Tournament Director's Guide
This guide is intended to ease the burden and reduce the stress that a Tournament Director (TD) will typically encounter. These guidelines apply to tournaments sanctioned by the DGB but they can be adapted to any tournament. If you have any questions or if something is not covered in this guide, please contact the Duck Golf Series Coordinator.
Temporary baskets (optional)
Tee pad markers
Out-of-bounds markers (e.g. flagging tape)
A float of $250 for giving out change
Envelopes for payouts
Sign up forms (Duck Golf signup forms are available here)
Golf pencils (optional)
Tent, table, chairs (optional)
Scorecards
Prizes
Light source (in case daylight runs out)
Pencils/pens, notepad, calculator
Tournament Director Responsibilities* |
DGB Responsibilities |
|
|
* Even though many of the above tasks may be delegated to others, the TD is ultimately responsible for each of them |
|
Tournament Preparation Timetable
# Of Days Before Tournament |
Action |
Time Required (hours) |
60 |
5 |
|
60 |
10 |
|
60 |
2 |
|
14 |
3 |
|
14 |
1 |
|
14 |
If necessary, arrange to have temporary targets brought to the course. |
1 |
14 |
1 |
|
7 |
Arrange for the scoreboard, tent, table, and chairs to be brought to the course. |
1 |
7 |
2 |
|
1 |
1 |
Use posters, word of mouth, and the Internet to promote your tournament
Talk to local businesses in order to get prizes to give out at the tournament.
It may be necessary to obtain a permit to run the tournament in a public park.
Bring a copy of the permit to the tournament. You may have to present it to anybody who demands proof of your right-of-way in the park
Permits are not free
Ensure that there is enough daylight to play all the holes.
For particularly long or difficult holes, different sets of tee pads are recommended in order to maintain flow.
Avoid unsafe tee pad placements
For Duck Golf events, advise the Series Coordinator of the number of holes and hole lengths.
Tournament Format Considerations
Determine and advertise the tournament's start time. 11 AM is the latest recommended start time.
With a maximum of 5 players per hole the number of participants is limited. Make sure that you either explicitly advertise registration limits or have a contingency plan to add extra holes.
Decide on how many rounds will be played
Will there be a break in between rounds?
Will there be a Final Nine?
Will players be grouped in their own divisions?
Is there a way to arrange hole placements to avoid long delays during play?
Is there enough time to accommodate limited daylight and out of town players with ferries to catch?
If you need temporary baskets, arrange to have them transported to the course.
Who will take the temporary baskets home?
The BCDSS has a tent, table, and chairs. If they are required then arrange for them to be brought to the course.
You will need volunteers for such activities as course setup, course tear down, registration, payouts, and running the scoreboard.
Volunteers for registration and payouts are crucial for a tournament to run smoothly and on schedule. Three people are recommended for smooth registration.
Approach people that are reliable. Get a firm commitment and be explicit about what they are supposed to do and when they are to do it.
If there arenít any volunteers to calculate payouts in between rounds it is advisable that the TD not play in the event.
Scorecards, Payout Tables, Signup Sheets
For Duck Golf events, the Duck Golf Coordinator will provide signup sheets and payout tables. Scorecards are the responsibility of the TD (Scorecards can be requested from the DG Coordinator with advanced notice). Make sure you know how the payout schedules work before the day of the tournament.
Get about $250 in 20s, 10ís, and 5ís.
Nothing smaller than a $5 bill is required for Duck Golf events
Tournament Setup
Arrive at the course at least 2 hours before the playersí meeting
Have the course and "tournament central" up at least an hour before the playersí meeting
Have a copy of the park permit with you
Registration Procedure
Have a safe place to put money. Never leave money or merchandise out of your sight.
Two tables are recommended for registration. They should be located about 20 ft apart to avoid congestion
The first table is where players pick up tournament programs, course maps, etc and sign their ID card that will be used for the scoreboard
The player then proceeds to the second table and enters the tournament by submitting the signed ID card and paying the entry fee and non-member fee, if applicable.
The player receives a scorecard that must be turned in after the round
One of the registration volunteers enters that player's name on the appropriate signup sheet and places the cash in the designated safe location.
Grouping / Running the Scoreboard
Groups can be as small as 3 players and have a maximum of 5 players.
For the last 5 events of the Duck Golf Series, the top 4 in series points in each division will be grouped together
Place the ID card in an empty slot on the scoreboard underneath the hole number where that person will start
Place all of the scorecards for each group in the top slot for that hole. The top person in the group will be responsible for taking the scorecards
There is no need to announce hole placements. Let the participants look at the scoreboard and figure it out
Keep the scoreboard away from the registration table to reduce congestion
A volunteer will collect scorecards after each round and update the ID cards on the scoreboard
Players' Meeting
Welcome the players, especially new players
Explain the schedule and format of the tournament
Specify out-of-bounds areas and local rules
For the benefit of new players give a brief overview of tournament protocol and etiquette
Calculating Payouts
Ideally a volunteer will calculate the payouts while the first round is being played
No cash or value (from the sum of entry fees) can be bumped out of a division
When calculating prizes for amateur divisions you must ensure that the value of the prize(s) equals the dollar figure represented in the payout table
Money for items such as series fees, non-member fees, ace pots, and CTPs will be set aside and put in separate labeled envelopes
For distributing sponsor prizes: If not specified by the sponsor you may choose how you want to distribute them. Traditionally we work from the bottom division up with the goal of encouraging new and emerging players.
Awards Ceremony
It is recommended that you create an event (CTP, putting contest, etc) at the end of the tournament that will divert the players away from the tournament central area where final results are being tabulated.
Ensure that there are no 1st place ties to resolve
If there are any other ties make sure that the prize money has been adjusted
It works best to sort the ID cards on the scoreboard so that the TD can easily read the results
Have a volunteer hand the TD the prize as he/she calls out the names of the player
Thank all participants, volunteers, and sponsors
Course Tear Down
The volunteers should commence course tear down immediately after the awards ceremony
The park should be left cleaner than before the start of the tournament
Complete Tournament Paperwork
Put the money for Series Fees (if applicable) and non member fees in separate labeled envelopes
Fill out all of the required summary information on the signup sheets
Collect all of the scorecards
A D.G.B board member will collect all of the above items
Dealing with Financial Irregularities
Player Overpayments
If an overpayment is discovered onsite you should appeal to the player to return the overpayment. The player should be offered an explanation and given an apology.
If the overpayment is discovered offsite then no attempt to recover the money will be made. The shortage will be covered by any cash surpluses, if available, or by the series fee.
Post Event Cash Surpluses
If all the money was awarded properly, the only money left at the end of the day should be the amount of the float. Due to human error it is common to have a surplus and often the result is that a competitor was short changed. The procedure you must follow to ensure fairness and accountability in the series is as follows:
Report the surplus to the Series Coordinator by giving him the surplus in a labeled envelope.
The Series Coordinator will hold the surplus for seven days following the event. In that time he will conduct an audit of the event to find the error. Within that seven days the shortchanged player will usually call or the Series Coordinator will discover the error and will pay the money.
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