Just a little rant

[BDD223]

While registering for a tourney this weekend I was told by the TD himself that if you've been playing for more than six months you couldn't play rec. So not wanting to be called a bagger I opted to bump up to intermediate. I had 2 good rounds and finished 3rd overall. I was very well pleased with my performance especially from the long tee's since I've never played them.

Here's where things get stupid. I end my second round and walk up to some of the guys I know, who are legit novice guys and they say they have a few guys in their division that have been playing for more than 3 years and one at 7 years. Now this is a bit backwards don't you think? I was pretty upset, not so much that I could have placed 1st or 2nd in rec, but that the TD was a blatant hypocrite and lied. Needless to say I will never play for that organization again after those events occurred. I thought about saying something to him as I left about it but figured it was best just to leave it be.

What would y'all have done in this situation?

 

[Bamm]

Was the tourney PDGA sanctioned?

 

[Old Bassman]

The PDGA says you can play your rating.

 

[kutz167]

You need to play where your skill level lies. There are some people that have been playing for years and years and years that are just Rec level players, just like there are some people that have been playing for 6 months that are advanced level players. You need to be confident in which division you belong. If you select a division too low and DOMINATE because you have not played any tournaments, just bump it up the next time. In my experience, in many areas the "Intermediate" players have ratings that match up with the PDGA Rec and many of the "Pros" have PDGA ratings that would match up with the Advanced division. The only time this becomes less prevalent is when there are a number of touring class pros in the area also.

 

[bradharris]

If it was a PDGA event, the TD should be reported because he blatantly lied to you. If it was unsanctioned, then there's not much you can do but vote with your feet and stop attending his events.

 

[plastic cannon]

Agreed. You could be playing for years and play Rec if you're a rec player or new to the tourney scene all together. The TD was in the wrong there.

 

[scarpfish]

Its all about your rating, not how long you've played. Any TD who says otherwise should be banished for life from being a TD.

 

[Bamm]

If it was a PDGA event, the TD should be reported because he blatantly lied to you. If it was unsanctioned, then there's not much you can do but vote with your feet and stop attending his events.

^This

 

[BDD223]

The tourney was not PDGA sanctioned.

They talked about growing the tourney and such, but if you're going to tell one person one thing and someone else another how can you grow a tourney with being known as a liar? Like I said earlier I'm not upset that I had to play up because I feel like playing with the better guys made me better, but more so that I and few of my friends were done dirty.

Heck I could go on and on about it, but I figure I'd just leave it be and not give them my $40 next year.

 

[Old Bassman]

If it was a PDGA event, the TD should be reported because he blatantly lied to you. If it was unsanctioned, then there's not much you can do but vote with your feet and stop attending his events.

This should happen.....

Then vote with your money.

 

[papamullins]

Heck I could go on and on about it, but I figure I'd just leave it be and not give them my $40 next year.

This. I might write the TD about the situation and let him know that you won't be returning. He basically did the opposite of what his intent was - grow the tournament.

 

[Thumber]

Instead of hopping on here to complain why not go back to the TD and ask him why he told you one thing and yet there was evidence other players weren't treated the same. Maybe the other players in rec lied to the td. Ever think of that one?

You finished 3rd overall. You were in the right division. You are bitching over nothing.

 

[Dave242]

I understand your frustration.....and I would be very inclined to give the TD a triple dose of "benefit of the doubt". TD's do not volunteer their time to do all the organizing and work required just so they can have a better platform to piss people off and make people miserable or confused.........or to be called out on an internet forum (I realize you have not called anyone out by name or even given hints....which is good and mature of you).

It was probably an honest mistake by the TD or a misunderstanding by you (or a confusingly asked question by you). I think you and him would be well served by a polite and gracious conversation or email trying to find some clarity.

 

[Brall]

if it's not a sanctioned event, from what i understand, the td's add/change/remove rules as they see fit. correct?

What would y'all have done in this situation?

probably the same thing you did. bump up to intermediate and then research it later.

there is the chance that this td believes that this could be a real pdga rule. maybe you should contact him and politely inform him that this isn't a pdga rule.

 

[JC17393]

The tourney was not PDGA sanctioned.

They talked about growing the tourney and such, but if you're going to tell one person one thing and someone else another how can you grow a tourney with being known as a liar? Like I said earlier I'm not upset that I had to play up because I feel like playing with the better guys made me better, but more so that I and few of my friends were done dirty.

Heck I could go on and on about it, but I figure I'd just leave it be and not give them my $40 next year.

$40 to play intermediate at a non-sanctioned tournament strikes me as a bigger "crime" than not being consistent in how he determined who was "eligible" for Rec.

I think he's wrong on both counts. Experience does not always equate to skill level.

 

[BDD223]

Maybe the other players in rec lied to the td. Ever think of that one?

I did think of that, but the guy who won it did lie and said he had only been playing for one year (he told the TD that while we were standing there after we had registered) he turned out to have been playing for 7 years. We left figuring the TD would obviously shoot him down for novice because that's more than 6 months, but we were wrong.

 

[rd.bittle]

The PDGA says you can play your rating.

You need to play where your skill level lies. There are some people that have been playing for years and years and years that are just Rec level players, just like there are some people that have been playing for 6 months that are advanced level players. You need to be confident in which division you belong. If you select a division too low and DOMINATE because you have not played any tournaments, just bump it up the next time. In my experience, in many areas the "Intermediate" players have ratings that match up with the PDGA Rec and many of the "Pros" have PDGA ratings that would match up with the Advanced division. The only time this becomes less prevalent is when there are a number of touring class pros in the area also.

If it was a PDGA event, the TD should be reported because he blatantly lied to you. If it was unsanctioned, then there's not much you can do but vote with your feet and stop attending his events.

Agreed. You could be playing for years and play Rec if you're a rec player or new to the tourney scene all together. The TD was in the wrong there.

Its all about your rating, not how long you've played. Any TD who says otherwise should be banished for life from being a TD.

All of these guys think like I do. They must be very smart. Einsteins even. :hfive:

 

[DavidSauls]

This does remind me of all the threads asking "why sanction events" or "why play sanctioned events" or whatever.

There's no guarantee that TDs in sanctioned events will do the right thing, but at least there's a greater expectation. Plus, if the player knows the rule himself, it's easier to approach a TD in a sanctioned event and get him to correct his mistake; if non-sanctioned, the rules are indeed whatever the TD says they are.

But to the specifics, what would I do? I'd politely ask the TD why I was told to play in a different division than the one I requested, while others were allowed to under similar conditions. With that question, asked tactfully, I'd probably find out if whether it was a misunderstanding on one of our part's, or a mistake by the TD, or what.

 

[puttlikeablowfly]

I've been playing since 2000, and my PDGA Rating in the 820s makes me eligible not just for Rec, but for Novice. Since it was non-sanctioned, the TD can make up the rules, but if they are not going to follow the PDGA division guidelines, it should be clearly advertised ahead of time. I might have questioned the TD more about it at the time, but if you had fun, I would just vote with my feet and wallet and move on.

 

[Steve West]

...I had 2 good rounds and finished 3rd overall. I was very well pleased with my performance especially from the long tee's since I've never played them...

So you had fun? Nothing else really matters.