Vibram's thoughts on growing the sport

[Scott]

Good stuff

[couve discer]

This is awesome!
probably pissed some people off but opens the eyes of the people that don't look at the big picture and think that disc golf is just something to do in a park.
I'd love to help get the fling up to that kind of payout or enough sponsorship to get a good camera crew and make it legit for tv.

[Yoduh]

I like the flatter payouts. I like not having money added to age protected divisions in NTS. I think I would still have those divisions but I understand why they don't if you can take less players because of it.

[LJ Jubner]

Play by the rules all of the time

[Mcw5378]

Very smart man!
Would be great to have a few more "majors" thruout the year.

[bstullis]

Trying to find outside sponsors would help as well. Hospitals, corporations that have DG courses in their backyard, companies looking to change their "fat & happy" system to "fit & focused" (one or all three could apply). Talking to the powers that be will have an effect, especially if we frame the conversation in "green" and "fitness" categories that are the corner stone of the sport.

I for one would like to see a tournament in Spokane/coeur d'Alene that can compare to or compete with any NT event, and without being 30 miles outside the city(great for the local economy, just ask hoopfest organizers) (another 50K event every year) and hold a concurrent Am event for the love of huking for plastic & swag (like the vibram open last year) to grow the sport.

[WestsoundBT]

There's some wise thinking going on from S. Dodge in regards to optimizing the upper level of DG play.

However, remember when you read something like this... Steve's likely not talking to you the average, below average, or above average player. He's talking to those who play influential roles at the highest level of large events. His scheme only works if everyone at that level of organization is on board, which would be a tall order to achieve. But that's how vision plans work by dreaming what if... (I guess talking to regular joe DG'er could lead to groundswell of support which could influence those key people)

However, for most of us, we can continue growing from the "ground up" as our own personal "most effective" way to help the sport.

Let those intimately involved with control of those upper level events know you like Steve's thoughts if you like them, but don't stop there and let them do the heavy lifting. Grow your own backyard player base with great local programs.

Optimization at the top, but growth from the "bottom up" gets to a great place when the two meet eventually.

[Flash]

What is the benefit of increasing the tour and payouts at events? If our sport becomes more popular will the model become more pay to play or will we still continue to see community parks with challenging courses? Will we now have country clubs or private resorts catering to the elite while our community parks become clogged and degenerative.

Where is the benefit to the promoters to encourage this model. The is clearly not enough money even in a $50K payout to pay promoters and organizers enough to keep things going. Elite disc golfers may leave the tour but so do TDs and promoters as they burn out from the extra work after their regular jobs.

Ball golf has the corporate sponsorship's not just because of the fan fare but also because its heritage and its known as a gentlemen's sport. When was the last time you saw a disc golfer disqualify themselves for violating the rules.

I wish Steve all the best of luck but I am not convinced his model will work for this sport. Disc golf will never be as prestigious as Ball Golf and will never attract the same level of interest as most sports currently in mainstream today worldwide.

Then again I am not a business model expert or even a laymen in marketing schemes.