I think something that needs to be addressed is the PDGAs handling of who is allowed to run a sanctioned event.

As it is, IMO, there is already too many tourneys out there. That being beside the point, my problem is the PDGA allowing anyone that can fill out a form to run an event.

I played an event 2 weeks ago that was a total joke. The guy had no idea how things were supposed to be handled and a local club had to show up and bail him out by providing prizes and payout to all the amatuer divisions, on top of that, he had to use the Ace fund in order to pay out the Pro players.

I dont place all the fault on the TD. He doesnt know dick and has played rec in 2 tournaments, yet felt qualified to run an event. I put blame onto the PDGA for not insuring this guy knew what the hell was going on. I dont think he was out to do anything but run the tourney ( for which I was told he was doing so for a credit for one of his classes ) but it put the PDGA into a questionable light as to why they feel the need to put as many events as possible into the calendar.

Maybe Im off base here, if so, I apologize, but I think the PDGA needs to step it up a bit and figure out who people are and why these tourneys are being run.

Personally, I think you should have to qualify to run a PDGA event. Granted, most tourneys I go to are well run, but they are also established events. If your a 1st timer w/ no proven track record, you shouldnt be given that right. I dont even understand how the TD could have passed an Officials test, let alone been given the right to run a PDGA event.

Actually, I do understand how he may have passed the test. Im told a room full of cigarette smoking monkeys given a typewriter and enough time could produce novels...perhaps he only hired one monkey. I think that and a rule book would make it possible.

You have a very valid concern and I've seen it happen a bunch myself. I'm a certified official and help out with a lot of the tournaments around here, but I don't feel qualified to try to run an event myself yet. However, if this guy has only played 2 events as rec, then he has no idea what the intricacies of running and event are. No idea about payout, no idea about tour standards and PDGA requirements, no idea about player expectations, etc.

ON THE OTHER HAND, I see several of the local TDs getting burnt out on running tournaments here, and begging for folks to step up to do so. So, if I can run a tournament as the TD with one of the past TDs there in the background helping me out, I'll gladly do so. Perhaps we need to figure out some sort of TD mentor system for the PDGA? Make someone be a "co-TD" on a tournament before they're allowed to be a TD? But then what about areas that still don't have tournaments for people to get the experience?

100% agreement chase...

here is a portion of an opinion article I wrote for a disc golf website about what I thought were problems in disc golf...

"So you want to run a PDGA tournament? It's actually pretty simple. All you have to do is take an open book test. This test is so simple; it's ridiculous. I asked my roommate at the time, who had played disc golf maybe five times ever, to take the test and he only missed three of the 25 questions (I made a 100 and his answers were compared to mine). Yes I totally understand that the point of this test is to make sure the player can find and more importantly interpret a rule correctly. My point is that there should be more standards to becoming an official.

Right now, my former roommate could pay 55 bucks for a membership and a test, then pass it, then become a PDGA official. Then all he has to do is grab 50 more bucks, fill out a piece of paper, email it in, and he is running a tournament. There has got to be another standard added to the process of becoming an official. I believe that anyone who has applied to be an official should have to write some sort of essay or fill out some sort of application to summit before a panel of people. This application could include information like "played in 20 PDGA tournaments including worlds" or "helped this club run this event for five years." Until we do something like this, bad tournaments will be run and the PDGA can do nothing about it."

My point was that its pretty simple for someone with very little knowledge of the game to run a tournament, as proved by my example.

The first tournaments I ran was as an Assistant TD. I was doing that before my certification came, and I feel like I did a great job. No real complaints, and 99% of the people thought I was the actual TD as I handled every problem and let my mentor handle the scores and PDGA material. I have also done this with a few of the local guys wanting to run an event for the Club. After seeing them in action, I have no doubt they can handle whatever situation comes about and will do fine when running thier events in the future.

I run tournaments for 2 main reasons. One being that my business makes a good day of sales, as we handle the merch payout. This makes all the headaches and planning worthwhile for me, and helps keep us in business in the winter months. Running a Pro Shop in Illinois, you get some down time, especially if its an actual storefront property you pay rent on, not just a garage or basement at my house.

Second, to showcase the Quad Cities disc golf scene. Before we went into business and started running events, nobody around here would run anything except a Doubles Tourney. Then they stopped running those. I got sick and tired of not being able to boost my rating while on my home courses and would beg the Club to do something. They wouldnt.( with the exception of West Lake, which was one persons vision and he ran the event and handled everything, basically on his own..the first year. Second year, little more help. ) A year or so later, we have a new club structure with new members that also want to showcase the area. We are preparing to host Womens Nationals in 2 years and I think we will blow everyones perception of that tourney out of the water. Next will be our bid for a combined Worlds, and we will win it. I promise. I got tired and did something about it, but in reality, without the business we would still have only a few events here. People grow tired of losing money on events, spending countless hours for the building of the event, and everything else involved. It works really well if your recieveing the end payout, but if not- its hardly worthwhile.