Author Topic: If you do not bowl tournaments... (Read 4611 times)

9andaWiggle · « **on:** January 23, 2012, 01:23:30 AM »

Why not?

9~ Internet Tough Guy and
Cyberspace Sheep Lover

BKloss · « **Reply #1 on:** January 23, 2012, 09:44:34 AM »

In my local assoc. the directors are a joke. The entries for city tournament events declined rapidly over the past 4-5 years and it is almost not worth bowling. I normally try bowl one squad of each. Singles, doubles, Trio, and Team. Singles gets maybe 100 entries doubles approx 40. Trios had 10 entries and Team gets about 50-60 which the first squad each house puts at least 2 teams in each year for a proprietor squad. We have 10 houses in our area with approx 300 lanes and this is all they can get. Side pots is majority handicap.

The directors put out forms for tournaments a week in advance....How do they expect people who have jobs on the weekends to get time off or re-work their schedules? Is this a viable reason to not bowl local tournaments? I am really debating it this year and instead of wasting time trying to find one maybe further away to go bowl.

The only Local tournament I definitely bowl is a Senior/Adult tournament - gets about 70+ entries and side pots are scratch and handicap. The Senior Directors give out advance notice and promote the tournament and try to get sponsors every year. Well run and runs over the entire weekend - 2 houses(1 Sat and 1 Sun)

Other tournaments - I try to get out to as many as possible usually 1 a month is possible with work and family stuff. I know this doesn't really answer your question but I think you will get alot of people with the same scenario as me and the fact the Directors of local assoc don't do what they were put in place of doing.

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Edited by BKloss on 1/23/2012 at 10:58 AM

9andaWiggle · « **Reply #2 on:** January 23, 2012, 10:09:00 AM »

Actually, that's good info.

I hear people lamenting poor tournament turn outs, and my theory is that despite excuses we usually hear, the root cause is that people simply don't enjoy it.

Your post seems to support that; you bowl them, but would maybe bowl more if directors didn't make it a hassle to sign up/plan for them. In doing so, they create a stressful process that leads to people not returning thus not making it fun to show up and only be bowling with a couple dozen people.

Am I close?

9~ Internet Tough Guy and
Cyberspace Sheep Lover

BKloss · « **Reply #3 on:** January 23, 2012, 10:14:38 AM »

9andaWiggle wrote on 1/23/2012 11:09 AM:Actually, that's good info.

I hear people lamenting poor tournament turn outs, and my theory is that despite excuses we usually hear, the root cause is that people simply don't enjoy it.

Your post seems to support that; you bowl them, but would maybe bowl more if directors didn't make it a hassle to sign up/plan for them. In doing so, they create a stressful process that leads to people not returning thus not making it fun to show up and only be bowling with a couple dozen people.

Am I close?

9~ Internet Tough Guy and
Cyberspace Sheep Lover

Spot on! More time to prepare in my personal life will guarantee I will bowl. With the little notice they provide they don't allow people with busy lifes outside of bowling to even attempt bowling in these tournaments. Granted there are people who will say "I didn't know" or "I have plans" regardless of when they send out the forms/flyers, but with more time I would only think that the turnout would be higher. It certainly couldn't hurt right?

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Brunswick and DV8 Advisory Staff

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer and not of Brunswick Corporation.

Ernie McCracken · « **Reply #4 on:** January 23, 2012, 10:58:12 AM »

I don't because its getting harder and harder to find scratch tournaments or a tournament on something other than a THS leading to an all out score war.

Party like a mortician....Grab a cold one!

spmcgivern · « **Reply #5 on:** January 23, 2012, 11:08:29 AM »

I quit bowling tournaments when it required so much money and effort to enter. I know I am in the minority here, but many bowlers, especially new bowlers, don't want to fork over $100+ for entry plus travel to enter a tournament just for the experience.

One thing I think should occur is more in-house tournaments intended for the league bowlers of a particular house. Keep costs down and provide an avenue for bowlers to gain experience in a tournament setting then move on to other more expensive tournaments.

I have started a tournament series in my house where the entry fee is low and the bowlers compete on Team USA or other tournament conditions. There are brackets and other side action, but for those just wanting to compete and bowl on difficult conditions, it is a great gateway tournament to move on to more competitive tournaments like regionals and the such.

I am not a pro-bowler, but I do play one on BallReviews.com

Edited by spmcgivern on 1/23/2012 at 1:06 PM

HAMBONE · « **Reply #6 on:** January 23, 2012, 11:14:51 AM »

I last bowled in our City Tournament several years ago. Singles I shoot 782 with a 290 game.

High game and series for the tournament, I got like 18 bucks for 11th place. 3 of the top 5 places didn't shoot 540 scratch. First place was 908 with his handicap.

I will not donate my money, when it is IMPOSSIBLE for me to win!!!

Drop and give me 10

Edited by HAMBONE on 1/23/2012 at 12:18 PM

Romulus Cogswell · « **Reply #7 on:** January 23, 2012, 11:25:06 AM »

A 200 average bowler on a THS isn't going to win unless he has a rare day.

Dewey24 · « **Reply #8 on:** January 23, 2012, 11:32:11 AM »

The long answer is:

There is a house in our association that has notoriously high scoring. 2 years ago they hosted the city tournament and scores were thru the roof. The directors decided that this would never happen again. They stopped using the hosting house shots and started using more difficult shots.

When the house bowler comes in and shoots 110 after he is averaging 210 they get pissed. The recreational bowler doesn't want the challenge of a more difficult shot. Entries weren't good before now they suck. People tried to talk some sense into the directors but they were convinced that they were right.

The last tournament had I think 5 team entries. So you figure 10 doubles and 20 singles entries. We are lucky that they run a few singles traveling tournaments in our area that consistently attract 150-200 singles entries. Do I pay the $55-100 for the singles tournaments and make money cashing or $75 and lucky if you make your entry fee back.

So while I used to bowled 5-7 tournaments a year and nationals now it's more like 2-3 and nationals.

trash heap · « **Reply #9 on:** January 23, 2012, 11:52:06 AM »

Now that was stupidity on the director. You can toughen up a house shot and make it a little more difficult. Just create a little more out of bounds area. Good bowlers will still score well, and it will only hurt the spray and pray bowlers.

Dewey24 wrote on 1/23/2012 12:32 PM:
   The long answer is:

There is a house in our association that has notoriously high scoring. 2 years ago they hosted the city tournament and scores were thru the roof. The directors decided that this would never happen again. They stopped using the hosting house shots and started using more difficult shots.

    When the house bowler comes in and shoots 110 after he is averaging 210 they get pissed. The recreational bowler doesn't want the challenge of a more difficult shot. Entries weren't good before now they suck. People tried to talk some sense into the directors but they were convinced that they were right.

The last tournament had I think 5 team entries. So you figure 10 doubles and 20 singles entries. We are lucky that they run a few singles traveling tournaments in our area that consistently attract 150-200 singles entries. Do I pay the $55-100 for the singles tournaments and make money cashing or $75 and lucky if you make your entry fee back.

   So while I used to bowled 5-7 tournaments a year and nationals now it's more like 2-3 and nationals.

9andaWiggle · « **Reply #10 on:** January 23, 2012, 01:27:33 PM »

HAMBONE wrote on 1/23/2012 12:14 PM:I last bowled in our City Tournament several years ago. Singles I shoot 782 with a 290 game.

High game and series for the tournament, I got like 18 bucks for 11th place. 3 of the top 5 places didn't shoot 540 scratch. First place was 908 with his handicap.

I will not donate my money, when it is IMPOSSIBLE for me to win!!!

Drop and give me 10

Edited by HAMBONE on 1/23/2012 at 12:18 PM

I can certainly see how that could sour one on tournaments! Ties back in to enjoying it. I imagine lower average players are discouraged by being pummeled by better bowlers, and better bowlers ate discouraged from being pummeled by handicap score they cannot reach even by shooting a perfect series.

What happened to divisions or avg caps (or minimums) for tourneys? Seems impossible for one tournament to be able to be everything to everyone. Would tiers where you compete with bowlers in a similar skill level be more enjoyable for all?

9~ Internet Tough Guy and
Cyberspace Sheep Lover

Edited by 9andaWiggle on 1/23/2012 at 2:28 PM

TheGame300 · « **Reply #11 on:** January 23, 2012, 01:41:05 PM »

We have a good scratch tournament that is run around here but the entry is between $150-$200. With brackets and pots, it is just way to much.

As far as county and state tournaments go, I refuse to bowl on a 5 man team. It takes to long and in this day and age, it is not needed. I do usually bowl singles and doubles though.

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MI 2 AZ · « **Reply #12 on:** January 23, 2012, 07:17:34 PM »

At this stage of my bowling game, I am strictly a donator and since I am retired, I can't afford that any longer.

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StickZ · « **Reply #13 on:** January 23, 2012, 08:44:06 PM »

the "scratch bowlers" complain when a 190-200 bowler throws it good for once and shoot 700 and handicap bowlers say they cant compete when a 230 bowler shoots 750...all in all, too much complaining. shut your damn mouth, throw the ball. YOUR score is determined by how good or how bad YOU throw the ball, nobody else! people complain about this or that. never blame themselves for their terrible scores. If you get beat, then it wasnt your day, take your tissues and go home. at least thats how it is here in Florida...nothing but excuses.

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Quadrajet · « **Reply #14 on:** January 23, 2012, 11:52:54 PM »

We have a local handicap singles tournament series going on in our area, once a month on Sunday mornings. It's a quick 4 gamer with the top 5 going to stepladder. $45 to enter and the shot is a modified house pattern...just a few more units are added to the outsides to make it seem tougher. The shot feels like step between a THS and a Kegel challenge pattern. The nice thing is that there has been a mix of scratch and handicap players that qualify, which keeps both types of bowlers coming back for more. This tells me that the shot is pretty equitable for both.

They started the series a year or two ago by putting down Kegel Challenge patterns and that was just too hard for most house bowlers, it took about a 190 average to make the top 5, so entries were very low. Then they put out the house shot, but then it took a 240 average to make the top 5. The current modified house shot seems to appease all levels of bowlers and they've seen entries go from 10-15 to 30-40. This year, the tournament directors were able to give away $200 for the first 300 of this year's series thanks to a couple of local sponsors. First place is usually around $170 to $200 and they run $5 brackets as well as scratch and handicap high game pots.

It's apparent that (in our area) people are looking for something to bowl during tournament season. It's a quick, fun way to fill a Sunday morning and reminds me of the pot games all the locals hotshots used to bowl back when I was a junior bowler.

Author Topic: If you do not bowl tournaments... (Read 4611 times)

9andaWiggle

If you do not bowl tournaments...

BKloss

Re: If you do not bowl tournaments...

9andaWiggle

Re: If you do not bowl tournaments...

BKloss

Re: If you do not bowl tournaments...

Ernie McCracken

Re: If you do not bowl tournaments...

spmcgivern

Re: If you do not bowl tournaments...

HAMBONE

Re: If you do not bowl tournaments...

Romulus Cogswell

Re: If you do not bowl tournaments...

Dewey24

Re: If you do not bowl tournaments...

trash heap

Re: If you do not bowl tournaments...

9andaWiggle

Re: If you do not bowl tournaments...

TheGame300

Re: If you do not bowl tournaments...

MI 2 AZ

Re: If you do not bowl tournaments...

StickZ

Re: If you do not bowl tournaments...

Quadrajet

Re: If you do not bowl tournaments...