MPO/FPO B-Tier - with Trophy Only

[zrxchris]

I was hoping you al could give me your thoughts on a B-Tier MPO,FPO only w/a Trophy only MPO/FPO option where the reduced entry fee would go straight to the pro purse. I have a few sponsors lined up for food and some more added cash, and I believe I will be able to offer $1500-1750 cash added to MPO and $500-$750 cash added to FPO BEFORE MY TROPHY ONLY amateurs. If my entry fee was about $100-125 and the trophy only option was a 35-50% ($35-60.00) of that my hopes were to get 30-40 pros and maybe 20 ams. The ams could add another easy few hundred that I could split evenly between MPO and FPO purse.

I was thinking that the selling point would be, come and play with top rated pro's, kind of like a Pro-Am, if a Am wants to pay full entry to play with the pro's then I could always offer a gift certificate (from some Pro team sponsors, maybe whoever wins? Prodigy, Innova, Dynamic, Discraft etc.) in lieu of cash if a local player who does really well wants to retain his status.

What feedback could you give about hosting such an event, my idea is that by eliminating the merchandising and offering food and very special event experience for both professionals and Trophy only Am's that it would be a sucessful event.
Would pros be put off with playing with maybe an intermediate rated player? I thought that if I did 2 rounds saturday and 1 round sunday that the cream would rise to the top for Sunday so they would not be held up by less rated players.

I emailed some top pros to get their feedback.
Schusterick thought it was a great idea.
Of course I need some of then to commit to make it a good sell. Weekend I'm looking at in Nov does not have much going on

 

[bradharris]

This is not a new idea. The PDGA gives you the option to allow players to play trophy only at a discounted rate. They can still sign up for the Open division, they're just not playing for a cut of the prize pool.

The fact that you then have lower rated players playing with potentially top pros is irrelevant. In fact, that happens frequently anyway. When top pros are in town, lower rated players sometimes will move up to Open just for a chance to play with them.

At a $35-$60 entry though, you're going to need a fairly nice players pack to help draw in the ams.

 

[zrxchris]

Thanks. I know it's not a new idea.
My idea is to market is as more or a "Pro-Am" event.
No merchandising, just provide a nice hot breakfast both data and a nice lunch to everyone.
And your right with no player pack I provably need to make cheap, like $30-35.
What you get is to play with a good pro 935+ and food, maybe a few door prizes or a free raffle entry.
I'm working on some more sponsors so if I can get the cash added up some more then the strength of the pro field will help sell it to the amateurs.

Thanks for your take on it. I think the PDGA formula could be improved upon.

 

[bradharris]

Thanks. I know it's not a new idea.
My idea is to market is as more or a "Pro-Am" event.
No merchandising, just provide a nice hot breakfast both data and a nice lunch to everyone.
And your right with no player pack I provably need to make cheap, like $30-35.
What you get is to play with a good pro 935+ and food, maybe a few door prizes or a free raffle entry.
I'm working on some more sponsors so if I can get the cash added up some more then the strength of the pro field will help sell it to the amateurs.

Thanks for your take on it. I think the PDGA formula could be improved upon.

With no players pack, and with no chance to win anything, $30 is still a pretty steep entry fee. Especially since there's no way you can guarantee a chance to play with a touring pro (playing with a local 950 rated "pro" is definitely not worth it).

 

[DavidSauls]

I think it's a good notion, but the devil's in the details.

First of all, barring a miracle, the trophy-only players will only be playing with top pros for the first round. By the 2nd round, they'll already have sorted out---unless you get a PDGA waiver for a different way to compile cards in the 2nd round.

For that one round, I might hope to get grouped with a touring pro but, as already posted, I might just get the local pro that I see every week at doubles. If you get a big Am turnout, there won't be enough touring pros to share.

I don't think $30 is much, if the event and course are special. $50 or more would be. (Then again, I know Ams who would have paid $150 just to get into the USDGC, back when it was pure. Might as well have been trophy-only, because they weren't going to win).

I've been to a few big B-tiers where divisions were mixed for the first round. I enjoyed with playing with some "local" pros from around the state, who I know but never get a chance to play with.

A variation on this is the graduated-entry concept. One division (or two, with a separate female division). Entry based on rating; over 1000 is $100, under $900 is $30, and graduated in between. Or something like that. The idea is that top players won't mind paying more, because they're bound to get their money back, and the lower players will be adding to their winnings. Low players don't mind, because entry is low. The 950 players pay a moderate entry, knowing they have a chance to cash and play with top pros if they shoot really well.

 

[Dave242]

You could raffle off the chance to play with the top Pro's that show up (in the first round).

 

[jamesp123]

Am scam!

 

[zrxchris]

All good ideas. Thanks!

As for the am scam comment.
If I do say $40 entry and give you $25 worth of good catered food over 2 days (breakfast both days and lunch one day, not crap.. Catered from a reputable restaurant sponsor, think Southern continental meat & 3 ) then your paying $15 to play, so it's then 3 league rounds at $5 each. then what's the difference from getting some 174 plastic that you never wanted anyway.
Ball golfers do this all the time. Maybe I need to cater to the 21 and over crowd and get kegs so you can drink your $15 worth Saturday night?

 

[zrxchris]

Thanks Brad and David. Appreciate the feedback!