Brendon Thomas has been publishing The Surfer’s Journal for the last few years. Clearly he didn’t think surf publishing is enough a challenge because this summer he expanded into maybe the only market more difficult than surfing with the first issue of The Golfer’s Journal. Brendon met with John and Geoff last year, he asked them if they thought he was crazy for trying to do it.

John and Geoff have long dabbled in publishing, before blogs provided infinite content. They put out a 6 volume Yardage Book for Ashworth Co., the Linksoul Journal as a quarterly during their time at Fidra, and Linksoul itself was nearly a quarterly magazine instead of what it has become. Print has been a guide at Linksoul; John said it’s the medium that consistently does what he is looking to do, “combine fashion and style with substance.”

The Surfer's Journal has been a frequent point of reference for both John and Geoff. TSJ is picky with their advertisers, every page has a cohesive feel, and they tell stories rather than news from the professional circuit. All the other surf magazines are dying, but TSJ is actually still growing.

Brendon brings TSJ’s model for success to The Golfer’s Journal. He was careful about which companies were invited to buy ad space, and brought them on as partners rather than page fillers. John said companies match the publication’s vibe, “provocative, sophisticated.”

The people, the stories, and the vibe fit with the niche that Linksoul has been carving in the golf space for the last decade, and that John and Geoff have been building for even longer. Geoff described the people involved in The Golfer’s Journal, “They’re like what you see now, all these surfers that are obsessed with golf, looking for an excuse to not surf and actually go play a round.” And that energy is Linksoul’s whole thing. “We see these things less as sports and more as practices…links to our soul. We don’t care if you’re actually good.”

The Golfer’s Journal is the only printed publication talking about golf as community, walking with friends, and telling stories. As John put it when Brendon asked that first question regarding his sanity: “Golf needs this.”

Start collecting today... Volume 2 comes out late November. https://www.golfersjournal.com/