Are Tourneys Fun?

[EXTRAMONTANA]

its just why would i spend 8 hours barely throwing and not being with people i like to be around?

or play a handful of courses with people who i like to be around?

one sounds a little better than the other

Actually agreeing pretty hard with elmex this time

 

[BrotherDave]

17 people don't know what fun is. Very sad. :|

 

[IHearChains]

I love tourneys. Casual rounds too. I think it's better not to compare them, because they are just so different. It's possible to enjoy both for different reasons.

The intensity level is higher in tourneys, and I like that. Also I play MPM and stick to tourneys mostly within an hour or two, so I know most of the guys on my cards. D-bags don't seem to be an issue.

The only time it has sucked is if I've had a bad round when there's an odd number of players, and the bottom of MPM gets stuck in a mixed card with the bottom card of MA1. Bottom card of MA1 spends most of the round thrashing around in the rough looking for discs after ridiculously risky shots. :|

 

[Smigles]

Tournys suck. Last year I placed first or second in all the tournys i entered and realized I have way more fun playing with friends, not some random douche bags. Plus the speed of play is just dreadful.

This 100% (well, except the first or second part. Lets say top5 for me.)

But I still go and play, mainly for the social thing and for playing courses other than my home course.

 

[Star Shark]

I take even my casual rounds very seriously, so there's not much difference on that front.

There are several reasons that I don't play tourneys much at all. Pace of play is a bit annoying. I can cut through 2-3 rounds in the time one tourney round takes. Also, I'm not particularly big on getting up before noon, so that throws a damper on things. Due to my eyesight, I'm on the bus, so I can't get to alot of courses without it taking more time than the tourney itself. Additionally due to poor eyesight, playing new courses for a tourney sucks for me because even on my home course, I often can't see the baskets from the tee.

 

[JC17393]

If you don't find tournaments fun, fine. If you don't find tournaments fun and you still play them, why?

I play tournaments because I enjoy them. Enjoy the competition, enjoy the challenge, enjoy the camaraderie. To me, enjoying is fun. And I enjoy it whether I'm winning or playing the ****tiest round of my life, because as the old cliche goes, the worst day of golf is better than the best day at work.

What blows my mind is the folks who don't seem to enjoy being at a tournament who keep showing up. No one is under any obligation to be out there, so why do it if your heart isn't really in it?

To that same end, if you don't enjoy tournaments and don't play them, why do you feel obligated to jump into tournament related discussions to throw your two cents in?

 

[bnbanbury]

Tournaments and looking forward to the next one i will play are my favorite part of disc golf. i like to compete and i like to have competitive goals to work towards when i practice.

i'm not sure why people seem to imply that playing tourneys removes the fun social aspect from the game. traveling to tourneys outside my local courses has allowed me to me lots of nice people in the disc community and i rarely play with people i don't like.

 

[Smigles]

I play tournaments because I enjoy them. Enjoy the competition, enjoy the challenge, enjoy the camaraderie. To me, enjoying is fun. And I enjoy it whether I'm winning or playing the ****tiest round of my life, because as the old cliche goes, the worst day of golf is better than the best day at work.

I mainly play against the course and myself, not other players. So competition goes out of the window. Challenge comes from the course too, so the same thing applies. Plus I dont have to get up earlier than during the working week if I just go play by myself.

But I totally agree on the worst day/best day proverb.

If you don't find tournaments fun, fine. If you don't find tournaments fun and you still play them, why?

As I said, cameraderie and other social aspects. And having a reason to go visit other courses.

Plus I am kinda in the top 3 in switzerland by now, it would be a waste to be "this good" (my own thougths) and never play tournaments. It would also would be strange to have the cashier of the swiss disc golf federation never show up at tournaments.

 

[TimSyl]

Like a lot of people, I like to compete. No matter what I do....cards, board games, sports. That being said, I like the competition of tournaments but they do take way too long. There is no reason I can see why a one day, two round tournament takes 7-10 hours. I also don't see any reason for the lengthy lunch breaks. An average 18 hole course two round tourney should take a maximum of 5 hours. Unfortunately don't see it happening.

 

[DavidSauls]

Absolutely.

I think the ever-increasing numbers of tournaments and participants indicate that an awful lot of people find them fun.

The number of people who have tried tournaments and no longer play them indicates that they're not to everyone's taste. Which is a reminder that disc golf can be enjoyed in quite a variety of ways.

 

[bradharris]

I play a lot of tournaments and I've met a lot of great people along the way. So for me, tournament play is hanging out and playing a couple rounds with friends.

 

[disctildeath]

I think it's a 50/50 for me, usually just do events for charity or something fun like doubles or ace run type stuff, so even if it's a bad round it's not important. Though I agree with the pace being bothersome, I wish more tourneys were just one round, get a good nights sleep, come after the grass has dried (hate having wet feet, and while I could change socks, I'd still have to carry around dirty wet socks all day), let people get some decent practice time in, one round of competition, no lunch breaks (maybe if food/lunch is a part of a players pack traditionally maybe get a restaurant sponsor to give all entries a discount if they attend an after party), just have awards and head out.

 

[CaptainAnhyzer]

Yes.

And i really enjoy running them too.

Maybe I should seek help.

 

[Guurn]

Love the competition, hate the slow pace of play. Also the break between rounds for lunch/whatever is tough on these old bones.

 

[blackcatsmith]

Like most everything; there is good and bad aspects to both.... the pace of play is rough, but the camaraderie is undeniable. I learn much more from tourneys than casual rounds. There are just so many talented players out there that by just witnessing how they approach the game I absorb knowledge. As for casual rounds: they make up 99% of what I play and enjoy them immensely. I don't feel that one has to choose between the two, they are both fun.

 

[bballr4567]

I love playing in the second round of tournaments. Shows what you are made of. Winning the card on that last round is VERY fun.

Casual and tournament rounds are fun but different types of fun. I like to goof off and I even do that a bit in the tournament rounds just to get my competitors off that super serious attitude.

If they arent fun, why are you signing up?

 

[VictorB]

Many of us compete for various reasons. But do you actually have fun playing in tournaments?

Yes.

I love competition, if not just competing against myself to see what I'm capable of doing when it really counts. These days, I know I wouldn't be able to compete for a win in advanced at any moderately sized field, so it's more about having fun and enjoying the process.

It's kind of funny, because though they are unrelated, I enjoy powerlifting for pretty much the exact same reasons.

Some great times, some standout events/rounds/cards, but overall I think I'm done with tourneys. Never really appealed to me but I got years of free entries. The worst were the bad cards, competition bringing out the d-bag in people, and just overall not being lighthearted rounds of golf. I much prefer staffing events; chill atmosphere and a bunch of frisbee people, and I can contribute more.

Zam, you basically hit the nail on the head for me too. I enjoy the test of skill in a tournament, but not necessarily the people that come out to play, or the overly serious vibe. I haven't played a tournament in about 18 months, and don't see myself doing so again anytime in the future (unless it's a charity tournament)

 

[notapro]

No.

1. I don't think it's worth the $$$. As an Am; even if I win, I don't want plastic I'm not gonna throw. Lose-lose situation on the cost/reward side.

2. Slow pace of play. I get to play two rounds? I would rather play four-six rounds in a day. I feel like I wasted a full day of disc golf standing around, waiting for other people to move.

3. Cheating. When people cheat in casual play, I don't care at all. Hell, that goes for me too, if I miss my mark, I'd never know. But in a tourney it ruins it for me.

4. Being mediocre. If I was (a lot) better, it'd be more fun to compete. Some days I just really suck and it's pointless to be out there sucking it up.

5. Additional rules. Smoking, drinking, cursing, that can be the best part of a round.

6. Edit - how could I forget bad attitude/annoying/db people on your card. Totally ruins the joy of DG.

Now, I am ALL ABOUT casual tourneys with buddies, or an ice bowl maybe, or getting to play an exclusive/unavailable course; but a sanctioned PDGA tourney on a nice day? Not for me.

 

[Jukeshoe]

No.

1. I don't think it's worth the $$$. As an Am; even if I win, I don't want plastic I'm not gonna throw. Lose-lose situation on the cost/reward side.

2. Slow pace of play. I get to play two rounds? I would rather play four-six rounds in a day. I feel like I wasted a full day of disc golf standing around, waiting for other people to move.

3. Cheating. When people cheat in casual play, I don't care at all. Hell, that goes for me too, if I miss my mark, I'd never know. But in a tourney it ruins it for me.

4. Being mediocre. If I was (a lot) better, it'd be more fun to compete. Some days I just really suck and it's pointless to be out there sucking it up.

5. Additional rules. Smoking, drinking, cursing, that can be the best part of a round.

6. Edit - how could I forget bad attitude/annoying/db people on your card. Totally ruins the joy of DG.

Now, I am ALL ABOUT casual tourneys with buddies, or an ice bowl maybe, or getting to play an exclusive/unavailable course; but a sanctioned PDGA tourney on a nice day? Not for me.

Well said, and I agree completely.

Some of my favorite rounds have been had with Alan, standing around cursing. :hfive:

 

[thatdirtykid]

I find all tourneys fun. I could see playing more tourneys than casual rounds could be draining.

I do want to ad that I wish it wasn't a trend around here to make all the events sanctioned. I hadn't played asanctioned event since 2008 before the end of this season. It seems even all the single dayers are sanctioned now. If I were a member again I probably wouldn't care.

Also around here if you don't sign up within a day or two of opening you probably won't get in. This plus my work schedule don't mesh.