Are Tourneys Fun?

[namar]

I like the unsanctioned events, ice bowls and best-shot formats in particular.
I don't like the inevitable slowness. I played the Camden Triples tourney a few weeks ago, and even though Camden 1 is a reasonably large course there was a giant bunch-up on holes 5 & 6. As in we holed out on #4, wait 15-20 minutes to tee off #5, hole out and wait another 15-20 minutes to tee off #6. A little chilly and very windy so the muscles had plenty of time to tighten up

I have enjoyed all the tourneys I've participated in so far, but if I never played another tournament I'd be just fine.

Competing (and winning) is fun, though.

 

[ru4por]

They're a blast. Pretty hard to compare them to casual rounds, they are just two different activities. The chance to travel to see new courses, see a new area, meet new people and compete is a ton of fun. Local tournaments have a great group of guys to compete against event after event. An important caveat is that I play Adv Grandmasters. This likely clears out some of the d-baggery. The pace of play has been helped by a Go-Cart. I am not much good for more than two rounds anyway, so only getting in two, with a break, is not a horrible thing. The only down side is playing with people who don't know how to have fun and find playing with new people annoying. Please if you are more comfortable playing with only your friends, play with them. Do the tournament a favor. Pretty good chance that if you don't find tournaments fun and you are playing, you are the d-bag and probably don't know it. I speak in general, not necessarily to any one person or OP.

 

[BuzzzChief]

I haven't been playing tourneys for the last couple years, but I used to love them. You learn a lot about your game when the pressure is on, and it's a good way to meet other local players. Those 5-10 foot putts don't feel so easy with a crossing headwind, a 1 stroke lead and an audience!

 

[youdidwell]

I am seeing only Tourney vs Casual play. Where does League Play fit in? For me, that seems like the best of both worlds.

 

[DavidSauls]

Among the pleasures of being a regular tournament player is building a network of disc golf friends over the region, whom I only see---and, with luck, play with---when I'm at tournaments.

The pace of play is a nuisance, the severity of which depends on the course and event. Fivesomes on every hole, especially on a layout with major backup points, are a major pain. I recall that the first half-dozen tournaments I played, I finished swearing I'd never play another for just that reason....but that was almost 20 years ago, and I've reconciled to it.

 

[DavidSauls]

I am seeing only Tourney vs Casual play. Where does League Play fit in? For me, that seems like the best of both worlds.

Or perhaps a hybrid of both worlds, incorporating some of their good features, but also leaving out a few.

 

[Tjamesd]

I don't play tourneys, unless it's a 'for-fun' format (birdie bash, ace race, etc.), also doubles tourneys are fun, or if it is a fundraiser for something I can get behind.

I just can't justify paying out to play disc golf when I can do it at my own leisure for fun.

 

[bballr4567]

Among the pleasures of being a regular tournament player is building a network of disc golf friends over the region, whom I only see---and, with luck, play with---when I'm at tournaments.

The pace of play is a nuisance, the severity of which depends on the course and event. Fivesomes on every hole, especially on a layout with major backup points, are a major pain. I recall that the first half-dozen tournaments I played, I finished swearing I'd never play another for just that reason....but that was almost 20 years ago, and I've reconciled to it.

We had a fivesome that lost THREE discs on one hole in the last tournament I played in. That was a BRUTAL wait.

However, there was only ONE Fivesome aside from the five open female players who wanted to play together which I have no problem with at all.

 

[All Day]

I like a mixture of tourneys and casual rounds, but I enjoy doubles tourneys the best. My first PDGA sanctioned tourney was a doubles one in Delaware, Ohio, and I had a blast. My brother was my partner, and my dad walked around with us for the entire first round, which was awesome.

I think I like the "best shot" aspect of it, because it allows you to really go after it if your partner throws first, and it's a good shot.

 

[nygfaninva]

I tried Tourneys early, but quickly found them not a lot of fun. If the skill levels were fair and the speed of the game a bit quicker it would have been better. Sandbaggers and the slow pace just killed the joy. That's just me. I understand people that love to play tourneys, for them its about competition and meeting new people. For me, disc golf is hanging out with friends, laughing, telling jokes and playing a game outdoors. Love disc golf, just don't take it so serious and not trying to meet and play with strangers.

Disc golf for me is like Bowling. I don't go to the alley to throw with just anyone. I always show up with some friends and we take a lane and have fun. Just like in any sport, tourneys are more intense. Quiet during drives/putts, no movements that could distract. Too intense for me. I just want to go out and throw with friends. Again, thats just me. You absolutely get better faster by playing with better players and by not playing with the same group all the time, you learn more and quicker as well. It depends on what you are looking to get out of the sport.

 

[Mocheez]

Like a lot of people, I like to compete. No matter what I do....cards, board games, sports. That being said, I like the competition of tournaments but they do take way too long. There is no reason I can see why a one day, two round tournament takes 7-10 hours. I also don't see any reason for the lengthy lunch breaks. An average 18 hole course two round tourney should take a maximum of 5 hours. Unfortunately don't see it happening.

These are my thoughts exactly. Part of the long delay between rounds is that the TD has to wait for all the scores to come in, verify each, and then create groups/cards for the second round based on first round scores.

I would love to see 5 hour tournaments. Is it possible to skip the regrouping process and just play both rounds with the same group? Do PDGA rules prevent this or is it up to the TD?

 

[teemkey]

I would love to see 5 hour tournaments. Is it possible to skip the regrouping process and just play both rounds with the same group? Do PDGA rules prevent this or is it up to the TD?

Competition Manual 1.6 Grouping and Sectioning (B & C)

B. All players within a division for the first round should be grouped via two methods:

Random grouping; players within a division may be randomly grouped for the first round.

Player Rating grouping; players within a division may use player rating to set first round groups. Highest rated player starting on the lowest number hole, the second highest rated player starting on the following hole, etc. This process would continue until all starting holes have been filled.

C. For subsequent rounds, players should be grouped by division, as much as practicable, then by total score from all previous rounds.

 

[The Hammer]

I used to dig them. Not so much anymore.

 

[Nemmers]

I love playing disc golf with people who take the game about as seriously as I do, whether it's casual or tournament play. Which is to say I like to play by the rules and make every shot count, but I'm not going to call a foot-fault on a guy who's X-step caused his plant foot to be a few inches off the marker playing Intermediate. The added adrenaline that comes with tournament play makes it very appealing to me.

As far as the prizes go, I don't expect much as an amateur. I look at tournament play like I look at gambling: If I win, great; if I don't, I figure I went there knowing there was a possibility of never seeing that money again anyway so I was paying for the enjoyment of the game and the time spent playing.

Just my two cents. Your mileage may vary.

 

[JC17393]

These are my thoughts exactly. Part of the long delay between rounds is that the TD has to wait for all the scores to come in, verify each, and then create groups/cards for the second round based on first round scores.

I would love to see 5 hour tournaments. Is it possible to skip the regrouping process and just play both rounds with the same group? Do PDGA rules prevent this or is it up to the TD?

Up to the TD generally. I've played tournaments where we played 36 consecutive holes at a time (but counted as two rounds of 18). Of course, it was as a part of a 1 day, 6 round, 108 hole event so doing it 36 hole chunks was to save about ~2-2.5 hours of total regrouping time. Nothing really stopping the TD from calling a one-day, 36 hole event a "one round" event to avoid the re-sorting process.

But most players prefer to be resorted if only to be put into groups with their direct peers. Players want to know if the 30 footer on the 18th hole absolutely must be made to win or not, that sort of thing.

To me, a well organized and planned event shouldn't have long lunch breaks. Ideally, either the course is set up or the first round groupings are arranged to minimize the 4-5 group backup scenarios. TDs should know the course they're using and know where the usual backups happen and take steps to alleviate it. It could be as simple as having a spotter on a hole or setting up a short tee for divisions that might struggle with the regular tee. Shrugging off a known and bad backup hole as a "what can you do" situation is just lazy TDing, IMO.

Basically, there really shouldn't be much reason for there to be more than about 30 minutes between the time the first group is in and the last is in. Tack on 30 minutes to eat for the last group and lunch shouldn't have to last more than 60 minutes for anyone (less for the slower groups). Obviously, unforeseen circumstances can have an effect, but the resulting extended lunch break should be the exception rather than the rule.

And if the problem with the lunch break is that the course is remote and lunch options aren't close enough for people to go out and come back within an hour, bring lunch in. Just contact a local sandwich/pizza shop and ask them to send someone out in the morning to collect orders. People can buy what they want and it's all delivered to the course at the designated time so no one has to go anywhere. Believe me, if you can promise them upwards of 40-50-60+ orders at 9am on a Saturday or Sunday morning, they'll come out and take care of your event.

 

[scarpfish]

If you want a 5 hour/2 round tournament, hold the event at a pitch and putt, limit the field to 40 people, have absolutely no fivesomes, and limit foursomes to groups who are close to tourney HQ.

I know some folks complain about the slow pace of play, but with 60+ player fields, its takes time to check people in, arrange cards, have a players meeting to explain rules, send people to far out holes (then have them come back from same spot at the end of the round), tabulate scorecards at lunch, regroup, send people out again (and back again), tabulate again after the second round, arrange payouts, and have awards. There are certainly processes and organization that can make some of these matters go faster, but a lot of it is the nature of the beast.

Is it possible to skip the regrouping process and just play both rounds with the same group? Do PDGA rules prevent this or is it up to the TD?

The whole point of regrouping for subsequent rounds is so you're on the same card with the people you're nearest in place to. For people on the top card competing for the highest prizes, it would be a detriment to have the top competitors on separate cards who can't strategize because they don't know how their competition is doing. This is one of the fundamental perks of tournament play and I don't think it should be compromised for sake of expediency.

 

[rickles]

Tourney ruined DG for me, and subsequently I stopped playing for 3-4 years. Now the joy is back and I renewed my PDGA membership to ONLY TO SUPPORT our sport. The fascination with disc flight and its complexity has me hooked more than ever.

 

[The Hammer]

Running my own event ruined the entire experience for me. You really get to see how petty some people can be. It's sad really that people can ruin something that is specifically designed to be fun, with their ****ty attitudes. Now I stick to casual play. Maybe one day I'll return.

 

[eegor]

Pace of play kills me and sucks out most of the enjoyment at big tourneys. I love small unsanctioned tourneys and skins rounds.

Agree completely

 

[threevok]

I like tournaments because I enjoy meeting new people and I thrive on the competition. I don't prefer super slow play. I much more enjoy playing with a group of up to 8 friends, who play fast and with at least one who will likely beat me. Yes, we make it easy for folks to play through or invite them to join us. For some reason courses around here are deserted on Saturday morning.

My favorite tournament was a 2 day doubles that came down the the last day, the last hole, and the last shot. So much fun. If you haven't done a competitive doubles tournament you're missing out. I was surprised how fast the rounds went.