Notice - Jeff Kennedy is running a doubles tournament August 18 & 19, 2007. It will be a 4 round event (Best Score, Worst Score, Tough Shot and Best Shot). The field is limited to 46 teams. Go to lvdiscgolf.com for more information/entry form.

Notice - The Las Vegas Halloween Classic, Ams and Pros, have been bumped up one week in 2007. The Ams are playing October 20 & 21, and the Pros are playing October 27 & 28. (We are trying to avoid conflicts with the Christmas lights being set up at the park.)

Notice - Bad checks. What should TDs do for out of state players who write bad checks. Do you think the PDGA should black-book these individuals from playing other sanctioned events?

Notice - Bad checks. What should TDs do for out of state players who write bad checks. Do you think the PDGA should black-book these individuals from playing other sanctioned events?



They should be drawn and quartered, hung upside down on the course at home as well as everyplace they go and everyone in the field gets to throw a driver at them from 20 feet.

Don't they know how to stop writing checks when the balance is zero? :confused:

Man, I hope my check cleared after saying all that :D:D

But really, a bad check is a felony if it is over $20 in my state, I don't know about anywhere else, but the offenders should be known to all other TD's so we don't get caught holding some bogus checks too. The PDGA should, in my opinion, step in and have some penalty, suspension, or something more for such an act.

Again, just my opinion, TD's are volunteers and should not have to deal with those type of issues when we are paying the PDGA fees and donating our time.

Disc golfers are people too, and sometimes they eff-up and bounce a check. It comes with the territory when you are a TD. I've come across a lot of it in my time, and somehow The Anal One (me) has come to terms with it.


Some of the things I have done or currently do:

No day-of-event or even week-of-event sign-ups by check. Stuff happens and checks bounce, so I can no longer take a check from anyone on the Friday before a Saturday tourney. If you couldn't sign up for my tourney more than a week in advance (and you still get in) then you must pay cash. Sorry, it's not that I don't trust you, but it happens enough that I can't take that risk. If you can't understand that then I guess you won't be playing. Sorry, but it really is nothing personal.

If/when a check bouces, I call the person that night. I finally get it that stuff happens, so I'm not mad and I'm not accusatory. I tell them that their check bounced, that I won't be trying to cash it again and incurring another bounced-check fee, and that they need to bring cash to cover their entry fee plus the returned check charges. 99.9% of disc golfers are embarrassed that this happened, are apologetic, and bring cash to check-in, with some bringing cash before that because they are sorry. I don't scold the check bouncers, report them, chastise them at the player's meeting, or ever mention it again. Like I said, stuff happens and almost everybody is embarrassed and makes good. 'Nuff said.

I've only ever had two checks go uncollected, and both those guys were really pretty scummy guys such that it wasn't surprising at all. They each closed their checking accounts instead of making good, and I consider them the catalyst for the above method of check acceptance. :)

When I used to run a year-long series, I also had a policy of "If you bounce a check, you no longer have the priviledge of paying by check. Money Order or cash only from you for the rest of the year". It worked well and nobody ever complained about the "penance" thay had to pay for screwing up. It's not like the TD is the faceless phone company or gas&electric. The vast vast majority of disc golfers feel really bad about bouncing a check for a tournament entry and will make good on it......before the event. :D

Rhett,

Don't take me as an uncaring or unforgiving person. Yes, people do make mistakes, I am one that has made many. I do feel however that when it comes to monetary issues, we must have some backup from the PDGA in cases such as these, since we are representing the PDGA as a TD. And for the record, I ran my first PDGA event in 1981, so I don't consider myself as a novice.

I firmly believe that when a mistake is made, we must learn a lesson from it so we don't do it again. If not, then think about it, has a slap on the wrist helped our criminal justice system?

I am not really saying to chastise the person, but I do think some penalty should be invoked. Like for the 1st infraction, you will not be allowed to play that event, but you still have to pay the tournament back the entry fee and the check charge and maybe a couple of month suspension or something for the 2nd infraction.

I am not the one with all the answers, but I do have some suggestions that I feel are adequate.

No problem. I wasn't trying to imply anything, just recounting some of my experiences. I can remember going through a few different phases of how I felt about check bouncers, starting with anger about it. :)

But like I said, that's why I stop accepting checks a week before the event and why I won't run them a second time for a second returned check fee.

I would, however, favor some kind of PDGA sponsored "black list" for players who bounce a check and then don't make good on it.

Notice - Bad checks. What should TDs do for out of state players who write bad checks. Do you think the PDGA should black-book these individuals from playing other sanctioned events?



They should be drawn and quartered, hung upside down on the course at home as well as everyplace they go and everyone in the field gets to throw a driver at them from 20 feet.

Don't they know how to stop writing checks when the balance is zero? :confused:

Man, I hope my check cleared after saying all that :D:D

But really, a bad check is a felony if it is over $20 in my state, I don't know about anywhere else, but the offenders should be known to all other TD's so we don't get caught holding some bogus checks too. The PDGA should, in my opinion, step in and have some penalty, suspension, or something more for such an act.

Again, just my opinion, TD's are volunteers and should not have to deal with those type of issues when we are paying the PDGA fees and donating our time.



I just "sick" my wife on them. /msgboard/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

I agree with Rhett..

Stuff happens...sometimes...

I dont like that felony for $20 garbage either...
20 years ago when I got deployed from Texas I had a $28 check that bounced.....2 months later when I returned, I got "Charged" with writing a bad check. That was a really "GREAT" time in the military.
Didnt matter at the time to the Army..as far as they were concerned Id written a bad check. Now while I was gone another $2000 had been deposited in my account BUT NOOOO that didnt matter. They wanted to actually press charges over $28.

Well $1500 later in Lawyer fees , I paid my $28 + ALL of "Piggly Wiggly's" expences as well.

All total It cost me nearly $3000 for a $28 check...

Now do you understand why TEXAS "LICKS" :(
:D