Thoughts on being a pro... earning no money!!!

So I have been contemplating being a pro at this day and age in the PDGA era, and I have come to some conclusions. 

 

1. We make absolutly no money to support ourselves as the pro payouts are generally terrible. 

2. Unless you tour to hit the 'big' events, don't quit your day job. 

 

Why is this? Why is ball golf supporting so many pros and disc golf is not? I have heard the no corporate sponsors bit and agree, but why is this sport so cheap for pros? 

What do you think about making the sport cheap for ams and casuals but somehow upping the ante for professionals. Start pay to play at some of the better courses and increasing entry fees substantially at tournaments. If you want to pay 40 bucks to play a tourney, play am, have fun goofing around and make open pro more serious. 

 

What does everyone think?

[Austin "two putts"]

worst analogy ever!

[discgolfdady]

All touneys should have a spectator raffle thay  is free with entry fee ticket or purchased into so  the spectators  have a chance to win , or sell raffle tiks only @nt venues for a grand prize @ the end of the year( car , vacation )  go big they say!

[MonTTy #794]

Pro disc golf will NEVER be as successful as other pro sports until the pdga is purchased and managed like a business. I will use the professional bowlers assn. as an example. It was nearly bankrupt in 2000, then some NIKE and Microsoft execs purchased it and bailed it out. Then they did what rich people do best, they raised more money by selling their product. Now Lumber Liquidators sponsors the Pro Bowlers Tour. Pro bowling had a successful history and is perfect for TV, two things disc golf is not. So there it is, this is what we need....a great big check and marketing savy. Sharpie, Gatorade, Ccoa-Cola, Budweiser, McDonalds...take your pick, they're all out there and can all make us rich...good luck.

[Michael Sizemore]

Wow, there is a lot of negativity here. I think you've got to give the PDGA the benefit of the doubt. Going mainstream requires capital, something that is sparse in a 'cheap' sport like ours. People are just starting to realize that this free model will get us nowhere fast. Take a course in a public park and compare it to a private one like Blue Ribbon Pines. For a small fee they provide an unreal course and disc golf experience. They could easily charge $7-10 and make a more reasonable profit. Public parks have their place too, but you get what you pay for. The point is we need more high-end courses to show what our sport can be.

 

Then the internet broadcasters need to take a more active role in the tournaments. I know it would slow down play, but it's tough to sell a sub par production for more than $5. If the cameras would actually follow a card for a round and convey the stories and the drama, that would be a much more valuable product. 

 

Nobody wants to hear it but disc golf is still young and small. Eventually equipment manufacturers will see that the growth of the sport is directly tied to their bottom line. Then they'll beef up their marketing displays in mainstream sporting goods stores and push greater visibility.

Until then, ask not what disc golf can do for you...

[Austin "two putts"]

It is sad to hear disc golfers upset by the fact that they can play the sport they love for virtually free and be involved with it on a number of levels. First off, disc golf will never be like ball golf nor should it be! There are roughly 2500+ courses in the US (per pdga stats) all of which would have to either be removed/privatized. The courses on public land would have to be removed in order to make this transition to a business possible to discontinue free play. The remaining private courses (pay to play) would then be able to charge golf prices and set a dress code along with making disc golfers set a tee time to be able to play. If this stage was a success one would have to expect equipment prices to go up so that the main manufacturers can make enough money to function as a successful business yet have millions to throw into advertisement at top events. After both of these things happened the PDGA would set standards for players to make it on the PDGA tour as a pro player. More than likely they would implement invitationals and other qualifying events but the ability to show up at a tourney and sign up in the open division (or as a pro) would be gone. No more five dollar league nights cause the courses are privatized. No more ace pool cause it would be illegal gambling. And local tournaments would not be sponsored by local clubs (which would see their demise) but by the course that charges you to play and the big corps in your area that already sponsor these events.  I am exhausted from all the complaining about how bad disc golf and the PDGA are currently operating and trying to make you see the light! We have a beautiful thing here, why ruin it? If this ever happens disc golf will just be another sell out to the corporate world and capitalistic America. And for all of you that are on this forum who play open now, there are probably only a handful of you that would make it on the newly established tour to make the big bucks and the rest of us open players would be left in the dust paying high prices just to play and playing at only local charity tournaments.

[Dookville]

If course privatization is needed to take control of the situation I think you will lose most of the metropolitan areas in the United States as viable area to play disc golf. I live in Orange County in Southern California and to buy 30-60 acres to build a course you would have to spend multiple millions of dollars. Playing fees would be hundreds of dollars and out of reach for all but the elite.

[Shane Shipman]

quick question..... did you make money when you first started playing disc golf??? of course not you did it because it was fun. playing in pro or open division just means you think you have what it takes to be the top dog. payouts generally are pretty good, you win more money than your entry fee and if you keep throwing away money for an entry fee and can never find yourself close enough for a good payout maybe you should drop down to advanced. and if you do win and just become money hungry and want to get paid by doing what you love, perfect your game, get a big sponsorship from innova, discraft , or some big company and go see if you can beat ken climo for the big bucks. dont be disappointed when he kills you on the course and you spend all that money on an entry fee and get sent home with your tail between your legs....