I think it's rather harsh not to go in a pub just because it's not in the guide. Not sure if this is the case for all branches, but I know that some are given a certain number of entries, so you could be in a town that has a dozen great pubs but only, say 4 entries. I also use the Cask Marque website to check for pubs as these are establishments that have to meet certain standards on how they keep their beer.
The GBG is a good starting point for looking for pubs and on a short visit some place you could probably limit your pub visits to that, but also try to check out the local CAMRA websites where they may have a guide to their pubs.
Yeah... in the interest of trying to make short post (broken arm, etc), i probably didn't say that quite right.
The GBG is good for when you're visiting a place you don't know...it can help to make sure you dont waste time visiting totally unsuitable places. Then when you find yourself in a good pub, you can ask around, or look to see if there is a local pub guide on display, to perhaps check out other places.
But in general, when in an unfamiliar town, we wouldn't go to a place that's not in the Guide, unless we've had something recommended.
The Guide isn't the be-all, end-all, though... several of the pubs in the Glasgow section of the Guide, I would never think of drinking in (unless the jungle drums revealed they've got a barrel of something wonderful on!) And the pub i had to review for the Guide was one of my most hated pubs, but the members voted it in, so it had to be done.
Even if i walked into the best real ale pub in Glasgow, if i look at the board and don't see anything to tempt me, i will walk out and try somewhere else.
I guess at the end of the day, I depend on the jungle drums/Twitter/FB more than the GBG, but in unfamiliar territory, sometimes the GBG is all you've got.
