Tournament/PDGA/Noob Advice

[Knights412]

Hello all,

I am fairly new to disc golf (one year in) but I am an addict already. I am posting some decent rounds on a local course here in Melbourne, FL. I have played several other courses and I am fairly consistent. My question to the DG world----How do tournaments usually set up? I have never played a tourney round and I am looking to begin picking up a tournament every month or so... I have seen that there are differing levels for players (Am, Pro, Grandmaster..etc) however, which group should I expect to start off in? Are there any sites that post tournaments within your area regularly outside of this one? Is becoming a PDGA member necessary for competing in tournaments?

If you could please take a little time and respond and give me a feel for what to expect on my journey into the tournament side of DG that would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

-Craig

 

[Dcinmd]

The easiest place to find tournament is either Disc Golf Scene or the PDGA. If you use filter you can find events for any location on either site.

https://www.discgolfscene.com/tournaments/Florida

http://www.pdga.com/tour/search?OfficialName=&date_filter%5Bmin%5D%5Bdate%5D=2017-03-09&date_filter%5Bmax%5D%5Bdate%5D=2017-12-31&State%5B%5D=FL

Here is a guide for divisions. If you feeling frisky you can play in a higher division in most events.

http://www.pdga.com/divisions

You do not need to be a PDGA member, however if you are not you will be paying $10 more per tournament.

Tournament set up? I guess you mean how it is run. TD will create foursomes either by divisions or mixed card for the first round. After the 1st round card are divided up from 1st round scores per divisions from top to bottom.

 

[DavidSauls]

www.pdga.com has a list of sanctioned events. There are other sources for non-sanctioned ones (more common in some areas than others).

Most tournaments don't require a PDGA membership, but you pay an extra $10 as a non-member.

There are 4 levels of amateur---AM1 (Advanced), AM2 (Intermediate), AM3 (Recreational), AM4 (Novice). Don't be misled by the names---AM3 may contain some serious, but not terribly good, players, and AM4 some players with some experience (though AM4 isn't offered everywhere). The "Masters" applies to people over 40 years old.

Either start with the lowest amateur division available, or tell the TD what your normal score is on that course, and ask his recommendation.

*

If you can, it's a good idea to join local league play, as an intermediate step between casual and tournament. Plus, you'll meet some people who can give you more specific, regional advice.

 

[DavidSauls]

Dcinmd types better than me. Or, at least, faster.

 

[corin_brown]

Depends on how serious you want to get. You can play unsanctioned tournaments, which is the rubric most local leagues/weeklies/monthlies fall under. Unsanctioned events tend to be cheaper, more casual with the rules and generally less serious. Some folks prefer that kind of competition.

Or, if you want something a little more organized, you can play PDGA sanctioned events. If, as you mentioned, you're gonna play one PDGA tournament per month, def get a PDGA membership, if for no other reason than to save yourself $70 in tournament registration fees over the course of one year's worth of tournaments.

As for which division to play at first, I would start at Rec(MA3) if you plan on going the sanctioned route. Players who people the Rec division vary slightly depending on what region you're in. In SoCal, for instance, Rec is highly competitive and repped by players with a wide range of ages & experience levels. But in New England, on the other hand, many fewer players seem to register for Rec, instead taking their talents one division up to Intermediate (MA2.) I'm not sure what the entry level division convention is in Florida, but it'll either be Rec(MA3) or Intermediate (MA2.)

Once you get a few sanctioned rounds under your belt, you will be able to look at your PDGA rating and you'll have a better feel for the composition of the various divisions at PDGA events in your region and you'll get a clearer idea about which division you want to compete in for upcoming tournaments..

Anyway, great call jumping in the tournament game. Buying my PDGA membership and paying for PDGA tournaments is some of the best money I've ever spent. Entertainment value through the roof.

 

[Dcinmd]

Dcinmd types better than me. Or, at least, faster.

I cheated, I had a jump off the starting line. The whole time I was typing it out I was thinking to myself I hope someone else is not doing the same thing.