2018 Competition Rules Changes

[da Crippler]

I'll renew next year just to see what happens, but I'm probably done with the PDGA. I would gladly join an ADGA, or a USDGA, but I'm done being a pot feeder for the pros. It's too hard to justify spending money on gas, food, lodging and entry fees on a retiree's pension when all I can expect is the remote possibility that I might win a trophy. I don't have the skill level to go pro, they screwed up the age protected divisions, I can't take 'funny money' anymore, so I just don't see why I should support an organization that just screwed me. I'll just let my membership lapse, start bagging in novice at local tourneys, and fill my mantle with trophies. :\

 

[_MTL_]

I don't have the skill level to go pro,

I can't take 'funny money' anymore

Don't understand these two comments how they correlate. Can you explain?

 

[ILUVSMGS18]

I was hoping to be able to work on my mental and short games enough this winter to let me play Pro at least locally but this rule makes it pointless if I'm only playing one local tourney.

Why is it that everytime I have an initiative to play better it always gets taken from me?

 

[da Crippler]

Don't understand these two comments how they correlate. Can you explain?

What don't you understand? I don't have enough skill to be competitive as a pro, so there is no possibility of placing, so no motivation to spend money that I will never see a return on. Do you have any idea how much it costs me to play your Ledgestone tourney? I can't justify spending money that took me a year to save up just so I can (maybe) take home a trophy. I'm not saying the only reason I go is so I can get stuff, and your player packs are great, but it helps if I can sell some merch and maybe recoup some of the money I spent, or get something that I otherwise could not afford to buy. Love of the sport only goes so far, and some amateurs are traveling thousands of miles to attend tournaments without the benefit of sponsors and the ability to win purses. How can I justify paying you $100 to play in your tourney when I know that a big chunk of it will be given to a pro, and I know for a fact that I will receive nothing, no matter how well I play. I can't wait to see what happens when all you big-tournament TDs realize that the ams aren't coming. Gonna be fun to watch.

 

[biscoe]

I think you have MTL confused with Nate Heinold.

 

[oddjob]

The rule only impacts those that can cash in open but only play a couple of tourneys a year who just pay the $10 fee instead of renewing. (Ie. me)

Edit: as also pointed out, bad for women due to minimal players with greater variance in skill levels

 

[stratedge]

A is a terrible idea. Either make everyone be a member or don't.

B is going to be a big setback for the FPO division.

The mechanics of A don't make sense to me, I hope they prepare for a pretty significant number of people who will be renewing this way. Unless they start offering discounts for renewing up front, it sort of makes sense now for many people to just not renew until they cash. I anticipate this'll get modified in the future to dissuade people from doing this, probably a "fee" to the TD for players who have to be registered by them after winning.

I was planning in playing less tournaments this year, cutting back from about 6 to maybe 2 or 3. It just plain seems a good idea for me not to renew my membership and just wait for this to kick in if I place. I don't think this is much of an issue though given that I'm already a member and so all they'd do is hold back some money and activate my membership.

But when it's a new player and they have to fill in their info, get a PDGA # and receive their players pack, what exactly is expected of the TD? This should be a well documented process.

 

[stratedge]

I'll renew next year just to see what happens, but I'm probably done with the PDGA. I would gladly join an ADGA, or a USDGA, but I'm done being a pot feeder for the pros. It's too hard to justify spending money on gas, food, lodging and entry fees on a retiree's pension when all I can expect is the remote possibility that I might win a trophy. I don't have the skill level to go pro, they screwed up the age protected divisions, I can't take 'funny money' anymore, so I just don't see why I should support an organization that just screwed me. I'll just let my membership lapse, start bagging in novice at local tourneys, and fill my mantle with trophies. :\

Just play MA1?

 

[_MTL_]

What don't you understand? I don't have enough skill to be competitive as a pro, so there is no possibility of placing, so no motivation to spend money that I will never see a return on. Do you have any idea how much it costs me to play your Ledgestone tourney? I can't justify spending money that took me a year to save up just so I can (maybe) take home a trophy. I'm not saying the only reason I go is so I can get stuff, and your player packs are great, but it helps if I can sell some merch and maybe recoup some of the money I spent, or get something that I otherwise could not afford to buy. Love of the sport only goes so far, and some amateurs are traveling thousands of miles to attend tournaments without the benefit of sponsors and the ability to win purses. How can I justify paying you $100 to play in your tourney when I know that a big chunk of it will be given to a pro, and I know for a fact that I will receive nothing, no matter how well I play. I can't wait to see what happens when all you big-tournament TDs realize that the ams aren't coming. Gonna be fun to watch.

First off, I'm not Nate Heinold.

So if you don't' have the skill to play pro, don't play pro. Play an amateur division that has a payout. That's what I don't understand you are talking about.

 

[_MTL_]

Just play MA1?

exactly - or any other am divison - that's what I Didn't understand about his point.

 

[_MTL_]

It seems that Da Crippler is greatly misunderstanding this. It only applies to ams playing in a pro division. For any amateur division, payout doesn't change.

 

[Pwingles]

Question;
So as I understand the new payout stuff, if you are an Am with an Am pdga membership, or just a guy with no pdga membership, and you cash, they are going to take either $25 or $75 depending on which situation I described, directly out of your payout and essentially buy or upgrade your membership and status? Is this correct?

 

[krupicka]

Question;
So as I understand the new payout stuff, if you are an Am with an Am pdga membership, or just a guy with no pdga membership, and you cash, they are going to take either $25 or $75 depending on which situation I described, directly out of your payout and essentially buy or upgrade your membership and status? Is this correct?

That is the way the 2018 comp manual currently reads.

 

[_MTL_]

Question;
So as I understand the new payout stuff, if you are an Am with an Am pdga membership, or just a guy with no pdga membership, and you cash, they are going to take either $25 or $75 depending on which situation I described, directly out of your payout and essentially buy or upgrade your membership and status? Is this correct?

Correct. Or at first glance, that appears to be correct.

 

[Pwingles]

Correct. Or at first glance, that appears to be correct.

lol what happens when some schmuck cashes for like $50 and doesnt have a membership?

now you have to pay someone $25 for a membership, or take a trophy? and what would happen to the $10 you already paid just to play cuz you werent a member?

Or if an Am cashes for like $20 or something awful, now you choose between a trophy or paying money just for cashing, crazy

 

[hellbound]

lol what happens when some schmuck cashes for like $50 and doesnt have a membership?

now you have to pay someone $25 for a membership, or take a trophy? and what would happen to the $10 you already paid just to play cuz you werent a member?

Or if an Am cashes for like $20 or something awful, now you choose between a trophy or paying money just for cashing, crazy

If he doesn't want to pay the extra then he has the option of passing it down the line. AM playing as pro for trophy only. (would bet this is the option)

 

[Pwingles]

If he doesn't want to pay the extra then he has the option of passing it down the line. AM playing as pro for trophy only. (would bet this is the option)

well they are all options

this decision is likely going to kill pro fields in a lot of small to mid sized "markets"

 

[teemkey]

lol what happens when some schmuck cashes for like $50 and doesnt have a membership?

now you have to pay someone $25 for a membership, or take a trophy? and what would happen to the $10 you already paid just to play cuz you werent a member?

Or if an Am cashes for like $20 or something awful, now you choose between a trophy or paying money just for cashing, crazy

The new rule is

A. Any player accepting cash in a Pro division at a PDGA-sanctioned event (except
leagues) must be a current Pro-class PDGA member. If they are not a current
Pro-class PDGA member, and wish to accept cash, the membership fee for
either their new Pro membership, upgraded membership (if a current Amateur),
or renewed Pro membership is taken out of their winnings by the Tournament
Director and forwarded to the PDGA.

So what happens if the non-member or Am player accepts the $20 cash? Does the new rule indicate the TD must send the PDGA the $20 and the PDGA must now credit the player with a credit toward pro membership?

 

[Pwingles]

The new rule is


So what happens if the non-member or Am player accepts the $20 cash? Does the new rule indicate the TD must send the PDGA the $20 and the PDGA must now credit the player with a credit toward pro membership?

right, this was part of my question

 

[oddjob]

Congrats on last cash, now you owe us $50!