Why does your local club run a tournament?

I'm guessing to make money for the club, but I could be wrong...any other reasons out there I'm not aware of?

To give the members opportunities to easily play in tournaments

Because we can, and because no one has better resources to run a top-notch tourney than a club which is internally strong.

Turning plastic into benches, signs, concrete, etc is a no-brainer if you want to improve your local scene.

Because we want to have local tournaments, for ourselves and our disc golf guests from around the region, and who else is going to run them?

Making money isn't the primary reason. Our local club has run tournaments at a profit, at a loss, and as a charity fundraiser in which the club itself makes nothing at all. But the "profits" we do make are part of the club's mission to improve disc golf in the area.

Making money isn't the primary reason. Our local club has run tournaments at a profit, at a loss, and as a charity fundraiser in which the club itself makes nothing at all. But the "profits" we do make are part of the club's mission to improve disc golf in the area.
David,
i truly enjoy your posts!! to add to it our tournament has put 100% of the "Profits" back into the event for 3 years now. the only "Profit" we make is through the lunch sales which even in hard times has remained a steal at $5.00. Zeke the grill master is one bad man!

Thanks. You could broaden this question by asking, "Why does ANYBODY run a tournament?"

I sometimes wonder. But I can't come up with any answer that doesn't involve a measure of altruism. It's hard to justify based on money alone; the potential profits, divided by the number of hours involved, is rather meager. It would be more practical to go play tournaments other people run, and not run any ourselves.

My involvement is as individual TDs (Stoney Hill) and club-run events (Columbia Disc Golf Club). Particularly in the former, we've adopted the viewpoint that it's like throwing a party for our disc golf friends. We might cover our expenses....might even make a "profit" to invest back in the course....but we mostly hope our guests have a good time.

But it's about the same thing. Why does anybody ever throw a party? Wouldn't it be more practical just to go to parties other people throw?

Running a tournament for profit shouldn't be viewed as a negative and if you aren't running a tournamentf to make a profit then you are setting the whole scene backwards and shouldn't be touting that as a good thing. A tourney that makes a profit will get bigger and better, if groups are doing it at a loss or a break even, then it will just be the status quo same old tourneys. To take this thing to the next level tourneys need to turn a profit. That profit can all be put into a charity or whatever (see PGA) but tourneys need to make money. Also having ran 2 A Tiers over 2 dozen other tourneys if you aren't turning a profit then you are doing something really wrong.

I'd make a distinction between making a profit on a tournament, and running a tournament for the profit. The profit isn't the primary purpose of running it.

I agree that there's nothing wrong with the club (or TD) making a profit. I disagree that there's anything wrong with them NOT making a profit if they so choose---generating proceeds for charity, or giving them back in enhanced payouts (whether pro cash or am merchandise).

As mentioned above, I can even demonstrate how to lose money running a tournament, though I don't recommend it.

Didn't mean to be argumentative. So here's my personal experience, as a co-TD on a private course, and as a club officer for club-run events.

I assume the O.P. is about a club's motivation for running a tournament.

In my experience, we've never said, "We need to make money. (Or want to make money). Let's run a tournament". Nor, when we've discussed whether to continue running a tournament, has the loss of income been a consideration.

We've decided to run tournaments for other reasons. But in the details of how to run them---including the tier, and whether to sanction---the financials are certainly a factor.

And in considering the club budget, which involves how much we can spend on course improvements and new courses, the expected income from tournaments we plan to run affects how much the club can do to further disc golf in the area.

if you aren't running a tournamentf to make a profit then you are setting the whole scene backwards and shouldn't be touting that as a good thing.

How can putting "Profit" back into an event make it any less successful?

If everyone does this for free the tourneys will never get any bigger and better than they are today. When people start making some serious cash with tourneys (be it clubs or sponsors or whatever) then we'll take the step to the next level.

That is a great point Jerry. i was more addressing the local C and B tier events as opposed to huge A-tier/Majors where the prize purse and dollars changing hands is a little more substantial.

I can�t answer for a club, but I can for an individual. When I first ran a sanctioned tournament, I did to bring friends and competitors to my local course. I had traveled to many out of town events and wanted to bring the good experiences back home. I had also seen the local event go from greatness to sub-par and wanted to bring our event back to an event competitors wanted to attend. I wasn�t in it for money. After three years I quit because it was too much like work. After a 4 year hiatus, I have TD tournaments again as a favor for a friend. I have no financial involvement and just want to run a fun event, that runs on time and players have a good time and want to come back.

Have you ever heard of an "outside/independent" disc vendor that cashes out for a club for a tournament? Is that a good deal for the local club in your opinion? If so, in what way? (The club pays the vendor for that "service").

Yes.

Whether it's a good deal for the club depends mostly on what the club's other options are.

If the club/TD is handling merchandise, obtaining it at wholesale and selling it or awarding prizes at retail, the margin contributes substantially to the profit (whether it goes to the club/TD, or back to players in enhanced payouts, or covers extraordinary expenses). This is a much better deal, financially, for the club/TD than using a vendor.

But if the club/TD is stuck with unawarded and unsold merchandise, or not getting it at wholesale, the vendor can be a better deal.

Other than finances, using an independent vendor relieves the club/TD of a good bit of work, handling merchandise. What value do you place on that?

Funkytown Flyers run bag tag challenges to raise money for Local course improvements..IE Veterans Park.

Hangover Classic on Jan 1 is our major memership drive.

The only reason I started running tournaments was because no one else would!
Now most clubs have several people that can run events.

Have you ever heard of an "outside/independent" disc vendor that cashes out for a club for a tournament? Is that a good deal for the local club in your opinion? If so, in what way? (The club pays the vendor for that "service").

We are one of those outside vendors, disc-diva.com, that helps with tournaments. From the TD standpoint it saves you a lot of time and upfront money. The TD does not have to buy the discs ahead of time and then spend a lot of time figuring out what each person gets for payout. You also are not left with extra discs or merchandise after the event. From the players standpoint, they get a certificate and get to pick what they want instead of getting whatever the club/TD has around to get rid of so they are usually happier. When we prize out an event we usually supply trophies for free or at a discount and kick back 10% of the payout that the TD can use for sanctioning, tournament expenses, pro payouts, or whatever they want. It would be more profitable to buy the discs yourself, but a lot more work. If anyone has been to one of the tournaments we supply they have seen the work that we put into setting up and tearing down our stock and making sure that we have a good supply of merchandise.

Using vendors can be great for the players, because the vendor's likely to have a much greater selection than TDs could otherwise offer. And the vendor's I've seen are available before rounds, after rounds, during lunch---times the TD and his staff may be too busy to sell discs.