T.D. means Tournament Director (Or, might also mean Tardy Doofus)
Let's start by asking a question: What if you scheduled a tournament and nobody showed up?
There has been, without question, a dramatic increase in the amount of PDGA sanctioned events over the past four or five years. Too many, some might quip. Golfers are being left with difficult choices as to which tournaments to play, where, when, and how many will fit within the confines of their individual budgets. In addition to the increase in the number of sanctioned events, there has also been a steady rise in entry fees. So, as golfers decide which tournaments they will attend, they will also keep a close watch on their funds. It's vital to so many golfers to accumulate as many points as possible so as to get the valued 'invite' to the yearly World Championships. All golfers know (but most won't admit) that their point totals are more a source for bragging rights than a direct reflection on their ability to compete at the Worlds since most of the players at each years worlds get in via the waiting list and not by their point totals. However, for the point-centric golfers out there, they want to see their name as often as possible on the results lists along with their points. The points are more important to them than water is to a fish.
So, I wonder why it is that there are tournament directors out there who have such a difficult time in submitting completed tournament results to the PDGA in a timely manner? I understand completely that life sometimes gets in the way of our desire to play our disc games. As a tournament director (TD), though, you accepted the responsibilities associated with such a demanding task when you asked for your event to be sanctioned by the PDGA and included on their calendar of events. This acceptance means that you are taking on the tasks of the event from the beginning (applying for the tournament to be included on the schedule, getting the course reserved, recruiting volunteers, etc.), the middle (making sure the scorecards and tournament information sheets are produced, the food's been ordered, marketing has happened, etc.), and the big grand finale of actually running the event and turning in the completed scores to the PDGA in a timely manner (note: three months after the event finished would not be considered timely). Understandably, the major part of running an event is over after the last golfer has left the course at the end of the day. As a tournament director, however, your job is not yet finished until you submit the final, verified results to the PDGA. I'll repeat myself for the sake of clarity in case there is anybody who missed the last point: as a tournament director, your job is not yet finished until you submit the final, verified results to the PDGA.
To be fair, I have not ever run a PDGA event, so I don't have all of the inside scoop and details of how these results are to be submitted. (NOTE: If I do ever run a PDGA event, I will be sure to do my homework ahead of time so that I am prepared.) However, being of fairly sound mind I can easily figure out, as most of you golfers can, that if a TD has not turned in results within two weeks of the end of a competition, they are not making the effort to complete their task, and in the process making a bad name for yourself and your tournament. Referring back to an earlier point, golfers who become dissatisfied with a tournament director can easily find other events to attend when the next year rolls around, ignoring the events run by the unconcerned tournament director. And since most people have the ability to constantly check the PDGA website, they will know which tournament directors are worthy of running events and which ones are falling behind. If months go by after an event and there are still no results posted, then….YIKES! Yes, we all understand that sometimes results get submitted late due to personal emergencies and circumstances. Nobody will fault a TD who runs into this sort of problem, especially if the TD has the courage to notify people of the problem, and that they are working towards getting it solved. But, how often has that happened?
Is there a solution to this? I have a few ideas, but none of them have been tested by me since I have not run a tournament of PDGA-scale before. Just some things I've seen done at tournaments or things that make sense to me.
1. As a TD, you should assign one of your many volunteers to be the one who will help with the final submission of scores. This can be a buddy, wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, etc., just as long as it's someone who can ride your butt until the scores are turned in. Just remember that 'butt riding' may be considered illegal in some states.
2. Keep track of each rounds scores on a laptop. Having a spreadsheet set up in advance will make this easier for you to do. It would be even easier if your tournament is a pre-register only, as you could have every golfer's name/division already entered onto the sheet, so only verified score totals would need to be added as the cards are turned in. Knowing how to use a laptop would prove useful in this endeavor. Heck, having a laptop could prove to be even more useful.
3. Have an electronic shock machine set up to your bed, and set it to go off three weeks after the completion of your tournament. If you forget to send in the results, a sudden jolt of electricity at 2am in the morning should be a nice gentle reminder. It may lead to a sudden divorce or break-up with your significant other if they too are caught up in the electrical discharge. Or, it could be the most stimulating moment you've ever had while parked between your sheets. In either case, feel free to keep these details to yourself.
It would seem best to submit results to the PDGA immediately, say within a few days of the final putt of the final round. This will save TDs a ton of grief from the point watchers, and will keep your reputation solid as a tournament director who has their stuff together. If you get the reputation as a top-notch event planner, your events will continue to draw people year after year. If, however, you get the reputation as a slacker TD, then there will come a day when you have a tournament, and no one shows up for it. And those results will be easy to submit.
Here's hoping all your golf is fun golf! Roc(k) on!
Send feedback to Joe THE.
The Tardy Doofus
