Price of Entry Fee for Sanctioned Events

[Tom McManus]

We have a $10 entry fee for pros and no entry fee for AMs for all club members at the Discontinuum Club Invitational.  It should be interesting to see who comes out to play.

There are many ways to look at the different pricing structures, and the reasons people play the events that they do.

I think all the TDs around here work hard to provide a fair value no matter the cost of the entry fee. Personally, I think the TDs that run the long running Wisconsin events work a little bit harder in raising some extra prizes, making their events more of a happening then just a disc golf tourney, and really try to make their events stand out.  I think for those reasons, along with the additional Wisconsin fees may lead to the higher prices.  I have no problems with TDs charging what they do as long as it provides value to all the players.

For a lot of us $50 is a sizable amount for an AM event.  I really don't know how the pros are able to play as many events as they do, as $50 is on the low end of their entry fee scale.

Again, I want to make it clear that I appreciate all the TDs and the work that they do supporting disc golf and disc golfers.

[Jon Brakel]

I like it when there are extra fees that people might not know about are spelled out on the flyer or website ahead of time so you know where your money will be going.

I've never understood tiered entry fees by division for amateur divisions. I understand a little higher of entry fees for pros because, presumably, they want to play for a bigger purse.

Brett, Bruce and I always discuss entry fees before each year of the IOS and try to find a price point that we think will work for the tournament and for the largest group of our players.

[tacimala]

From my perspective, the price of the entry fee does not really matter to me as long as the value is there throughout. If the players pack are jacked way up in "value" by charging $3 for a donated sticker and $5 for a donated mini as part of the player pack value, then it's pretty much a sure sign that the prices were jacked up for entry fee to make some profits. If the payouts are good and reasonable in relation to the entry fee, then it's no issue to me. Prairie Open has been one of the best run tournaments I've attended year after year (just using that as an example) so I have no problems paying $55. Unfortunately can't make it this weekend though.

[Dan Michler]

I've never understood tiered entry fees by division for amateur divisions. I understand a little higher of entry fees for pros because, presumably, they want to play for a bigger purse.

This is my point as well.  The logic is that the higher your skill level, the more you want to compete for more prizes.  But is this really true for the majority?

Taylor, I agree the Prairie Open is an excellent value and a fantastic tournament, as are most WI Tour events.  However, I don't agree that just because the 'value' is there, its wise to run a high value/high entry fee event.  If the entry is 200 bucks because the player pack has a sweet leather jacket custom made for every player, that sounds like excellent 'value', but are you really interested in paying 200 bucks for a jacket?  Obviously an extreme case, but I think it illustrates my point.

[tacimala]

Value is an internal feeling in the end. So I agree with you, but value to me is different than value to others. Picking the price and offerings that best align with the highest percentage of those that hold that intrinsic perception of value is the best case here.

[Bruce Brakel]

Pros do not want to pay a higher entry fee per se.  Pros with a "reasonable expectation to cash" want to pay an entry fee that is high enough that the entry fee + travel expenses < what they would expect to collect by cashing.  So long as they stay in their REC zone, they can play as many tournaments as they want because the tournaments pay for themselves.  They are more likely to be within their REC if the entry fees are higher rather than lower, unless they get so high as to scare away the donor pros.

Donor pros, on the other hand, want to pay an entry fee that is high enough to attract the pros they want to donate to, yet low enough to be reasonable. 

Ams should not expect to be able to work the REC formula, unless they have a good system for getting close to retail for their discs.  Ams have to look at this as a hobby or they will become bitter pro-haters like I'm reputed to be.     Ams do respond to tournament value, and because slightly more than half of the ams do not cash at any given tournament, there's more to running a good am tournament than just having a good am payout.