SUPERWORLDS

[keepitfun]

Mentioned this in another thread drifting thread so I decided to get a discussion going elsewhere.
The idea is for there to be a massive all inclusive Worlds Championship Event held every 4-5 years. This event would involve 4 years of planning and preparation because it would play host to all age brackets,divisions, and genders and would be PRO and AM Worlds. The numbers of players could exceed GBO standards, 1,000 plus and there would be so many players that the host locale would experience an economic boost. Thus, other locales would want such an event in the future instead of the current 100 playerish events where sleeping on living room couches and leaving no financial footprint. I realize this would require the right locale and tons of planning and prep and would be a logistical nightmare.....but the windfall the publicity and the marketability of the sport with huge galleries and festive money spending atmosphere could be worth it. Also, if it was held only every 4-5 years then players could have plenty of time to save and plan to make this trip. I do realize the places and persons are few and far between but there are more courses going in of higher quality and more tournaments every year so there seems to be a growing TD, Course and Player Base that such a thing could happen. If it was AM and PRO local clubs would not feel so ripped off by hosting.

I would like to hear thoughts and opinions as well as locales that could host such an event.......I am prepared for the sarcastic yawns and pessimists but could this not be done in a World Cup/Olympics Manner?

 

[Nova P]

And it's 12 rounds over 13 days, with one rest day in the middle.

edit: And a couple of field cuts at strategic points, with lots of second-chance C-tiers for all those who are below the line!

 

[mshelton]

and all the Slim Jim flavors you could ever imagine

 

[Karl]

My first thought / question is "Why?"

 

[Steve West]

Sounds good. Go ahead and do it. You don't need permission, just bid on all the world championships for whatever year you think you can get ready.

(Gets lots of help from the tourism folks. Let them "own" it.)

 

[keepitfun]

My first thought / question is "Why?"

I will counter with

Why Not?

Benefits: fun and festive atmosphere that players would enjoy being a part of as well as providing an actual economic imprint

sure there are drawbacks but why should we have a World Cup in Soccer....opcorn:

 

[keepitfun]

Sounds good. Go ahead and do it. You don't need permission, just bid on all the world championships for whatever year you think you can get ready.

(Gets lots of help from the tourism folks. Let them "own" it.)

and the crabby pessimistic disgruntled man in the back has spoken......steps slowly off of his lawn<3

I don't want to do it, I want the idea to be discussed :clap:

 

[DavidSauls]

They used to do this about every 4 years---a combined All-Divisions Pro-Am Worlds. Charlotte 2012 (?) may have been the last; I think it had over 1,100 players.

So it's been tried and experienced, and the movement has been to ever-more-separate Worlds.

 

[keepitfun]

They used to do this about every 4 years---a combined All-Divisions Pro-Am Worlds. Charlotte 2012 (?) may have been the last; I think it had over 1,100 players.

So it's been tried and experienced, and the movement has been to ever-more-separate Worlds.

I remember Charlotte and maybe Emporia? being the last to do this....to me it's sad to fragment the fields. I am sure a few players who used to all travel can no longer do so as they are in different fields and age and gender categories...

Disc Golfers generally are an entitled brat pack and trying to cater to 1,000 plus must be a headache but it's a headache that we should try to weather every 4-5 yrs just for the possible positives....maybe

 

[DavidSauls]

There are pros and cons. It requires a place with about 15 championship-quality courses (for various skill levels), within easy driving distance, and enough lodging and services. Smaller Worlds can go far more places, and better cater to their smaller fields.

As a player, there's some pleasure in being around so many disc golfers---especially at the host hotel---but really, most of the time you're on the course in your own division, and it's more like a bunch of tournaments happening in the same town, and you're only part of one.

The relevant lesson is, that it's already been done. Multiple times. The PDGA has done everybody-in Worlds and separate Pro & Am Worlds and the current segmented Worlds; with that experience of having tried all the options, the opinion seems to be in favor of more, smaller Worlds, rather than massive ones.

 

[keepitfun]

I am curious where there particular problems with Charlotte PRO AM Worlds that led to fragmenting the experience?

 

[brutalbrutus]

They needed piles of volunteers, I am guessing was a big factor. But Charlotte has one of if not the best clubs in the country and if they had some problems, then it would probably be near impossible for other cities...

I guess Emporia could probably do it. But they have enough asked of them already most years.

 

[DavidSauls]

I don't think so. If I read it correctly, it was also done in 2004 (Des Moines) and 2008 (Kalamazoo). Perhaps other times as well.

I just think that over time, weighing the pros and cons, the advantages of a single massive Worlds have been outweighed by the advantages of having separate ones.

Just as Pro Worlds has been further subdivided, Junior Worlds split off from Am Worlds, and it seems to me I've heard that the rest of Am Worlds may be broken up.

It's not that the massive Worlds is necessarily a bad idea; just that after trying it, the other options are deemed better.

 

[brutalbrutus]

I don't think so. If I read it correctly, it was also done in 2004 (Des Moines) and 2008 (Kalamazoo). Perhaps other times as well.

I just think that over time, weighing the pros and cons, the advantages of a single massive Worlds have been outweighed by the advantages of having separate ones.

Just as Pro Worlds has been further subdivided, Junior Worlds split off from Am Worlds, and it seems to me I've heard that the rest of Am Worlds may be broken up.

It's not that the massive Worlds is necessarily a bad idea; just that after trying it, the other options are deemed better.

Yea, they are going to move the AM age protected divisions to join up with Pro ages from what I've heard?

 

[DavidSauls]

Yea, they are going to move the AM age protected divisions to join up with Pro ages from what I've heard?

I haven't been paying close attention---I doubt I'll play any more Worlds, whatever is decided.

Wouldn't that mirror the Selinske?

 

[keepitfun]

I don't think so. If I read it correctly, it was also done in 2004 (Des Moines) and 2008 (Kalamazoo). Perhaps other times as well.

I just think that over time, weighing the pros and cons, the advantages of a single massive Worlds have been outweighed by the advantages of having separate ones.

Just as Pro Worlds has been further subdivided, Junior Worlds split off from Am Worlds, and it seems to me I've heard that the rest of Am Worlds may be broken up.

It's not that the massive Worlds is necessarily a bad idea; just that after trying it, the other options are deemed better.

Other than organizing and the volunteer shortage, both of which can be remedied imo if it is not a yearly but a 2x a decade event.....what are the advantages of dividing and pulling apart the player base into these ever smaller and smaller groups

a future where we have 30 players show up at some random locale to determine the masters am woman champion just seems dumb to me.....maybe I am just weird

 

[Steve West]

and the crabby pessimistic disgruntled man in the back has spoken......steps slowly off of his lawn<3

I don't want to do it, I want the idea to be discussed :clap:

You misread me. I was trying to be supportive. And yes, talking about it here is a good first step.

I just meant you don't need anything else to happen before you do whatever you are willing to do to make it happen. That could mean finding someone who wants to be in charge, or narrowing down the places where it could happen.

You can have an informal talk with your local V&C bureau. They'll give you a half hour to listen to a 1,000 visitor idea. There's a lot of stuff on the PDGA site to show them. The tourism people can handle a lot of the things that all events need.

If you decide it is going to happen and work toward that, it has a chance of happening. Or, maybe something smaller will happen. Even if nothing happens, you'll learn a lot, meet new friends and have an interesting experience.

 

[Central Scrutinizer]

I don't think so. If I read it correctly, it was also done in 2004 (Des Moines) and 2008 (Kalamazoo). Perhaps other times as well.

The 2000 worlds in Ann Arbor was also both pro and am. I got to play from the same tees as Climo for six rounds as an Am and only lost to him by 87 strokes.

 

[scarpfish]

Anyone who thinks this would be a good idea obviously hasn't ran a tournament, or at least not one with multiple courses in play. The PDGA got away from this model for a reason.

 

[lines]

We should have a points championship like NASCAR.