Golf Course Management magazine

What Golf Course Management magazine does

Golf Course Management (GCM) magazine is the official monthly publication of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), a nonprofit professional trade association founded in 1926 and headquartered in Lawrence, Kansas. GCM serves Class A and B GCSAA members — golf course superintendents — plus their employers and the broader turfgrass industry, with a circulation of approximately 40,000 that the publication describes as reaching nearly every U.S. golf course. Content covers agronomic how-to articles, maintenance techniques, tournament preparation, regulatory compliance, career development, and a peer-reviewed research section, with superintendent-authored articles eligible for the long-running Leo Feser Award.

The publication operates on a dual print-and-digital foundation: a physical monthly magazine, a digital edition accessible through gcmonline.com and a third-party digital publication platform, and an expanding digital ecosystem that includes the weekly GCM's First Cut email newsletter, the GCSAA TV video platform, the Turf Hacks content series, the Verdure research column, the Voices editorial section, and a multi-year archive of back issues. Distribution runs through GCSAA membership enrollment, with Class A and B members able to route complimentary subscriptions to their employers, plus supplemental standalone subscriptions and advertising demand.

Revenue mechanics combine (a) subscriptions bundled into GCSAA membership, (b) a tiered advertising and sponsorship program structured as Platinum, Gold, and Silver partners — anchored by John Deere Golf, Syngenta, and The Toro Co. at the Platinum tier and a long tail of equipment, chemical, and irrigation suppliers below — and (c) member-program support flowing through GCSAA. The magazine is one publishing asset inside a larger association ecosystem that includes 94 affiliated chapters, an annual Conference and Trade Show, continuing-education programs, and advocacy participation in coalitions such as the American Golf Industry Coalition, the H-2B Workforce Coalition, the Water Advocacy Coalition, the National Alliance for Accessible Golf, and the National Turfgrass Federation.

Name

Golf Course Management magazine

Legal name

Golf Course Management magazine

Website

https://gcmonline.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1926

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Golf Course Management (GCM) is the official monthly print and digital magazine of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America, delivering agronomic research, maintenance best practices, and industry news to roughly 40,000 golf course superintendents and course decision-makers across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lawrence

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Magazine Publishing/Subscriptions: GCM operates as the official monthly publication of GCSAA. Subscriptions are primarily provided as a benefit of GCSAA membership. Class A and B members may send two free GCM subscriptions to their employer or other appropriate party. Standalone subscription purchases are also available.
2. Advertising: The magazine accepts advertising from companies within the golf course maintenance industry. The magazine has Platinum, Gold, and Silver partners including equipment manufacturers, chemical companies, and turf product suppliers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Golf Course Management (GCM) magazine is the official monthly publication of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), delivering authoritative how-to, technical, career-oriented, and trend content for golf course superintendents. It is distributed in print and digital formats, primarily as a benefit of GCSAA Class A and B membership, with additional reach through GCMOnline.com, the weekly First Cut newsletter, GCSAA TV, and the annual GCSAA Conference and Trade Show.

Product overview

Golf Course Management (GCM) magazine is a single unified publication serving as the official monthly magazine of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA). The product portfolio consists of the core GCM Magazine (available in print and digital formats), the GCM Online web platform hosting all digital content, GCSAA TV video content, the weekly GCM's First Cut newsletter, the Research Section featuring peer-reviewed turfgrass science, and the Verdure research column. Additional content verticals include the Voices editorial section, Turf Hacks series, and a comprehensive Magazine Archive. The publication reaches 40,000 subscribers and serves golf course superintendents with how-to articles, career resources, technical research, and industry trend coverage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Golf Course Management Magazine The official monthly publication of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), providing authoritative how-to, career-oriented, technical, and trend information for golf course superintendents. Available in print and digital formats to GCSAA Class A and B members and standalone subscribers.
• GCM Online Web-based digital platform hosting the magazine's online content including headlines, industry news, course management articles, research publications, and professional development resources for golf course superintendents.
• GCSAA TV Video platform featuring golf course management videos, tournament coverage, and educational content for turfgrass professionals.
• GCM's First Cut Newsletter Weekly email newsletter delivering the best of GCSAA and GCM content directly to subscribers' inboxes, aggregating news, research, and professional development articles.
• GCM Research Section Peer-reviewed research articles and technical studies relevant to golf course management, distributed to a circulation of 40,000 readers including nearly every golf course in the United States.
• Magazine Archive Digital repository of past GCM issues allowing access to historical golf course management content by issue and article.
• GCM Advertising and Sponsorship Program Tiered advertising and sponsorship program (Platinum, Gold, Silver partners) that delivers print and digital advertising placement in Golf Course Management magazine and at GCSAA events, targeting golf course equipment, chemical, and turf product suppliers.

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and standard.

• Platinum Partners (John Deere Golf, Syngenta, The Toro Co.)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerGCSAA Platinum Partners include major equipment and chemical manufacturers: John Deere Golf, Syngenta, and The Toro Co. These partners support GCSAA programs and receive prominent visibility at GCSAA events and in GCM magazine.
• Gold Partners (Baroness, Envu, PBI-Gordon, Jacobsen, Nufarm)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerGCSAA Gold Partners include Baroness, Envu, PBI-Gordon, Jacobsen, and Nufarm. These companies provide support for GCSAA member programs and receive marketing benefits.
• Silver Partners (multiple suppliers)standardGTM or Marketing PartnerGCSAA Silver Partners include aquatrols, albaugh, Husqvarna, The Andersons Inc., BASF, Foley Co., LebanonTurf, Par Aide, Quali-Pro, Rain Bird, R&R Products, Smithco, Standard Golf, Turfco, and Yamaha Golf-Car. These partners represent various segments of the golf course maintenance supply industry.
• American Golf Industry Coalition (AGIC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGCSAA joins the American Golf Industry Coalition annually for National Golf Day in Washington, D.C. to advocate for issues affecting the golf course management industry. AGIC represents the golf industry's $101.7 billion economic impact.
• H-2B Workforce CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGCSAA is a member of the H-2B Workforce Coalition and has secured additional H-2B visas annually for golf facilities.
• Water Advocacy CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGCSAA participates in the Water Advocacy Coalition to help secure favorable regulations regarding wetlands, streams, ditches and other waterways under the Clean Water Act.
• National Alliance for Accessible GolfcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGCSAA is a member of the National Alliance for Accessible Golf and has helped distribute more than $1 million in grants to expand access to golf for people with disabilities.
• National Turfgrass FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGCSAA is a member of the National Turfgrass Federation, which helps secure $3 million annually for turfgrass research.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Green Industry Pros: Green Industry Pros is a digital trade media brand serving the green industry (lawn care, landscape, and turf professionals). It overlaps thematically with GCM's content focus on turf management and represents an adjacent digital channel for the same advertiser ecosystem.
• Golf Channel: Golf Channel is a major golf media broadcaster and content platform. While it serves consumer golfers via television and digital rather than superintendents, it is thematically related and competes for the broader pool of golf industry advertising and partnership spend that GCM partners might also pursue.

Direct peers

• Lawn & Landscape: Lawn & Landscape is a leading trade magazine serving landscape and lawn care contractors. It is a peer in the B2B green-industry trade publication space and competes with GCM for shared supplier and equipment manufacturer advertising.
• Turf Magazine: Turf Magazine is a trade publication serving professional turfgrass managers across golf, sports, and commercial landscape markets. It overlaps with GCM's turf management editorial focus and competes for related chemical, seed, and equipment supplier advertising.
• Golfdom: Golfdom is a leading monthly trade publication serving golf course superintendents, agronomists, and turf management professionals. It directly competes with GCM for the same reader base and the same advertiser pool (equipment, chemical, and irrigation suppliers) in the golf course management niche.
• SportsTurf Magazine: SportsTurf is the official publication of the Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA), serving turf professionals managing athletic fields. While focused on sports rather than golf, it shares the association-affiliated trade publication model and overlaps significantly on turf management content and supplier advertisers.
• Golf Course Industry (GCI): Golf Course Industry is a trade publication covering golf course superintendents, construction, maintenance, and management. It competes head-to-head with GCM for readership attention and supplier advertising in the same niche.
• Landscape Management: Landscape Management is a trade publication serving the commercial green industry, covering lawn care, landscape, and turf professionals. It overlaps with GCM in turf management editorial content and competes for landscape/turf supplier advertising dollars in adjacent categories.

Broad incumbents

• Golf Digest: Golf Digest is the largest consumer-facing golf media brand, reaching a much broader audience than GCM's superintendent niche. While focused on golfers rather than course managers, it competes indirectly for golf-industry advertising dollars and frames the consumer conversation that GCM's audience interacts with.
• Golf Magazine: Golf Magazine is a mainstream consumer golf publication covering instruction, equipment, and travel. While focused on golfers rather than superintendents, it competes for golf advertiser mindshare and ad budgets alongside GCM.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GCM_Magazine
• Facebookfacebook.com/GCMMagazine
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/global-capital-management-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Golf Course Management magazine