism has been transformed by digital media — contracting traditional print coverage while enabling independent podcast and newsletter journalism that reaches passionate niche audiences.
Read or listen to one piece of long-form golf journalism — either from a traditional publication (a feature from Golf Digest, Sports Illustrated, or the New York Times) or from an independent platform (No Laying Up, The Ringer, a Substack). Write a 300-word craft analysis: what makes this piece of journalism effective or ineffective? What is its argument or narrative? What sources does it use? How does its publication context shape what it can and cannot say?