biscoe
* Ace Member *
As a TD the waitlist thing is already getting tiresome. Disc Golf Scene makes it fairly easy to deal but still...
I am seriously considering adding a fee for withdrawing.
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Fast-Filling Events
- Thread starter DavidSauls
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As a TD the waitlist thing is already getting tiresome. Disc Golf Scene makes it fairly easy to deal but still...
I am seriously considering adding a fee for withdrawing.
I implemented it this year.
I've had a $5 non-refundable waitlist fee for a couple of years, but this year I also added a $5 service charge for all withdrawals. This also closed the loophole where (1) player is on waitlist, gets promoted, declines the invitation, does not receive a refund versus (2) player is on waitlist, gets promoted, pays full entry fee, drops out, gets a full refund. Now both of those players are treated the same.
VictorB
* Ace Member *
It's not addressed that way. Why should people who aren't members at all get in ahead of members that want to play?
biscoe
* Ace Member *
I have done both at times in the past but not at the same time. I actually lightened up on it last year due to the uncertainty generated by the pandemic.
I see what you are saying, allow me to play devil's advocate if you will. I can think of many reasons. Most of the new growth is on the AM side. Doing it this way allows Am players to try out a tournament or 2 without fully committing. This will attract more players to the sport, and more potential members down the road. Perhaps a player like me only plays one or two tournaments per year, if that. The PDGA will still get my $10 and it allows that player to participate in the sport at the level that they are comfortable participating.
I'm not sure why you say it isn't addressed that way. Isn't this the exact reason the PDGA charges $10 per tournament to non-members?
VictorB
* Ace Member *
Yes, and most tournament players are AM players. Split weekend tournaments aren't due to too many pro players. The exist to maximize the amount of AM players they can field (as that's where TDs make their money)
It's not like you're committing $1000 for a tour card or something. You pay $50 on your tournament fee and can sign up for anything you want.
Obviously the $10 fee isn't enough now - as the PDGA, you need to do something at this point to ensure that your membership fee means more than getting a rating and a new rulebook when there's a revision. People with memberships are being pushed out of tournaments at times by people who don't - there needs to be something that protects from that.
As a member, I have no issues with this. I play sanctioned events to get points for Worlds. I think the issue of quick filling events and a lot of new AM players is potentially a PDGA problem.
As sanctioned tournaments fill, often with non PDGA members, it presents less opportunity for PDGA player to accrue points. In some areas it is already a challenge to travel to enough sanctioned events to get your points. The added pressure of new players competing for sign up with members, could make getting a Worlds invite much tougher to impossible.
Either the above solution or another point goal reconciliation might be needed.
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I don't get the non-refundable waitlist fee at all. I gotta pay you $5 for you to tell me that I can't play with you?
Agreed. Maybe I am missing something but I don't really see a reason for this. There are transaction fees going through DGS but I don't think they aren't anywhere near $5 for payment/refund.
Point well taken. Maybe it is a rhetorical device on your part, I just don't want the misunderstanding that I am with the PDGA because I am not.
I will be interested to see if this explosion in tournament players is long term, or if it is simply an effect of lockdown and people flocking to something that is available and safe. Time will tell. Maybe in two years things go back to a normal level, and all the $10 million dollar contracts and 2 minute tournament fill times will be a thing of the past. I'm sure some of the growth will stay but I'm not convinced it will stay at it's current level.
uncle pennybags
Double Eagle Member
In my area there are plenty of the paycheck to paycheck types. These people don't pre-register usually and don't keep current on the PDGA. I know plenty that are contenders in MA1 and without being current will play down to MA2. (Most of the TD's I know don't bother to check anyone's rating current or not). Having a higher non-member fee may discourage some of this behavior. Up the non-member fee to $25, if you play in more than two tournaments it's worth it just to join...plus you get stuff!
Or Td's need to run more non-sanctioned events. Then there can be a 'I do what I want' attitude, and it won't matter as much!
Or Td's need to run more non-sanctioned events. Then there can be a 'I do what I want' attitude, and it won't matter as much!
There are pros and cons to requiring membership, but around here, it wouldn't solve the flash-filling problem. There are enough PDGA members, trying to register for even C-tiers on average courses, to fill in minutes.
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I looked at a couple of local events early this year that filled. Two events were limited to 72 entries - one had 1 non-member, the other had 3 non-members. The third event had 173 enties. Of those, 7 were non-members.
So I don't really think the non-member this is really a problem here.
So I don't really think the non-member this is really a problem here.
Probably a definition thing, but there are non members and non active members. If looking on Disc Golf Scene, many players will have a PDGA number listed, but are expired. The only way to validate active membership is to look on the PDGA site. I am not saying the above is not correct, but that rate could depend on the area and tier.
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If you are a non-active member, you don't have a listed rating. Correct?
So add about 2 non-active members per event to my number.
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My overall point is that if events are filling in minutes, you probably aren't going to have a ton of non-members that are familiar enough with schedules and how these things work and committed enough to sign up in that that window.
If I'm not actively researching for events to play, I tend to not even hear about these events until they fill.
If I'm not actively researching for events to play, I tend to not even hear about these events until they fill.
ballgolfconvert
Eagle Member
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2019
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- 886
Most of your Tourneys cost $15 to enter, and you are going to keep $10?
Yea I leave that loophole open. If you mention the word covid in your reason for withdrawing you get 100%, no questions asked.
uncle pennybags
Double Eagle Member
The $10 PDGA fee is on top of any local tournament costs
Real time data
From the 2021 Colton (COVID) Open, three flights with different divisions on different days:
- 121 players total (Friday:40, Saturday:41, Sunday:40)
- Friday sold out in two minutes, Saturday sold out in three minutes, Sunday sold out in one minute (all based on the DGU time stamps)
- all three have healthy waitlists
- 8 players out of 121 paid the $10 PDGA fee; 5 are non-current, 3 do not have PDGA numbers at all
For your consideration.
From the 2021 Colton (COVID) Open, three flights with different divisions on different days:
- 121 players total (Friday:40, Saturday:41, Sunday:40)
- Friday sold out in two minutes, Saturday sold out in three minutes, Sunday sold out in one minute (all based on the DGU time stamps)
- all three have healthy waitlists
- 8 players out of 121 paid the $10 PDGA fee; 5 are non-current, 3 do not have PDGA numbers at all
For your consideration.
