I'm a fairly new bowler and I'm in Bahrain (connected to Saudi Arabia via causeway). There have been a few tournaments here and I've noticed something: There is typically a qualifying period of one or two weeks. One is allowed to try and qualify an unlimited amount of times. Typically, you bowl three game sets and they use your best 3 three game sets as your qualifying score.
  Is this normal for tournaments in the U.S.? It just seems to me that this format just favors those with money. If you try enough times, you're bound to score well enough eventually. There is currently a big tournament going on, and I've seen people bowling almost constantly for over a week. It cost me over $50 to register and about $23 for every three game set. Not sure how that compares to other tourney fees, but for an average guy with a family it can add up fast. BTW, this is the Bahrain Int'l Open taking place with Tim Mack as defending champ (I think he may be arriving today). Many good bowlers from this region are here, including Ahmed Shaheen (from Quatar) who just won in Thailand last week.

Regards,
Bob