How much money do top pro disc golf players make a year?

Via tournaments? I'm thinking about quitting my day job.

[Donny Olow]

Don't quit your day job !!!

[Nascar Mike]

Actually Kris, imeant C-tiers for everyone, including the pros. Said money would then go back to the club members for fun days. Play basket to basket doubs backwards and provide lunch for members like 6 times a year, instead of giving to pro payout. I wouldn't do less for am's like take away a free players pack to run a bigger event for the pros. Equality. Just cause someone has pro status doesn't entitle them any more than any other golfer. Maybe I would understand your point of view a little more if I knew how your innova sponsorship was structured. I do respect your point of view and obviously you have passion for the sport. THis sport needs pros like you who are willing to help promote the sport. Not just out there for the money.

[Kris Orrick]

That would be great In my opinion C-tiers are like big local events, I agree with you when you say fun local tournaments 6 times a year. An easy way to aqquire food is papa johns When I ran the "teeing off for the troops tourney" I went to the papa johns closest to the DG course and they kicked in 5 pizzas for free and only charged me 5 bucks apeice so I got 4 more. As far as players packs When I went pro that was honestly one of the dissapointments, dont get me wrong I understand that we play for money, but as a collector I would love to have a hot-stamp disc, minni, or shirt. I'm probally not like everyother pro, but I collect things like this for memories and my scrapbook. So what I usually have to do Is trade or buy the hot stamp item from one of the am boys.

Dont make any mistake I'm out there for the money because that is what gets me to the next tourney, but I also believe that money is not everything, For example in the month of April I have cancelled 2 of my tournaments, to do a little clinic for less fortunate kids at a local school system, Also with the help of my USDGC doubles partner we have set up a demo at a school for deaf children. So I understand there are 2 types of pros 1 out there just for the money and 2 the ones willing to give back to the communities. Because many people have respect for their local pros, it makes moving foward and Ideas easier to be heard. I fall within both catagories. I'm a college student know so discgolf for me is like having that serving or bartending job (it keeps the wheels rolling and college paid),. but I also love sharing discgolf with people simply due to discgolf awarness (It was only by chance and luck I found out about discgolf). I play with nearly 50 different people on a weekly basis during my commute from kingsport & knoxville. One of the things I often hear Is " I wish I knew about this game when I was younger. so that is the second reason I play DG-education. I just hope one day I can turn on the TV and watch me battle with other guys on top of their game. So the only thing I ever complain about Is the structure of discgolf, I really dont think that its set-up to accomidate mainstream growth. Thats why I say one day there will be 6 pdga events in the same state on the same weekend. KO-20020

[Socsavvy]

Perhaps part of the problem is the 'damn hippie' rhetoric as propagated by Todd and the like. In my area, our courses suffer much more from the loads of trash and recyclables such as beer cans and (broken) bottles. If this won't kill the image of the sport for the people as well as the city, I'm not sure what will. I'm not holding my breath, but I can't wait for the day that public discourse in this country finally wakes up and gets past the scapegoating of 'hippies and liberals' as the problem for everything.

As Dave and Avery have said, it's all about stepping up the image of the sport and the level of play. This can only be done with ever nicer courses, nicer players, etc. Although the 'grassroots' nature of the sport is a huge part of the culture and appeal, I do think there is something to be said for institutionalizing more of the fundamental structure of the sport if we wish to see it grow and sustain that growth. I'm not sure what that yet means, as the thought is only partially baked, but lets all keep at it.

Happy Hucking!

Todd Mitchell said:

Don't quit your day job!!!! Sponsors for the top pros don't dole out cash as you'd hope. It's not like they get a contract for $10,000 annually to wear, throw, thank and support their sponsors. They get free gear.

Bottom line - if you can't beat Avery, Dave, Ken, Steve, Nate, Barry, Eric, Jesper, etc. you won't be able to make a living at this game for sure.

There are bonuses (a couple hundred dollars at A Tier and above events) for team sweeps (i.e., Discraft, Innova) - if Innova players (Discraft players) sweep the top 3 spots they each get a bonus.

Innova and Discraft also have RVs that they'll allow their players to tour in.

As far as I know, that's the extent of the sponsorship support given to the top pros in the game.

The exception are those players who have discs with their name on it (i.e., Ken, Nate, Dave, Barry - the World Champs for nearly the last 2 decades) have independent agreements with the disc mfrs - but it's only those 4 as far as I know (formerly Juliana too).

It's actually a pretty sad state of affairs for the top disc golfers in the world - they certainly should be receiving CONSIDERABLY MORE for their efforts in terms of cash payouts (ooooh, $600 for winning when it can cost upwards of $1,000 to get to and play in some of those tourneys), sponsorship cash (not just gear), endorsements (on top of just gear). However, where is the money suppose to come from? Between the disc mfrs, who are running businesses? It's not fair to ask them to have their businesses support the entire game and forget about the first rule of business - making a profit.

Ideally, we could generate advertising dollars (like other sports), but our biggest problem with disc golf comes to bear on one issue - that's image. It's not possible to have big time advertisers (Coke, Pepsi, Allstate, Aetna, etc.) (Vibram is a huge abnormality and those golfers that made that happen could offer up their experiences and suggestions to others looking to generate outside sponsorships) jump in and give cash and support to a bunch of "hippie potheads." We HAVE to clean up the image of the game if we want that to happen. What people have to appreciate is that it's not a persecution, simply a decision we all make - do we want to see this game advance into a successfully recognizable sport at a TV level? If so, we can't have people taking hits on TV in the middle of a round, or at a Ring Of Fire (being filmed).

Therein lies the rub. We have two large factions within this game...those that get the fact that real money can only be made by staying away from the "hippie pothead" label often used to describe the sport, and those that don't care about the financial opportunity the sport stands on the brink of realizing. (see the recent conversation on the happenings at the 2008 Players Cup)

The resolution lies somewhere in the middle - as always, regardless of the issue.

[4U2NV]

25,000 to 35,000 just via tournament cash for top pros

[Disc-O Golf]

Not enough to Survive on, even with a meager existence!
Still "Love of the Sport", but growing all the time.....Hang in there!

[Donny Olow]

I'd quit my day job for $250 K a year with endorsements !!