I wasn't sure which forum to post this in, but our local (Portland, OR) bag tag challenge is a fundraiser for a PDGA event, so I thought this was an appropriate place. We're getting ready (Cris Bellinger, mostly, so I'm posting partially on his behalf) for our second season of bag tag, and I'm wondering how others have dealt with some of the challenges we faced this year. Since we're going to be fundraising for Oregon's first National Tour event (the Beaver State Fling), we want to try to have it run as smoothly as possible, and get the most participation possible.

The main problem we had last year was related to tracking who had what tag. Our rules clearly stated that if you didn't report your matches and changes of tags, that you forfeited your right to participate in the program. However, we didn't enforce it, due to the low level of compliance. We asked people to send in their results (the winner) by email, and then a spreadsheet with the standings was periodically updated and posted to the bag tag web page.

This process didn't work well, partially due to people not reporting, and partially because the process for updating and posting the spreadsheet was cumbersome enough that it didn't get done often enough. An attempt was made to create a web form to collect the information in a more consistent fashion than by email, but it just sent the request via email, rather than actually directly updating a database.

The net result was that it was difficult if not impossible to figure out who had what tag, and most of the challenges were just based on who you ran into at the course, or done by challenging your friends that you normally play with.

I would like to know how other successful bag tag challenges have dealt with this issue. Comments?

Also, what is the cost of your bag tag each year (I'm trying to see what would be reasonable for us this year - last year we charged $10).

Thanks,
-Theo Pozzy
PDGA Commissioner

I've never known it to be an issue. Are people actively seeking out the holder of the #7 tag to challenge?

I'm lookin forward to some dialoge here, too. Just shy of the implementation phase.

...on the idea of tracking the tags: This seems more a problem if the tags are 'permament'...then you have trouble with loss, people skipping town, etc. What about the idea of seasonal tags? Then you can just let the 'holders' keep track; next season, produce a new batch.

...just make clear where the $$ the tags generate 'goes'.

I know they sell a new tag each year in Charlotte. The club runs minis and all tags get put up at the minis. At one point, I remember seeing someone try to run a match play tournament. He set up a website and bracket, sent out emails and put up signs. I don't think there was any interest in it so it never got played. I also know when the tags first got going, www.charlottedgc.com (http://www.charlottedgc.com) was being updated with results of challenges that were sent to the webmaster, but that died off REAL quick. The informality of the tag challenges is what some of the allure was to me the first year. I liked the idea of showing up at the course for a casual round and actually having something to play for. Maybe some things should be left casual and not driven by stats and websites.

As for price, $10 seems to be the staple for a tag. The 3 I have purchased all were $10 (Charlotte, Rock Hill, Iowa). I think if you charged $20 and threw in a DX disc, it would fly. Also, the Charlotte Disc Golf Club was giving them away with membership renewals. Food for thought.

In Tulsa I just completed our second season of bag tags. Very successfully I might add. I charge $15 for club members or $20 for non-members. This also has increased our club membership by quite a few.

The biggest problem we had was the players losing sight of what they were playing for. Its a fundraiser and for the spirit of competition. With tags sales this last year I was able to donate $500 to the club for course improvements, bought everyone a shirt and provided for a 64-man match play format, that was a big hit with the players. There were 64 shirts, with the first 32 having the slogan on the back of "One & Done".

It is very difficult to track all of the tags. Locally we have 7 mini tournaments a week during the summer. Our season runs from March 1st to Sept. 30th. The first year I was successful in tracking the tags, the second year I gave up half way through the season. The players didn't complain, they usually didn't know what tag they had themselves, which was kind of funny.

I had quality tags made at a cost of about $4.50 each. Well worth it. The first year we had numerous tags lost due to quality. This year no tags were lost. That could have been due to the fact that I was charging another $15 for a replacement.

The players looked forward to the match play tournament all season, to see who would go down in the first round.

If any one would like, PM me and I will give you a copy of our rules, tracking, brackets, any thing you need.

One last thing, our bag tags over the last two-years have given our club more excitement than it has had for a long time.

Is there a vendor who sells bag tags. If not, any suggestions as to the best way to produce them.

Thanks for all that Twoputt; I'm going to PM you, but no promise on the call...dang early, that schedule of yours, to get there "bright &"...it was busy by the time I tried once. So, the tags are valuable, and replacement is discouraged; you're commited to 'indefinate' status, then? Will there be expanding issues, perhaps? On the fundraising front, it seems a [significant] 'one-and-go'...no?

...I'm still leaning towards seasonal, and cheap, but sharp: Roughly 1/9 sheet of cardstock, laminated. A photo of our mascot, pertinent #'s, and perhaps a tiny course map on obverse.

Different math, this, too...

do people usually have a payout associated with their bag tag games?

Our tags are seasonal and we get all new tags every year.
I was able to raise $1,400 through tags sales. At the match play tournament, I charged a $10 entry, that raised another $640, all of which went to pay out. This includes trophies for the top three and next years tags paid for for the top four. Shirts for the 64 man match play and prizes for the top eight places. I also gave away around $400 in CTP's.

All together well over $1,000 was payed back to the palyers. The rest went to the donation to the club and the cost of the tags.

Caution on making the tags cheap. I did this and lived to regret it. Tags were being lost all of the time and they blamed it on the quality of the tag. So I felt responsible and replaced their tags. This ended up being a real pain. First I had to replace about 25 tags, second I had players tell me they lost #10, when in actuallity they didn't know what they lost. So I replace their #10 only to find out at the next mini tournament I now have two #10's in play. What a disaster.

So thats why now, I charge full price for a replacement and I will not replace it until it can be confirmed that the correct number is being replaced. From all of this, I learned, buy a quality tag, pay a little more, and have a lot more peace of mind. Because, now I know that if they lost it, it was due to them being a dumbazz and not my fault.

This is where I bought my tags. They are very good people and do some great work. Just tell him the guy from Tulsa, Oklahoma sent you.
http://wholesale-medals.com/disc_golf.html

Those are cool tags :cool:

My bad; at that price I AZZumed they must be built to last forever!


This is where I bought my tags. They are very good people and do some great work. Just tell him the guy from Tulsa, Oklahoma sent you.
http://wholesale-medals.com/disc_golf.html


Elvin Bishop?!? :D

...aye, that's some nice work, verily; however,

...now I know that if they lost it, it was due to them being a dumbazz and not my fault.


I can't see how it could ever be the provider's fault, inexpensive, or not; that leads me to deduct it must be, etc. ;)

...if one's operating by the 'let the chips fall' method, where the gambl...er, golfers sort-it-all-out, without intervention/supervision, my initial reaction to anybody 'losing' tags would be, "tough". Buy another, or wait 'til next year. But that's not the voice of experience...

Much thanks, again, Twoputt! :cool:How big [#'s] is your 2005 tag-season going to run? And how do you handle the 'exchange'? Do golfers keep the #'s with which they ended the previous season, or is there a 'lottery' for the low #'s each season?

A challenge ladder with tags was started at the Calvert Road course in Maryland 4 or 5 years ago. Jeff Shoup was the "founder" of the tag challenge around here and he set up the rules, they have remained largely the same with only a few tweaks. I took over as commish midway thru the first year at Jeff's request, he was planning a move back to colorado later in the year. We had a newly formed club at Calvert and the tag challenge was an extension of the Calvert disc scene which includes monthlies year round and one pdga "b" turney. The tags are pretty much a big hit around here and here is the formula KISS.

Tags are run yearly, with the end of year and beginning of the next year at the Ice Bowl. This year we are ending the 2004 tags at our December turney and starting 2005 Maryland Tags at the Calvert January tournament. They are $10 and they are not used as a fund raiser, all money in goes out each year, the tags are gorgeous and cost $5 each, well worth it. We started with metal tags but now use ones with any picture on it desired. At the end of year tag tournament trophies are awarded for overall 1st and second and first in Am, Advanced Am, women, Juniors, and BOB (bottom of the barrel you get the idea) The rest of the money is used to buy discs from the club and they are given to taggers randomly who attended the event and did not win a trophy. The first three years all tag matches had to be played at the Calvert course but we opened it up to any course any where a couple of years ago and changed the name to the Maryland Tag Challenge.

Players must play at least one tag match per calendar month. A tag match is a round of 18 (except at turnies where it is the entire turney) played under pdga rules between two or more consenting taggers, matches may include multiple groups, whatever is worked out beforehand. The person with the low tag calls tees and teeing order or method to determine teeing order. At the end low score takea low tag etc. Any ties, there is never a play off, the lower tag going in prevails in a tie, you must take the tag by posting a lower score.

That's it that's the rules.

Some people put up their tags all the time, some become cagey when they get a low number, at monthlies we were really putting peer pressure on all to put up their tags but we have tried to back off as people do have a right to how they play within the rules. With our system the only important match is really the last one of the year but one's current tag does matter some how. People do still play in their own clicks but having a tag and being able to join in tag matches has opened up the playing groups a bit I am pretty sure. 90 tags sold this year.

Sorry about the run on if any have questions post or pm me. Thanks.

For the 2005 season we will satrt with 100 tags, the first 20 will be gold, the rest are silver.
The first 4 tags are reserved for last year's top 4 finishers in the match play tournament. Tags 5 throu 100 will be reserved on a first come basis. I have a start date of march 1st at 12:00midnight, tags can be reserved via email or phone, both of which are time, date stamped. This allows for anyone to start with a low tag. Not that it matters after 6 months of comeptition, but for some it is their one and only chance to hold a gold tag. Some even had their pictures taken with them. :D

I had quality tags made at a cost of about $4.50 each. Well worth it. The first year we had numerous tags lost due to quality. This year no tags were lost. That could have been due to the fact that I was charging another $15 for a replacement.


...this didn't really sink in until our last mini; I actually saw a broken tag, repaired with the ubiquitous duct tape. It was a metal one, too. I won't mention whom. ;)