The Amateur Championships at Bowling Green

[willsfc]

Got my prizes today too.

Total Haul from BG (without buying a single DG Related Item)
7 Discs in Players Pack
1 Round Winner Disc
5 Prize Discs
Total = 13 Discs
+
2 Awesome Shirts
+
Free Dinner
+
A great time


I think that was worth the $75 Entry Fee.

Thanks HB and everybody involved.

 

[brutalbrutus]

got my prize shipment...its missing one of the three discs and one of the three minis. I emailed them. i'm sure it was just a hectic day mix up.

 

[topdog]

You guys are crazy if you think Am's would actually show up for trophy only. One of the main reasons competitive golf is growing so rapidly is that players of all skill levels can compete with a chance at a prize. The sport will stop growing if Am's don't get paid out.

You have no idea what you are talking about the arer plenty of tournaments that are trophies only that still sell out. Memorial and Masters Cup to name a couple. Trophies only will soon be the only choice.

 

[SteezeOG]

You guys are crazy if you think Am's would actually show up for trophy only. One of the main reasons competitive golf is growing so rapidly is that players of all skill levels can compete with a chance at a prize. The sport will stop growing if Am's don't get paid out.

Well I'm a little crazy but I accept that. I don't agree with you on why I am though. DD runs tournaments here and other places that are trophy only for Rec and then they had a very successful Am World's that did so as well and I didn't hear many complaints when people got a Ranger bag and a player pack worth twice their entry that they could resell if they wanted.

Plenty of amateur divisions have played for a trophy only in other sports it's kind of the definition of the term. Disc golf just has this mentality involved that amateur divisions should be playing for equipment as your reward. Heck it's even called payout and that is funny to me cause amateurs shouldn't be getting paid based on performance.

If you want to play for a payout you should play open. I've even thought at times there should be two open divisions with like a 900-950 rated range for MO2 and 950+ for MO1. Just so those guys who want to call themselves professionals and get paid if they do well can do so without getting blown out of the water by guys who are 1000+ rated. Kind of how some people feel when they get pounded in Rec or Intermediate by guys they consider to be playing down even though their rating allows them to play that division. I don't really care I play tournaments for the experience and to get better by playing with better players in a competitive setting. I've accepted the fact I'm paying an entry fee and it's going towards that in mind.

I understand not everyone agrees with that but by the definition of an amateur that's how it really should be. I don't agree that the sport will stop growing if amateur divisions go trophy only. Entry fees would go down, player pack value would go up. Or you could pay a low entry fee with the option of a player pack if you wanted to pay a wholesale price on a tourney stamped disc so you could have a trinket of attending. I personally don't care what I get in player pack value either. It's nice if it's good but I don't use that to base my decision fully on which tournaments I play.

Anyhow...now that I've said all that this isn't the thread to debate that topic it already has been plenty of times in other threads. I just wanted to applaud his comment because some people kind of understand that changes could be made to improve the overall tournament experience and one way is ending payout for "amateurs"

I can tell by your sig though you are one who enjoys the payout aspect of it. Play open. Get a check.

 

[brutalbrutus]

How bout instead of changing payouts or making new divisions we just stop calling them amateur divisions. Let juniors call themselves amateurs. The rest of us are not really amateurs anyway.

 

[brutalbrutus]

got my prize shipment...its missing one of the three discs and one of the three minis. I emailed them. i'm sure it was just a hectic day mix up.

problem solved got an email this morning saying they are mailing the missing items plus a freebie for my trouble. thx DGU!:hfive:

 

[diskey river]

Of course I wasn't implying you personally were crazy, just the idea. And of course at DD's Am Worlds no one is going to complain with that players pack, but do you really think that is feasible on a consistent basis? There are many small time shops that only make money by putting on tournies and selling their inventory through those payouts. Trophy only takes that away from them and they would rely heavily on donations from disc companies to help provide a decent enough player pack to get people to show up and pay for the competition alone. At giant tournaments it makes sense but that makes up a very small percentage of the tournaments worldwide.

I have also thought a bunch about, and love the idea of 2 open divisions. But that still isn't going to help the true amateur. Ratings were created specifically to deal with the amateur player who was never going to be good enough to play for money. And I bet anything if you polled those players they would mostly agree that they enjoy the opportunity competing with players of their similar skill level with the opportunity of thumbing through many tubs of discs if they happen to play well enough to get rewarded.

And how does my ace count determine my preference for payouts?

 

[JTacoma03]

You guys are crazy if you think Am's would actually show up for trophy only. One of the main reasons competitive golf is growing so rapidly is that players of all skill levels can compete with a chance at a prize. The sport will stop growing if Am's don't get paid out.

Of course I wasn't implying you personally were crazy, just the idea. And of course at DD's Am Worlds no one is going to complain with that players pack, but do you really think that is feasible on a consistent basis? There are many small time shops that only make money by putting on tournies and selling their inventory through those payouts. Trophy only takes that away from them and they would rely heavily on donations from disc companies to help provide a decent enough player pack to get people to show up and pay for the competition alone. At giant tournaments it makes sense but that makes up a very small percentage of the tournaments worldwide.

I have also thought a bunch about, and love the idea of 2 open divisions. But that still isn't going to help the true amateur. Ratings were created specifically to deal with the amateur player who was never going to be good enough to play for money. And I bet anything if you polled those players they would mostly agree that they enjoy the opportunity competing with players of their similar skill level with the opportunity of thumbing through many tubs of discs if they happen to play well enough to get rewarded.

And how does my ace count determine my preference for payouts?

Sorry bud I disagree. Am payouts are holding us back, getting rid of them will be a necessary step in the future. I understand why they have been almost necessary in the past, and it was a creative marketing strategy, but it won't fly as the sport grows.

Money needs to come from outside of the sport. Recycling Am money over and over doesn't foster growth. Also, you won't lose that many people over the payout issue...and even if you did they're the wrong kind of people to have in the game anyway. If someone is such a cheapskate that they only play tournaments to accrue more discs then they have no value as a customer in the game and shouldn't be worried about.

 

[diskey river]

Seems like I'm the only one with that opinion. I guess time will tell. I personally don't care cause I'm in it purely for the chance to compete against my peers.

 

[JTacoma03]

Seems like I'm the only one with that opinion. I guess time will tell. I personally don't care cause I'm in it purely for the chance to compete against my peers.

Not to disagree with you again...but...

I actually think people like payouts, and it can be really cool to get them, don't get me wrong. I'm a little jaded because now I've played enough tournaments that I don't want whatever random plastic people happened to throw together in order to re-sell to me at a higher price (aka scrip) if I should so happen to shoot well. I'd rather get awesome tournament memorabilia, an amazing experience, and hopefully a trophy and my 15 seconds of glory to give a winner speech!

In reference to BG Ams, I really like that HB directed us to Disc Golf United. The ability to tie in a major sponsor in that way in a simple, efficient, clean method is the way payouts *should* be done if they're done at all (IMHO, of course). I hate fighting with the 100 other ams that rushed up to grab their scrip check and fight over sub-par plastic that I don't even really want.

Call me a hypocrite though...I've never given my scrip back...I've always spent that stuff!

 

[SteezeOG]

Of course I wasn't implying you personally were crazy, just the idea. And of course at DD's Am Worlds no one is going to complain with that players pack, but do you really think that is feasible on a consistent basis? There are many small time shops that only make money by putting on tournies and selling their inventory through those payouts. Trophy only takes that away from them and they would rely heavily on donations from disc companies to help provide a decent enough player pack to get people to show up and pay for the competition alone. At giant tournaments it makes sense but that makes up a very small percentage of the tournaments worldwide.

I have also thought a bunch about, and love the idea of 2 open divisions. But that still isn't going to help the true amateur. Ratings were created specifically to deal with the amateur player who was never going to be good enough to play for money. And I bet anything if you polled those players they would mostly agree that they enjoy the opportunity competing with players of their similar skill level with the opportunity of thumbing through many tubs of discs if they happen to play well enough to get rewarded.

And how does my ace count determine my preference for payouts?

A TD can do as he pleases and they may have to start having unsanctioned tournaments if that's how they want to do it. I don't know if the PDGA will demand changes to amateur payouts anytime soon or not.

Not your ace count of the sig. Tons of people do that.
I'm talking about you dating the times you've cashed in a league or tournament. I've never seen that on this site before so it obviously holds importance to you. Nothing wrong with that at all just something I noticed.

 

[AcesandChains]

I just wanted to applaud HB, all the unsung heroes/volunteers who made it possible, and the manufacturers who contributed to making a great tournament possible. 7 discs and a free t-shirt in the players pack? Unheard of!

I had a great time all week, played many of the preliminary events, and was surprised my arm didn't fall off in the process.

My hats off to everyone involved. Great job!

 

[nathaniellr88]

Total of 12. I received a $83.33 payout. Thanks!!

Have you Received any ace money yet?

 

[tnmotorman]

Am Payouts

Well, I'm an Am and that's all I'll ever be. I like playing for plastic. We have a local vendor (Grass Roots) who does the payouts for a lot of tourneys in the area. The tournament just gives coupons for value and you get what you want at Grass Roots. Solves the problem of getting plastic you don't want. I would hope it does not go as some are suggesting because trophies are pretty much useless. Of course, if I won the BG Am (fat chance), or any other large tournament, I would proudly display it. I still like the plastic payout. And I'm not good enough to cash in Pro if I can rarely cash in Am.

Throw on ya!

 

[Dettmerb]

Have you Received any ace money yet?

Yes. Got a check about a week ago.

 

[diskey river]

Not your ace count of the sig. Tons of people do that.
I'm talking about you dating the times you've cashed in a league or tournament. I've never seen that on this site before so it obviously holds importance to you. Nothing wrong with that at all just something I noticed.

Those cashes are describing my 6 aces, 4 got me paid, 2 didn't.

 

[ScottyLove]

I call myself a semi-pro disc golfer by playing and often "cashing" in the Am divisions. Amateurs is the wrong term. I almost always select stuff I know I can get good $$ on the Facebook auction sites. So for me, I'm trying to make my disc golf adventures pay for themselves.

So semi-pro seems to be the best term I can think of... and yes, I like to play for the vouchers. If it was trophy only all the time, I'm not sure I'd be as interested in touring 18 tournaments across 6 states this year. The caveat there is the big player pack tournaments. I'm all for that as well. Otherwise, I'd stick to playing in my local leagues. There is one 7 days a week in less than an hours drive somewhere around here.

 

[scarpfish]

I don't see payout events going away. The vast majority of smaller club or vendor events that aren't destination draws need the funds the merch turnover creates for whatever reason, and manufacturers like it that way.

But I do see a growing de-emphasis (not necessarily elimination) of payouts at the destination supertourneys in favor of super players packs in the coming years.

 

[nathaniellr88]

Yes. Got a check about a week ago.

I was never contacted about getting my check..

 

[brutalbrutus]

Nathan send HB an email. or just wait till he sees this.

I got my shirt and the rest of my prize shipment today. It was almost like Christmas when I opened my mailbox earlier.