PDGA Membership?

[Aim For The Chains]

Eh well the ROI is kinda debatable among peers but there is no doubt the association provides tons of resources and what generally are called "items of value" (anything you provide to make clients /associates /users whatever) feel as though they "get their money's worth"... so yes I guess you are right there but by no means does paying those fees lead to any return on at all unless I take the initiative to use the resources available to the fullest and make some more $. Simply paying them is just a waste of $ and im out of business.

 

[spicybird6]

I had a question,

If I sign up for "Am" Pdga membership can I still play open A tier and majors?

 

[Cgkdisc]

Yes. Once you accept cash though, you'll need to renew with a Pro membership.

 

[DGfan68]

I will renew my membership for the simple fact of being a member. I would like to play in a sanctioned tournament, but I would have to drive two hours and I don't have anyone to pair up with. I'm not that great, so its kind of intimidating to go alone. There are a couple of local guys who do travel and play, but they are so arrogant I would not consider asking to tag along with them. :\

 

[spicybird6]

Yes. Once you accept cash though, you'll need to renew with a Pro membership.

does that mean renew next year?

Also can I qualify for pro worlds with my Am membership?

 

[Cgkdisc]

Yes. If you accept cash as an Am, the PDGA doesn't bill you for the extra $25 once that happens during that year. However, if you are an Am member at yearend, I don't know if any points you earn in pro divisions will count toward a pro worlds invite.

 

[ScottyLove]

You dont have to be a club supporter to get in on ace pools and ctp's. If your lagues are run like that then you have a wierd structure for how things are done that might make new people not want to play your leagues because the cant be included in on those things.

At the risk of a thread derail...

I'm a member of 4 clubs and every single one of them only allows club members a chance at the full ace pot. We didn't build it up to $250 to see it walk out of town with someone who only contributed $1 for the day. Non-members would get the daily ace fund pool... just not the previous built up pot.

League is just that... a regularly attended scheduled event. New local folks don't get scared off by this... just the opposite. Now, someone just passing through for the day and happens to stumble upon a league... I've never seen anyone say I'd rather skip since I cannot win the full ace pot. I mean they're gonna to in $1 and never be seen again, so the chance to get $25 in return is pretty good... where most of us have put between $50 and $100 if you play twice a week. I'd say the avid local is getting a crappy return on the investment in comparison.

 

[Darth Anovin]

At the risk of a thread derail...

I'm a member of 4 clubs and every single one of them only allows club members a chance at the full ace pot. We didn't build it up to $250 to see it walk out of town with someone who only contributed $1 for the day. Non-members would get the daily ace fund pool... just not the previous built up pot.

League is just that... a regularly attended scheduled event. New local folks don't get scared off by this... just the opposite. Now, someone just passing through for the day and happens to stumble upon a league... I've never seen anyone say I'd rather skip since I cannot win the full ace pot. I mean they're gonna to in $1 and never be seen again, so the chance to get $25 in return is pretty good... where most of us have put between $50 and $100 if you play twice a week. I'd say the avid local is getting a crappy return on the investment in comparison.

I'm going to momentarily bite on your derailment to say that I'm in agreement with you here. As some of you may know, discgolfscene.com allows club to track club leagues on their site. Including ace funds. And I know for a fact that there are golfers that scope these out, sometimes to the tune of leagues a couple hours away. If the ace fund is high enough, they're planning a road trip if ya catch my drift. It makes complete sense for clubs to not allow random strangers full access to winning an ace fund.

 

[biscoe]

ace pools should be about getting an ace, not how fully vested you are in the amount of cash in the pool. the way you guys are thinking a local player who has been at all the events and is vested for $20 should deserve a higher potential payout than one who missed some events and is only vested for $15.

does someone who buys a lottery ticket every week deserve a larger payout than someone who only purchases one when the mega millions is huge?

 

[biscoe]

The interesting question for non-renewals would be, are they continuing to play tournaments?

I suspect a lot of them are people who tried out the tournament scene, and with it joined the PDGA. When they decided that tournament play wasn't their cup of tea---or perhaps Life got in the way---the PDGA held little interest to them.

I could be wrong, of course.

But to the degree I'm right, it would be hard for the PDGA to make changes that retain such a group.

Is it reasonable to ask? Sure. But unless you uncover something you could change to retain those folks, without turning off the regulars, it may not be worth the effort.

*

I do wish there was a "supporting membership" level, that didn't include ratings or PDGA tournaments, but allowed people no longer active in tournaments to still be members, without paying the full $50.

you answered your own question.

 

[Royal Hill]

I don't want to pile on the derailment either, but I will say this:

When you place a (dollar or whatever amount) into an ace prize pooling - why would that be an investment?
Why retain "ownership" of that dollar once its passed from your hands?
Once that dollar passes from my hands freely given... I know I personally no longer hold claim on it. It was to participate in that aspect today, and when I walk away today, it's "released" from me.

This thought exercise, and recognizing this aspect, will help those holding the prize pool understand why some people view that pool as x%"theirs" vs just "being there" and growing as a bonus to boot.

But back to topic - I'd love to see the PDGA affiliate club program expand in knowledge, promotion, and benefit. There is truly no one that can do better for your local community... than your local community, just as your local community is totally weak at leading on an international level.

and in a general non directed sense - it rubs a bit me if sporting advocacy membership is based not on what have you done for my passion sport, and not even what have you done for me, but what have you done for me... this week, today... this hour.

 

[scarpfish]

There are no concrete right or wrong ways to handle a league ace fund. There is the way that a particular club does it, and people can choose whether or not to participate. Mine pays out 1/2 of the existing fund to members and 1/4 to non-members. Lifetime membership is $10.

 

[JC17393]

Biscoe's lottery analogy is dead on regarding the ace pool thing. If players are coming from two hours away to play a league solely because of the big ace pool, why is that a bad thing? The ace pool is raising attendance for the league (which is kinda the reason for the roll-over pot to begin with). And I'd like to meet the player who can plan out a successful four hour roundtrip based on their certainty of getting an ace. Between gas, time and effort to get there and back, his "investment" in trying to win that money is the same as the local who's put in his dollar for 20 straight weeks.

I never pass up buying into an ace pool, but not because I'm ever gunning for the pot. I get in so that on the off chance I hit an ace, I get rewarded for it. Gunning for an ace pot has never led to a fun round, IMO.

 

[DavidSauls]

you answered your own question.

I'm not sure.

My guess is that a lot of people who are only members for a year or two, just tested the tournament waters and found them not to their liking. I doubt they'd be interested in any kind of membership, even a half-cost supporting one.

On the other hand, those who were deeply involved in tournament play for a number of years, but for whatever reasons no longer are, might very well be attracted to a low-cost, non-tournament, supporting member program. As I get older and more brittle, I can see myself in that position one day.

But I think the first group is the major factor in non-renewal numbers.

 

[reposado]

I'm not sure.

My guess is that a lot of people who are only members for a year or two, just tested the tournament waters and found them not to their liking. I doubt they'd be interested in any kind of membership, even a half-cost supporting one.

On the other hand, those who were deeply involved in tournament play for a number of years, but for whatever reasons no longer are, might very well be attracted to a low-cost, non-tournament, supporting member program. As I get older and more brittle, I can see myself in that position one day.

But I think the first group is the major factor in non-renewal numbers.

I agree. And a slight variation. Those that imagined themselves doing 5 or 6 tourneys and only found time for 1 or 2 and didn't see the cost in their favor.

 

[chopz33]

Anyone familiar with how to renew membership and add junior membership and receive family discount?

 

[JC17393]

Anyone familiar with how to renew membership and add junior membership and receive family discount?

The online renewal form allows that. Just renew yourself, check the family discount box, and in the comment box add "FAMILY - first, last, NEW" for the new member. Then once that's added to your cart, fill out a new membership form for the junior and add it to your cart as well. The instructions are all there on the form as well.

Or you can call 1-888-840-PDGA and renew over the phone. I'm sure they can handle that no problem.

 

[MikeK]

has the PDGA ever done a members event that you don't have to pay extra (besides the membership fee) to be apart of? Do they ever host get togethers for the sake of just getting the community together to have fun? and if they do, is there favoritism shown to a certain locale that alienates others who cant travel as far?

even the people who don't rejoin the PDGA still maintian their local club memberships by and large....so whats that say about the PDGA and what they offer for your membership....is that what the players actually want?

Not sure if this is exactly what you're thinking of smyith, but there is an obscure PDGA format where no player (member or not) pays the $10 non-member fee...it's called a Competition Endowment Program Charity Event.


Louisiana's largest tournament of the year is using the format this year in fact. New Orleans is hosting a charity event under the format called the 2014 Pot of Gold: https://www.facebook.com/events/760877593938214/

Under the program 25% of entry fees plus $4 per player must be donated to a 501c3 charity organization, so essentially every player ends up contributing a little more than $10 to the charity, but everyone who plays this type of PDGA event pays the same entry fee, whether they're a member or a non-member.

So that might be the only way to host a PDGA event where non-members and members pay the exact same entry fee. Hope that answered your question Smiyth.

 

[kingjames1014]

Not sure if this is exactly what you're thinking of smyith, but there is an obscure PDGA format where no player (member or not) pays the $10 non-member fee...it's called a Competition Endowment Program Charity Event.


Louisiana's largest tournament of the year is using the format this year in fact. New Orleans is hosting a charity event under the format called the 2014 Pot of Gold: https://www.facebook.com/events/760877593938214/

Under the program 25% of entry fees plus $4 per player must be donated to a 501c3 charity organization, so essentially every player ends up contributing a little more than $10 to the charity, but everyone who plays this type of PDGA event pays the same entry fee, whether they're a member or a non-member.

So that might be the only way to host a PDGA event where non-members and members pay the exact same entry fee. Hope that answered your question Smiyth.

The Western Indiana Frozen Fundraiser Series (WIFFS) is doing this for the second year in 2014.
Six C-tier tournaments for charity that get a really good turnout (35 players avg.)

 

[Ranger Rick]

Not sure if this is exactly what you're thinking of smyith, but there is an obscure PDGA format where no player (member or not) pays the $10 non-member fee...it's called a Competition Endowment Program Charity Event.


Louisiana's largest tournament of the year is using the format this year in fact. New Orleans is hosting a charity event under the format called the 2014 Pot of Gold: https://www.facebook.com/events/760877593938214/

Under the program 25% of entry fees plus $4 per player must be donated to a 501c3 charity organization, so essentially every player ends up contributing a little more than $10 to the charity, but everyone who plays this type of PDGA event pays the same entry fee, whether they're a member or a non-member.

So that might be the only way to host a PDGA event where non-members and members pay the exact same entry fee. Hope that answered your question Smiyth.

had to look it up and here it is:
http://www.pdga.com/td/pdga-competition-endowment-program
definitely going to have to look into running an event like this for our home course, as we can funnel the money through the parks department's charity and have the money go directly to our course!