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Why is the DG Community Cheap/Why the gripe with PDGA sanctioned events?
- Thread starter Ermac010
- Start date
Improbably
Eagle Member
Most TDs won't do that.
Has anyone actually encountered this in practice and what was the cost difference?
Has anyone actually encountered this in practice and what was the cost difference?
That's the wrong answer to the question, anyway. That's the provision allowing an individual player to play and not get prize payouts.
The answer is that players packs are not required at C-tiers, at all. They are required at B-tiers, with a $10 minimum.
I believe the OP was talking about not just having a players pack, but increasing its value at the expense of the prize payouts. This would please some people, displease others. The first group filled the event. The latter group complained.
The answer is that players packs are not required at C-tiers, at all. They are required at B-tiers, with a $10 minimum.
I believe the OP was talking about not just having a players pack, but increasing its value at the expense of the prize payouts. This would please some people, displease others. The first group filled the event. The latter group complained.
Your $10 is sent directly to the PDGA. It's an event membership fee. Do you think you should not have to pay it while other PDGA members have paid $50?
Improbably
Eagle Member
I don't think paying either is worthwhile.
Improbably
Eagle Member
You are failing to control for a variable.
Most Disc golfers don't complain about the costs of traditional golf because most disc golfers don't traditional golf.
tdschrock1
Double Eagle Member
The PDGA gives TDs flexibility. The TD can choose what to do- some will pump up huge players packs and some go for $10 vouchers.
Some players will whine either way- I think the best thing to go is to communicate the plans to better manage expectations. Let the players know what they are paying for and let them vote with their $ and attendance
I am an am player who prefers entry fees $30-$50 with little/no players pack and higher payout. I rarely play trophy-only or more expensive events and don't often value a high dollar players pack.
Some players will whine either way- I think the best thing to go is to communicate the plans to better manage expectations. Let the players know what they are paying for and let them vote with their $ and attendance
I am an am player who prefers entry fees $30-$50 with little/no players pack and higher payout. I rarely play trophy-only or more expensive events and don't often value a high dollar players pack.
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To each their own. If you don't play PDGA events I don't blame you.
FYI---it's not the association of professional disc golf players. It's the professional association of disc golf.
JRW III
Double Eagle Member
Personally I don't care for player's packs. I have enough discs and if I need one I will go out and buy exactly what I need. So I would personally prefer $5 cheaper entry fee and no player's pack.
I do care about a well run organized event and don't mind paying for it.
At the end of the day, you will never please everyone. You are doing all the work so run the tournament the way you want to.
I do care about a well run organized event and don't mind paying for it.
At the end of the day, you will never please everyone. You are doing all the work so run the tournament the way you want to.
I didn't read this thread, so I might be repeating something that has already been said.
Players packs are HUGELY popular EXACTLY becasue we are cheap. You can throw together a wholesale/donation players pack and end up charging pretty close to the retail cost of the players pack for the event. People see value in that and sign up.
With no players pack, you can knock some money off the registration fee BUT what you are left playing for is the experience of playing disc golf. The experience of playing disc golf was long ago set at $0. Free courses, doncha know. Why should I pay to play disc golf unless I'm getting something out of it? Like a players pack.
If you are willing to pay money to play in a disc golf event that there is no players pack for and a very likely chance that you will not cash in, and you will be happy paying that money for the experience and won't be ticked off and yell at the TD if you don't cash, Congratulations! You have reached a higher level of disc golf appreciation. Sadly, there are not enough of you to fill an event so you still have to pay more to get the players pack you don't want. Sorry.
Players packs are HUGELY popular EXACTLY becasue we are cheap. You can throw together a wholesale/donation players pack and end up charging pretty close to the retail cost of the players pack for the event. People see value in that and sign up.
With no players pack, you can knock some money off the registration fee BUT what you are left playing for is the experience of playing disc golf. The experience of playing disc golf was long ago set at $0. Free courses, doncha know. Why should I pay to play disc golf unless I'm getting something out of it? Like a players pack.
If you are willing to pay money to play in a disc golf event that there is no players pack for and a very likely chance that you will not cash in, and you will be happy paying that money for the experience and won't be ticked off and yell at the TD if you don't cash, Congratulations! You have reached a higher level of disc golf appreciation. Sadly, there are not enough of you to fill an event so you still have to pay more to get the players pack you don't want. Sorry.
There's a big difference between playing disc golf, and playing an organized competition of disc golf.
Just as people pay to play in organized softball leagues, basketball leagues, bowling leagues, running events, etc. Everyone can get a few buddies and play softball, or basketball, or not even need any buddies to go running.
Whether that difference matters to you is a different story. If it doesn't, then you won't want to play in a low-entry, no-players pack event.
On the other hand, I don't want to pay extra to be given something that I may not want. I feel like I'm being bribed with my own money, just to show up. I'd rather pay the TD what he'd earn in the wholesale/retail margin, play an event, and choose whether to spend the difference buying merchandise.
But be forewarned---it looks like the other side has a bigger army.
See the start of this thread.
Old Dog
Eagle Member
Yup... pretty much. Only it's not just disc golf. I'ts a universal group dynamic. You'll experience this in virtually any club or organization. !0% or less of the members do all the work and 20% or better have a gripe about whatever the 10% do.
I've been involved in youth sports when my daughter was younger, various church organizations/offices and outdoor sportsman clubs all of my adult life. Had to deal with cheap, whining, nit wits in all of them. I guess it's just human nature that we are more apt to complain than we are to praise.
You have to grow thick skin and shrug it off. Try to stay open minded to constructive criticism and positive ideas and ignore the chronic complainers.
Why is that?
I couldn't say. The PDGA has escalating standards for tiers, and that's one of them.
Except that, long ago when I did attend tournaments, exactly that happened. Showed up, paid money, no player pack, just organized play with a shot at a plaque or small trophy. We didn't seem to have a shortage of players, either. The usual cost of a round at any given local course was also $0 at the time, yet we paid money to show up at tournaments.
Can't say that was a higher level of disc golf appreciation, either, as we didn't have to slog through untold numbers of players' packs to reach that level of enlightenment. No spiritual struggles to achieve the nirvana of enjoying throwing discs around--it just came naturally when we started playing the game. Is it really different for the whippersnappers today? I should begin chasing them off my lawn....
But that was back in the day. Back in the day we didn't expect to make anything back on playing disc golf. We just played disc golf.
Now if I run an event I have to compete with the expectation today's players have of what kinds of hoops I'm willing to jump through to provide bells and whistles for the event. Back in the day you could say "no cash added, no players pack, it's just a local event so we can all pick up points" and you could get a good turnout of guys who would throw in to compete. You can't run that event anymore. I know, I've tried. If you run that event today, you are "ripping the players off" even if 100% of the money goes into the payout.
I'm not saying it's right or that I like it. I'm just saying it is.
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