Fast-Filling Events

[joshmo65]

I'm worried for our next event. Another 144 cap and there is already 177 people following the tournament on DGScene.

 

[Central Scrutinizer]

Remind me to not take things for granted where I live. I read your horror stories and shudder. My county's population is only around 265,000 and yet I have about 8 quality courses within a half-hour's drive (many more than that if I make a day trip) and if I'm interested in a tournament I can usually eye it for several weeks and not have a problem at all. We're so spoiled here.

On another note, I took 14 years off from sanctioned play before 2020. DGS is awesome. I do not remember at all what we had to do to sign up for a tournament in the old days. Did we just show up? Maybe pay the TD in person in advance? I honestly don't recall whatsoever.

 

[biscoe]

We had a feeling that our traditional 72 person tournament would fill quickly, so we broke it out to two days splitting the divisions and bumped it up to 144. It sold out in 70 seconds. In 5 minutes we had a 90 person deep waitlist.

I would love to see the PDGA allow us to do lotteries. Let everyone interested sign up over a week instead of going with whoever can fill out some form the fastest and then random pick people. If your club runs a bunch of tourney, double weight people who missed out of the previous one so that they have a better chance of making it the 2nd time.

I would love to see the PDGA allow TD's to fill their fields as they see fit in general.

 

[biscoe]

On another note, I took 14 years off from sanctioned play before 2020. DGS is awesome. I do not remember at all what we had to do to sign up for a tournament in the old days. Did we just show up? Maybe pay the TD in person in advance? I honestly don't recall whatsoever.

"the check's in the mail," then show up and hope it got there. DGS is indeed the awesome-est.

 

[DavidSauls]

I would love to see the PDGA allow TD's to fill their fields as they see fit in general.

Which is more or less where I started this thread.

I think the PDGA mandate is obsolete, at least in certain areas -- including mine -- and at least for lower-tier local events.

 

[Karl]

In the Northeast tournaments are filling stupid fast (like in 2min w/ a 90-person waitlist fast). In trying to give back to the sport - now that I'm retired - if I wasn't so busy designing and building courses (and TRYING to play some events) I'd seriously think about TDing.

 

[ru4por]

In the Northeast tournaments are filling stupid fast (like in 2min w/ a 90-person waitlist fast). In trying to give back to the sport - now that I'm retired - if I wasn't so busy designing and building courses (and TRYING to play some events) I'd seriously think about TDing.

Often it is about getting involved with a club. Volunteering and doing work for a tournament allows for current TD's to do more.

 

[BillFleming]

I would love to see the PDGA allow TD's to fill their fields as they see fit in general.

No! Please no. Already it's near impossible to find tournaments with novice divisions- I'm 615 rated and have to play MA3. Just once I'd like to play in a novice division. With TDs allowed to choose there might never be rec players in tourneys.

TDs could ignore players they don't get along with.

I heard one TD say he wished he didn't have to have Female divisions....they rarely fill and he would rather use the spots for males.

 

[DavidSauls]

No! Please no. Already it's near impossible to find tournaments with novice divisions- I'm 615 rated and have to play MA3. Just once I'd like to play in a novice division. With TDs allowed to choose there might never be rec players in tourneys.

TDs could ignore players they don't get along with.

I heard one TD say he wished he didn't have to have Female divisions....they rarely fill and he would rather use the spots for males.

TDs now have the options of what divisions they offer. They can offer novice, or not. They can offer female divisions, or not. Moving away from the first-come rule wouldn't change that, at all.

It's possible that a TD could run a tournament and exclude people he didn't like. But, at least in places like where I am, with many events, all flash-filling, those players would have other options.

I just don't see excluding those who can't type fast enough is a great system.

 

[WD09]

I do not remember at all what we had to do to sign up for a tournament in the old days. Did we just show up? Maybe pay the TD in person in advance? I honestly don't recall whatsoever.

As I recall, it went something like this:
1. Email or leave a voicemail for TD and hope to get a reply that says, "You're in!"
2. Show up early Saturday morning to wait in line at a picnic table and give cash to a guy with names scrawled in a spiral notebook.
3. Warm up before the 9 a.m. player meeting while many others call friends they thought were coming to see if they are just late or if they aren't, in fact, coming and report the results of their phone calls to the TD.
4. TD starts the 9 a.m. player meeting at 9:45 while other guys behind him are going through the spiral notebook and making hole assignments for shotgun start.
5. Crowd around to get hole assignment, then rush to assigned hole and tee off around 10:20.

I agree, the new system has some advantages.

 

[biscoe]

No! Please no. Already it's near impossible to find tournaments with novice divisions- I'm 615 rated and have to play MA3. Just once I'd like to play in a novice division. With TDs allowed to choose there might never be rec players in tourneys.

Lack of Novice division is a regional thing I would imagine. Plenty of events have it here- I offer it unless the course is inappropriate for novice play. In Illinois it may be the largest division. MA3 is by far the largest division in Virginia currently.

I heard one TD say he wished he didn't have to have Female divisions....they rarely fill and he would rather use the spots for males.

If a TD does not wish to host ANY division (male, female, young, old) they are not currently compelled to do so.

I am more directly referencing the idea that I can only offer up a certain percentage of slots to local club members, volunteers, etc.

 

[Billipo]

Sorry didn't read all posts but....

Registration
Club members or those who consistently volunteer at courses - get first dibs...
Last year winners get chance to repeat, three-peat, etc. get first dibs as well.
Then open up to public

I'd also reduce refunds or eliminate refunds for dropping out within 48 hours of event - eliminates those who "take up space" forgetting that they work every Saturday.

 

[trasf]

I'd also reduce refunds or eliminate refunds for dropping out within 48 hours of event - eliminates those who "take up space" forgetting that they work every Saturday.

Refund only if that slot is filled again.

 

[krupicka]

Ledgestone knocked DGS down. Registration had to be halted and will reopen tomorrow.

 

[DavidSauls]

Apparently, an event near me just filled in 80 seconds, with a long waitlist. Apparently, if you didn't have your info and payment info pre-filled in DGS, you didn't make it in.

 

[DavidSauls]

Ledgestone knocked DGS down. Registration had to be halted and will reopen tomorrow.

Whoaa.

I was part of a few events that crashed DGU, some years back. But not nearly as high-tier as Ledgestone.

 

[VictorB]

I surmise that the rule dates back to when tournaments were few and far between, to keep a TD from showing favoritism, since the players not in favor, and not granted entry, wouldn't have any other options for competing, earning points, etc., because there would be no other nearby events as options. Now, at least around here, there are multiple tournaments every weekend close enough for a long commute.

I agree with tis to a certain extent. I remember when there were maybe 3 tournaments a year worth traveling to that were close.

These days, a lot of the big tournaments are just as much about the experiences and courses played as they are about "just finding somewhere to compete". There are a couple that I'll try to play every year, no matter how competitive I feel, just because I love going to those places.

 

[klodkrawler05]

Am I the only person that thinks some of these tournaments could stand to charge a bit more? Sure, the local c-tier at a pitch and putt course probably can't charge $50-60 (maybe it can lately with the demand around here) But an A-tier like Ledgestone? I enjoyed that tournament immensely last year for many reasons. It's a fun trip to plan and becomes a mid summer destination for me and a few buddies, it gives me a chance to test my skills on a course against a massive pool of similarly skilled players, and I know even if I play poorly I'm still coming home with a new bag and a few discs.

Ledgestone:
Entry Fee: $160
MA1,MA2,MA3 competitors: 300+ in each division
Players Pack: $500 value, Grip BX2, Stool, 4 discs, etc.
Courses played: 3
Meals included: 2

Local event:
Entry Fee: $45
MA1,MA2,MA3 competitors: 30 ish
Players Pack: $15 value, 1 stock stamped disc
Courses played: 1
Meals provided: 0

I guess obviously not every tournament can/should provide the same value, but I feel as though I'm getting far more than four times the value from ledgestone as I am the local C-tier event. I guess I'm curious if there would be a DGS crash and 609 (and sure to go up tonight) angry comments on the Ledgestone page if the event entry was $250 or even $300, or if it would just casually fill up like a "normal" event did 2 years ago.

edit: Heck keep the AM side exactly the same as it is now, you'd still get the biggest players pack, with huge competitor fields anywhere, and put the extra $140 x 1600 into the pro payout and now we're watching the Pros compete for nearly half a mil. I'd still gladly sign up for that.

 

[Billipo]

Thinking tide is changing.. posted questions like "What's in the player pack?" becomes even more offensive to ask a TD on Dgscene.

Demand for sports may make players more excited for tournament experience, more appreciative, and reduce need for TDs to provide way high % event payout to keep *WUFs chatter down.

Being a TD is currently a thankless task. Wasn't always that way..."Me- generation" dunno. One reason why I retired from it.

Maybe more division specific events which can be best suited for audiences and better manage demand.

Personally I think a few more Masters only events be wonderful?

 

[biscoe]

Am I the only person that thinks some of these tournaments could stand to charge a bit more? Sure, the local c-tier at a pitch and putt course probably can't charge $50-60 (maybe it can lately with the demand around here) But an A-tier like Ledgestone? I enjoyed that tournament immensely last year for many reasons. It's a fun trip to plan and becomes a mid summer destination for me and a few buddies, it gives me a chance to test my skills on a course against a massive pool of similarly skilled players, and I know even if I play poorly I'm still coming home with a new bag and a few discs.

Ledgestone:
Entry Fee: $160
MA1,MA2,MA3 competitors: 300+ in each division
Players Pack: $500 value, Grip BX2, Stool, 4 discs, etc.
Courses played: 3
Meals included: 2

Local event:
Entry Fee: $45
MA1,MA2,MA3 competitors: 30 ish
Players Pack: $15 value, 1 stock stamped disc
Courses played: 1
Meals provided: 0

I guess obviously not every tournament can/should provide the same value, but I feel as though I'm getting far more than four times the value from ledgestone as I am the local C-tier event. I guess I'm curious if there would be a DGS crash and 609 (and sure to go up tonight) angry comments on the Ledgestone page if the event entry was $250 or even $300, or if it would just casually fill up like a "normal" event did 2 years ago.

edit: Heck keep the AM side exactly the same as it is now, you'd still get the biggest players pack, with huge competitor fields anywhere, and put the extra $140 x 1600 into the pro payout and now we're watching the Pros compete for nearly half a mil. I'd still gladly sign up for that.

Higher prices for Amateur competition is the last thing we need.