I see this as having a downside as well. In the past, people got out of town and explored new courses and cities. It was cool to travel and see a bit of the world, just because you love competing in the sport. Now, I get strange looks when I tell folks I've driven three hours to play in their C-tier event.
With the price of gas and the lousy economy, a ton of local events is definitely a good thing. But we are heading toward a future where the vast majority of tournament players will never leave their home town.
True. And I do miss the some of the people from neighboring states who I used to see a couple of times a year. Tournaments had a reunion aspect then.
But ultimately, I like having more choice, more.