Hello friends, I’m glad you’re back and thanks again for allowing me to share with you.
Today I want to talk about exactly what it would take to run a BIG Disc Golf event such as the Glass Blown Open aka GBO. So, what better person to talk to than Eric McCabe. I asked Eric three questions and he graciously took time out of his day to answer them.
#1: When do you start planning for the next GBO?
Hey Jen!
We begin planning the next years GBO two days after the completion of current GBO. It’s our staple event and it’s always on the docket!
#2: How many volunteers does it take to run GBO?
GBO takes countless number of Volunteers to help the event go off without a hitch. It also helps that we have a full staff of dedicated employees willing to give a hand when need be.
#3: Why is Emporia so behind this event?
Emporia is great, like no other community out there. I personally believe it’s due to the smaller community that sees benefits from having a thousand people visiting town. I also feel everyone here is already very inviting and super friendly, which translates to happy customers. When 1200 people show up to a DG tournament in a large city, the impact is very minimal compared to ours.
Thank you Eric for taking time to answer a few questions.
Now, I’m no longer a player but I attend Disc Golf events all over the country as a caddie. There are certain things that I really love seeing at events:
- Water on the course
- Restrooms or Port O Lets
- Defined OB and Mando Signs
- Player safety concerns
- Lunch, if not provided, food trucks on premises
- Crowd control
- Spotters
- Big rig parking or shuttles if big rigs have to park far away
- Correct distances on holes
These are just a few things and I’m sure we all have something that really makes the tournament stand out. The nine things I mentioned above take planing, money and manpower. I personally want to thank any tournament director for running any event. It’s a thankless and frustrating job sometimes BUT without you, we couldn’t enjoy playing in Disc Golf tournaments.
So, the moral to this blog post is, the next time you’re at a Disc Golf event, thank the entire staff. If you’re not happy with something, politely speak with the TD. If you think you might have a helpful thought for their next tournament, shoot the TD an email. If you think you have what it takes to run such an event then I say assemble your team and go for it!
Thanks for reading and remember kindness is free 😎
lat64caddy 
