How to handle when a TD may have made a math error in payouts

[zontar]

...is the target audience.

I have volunteered for a variety of organizations over the years and disc golfers are some of the most entitled.

I was having this conversation the other day at my daughter's soccer game. I was talking to another parent, explaining that I did not understand how they're organizing the league this year (with COVID).

We agreed that there are a lot of moving parts that we do not understand and we're not about to complain to a volunteer. I took a moment to share a little about the (amateur) pro disc golf tour and some of the complaints I've received as a TD. She was awestruck...

I know that 10's of dollars (of merch) are on the line, but do we really have to take it that seriously?...

this! having put on tons of bike races, costs and time add up quickly. the most fun events were ones with limited payout and medals, good food and bragging rights. the harder the race the fewer whiners there usually were. kudos to anyone TDing a disc golf event!

 

[DavidSauls]

Amateur disc golf evolved in a weird way.

It could have been---you pay $15, and play. Period. The TD uses that $15 to pay expenses, or fundraise/profit. We could spend the money we didn't have to spend on the tournament, buying merchandise somewhere.

Instead, we pay $50, get $50 worth of stuff (retail) plus get to play, the TD gets $15 in the wholesale/retail differential to use for expenses or fundraise/profit, and the manufacturers move a ton of merchandise.

I complain about it a lot, but really, it's a bit of a shell game. We're in the position we would have been, except we've been coerced into buying a lot of discs that we might not have bought otherwise, in the form of our entries and players packs/payouts. (I frequently describe players packs and bribing ourselves to play, with our own money).

 

[dehaas]

Amateur disc golf evolved in a weird way.

It could have been---you pay $15, and play. Period. The TD uses that $15 to pay expenses, or fundraise/profit. We could spend the money we didn't have to spend on the tournament, buying merchandise somewhere.

Instead, we pay $50, get $50 worth of stuff (retail) plus get to play, the TD gets $15 in the wholesale/retail differential to use for expenses or fundraise/profit, and the manufacturers move a ton of merchandise.

I complain about it a lot, but really, it's a bit of a shell game. We're in the position we would have been, except we've been coerced into buying a lot of discs that we might not have bought otherwise, in the form of our entries and players packs/payouts. (I frequently describe players packs and bribing ourselves to play, with our own money).

Ha, the shady guy selling discs in a van at the course is always to blame, right?

Totally meant as a joke, but I'm sure if you trace it back far enough that's where the am model as we know it now originated from.

 

[DavidSauls]

Might be. I always sort of thought that Innova/Discraft were behind it.

 

[DavidSauls]

The Am payout system predates me a little bit. But I came along in the days when DX plastic was all there was --- it didn't even have a name --- so replenishing discs was a bigger deal.

 

[Martin Dewgarita]

I really hope New guy decides to check back in to this thread in 5 years after he decides to run an event of some sort..

 

[DiscFifty]

Amateur disc golf evolved in a weird way.

Certainly when Innova / Discraft jumped in and offered TDs / Clubs wholesale prices it changed the am player pack landscape forever.

https://www.pdga.com/files/2020_pdga_tour_standards.pdf
From the 2020 TD Tour Standards Document:

Minimum value for AM player packs: A-Tier: None. B-Tier: $25.00 C-Tier: $10.00

Maximum suggested entry fees: (not enforced by the PDGA)

C-Tier: 40.00 for Advanced 25.00 for all other divisions.
B-Tier: 60.00 for Advanced, 35.00 Int/Rec, 30.00 other divisions.
A-Tier: 70.00 for Advanced, 55.00 Int/Rec, 35.00 other divisions.

I have never bitched about cost vs. value, but the potential to make some decent cash running events is most definitely available. The question is how much is too much?

Like I have been told so many times, local market will decide over time. As long as the events are filling up, there is no limit. And quite frankly...there's shouldn't be. TDs take the risk, they should certainly reap the rewards.

However, after playing in 100+ events, I hope player packs evolve from a physical package to simply an online voucher the player can use at Innova/Discraft/etc pro stores. This way the TD still banks from buying discounted vouchers, the players can buy whatever they want, TDs don't have to worry about ordering, delivery, mucking around with all that plastic the day of the event during check in. Same with merch payout, vouchers has to be easier than keeping stock on hand to move as payouts. Plus again..players can buy whatever they want.

 

[DavidSauls]

Minimum value for AM player packs: A-Tier: None. B-Tier: $25.00 C-Tier: $10.00

That's

A-tier $25
B-tier $10
C-tier None

Unless I'm misreading it

 

[biscoe]

Amateur disc golf evolved in a weird way.

This. Everyone was a "pro" from the start. Am divisions got added later. The game is finally beginning to recover.

 

[DiscFifty]

That's

A-tier $25
B-tier $10
C-tier None

Unless I'm misreading it

Thanks. I somehow shifted over the values. You are correct.

 

[DavidSauls]

Thanks. I somehow shifted over the values. You are correct.

You sent a scare through me --- we run C-tiers and don't do players packs. Except this year, when we're doing "trophy only" with players packs to minimize Covid risk. It's quite believable that the PDGA might have changed the guidelines, and I overlooked them.

 

[DiscFifty]

You sent a scare through me...

Sorry...I knew C-Tiers didn't require a player pack, I should have caught it. :doh: To little ZZzzzzz as usual.

 

[autocrosscrx]

Now the model that I don't really understand is the unsanctioned impromptu singles matches for $5.