Also $50 to play a C-tier is low enough to me Id like to see that doubled but thats just me. I also dont like the model of a flat payout or paying out 50%. 25% would be a lot better.
I know it's a little off topic, but just to give another opinion...
I seem to be in the minority, but I can play in more tournaments if I cash, so yes, I would avoid a large tournament that only paid out 20% of the field. If only touring pros are going to cash, then I am not going to pay a few hundred dollars entry fee when I could play 5 other tournaments for that same amount of money, and win it all back.
When it comes to pros, particularly at the highest levels, where a fair number of participants have aspirations of it being more than a hobby but a career, deeper payouts help make that possible. This is one of the philosophies that the DGPT espouses (and Steve Dodge has been on about for years). Top heavy payouts at top events only allow the very best players to sustain themselves on tour. Spreading the wealth a bit, by paying flatter and deeper, keeps more players in a position to make enough to keep themselves on tour.
This is a really interesting point and one that I have been wrestling with since the 2004 MSDGC. (you can read a great write up by Jason Southwick, co-TD, here:
http://www.maplehillopen.com/2004-msdgc.html
A couple times the top payout was really high - in an attempt to increase media coverage - and all it seemed to do was decrease the payout for everyone else. Payout is a difficult topic and the first thing to figure out is what the goals of the payout are.
For the Pro Tour in 2016, there are no rules for how each event needs to do their payout. We are going to use 2016 as a way of testing various models and, over the years, coalesce on the current ideal solution. Note: I use the words current ideal solution because, over the years, the goals of the payout will change and the payout structure should change too.
For now, my goal is to allow as many players as possible to tour and I therefore opt to make a flat payout structure. It could easily be argued that this undervalues the top few spots in the event. I counter argue that it is more important, for the time being, for us to get more players that can stay on tour so that we all have more players to watch and get emotionally connected to. If we pay a steep payout curve and limit the payout to a small (25%) percentage in these early days, we would find a small group (four or five) of players that would be able to afford to tour and make playing dg their livelihood and well behind them would be the pro/hobbyist who needs another job and cannot dedicate the time to the game that the touring pros do.
For the time being, everyone - even Paul, Ricky and Will - benefits from having a dozen or more other players on tour with them. As the spectator base grows, and the sponsors grow, and the payouts grow, the payout can be steeper over time. I actually think it would be valid to setup a transition model now so that we know where we are headed. When the money gets there, we can payout deep and steep, like traditional golf and tennis do now.
Deep and steep is the goal.
This thread has drifted a little bit. Some of the discussion regarding entry fees and payouts isn't even applicable to the pro tour. Don't get me wrong, it's good discussion; but the pro tour is being built on already established tournaments that have proven to be successful in the past.
The package deal is obviously aimed at a specific demographic or two... not your everyday player. We can debate the advantages/disadvantages all day, but the points are moot. This tour will happen. The events will be full. The majority of the people reading this will be watching coverage of it. The package provides a convenient way for the elite players to ensure they are in on the action. What's more interesting IMO is that it also provides a way for less-than-elite players to join in on the action if they have the $ to burn and a strong desire to be part of something bigger. How big is that demographic? Although I'm curious ... it's completely irrelevant.
Thank you for pulling the conversation back to the Pro Tour discussion. You are correct, all of our events are well established, well run, on amazing courses. When we overlay them with the Pro Tour infrastructure, festival, live coverage, statistics and points series with a huge Tour Championship, it makes the whole thing that much more compelling.
Our goal for the package deal was to let the 970-1010 rated type of regional players that have always wondered how they stack up to give the Pro Tour a chance. My guess is that, because of this program, we see a few players have break out seasons. I've had a few of the folks that have signed up for the Pro Tour Player Pass (
http://www.discgolfprotour.com/venues.html) tell me that this has pushed them over the edge and they are now practicing their games like they never have before.
We are going to see some exciting golf and not all of it is going to be from the players that we expect. I cannot wait for this Summer! :clap:
now following thread -
Excited for the tour stop at Blue Ribbon Pines, hoping some big names come out, I definitely plan to go out and spectate. There's a great DG crowd here, I hope we can get a big group out to watch.
This tour is about making something bigger and better. It will make disc golf as fun to watch as it is to play. This may seem like an impossible dream, but I'm starting to buy into it and I think that this tour might make it happen.
Just my .02
Anyone sign up for it yet?
Thank you both for the encouraging words. It is beginning to feel like the train has left the station. We will continue to build up steam and (slowly) gain momentum until the June launch of the Pro Tour.
I am thankful to have you all on board as early adopters helping to make this whole thing happen. Here we go!
