Top Pros Registering for NTs

[DatRedDude]

Sponsors (at least the manufacturers) generally don't pay entry fees except maybe for certain events/circumstances. Typically, the bulk of one's sponsorship includes a certain amount of free stuff (discs, bags, clothes, ec) as well as what is essentially a wholesale account to buy discs which the player can sell to raise funds for entry fees. A lot of the companies will also pay bonuses for top finishes that, in a way, can be considered reimbursement for entry fees. Basically, any payment of entry fees by sponsors is done indirectly. It's still on the players to set their schedules and register themselves.

makes sense, just thought about it and figured i would ask.

 

[TalbotTrojan]

Yes, an allotment of gear is almost always part of sponsorship. I happen to know there are pros who get entry fees paid. Fade Gear for instance with at least a lot of the local players will pay for two tournaments a month. They do it through a reimbursement check. I have the believe that there are also still bonuses for players who cash in events. I know a team Vibram player who literally would get scratch for Vibram stuff equal to what he won in cash. And I have heard about bonusee from Innova in the past for B-Tier and higher tournaments. All that said, it is still on the player to register for tournaments. Maybe they should higher a personal assistant?

 

[AndyJB]

Pete at Hucking Aces pays the teams PDGA membership for the year. Since I am unlikely to ever be good enough to have a factory sponsor, I say it's still a damn good deal.

But there's an interesting point brought up in these last few posts. Since Prodigy has a smaller, totally elite touring team (excepting their Junior Team) and two of their top guys didn't get in to the first NT of the year, maybe they will be the first ones to pay the entry fees of their players for at least NT events? Would make this a whole lot less of a headache for the Team members, though more of a headache for the Team Manager (assuming they would sign the Team up themselves)

 

[biscoe]

When Ron Russell was playing my events Discraft was paying his entries so Prodigy would not be the first.

 

[larrod25]

Huk Lab has paid entry fees for a player in my tournaments.

 

[Phlick]

Sponsors should be able to buy blocks of entries for their players as part of their sponsorship package (at higher than normal registration fees). Entry should be staged per rating level (highest first) and entry fees should be much higher. Of course sponsorship should be bigger too, with minimum cash adds of at least $20-30,000 for keystone/named sponsors. Time to stop the Mickey Mouse.

 

[Pbmercil]

Hm that's interesting. Yall took this in a different direction then I was thinking. Its obvious that the supply/demand equation is out of whack on these NT events. I was thinking how we could expand the NT events in order to accommodate all the guys who want to play, where as you guys are thinking increasing the cost in order to reduce the number of people trying to play. I can see the argument both ways for sure.

 

[Dan Ensor]

Sponsors should be able to buy blocks of entries for their players.

YES!

 

[Discette]

Sponsors should be able to buy blocks of entries for their players ..

YES!

There are 100 players on the INNOVA Sponsored Teams, not including the Juniors.

 

[Timeetyo]

Hm that's interesting. Yall took this in a different direction then I was thinking. Its obvious that the supply/demand equation is out of whack on these NT events. I was thinking how we could expand the NT events in order to accommodate all the guys who want to play, where as you guys are thinking increasing the cost in order to reduce the number of people trying to play. I can see the argument both ways for sure.

The issue with increasing supply is you get to a point when you run out of quality courses in an area to allow you to expand in a reasonable manner.

 

[PSHU]

There are 100 players on the INNOVA Sponsored Teams, not including the Juniors.

Good to know, but no one said they should get a block for all of their players.

 

[Pbmercil]

The issue with increasing supply is you get to a point when you run out of quality courses in an area to allow you to expand in a reasonable manner.

I was thinking more along the lines of another series of big events, more targeted toward the non touring professionals designed to compliment, but not compete with, the NT events.

And/Or we could also move toward the golf style one round per day, staggered start instead of mostly shotgun starts. With one round per day staggered starts you can fit a lot more players on 1 course. Take USDGC for example. I don't know the exact numbers but it must be a good 200-300 people playing that course per event day.

 

[krupicka]

USDGC has a much more modest number of players.

 

[Mr. Anderson]

Hm that's interesting. Yall took this in a different direction then I was thinking. Its obvious that the supply/demand equation is out of whack on these NT events. I was thinking how we could expand the NT events in order to accommodate all the guys who want to play, where as you guys are thinking increasing the cost in order to reduce the number of people trying to play. I can see the argument both ways for sure.

I believe there is a problem with making additional NTs with the same entry fee. The majority of these tournaments live off of volunteer community effort. If you keep the same fee structure, you are creating another regional tournament that is dependent on handouts. Allow the biggest tournaments to make money. There is demand, use it so that those who run the best tournaments have incentive to continue and grow.

 

[Pbmercil]

USDGC has a much more modest number of players.

Of course. But they're also only playing a single course. And If you look at the numbers they are able to get a lot more people on that one course then you ever could with shotgun starts. 2014 had 136 competitors in total between performance/open flight. In addition there were morning events like the deans cup, but I can't figure out the exact numbers of players. Shotgun starts on an 18 hole course with 4 player groups on every hole means 72 players max per course. You see what I'm getting at?

 

[TalbotTrojan]

Most big events I play these days are tee times. I think I played one A-Tier this year that was all shotgun starts (Minnesota Majestic) and one A-Tier that had one of three days with shotgun starts (303 Open) but other than that it was all tee times. The Memorial has been tee times for years now as far as I know. Their expansion happens with that ball golf course and adding two more pools so as to divide out age protected divisions on the pro side and something similar on the am side. See what Glass Blown is doing this year.

 

[bhadella]

PGA events typically start with 144 players and only one course. Our pace of play is comparable (if not faster), no reason we can't accomodate 288 players with only two courses.

 

[DavidSauls]

Hm that's interesting. Yall took this in a different direction then I was thinking. Its obvious that the supply/demand equation is out of whack on these NT events. I was thinking how we could expand the NT events in order to accommodate all the guys who want to play, where as you guys are thinking increasing the cost in order to reduce the number of people trying to play. I can see the argument both ways for sure.

I agree with the bolded part. And yet---

The concept behind NTs is to showcase the best players, and create a Pro Tour. Not as in, every local who calls himself a pro, but a tour of the top players.

It's the basic economics of the endeavor that has NTs taking in lots of other players.

In the meantime, there are Worlds, many A-tiers, and other events expanding to take on all comers, or at least a whole lot of them.

I think there's some merit in both tracks. Just as the USDGC and Worlds are exclusive/inclusive, so other events can be, to serve different needs.

 

[juju]

Y U NO SIGN UP ON THYME NICKY?!?

 

[krupicka]

Of course. But they're also only playing a single course. And If you look at the numbers they are able to get a lot more people on that one course then you ever could with shotgun starts. 2014 had 136 competitors in total between performance/open flight. In addition there were morning events like the deans cup, but I can't figure out the exact numbers of players. Shotgun starts on an 18 hole course with 4 player groups on every hole means 72 players max per course. You see what I'm getting at?

I was only commenting on your lack of research thinking that there were 200-300 players playing the USDGC. Not only has that not been true, it is not really even possible with the current course. You would run out of daylight.

Course capacity is not increased with tee times. Tee times only allows for a division larger than what can fit on the course at one time without using pools.