New golfer here...

[joker]

I just starting playing DG for the first time around July of this year. So far I am having a blast. I happened to play Crockett park and saw there is a Tourney on Jan 31st. Just looking for some clarification on a couple things...

1. Bag tags - huh?
2. Did I see something about membership and sponsership?
3. Can anyone play in the tourney?
4. What skill levels?
5. How do you know your skill level?
6. I saw something about level 800-1000. What is that all about?
7. What happened to the dinosaurs?
8. Why is a duck? : )

Thanks all. Hope to start seeing some of yall around.

[Ron Pittman]

Welcome to our new humor-oriented friend. You will fit in most nicely. Glad you found the course and the forum.

I'm guessing we should have a Newb FAQ section, but in the meantime- here goes;

1. Bag tags - huh?
Tags, or keychains, or caribiners that attach to your disc bag. They are sequentially numbered and stamped with the local club's name. Players purchase them each year and they become an informal challenge ladder. Lowest round gets the lowest tag.

2. Did I see something about membership and sponsership?
In the case of WCDGC---- we keep it simple. $10 gets you 2009 membership and a club bagtag. It is actually a thinly-vieled attempt to raise money for course upkeep, etc. We have been known to take $$ beyond the initial ten bucks quite often. For that kind of investment you get a bagtag AND a warm, fuzzy feeling inside.

3. Can anyone play in the tourney?
Yes. At our last tournament we had 29 folks who had never played a tournament before. They still say good things about us. PDGA membership is not required at this tourney, but being a member will save you $10 for each tournament.

4. What skill levels?
5. How do you know your skill level?
6. I saw something about level 800-1000. What is that all about?
Player rating for PDGA members is calculated for each round played. Updates happen on the PDGA website 5-6 times a year. One of the many advantages of being a member. You can track your rise in the ranks. (or fall if you play like I do.)

Players without a rating can extrapolate from their typical round and see where they would fit in.
You can look at last year's Crockett Charity Classic results (May 10), find the round scores that match your typical play on the same course ---- then note the corresponding rating. For Am players ---
> 935 Advanced
900-934 Intermediate
850-899 Recreational
< 849 Novice

The current list of division names are most non-descriptive (and rather stooopid), but the name doesn't matter- -- only the rating.
Clear as mud?

7. What happened to the dinosaurs?
8. Why is a duck? : )

Is that the same as asking what do you get when you cross and elephant with a rhino? EllifIno.

I'm done typing now.

Ron

[joker]

Thanks so much for all the info. How much advance notice do you need for the tourney? Is it a just show up and sign up type of thing? Also, I am guessing that the tourney only uses the white tees? Since I am pretty new I have only played the red tees so I am guessing that it would behoove me to start practicing the whites, huh?

Do you know what the par score for Crockett is by chance?

[Ron Pittman]

Joker,
We just finished the info flyer. I will get it pdf'd this weekend and posted on the forum. My bad. Should have already been done.

We are doing mail-in preregistration only. I don't expect it to fill up. (90 players) The flyer will have the details for sign up.

Novice and Recreational players will play from the red tees. All other divisions will play from the white tees.

pdga.com/tournament-results?TournID=7707&year=2008&include_ratings=1#Open

This link shows the CCC last May.
It looks like the rating for a round from the red tees of 55 -60 would be 900 - 850. A solid Recreational division round. If you typically shoot in this range --- Rec is for you.

If you typically shoot UNDER 55 from the reds, then you could consider moving up to the Intermediate division (and thereby get to shoot from the whites).

Intermediate scores (once again- from the whites) of 59 -62 would be close to 934 -900; a solid Intermediate rating. If you shoot in this range --- then move up to the Int division.

And if you typically shoot OVER 60 (from the reds), then the Novice division is a good place to start.

While wind/course conditions and pin placement can alter actual ratings from round-to-round ---- you will find these benchmarks plenty close enough.

Ron