The concept of a "mandatory" or "universal" entry fee for all tournaments has been brought up several times. I want to start this thread to say, IMHO, this idea is a horrible idea.

Think about it:

All of a sudden that nice BBQ lunch isn't in the entry fee anymore! Either that or pay-outs just got jacked down a decent amount. At the Ironman Doubles I added $5 a head to the entry fee and that covered the EXCELLENT BBQ lunch on Saturday and drinks. I also gave player's packages to all Ams. If you standardize my entry fee and don't give me that flexibility then I'll have to charge separately and who knows what happens.

It also makes planning harder. All of sudden I can't guarantee the caterer ANY numbers at all. Atleast before I could say I could guarantee that all tourney entrants would be paid to eat. All of a sudden getting a caterer isn't worth the headache.

And do you really think this is going to help entry fee gouging that we see from certain TD's? It might, but now TD's will be charging the same for an Ice Bowl one day event as they will for a 2 day Spring event. Bad idea! Do you HONESTLY think a 2 round Ice Bowl at Lake Lowndes in January with 25 people there should have the same entry fees as a 4 round Halloween Howler in Mobile in October with 150 people there. NO!!

Now it's rude to shoot down an idea without one to replace it so here is what I propose:


An entry fee guideline on a per round by division basis. This would be a simple table that would suggest that the entry fee for a division be in a particular range. Most TD's would probably adopt it for most tournaments.

Above and beyond that have a method for a TD to EXPLAIN why his/her tournament has a higher or lower entry fee.

An Example:
Let's say the guideline says that entry fees in Advanced should be in the range of $8-$9 per round. For a 3 round tournament that puts the entry fee at $24-$27.

At the Ironman Doubles (a 5 round event) my entry fees were $35 per Advanced player, outside of that range. My defense would be that I provided lunch and a drink in that entry fee and gave each player a custom stamped disc.

Jeff

Well said Jeff you guys did a great job and untill you run an event one does not know all the perks cost and sponsorship is hard in this game. Leave this to the TDS and then you the player make the choice from there. Just an example disc golf is a fairly cheap sport{ ball golf greens fees 30to 100 and thats not counting the extras] 30 to 75 and event some feeding you and offering so much more. Lets this one be as it is Remember he who has the most fun wins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And some time pretty rewarding to beat someone. Just my 2 cents Bob Satter TD Birmingham Tax Tourney

I agree. Don't fix what isn't broke. Don't meddle into a good thing. The only job for the Board in my opinion is to fix what is broken...which isn't much and to deal with the Championships. Don't worry so much about the Tour events.

Brad

Do I hear an AMEN to all of the above? AMEN!

There are too many variables to have set entry fees. And we'd probably have to go up on ours if you set a miniumum...;-p

Brad,

Here I agree with you, don't know about charging by the round, but I believe that 99.9% of the TD's running events have a pretty good handle on what an event in their area is worth, and what they will provide for the entry fee. Besides, like I tell those VERY few who say anything about the cost of the entry fees for an event, the more you pay, the more you PLAY for! Almost every event now is paying 100% PLUS, this is ONLY due to the efforts of the TD's AND those individuals who are sponsoring holes and donating prizes.

There are many more issues that I feel need some attention long before we get into universal entry fees.

It has been my experience that there are no two events that are the same. Even events at the same course, at different times of the year are vastly different. I would gladly pay more for some events that I would want to for another. But I NEVER second guess the reason for the amount of the entry fees, after all, MAYBE, someday I may get a little of it myself! I can dream can't I?

DG Guy