2014 Am Worlds...Minneapolis

[smyith]

Advertisements... The schedule was useful though...

well they also did have course maps (no distance/par) and directions to courses from the hotel.....

as i reflect more on it, i feel like i attended a week long B/C tier event, not an A tier or major. it was alot of lil stuff for me. actually thats an insult to the quality B tiers i play...so maybe just a week long C tier. or maybe i am just spoiled by my local TDs.
- lack of circles (not needed just nice to have)
- lack of obviously marked DZs and OB lines (flags spaced every 10-20ft is easily mis-interpreted)
- lack of flags on baskets (especially the really nice ones with the wind reads)(not needed tho)
- lack of course amenities
- lack of information
- lack of communication
these are all things i am prepared for when attending a C or some B tiers...definitely not an A tier or Major.

i also feel like this TD and crew are taking offense to the comments rather than learning from them. i know they arent always the nicest presented but when every comment is met with defensive statement its hard to think they are actually trying to learn from anything.

 

[joshmo65]

i feel like i attended a week long B/C tier event, not an A tier or major.

This is exactly how I feel. With pro worlds in Pittsburgh next year, I went to try to pick up on as many things good and bad and came back with a much larger bad list than good. After I post a summary on my club's page, I'll complain here opcorn:

 

[juju]

i also feel like this TD and crew are taking offense to the comments rather than learning from them. i know they arent always the nicest presented but when every comment is met with defensive statement its hard to think they are actually trying to learn from anything.

Well said. It is understandable that they take offense to the negative comments. They put so much of their time into this event (even though it may not have seemed that way) and now get berated with criticism and complaints. Honestly though, a lot of locals saw this coming as the TD has only run poorly attended C tiers in the past and his events are known to be no-frills type.

 

[Pwingles]

well they also did have course maps (no distance/par) and directions to courses from the hotel.....

as i reflect more on it, i feel like i attended a week long B/C tier event, not an A tier or major. it was alot of lil stuff for me. actually thats an insult to the quality B tiers i play...so maybe just a week long C tier. or maybe i am just spoiled by my local TDs.
- lack of circles (not needed just nice to have)
- lack of obviously marked DZs and OB lines (flags spaced every 10-20ft is easily mis-interpreted)
- lack of flags on baskets (especially the really nice ones with the wind reads)(not needed tho)
- lack of course amenities
- lack of information
- lack of communication
these are all things i am prepared for when attending a C or some B tiers...definitely not an A tier or Major.

i also feel like this TD and crew are taking offense to the comments rather than learning from them. i know they arent always the nicest presented but when every comment is met with defensive statement its hard to think they are actually trying to learn from anything.

All of this

 

[WhiteyBear]

I believe all of these concerns can be addressed, DGers simply just need to pay for course improvements. Maybe make it interesting, like hosting a large tournament, provide players packs and a week long competition. Raise some funds to the local club for course improvement....

...oh wait.

 

[jmhoekst]

... DGers simply just need to pay for course improvements...

I don't think anybody is complaining about the condition of the courses. The layout or specific holes, yes, but I can tell you that the courses have never been in better condition overall than they were for worlds.

 

[WhiteyBear]

I don't think anybody is complaining about the condition of the courses. The layout or specific holes, yes, but I can tell you that the courses have never been in better condition overall than they were for worlds.

Course improvements means marked areas, flags on baskets, all the nice little things like benches, bag holders, signage (which I heard was not very good), course information (like at Peter Pan in Emporia).

That's what I meant. These are all things we want, and should focus on the quality of courses rather than the quantity. Amazing courses come out of a focused effort.

 

[jmhoekst]

Course improvements means marked areas, flags on baskets, all the nice little things like benches, bag holders, signage (which I heard was not very good), course information (like at Peter Pan in Emporia).

That's what I meant. These are all things we want, and should focus on the quality of courses rather than the quantity. Amazing courses come out of a focused effort.

Gotcha. Since Kaposia and The Valley have gone P2P, they have seen a lot of improvement, so what you're looking for is in fact happening. I do agree that painted 10m circles would have been nice as those are becoming a standard in almost any big or well-run tournament.

 

[WhiteyBear]

Gotcha. Since Kaposia and The Valley have gone P2P, they have seen a lot of improvement, so what you're looking for is in fact happening. I do agree that painted 10m circles would have been nice as those are becoming a standard in almost any big or well-run tournament.

I actually don't think that paint is the way to go, I think some nice brick/painted concrete rings should be the standard

I'd like to see pot bunkers used more as well, nothing crazy deep, but an obvious distraction, and something like "no run up" allowed while in a bunker.

Just my .02

 

[jmhoekst]

I actually don't think that paint is the way to go, I think some nice brick/painted concrete rings should be the standard

Yea, I'm on board with that for sure! :thmbup:

I'd like to see pot bunkers used more as well, nothing crazy deep, but an obvious distraction...

Totally, I'd love that, too! :hfive:

... and something like "no run up" allowed while in a bunker. Just my .02

Simply terrible... :doh: :wall:

 

[araytx]

...and something like "no run up" allowed while in a bunker.

Simply terrible... :doh: :wall:

Tell me why. I get the argument about not making "stand and deliver" required in the middle of a fairway. Fully agree.

But I'd much rather see a defined area where stand & deliver was required, and that wasn't OB, than some of the other choices I've seen to try and make boring holes interesting. I may be changing topics but my thoughts on this (bunCR, I think it's called) are #1) it would be clearly defined, so you don't have to throw in the vicinity in the first place if you don't like S&D, but it could help designers with design elements and risk/reward challenge on some of the less interesting holes where the landscape doesn't lend to interest; #2) to me that kind of obstacle is much better than a flagged OB in the middle of a hole's design; and #3) It creates another "repertoire" skill that we'd need to practice more often and more ways in order to have all the "shots in the bag" -- make competitive dg'ers more well-rounded.

 

[BraveThrower43]

Course maps with suspect distances as well. Just no pars or obs. We got printed out sheets with that information

 

[General Scales]

Hmm, funny to me, when you read all the chatter on Facebook, there was nothing but praise (from the same 10-12 people) that helped volunteer or run the event.

There are so many players complaints in regards to the shoddy handling of this event that I feel they should all go in a book, be handed to tournament directors that are going to run major events and call it "How to Not Run a Quality Event" by the PDGA and Minnesota Tournament Directors.

Honestly, I was really upset that I had an emergency happen, had to cancel my hotel, my car and my plane ticket because I wanted to play. After the multitude of responses that I've seen saying it was a week long C/B tier, I am glad that the emergency happened.

Any idea for those of use who were un(Fortunate) enough to not be able to make it will be sent out? I missed the full refund by three days so I would like to know when I can expect my players pack to arrive.

Not a single one of the golfers I know IRL were happy with this event. This was the conversation I had with a good buddy who spent 2000 grand on the entire week long event just in travel and rental fee's.

"How was worlds?"
"Courses were awesome, the town was pretty decent. The handling of the event was more like going on a date with an incredibly attractive female that you later find out has a penis"
"So surprising?"
"Surprising in a manner that was not pleasant. At all."

 

[The Hammer]

Last night I talked with a couple people played the event, and asked how it went. The response was similar in that the courses were fantastic, the TD's were awful, and the trophies were the worst they had ever seen in any event.

 

[juju]

Trophy only.....woof

 

[The Hammer]

That doesn't look nearly as bad as it was described to me.

 

[WhiteyBear]

Trophy only.....woof

Looks just like the 1st place trophy. They were really lacking in that department.

 

[Pwingles]

Parts of kaposia couldve been trimmed up and cleaned up for sure, but all the other courses were gorgeous imo

 

[juju]

Looks just like the 1st place trophy. They were really lacking in that department.

They are made from cheap plastic, probably cost 5 bucks tops. How can they get away with such horrible trophies when the event was TROPHY ONLY?!??

 

[juju]

That doesn't look nearly as bad as it was described to me.

Some people got minis as trophies. :gross: