Bowling Green Pre Registration is up

[stpitner]

Yeah I knew about Budweiser Select because I had 2 Bowling Green discs with that stamp on it.  Not that I'm looking for discs with a beer logo on it, but I do know that they have sponsorship.

And Dan... if it's not that great, then why aren't we getting the draw?  I know why Rockford Sunday last year was only 82 players, it was FREAKING HOT!  I was there, I know you were there too.  I'm not saying there would have been 200 players if it was cooler, but it would have definitely been over 100.  Rockford has good courses, maybe not the absolute best possible course ever, but good enough to hype it.  What does it take to get the buzz going?  I guess it takes some interacting with neighboring states on their boards (and not just bump-posting either), talk to some people that you know out of state that play and try to get them and their buddies to come out.

The biggest differences?  It's A-Tier giving it the little highlighted bar on the PDGA tour, it advertises expecting 500 people, and just look, we're talking about it here on an Illinois board.  In July you start feeling the heat, so it's tougher on the crowd for Rockford.  It's a totally valid point that it's warmer in KY and people are itching to play at that time of year.

Just out of curiosity - what does it take to get something to A-Tier?  It's just the size of the pro purse or something, right?

The IOS has a GREAT pull of people, just not quite a PHENOMENAL pull yet (and that's just because you've maxed the size of the course!).  Until Illinois can get our rears in gear and put in some high-caliber, championship courses relatively close together, you can't have a mega-event like this.

Can I solve all of this? of course not.  Can Discontinuum?  Not all of it.  I'd love to see all 6-IOS tournaments max out this year.  There's enough players just in the WI, IL, IN, and IA areas alone to do this, so it's not even really expanding out to multiple states yet.  The IOS is growing every year, and it would be great to eventually see them all become B-Tier instead of C with a mix of B.  Once you get there you can start moving up even further towards A-Tier and making the IOS a premier event.

hehe, you can sell me your player pack anyway.  If you're going, are you going for the same 2 reasons you mentioned?  Seems worthwhile, we should be able to offer at least #1 to people for Rockford.  We can offer "insanely hot" for #2, but if that's not what will cause people to get out here, then you reward them with free stuff and other small perks to come on out.  Get deals at hotels, help find those sponsors, get the word out in the newspaper and in magazines.  Publicity creates buzz!


let's do this
Scott

[M. cephalus]

I can have a respectable finish in ADV as long as I dont show up to the course drunk like last year.

What fun would that be?

[Bruce Brakel]

So naive, so naive.     Have fun.  Not too many organizations run a big convention like that for only $50 per.  It is a good deal. 

[Bruce Brakel]

Replying to Pitner:

Payouts are not that effective for drawing players.  We have had the best amateur payouts for three straight years, period.  You take our average across seven tournaments and compare it to any other club's average across their seven best and there is no competition.  Everywhere you look you see TDs advertising 100% payouts because to them, that's something.  We do 140 to 150%.  At Hot Rags' IOS #2 last year we may have hit 200% with all those T-shirts. 

To get an Am A you have to do a two-day tournament [not split day], have a track record for 72+ players, and do some shameful payouts, maybe 110%, something we could do and feel guilty for skimming that much money off the tournament!  Obviously you can do more.  We'd do 150% minimum.  To get a pro A, again two-day tournament and $1000 added. 

We've talked a lot about an Am A behind the scenes.  The bottom line is that the IOS is run by players.  Players want to play the thing!  Most A-tiers are run by ex-players, quasi-players.  That, and where can we find a three course venue?  Not playing would be enticing if we were running three courses for an Am-only A-tier.  Otherwise, what we are doing is already A-tier quality and we all get to play. 

[arendow]

Replying to Pitner:

Payouts are not that effective for drawing players.  We have had the best amateur payouts for three straight years, period.  You take our average across seven tournaments and compare it to any other club's average across their seven best and there is no competition.  Everywhere you look you see TDs advertising 100% payouts because to them, that's something.  We do 140 to 150%.  At Hot Rags' IOS #2 last year we may have hit 200% with all those T-shirts. 

To get an Am A you have to do a two-day tournament [not split day], have a track record for 72+ players, and do some shameful payouts, maybe 110%, something we could do and feel guilty for skimming that much money off the tournament!  Obviously you can do more.  We'd do 150% minimum.  To get a pro A, again two-day tournament and $1000 added. 

We've talked a lot about an Am A behind the scenes.  The bottom line is that the IOS is run by players.  Players want to play the thing!  Most A-tiers are run by ex-players, quasi-players.  That, and where can we find a three course venue?  Not playing would be enticing if we were running three courses for an Am-only A-tier.  Otherwise, what we are doing is already A-tier quality and we all get to play. 

Exactly. Most people, especially Ams, play to play. They don't expect to cash, and if they do, it's just an added bonus. If you have a great player's pack, the only people that complain are a few who feel that the prizes should be won. It is someone like me who wants a reward for doing well, and the place to get that is to play pro.

Now don't get me wrong, BG is extremely fun to play in and the competition is excellent. But the payout is crap. Actually it is better than a couple of years ago when they gave out DX plastic and some Pro. It is worth the drive, it has the atmosphere of a Worlds, and will get you a ton of points.

[UMphreak]

For signing up late last year I got a dx tourney stamped beast and I think a mini and some quench gum.  Tieing for 25th in  my first intermediate tourney I got an avenger and an aviar. 

The courses for Int. are pretty decent.  My 2nd best round of the tourney was the 1st at Basil Griffin.  I shot a -3 and that was a 942.  The 2nd round was my highest rated round that weekend of 1 over par for a rating of 962.  That was Franklin Park.  I was actually in 3rd place out of 150 with a -2 after the first 2 rounds.

The next day first round killed it for me.  There was a mid round rain delay after the and I started the round off 3 down and the delay just did it.  I ended up there +5 with a rating of 844.  There were 2 holes that I took a 6 and a 7 on because of ob.  The next course, Preston Miller, I was expecting to go out and shoot lights out.  I played it the Thurs. before and shot something like a -8.  Needless to say I ended up 1 over par there and that round was rated 893. 

Nasty Nate and I tied for first in the doubles round at Keriakese with a -9 or 10.  We played off 9 holes and ended up still tied and just split the funny money.  I think we shot maybe a -10 or 11 at lovers and were just a copule of strokes off the cash.

Either way its a great tourney and as many people as possible should play.  There are tons of courses right there and last year we happened to have a camp ground that was located on a course.  It was the KOA near Basil Griffin.

[Bruce Brakel]

At an IOS you would have got 15 Brass for signing up and 37 or 38 brass for your finish.  And a CTP on every hole, last round.  So I guess what they say about Bowling Green payouts is true. 

[CEValkyrie]

WOW! I just read on PDGA discussion that the TD had about 100 people to update pushing it to 500 already. They had 554 last year.

[frontman311]

I'll be in that update 

[DougEDawg]

What's the max amount of players that that tournament can handle?

[Bruce Brakel]

They use eight 18-hole courses, so they can handle 720 players with 2 rounds per day per course.  If they were to tee off at the break of dawn and go with three rounds per day on each course, but only two rounds per player, which they have a plan for, they could go to 1080 players. 

[mirth]

heh high-def A tier!

[frontman311]

Update of pre-registered players is up and there's currently 497.

[CEValkyrie]

531 & rising!

[DougEDawg]

571 and rising!

So, I wonder what the record is for most participants in a PDGA event?

Probably something that was pro-am combined worlds....like the 2000 worlds in MI.

[SIUFrolf]

has anyone played doubles at BG?  I am trying to get there early friday to play some courses and possible play some doubles.  I am bringing my friend as a caddy to show him what a disc golf tournament is like.  He is new to the sport and if he wanted to play doubles I was going to be his partner.  My question is, are there different divisions in the doubles like a reg. tournament so that my friend and I can play intermediate (my rating level)?  or do you have to be registered for the tournament and a PDGA member to play in them? sorry for the paragraph, thanks in advance.

[Mike S]

has anyone played doubles at BG?  I am trying to get there early friday to play some courses and possible play some doubles.  I am bringing my friend as a caddy to show him what a disc golf tournament is like.  He is new to the sport and if he wanted to play doubles I was going to be his partner.  My question is, are there different divisions in the doubles like a reg. tournament so that my friend and I can play intermediate (my rating level)?  or do you have to be registered for the tournament and a PDGA member to play in them? sorry for the paragraph, thanks in advance.

They are definitely not PDGA sanctioned or anything like that.  Its just a huge doubles league basically.  I seriously doubt you have to be registered in the tournament, even.

[Dan Michler]

i played last year.  you just sign up that day and i think there may have been 2 divisions.  anybody can play.  i recall it being 10 bucks/person.

[shawn]

I'm really looking forward to going to this event..  Go Team Wisco!  I see that a few pros dropped down to Am this year, welcome Cobus and Newhouse to the Am division once again..  See you guys in KY..

[CEValkyrie]

Have fun out there. I really phooked up. I should have saved the $25.00 and joined as an Am. I'm not playing an events until mid April so I could have kicked the year off down south in some nice weather. I'm jealous of all of you heading down.