Am Cash Payouts at Tourneys!

I've heard that it is acceptabe for Am division players to accept cash payouts at sanctioned and non-sanctioned events up to a certain dollar amount and maintain ther Am status. If true, is this per tourney, or is the dollar amount cumulative?

[David Sauls]

It's risky to presume financials from a tournament, but I'll give a scenario based on the above (107 Am players @ $50 each, $5,350 Am entries).  Assuming a B-tier:

107 players packs @ $10 = $1,070

PDGA sanctioning & insurance - $446

Payouts @ retail = $3,834 (Average of $100 per player, not $50. I don't know what the actual figures are, but usually the "last cashers" are near the entry fee).

Total merchandise at retail = $4,904.  If the TD/Club handled the merchandise themselves at wholesale, they netted about $1,600.  If they used a vendor, less.  For example, we were offered a 20% cut from a vendor, which would net about $1,000.

This margin may have gone to pro purses.  May have gone to course rental, porta-johns, printing, CTPs, or other expenses.  May have been "pocketed", though if done the way our club does it, ultimately went to local course maintenance & improvement.

Ultimately, the TD/Club may have made money from their effort.

Ams paid $5,350, received $4,904 in players packs and payouts.  Ams paid $4 each net for benefits of playing in tournament (PDGA fees).

* Just an example.  Actual financials of stated tournament doubtless differed *

 

[Dookville]

Nice laying it out for me there Dave. Appreciate the effort and the look on the inside brother.

[David Sauls]

You're welcome.  Note that it's inside & outside.  I'm a TD for events on a private course, and club treasurer (and assisting TD) for club-run events on a public course.  But I'm also a lifelong Am, now in my 16th year of paying Am entry fees for tournaments, so have the benefit of seeing it from both sides.

I remember early on getting a bit P.O.'d about a tournament that charged normal entry fees (equivalent of about $40 in today's money), and only paid out trophy discs for top finishers.   What a rip-off!  I later learned that the course has been installed on credit from Innova, and the tournaments were paying off the debt on the baskets.  I wished they had been upfront about it....but I'm glad I didn't put my foot in my mouth spouting off about the "ripoff" I perceived.

Personally I wish the habit of paying Ams had never developed, and entry fees kept modest.  But that horse is out of the barn.

[Donny Olow]

Not Bad.

[Disc-O Golf]

No CASH for ams.

No Prizes for ams.

Am entry goes to the PRO payout.

Ams receive trophies only.

Thanks for coming.

Move up soon...

CREATES INCENTIVE!!!

[Dookville]

How do you figure paying $50 for a chance to win a trophy sounds appealing. Especially knowing the rest of your money goes to some pro you'll never even play against. Yeah for disc golf.

[Disc-O Golf]

Guess what...

It does not have to be that much now...

You will get more players...

Win, win.

[Disc-O Golf]

I did not make this up.

It is how it used to be.

I thought it was perfect.

I payed knowing my money was going to the pros and I thought that was fair.

I knew I would be one of them one day and I paid my dues.

I would get paid back in the end.

I am proud of all my amateur and advanced trophies.

I got no prizes. nothing. and it was perfect.

The pros got cash and trophies.

I yearned for it and worked towards it.

Never was it so perfect.

It is different now. 

There is no incentive now when you can just be a bagger, win a bunch of stuff that you sell in the parking lot and cash out. No reason to move up, you just cashed in the AMS.

[Dookville]

As long as I got a bunch of young bucks looking to pay their dues, I guess I'll be fine.

[Donny Olow]

See this still happening Today :  " 

There is no incentive now when you can just be a bagger, win a bunch of stuff that you sell in the parking lot and cash out. No reason to move up, you just cashed in the AMS.

[DiscGolfFlyMart.com]

We need to play for FUN....but pay the pros, it takes a lot of dues to get to that level and deserves recognition from someone and only disc golfers can really appreciate the excellence involved....bigger sponsors would help too....and I know of NO other sport where Ams are compensated with anything other than trophies...hence the difference between the definition of Am and Pro....just saying..

[Dookville]

So lets see what I've learned.

 

Only give trophies to Ams, because they don't deserve anything else.

Don't give them plastic, beacause they'll just sell it in the parking lot.

Lower the price of Am tournies, because you just need to pay for insurance and a few trophies anyway.

Thank them for coming and tell them to move up soon.

Don't regocnize them.

There's going to be a bunch of them, tell them to win, win, win.

CTP trophy.

No ring of fire.

 

Am I getting this all down right?