2008 Illinois Open Series

[tacimala]

You know it be cool to have tournaments in the winter further south. Be a true Illinois open and not a northern Illinois open series. 

O i think sinnissippi park should have a tournament in the IOS Maybe inclufde the joliet area courses.

I think its a bad idea to split the divisions that way. It should be Pro, Am 1 and 2 on saturday. Speed of play i think is the issue. I am the biggest hater of being iced in the world by having 1 slow group holding up the entire field. Plus as far as peoples friends i think it works better that way too.

Or just have a winter tourney as well!

[skipache]

/quote]

yes i like that idea, we should have a few in fact...

[SERG]

In past IOS events, were different tees used for the different divisions or do both Saturday and Sunday players play the same layout? If different ones were used, will this change next year as you have various levels on each day (for example: Open players and AM 4 on Saturday both playing long tees at an event)?

[Chainmeister]

In past IOS events, were different tees used for the different divisions or do both Saturday and Sunday players play the same layout? If different ones were used, will this change next year as you have various levels on each day (for example: Open players and AM 4 on Saturday both playing long tees at an event)?

Yeah, this will be a little weird but I vote for having everybody play the same course anyway.  Us RecThusiasts will get to play more golf.  I would rather play the longer tees and throw more shots than risk having too few gators or have just enough gators and have strange distributions of scores depending on who shot lights out and who shot Uggggly.  Both happen in an under 850 division and this will potentially make for strange ratings distributions. If we play the same course as the big boys and big girls we are more likely to get reliable ratings. The only thing I would worry about is a planned water shot that requires 250+ carry. That shot is appropriate for a pro and a lost disc for RecThusiast.  I guess you could plan a drop zone such as Lombard #3 or Aurora 6? (not sure which one it is)  I will bring a dx driver and throw it into the water or simply go right to the drop zone.   Although I made the Aruroa shot last time I played it in 2006.

[skipache]

you can play a safe hyzer with a stable disc to avoid the water at Madison for that you just have to clear like 150'
if the water is down i hope we can do that hole at aurora again it beat me last time but ... it was a good hole

[Bruce Brakel]

Sometime yesterday the PDGA was going to update the A-tier schedule, but the Illinois Open Series slowed them down.  My apologies to the world of disc golfers.  The PDGA might be updating today or tomorrow.  The Rockford leg of the Illinois Open Series should appear on the updated schedule on September 6 and 7 as a sanctioning pending A-tier.  Assuming we tie up the other details,

You will need to join the PDGA to play this tournament.

You might as well get your membership as a Christmas present from someone who loves you and

Avoid paying the new $10 non-member fee at all our B-Cs. 

[skipache]

sweet rockford an Atier, thats a good idea, do we get to play 4 rounds then?

[stpitner]

all A-Tiers have to be a minimum of a 2-day tournament, so generally speaking, yeah, I would expect to see playing 4 rounds.

Best location to host an A-Tier in this part of Illinois

September timeframe could also prove to be MUCH better to play two difficult courses.  That humidity in July is brutal!  By September it can be bad, but not going to make you feel like you're about to pass out.

I look forward to seeing the rest of the IOS dates!

[Bruce Brakel]

The plan is for four rounds on three courses over two days at one park, plus some kind of organized doubles thing on Friday.  We have not finalized the details with the park district because they want to wait until next year to talk about next year.  

We plan on offering all PDGA divisions for which there are competitors, unlike many A-tiers that leave out the lower divisions.  Because of the new standards for A-tiers in 2008, we also plan on offering very low pro entry fees and normal A-tier Am entry fees.  It is going to be $50 for everyone, if i'm remembering that conversation correctly.  

We're working on a lunch plan each day.  It might be a "free" lunch or it might be the kind of thing where you pay $2 and get a lunch that would normally cost $6.  Whichever, we want to make it possible for people to car pool to the park and then not have to worry about transportation until it is time to go to the hotel or head for home.  

[pickax]

Is Rockford putting in a third course, or will it be all temp holes?

[Bruce Brakel]

All temp. 

[danavicich]

all temp? as 18 temp holes for the 3rd course?

[Bruce Brakel]

correct

[Mukey]

Woo Hoo! Considering the record of the IOS temp. holes, that'll probably be one tough course. Can't wait for it!

[can't putt]

... one tough course with LOTS of poison ivy! 

[smyith]

 both of rockfords permanent sides have cement tees now right? and, will the temp course be up/avaiable-to-play before that friday? or would u plan on having a "charity" event to test the quality of the temp course and raise some extra organizational fund money?

also, whats the teepad requirements for A-teirs? do they have to be cement/rubber or does it not matter to the PDGA?

[pickax]

Their are no teepad requirements. The only course like requirements are that the baskets must be PDGA approved and SHOULD be the same type.

[spike]

i am wholly unqualified to voice my opinion here on this topic, not having played in a single IOS event this year (injury/surgery/travel/business), but here goes anyway.  i (as a pro master/sometimes open player) will be disappointed to see masters and open play on different days. 

the travel/car pool issue is just one reason. 

playing the master/open registration game is another, but for me (not being the most hyper-competitive of players, with my best playing days 20-some years behind me) it is more about with whom to play, than manipulating the system to attain the best chance of a pay-out.  there have been numerous tournaments where there may be a 10 or 15 player open field and a 2 or 3 person masters field.  personally, i'd rather play in a decent-sized division than just compete against one other schmo, and i would probably attempt to convince said schmo to move with me to open.  that is just the way that i think.

another reason is the camaraderie/competition factor.  i'd like to play on the same days, from the same tees and in the same conditions as the players at my relative skill level.  having the pros playing the same courses/tees as rec players (or the euphemistically renamed "enthusiasts"), is a recipe for discord, if not disaster.  pace of play is most certainly going to be an issue, which effects attitude, morale and timely completion of rounds.  i really believe that all "professional" fields should play at the same time.  playing as a pro master on a different day than the open players makes one feel like less than a pro, or a second-class pro.  again, that's just me.

i guess if i were to look for a silver lining in this scenario, it would be that i could play both days, if i choose to, however unlikely that is personally.

anyway, thanks for indulging me, and i hope to play in a lot more events, both IOS and otherwise, this coming year (regardless of the outcome of this decision) and i look forward to seeing many of you on the course.

cheers & happy new year.

[Bruce Brakel]

I think by putting Pro Masters on a different day from Open we'll see a larger Pro Master field.  What we had at several IOS tournaments last year was six or seven pro masters sign up and then bail out one by one to the Open field.  Now they can play Open if they want to, but not to the exclusion of playing Pro Master.  I think a few will play both days, and the ones who really just want to play Pro Master will know that the Pro Masters have nowhere to bail out to. 

[Jon Brakel]

I respect your opinion Spike, but unfortunately 3 or 4 people is not much of a division when it comes to adult males. It can't possibly hurt the turn out for Pro Master but it might help.