Add a $5K/$10K Grow Disc Golf Ace Challenge to your event!
Tournament Directors of PDGA sanctioned events may choose to include a $5K/$10K Grow Disc Golf Ace Challenge on a specific hole during a specific round of their event. Event must be sanctioned by the PDGA as a C-Tier, B-Tier, A-Tier, NT, or Major. X-Tiers are not eligible. Players will have a chance to win either $5,000 or $10,000 if they throw an ace on the designated hole during the designated round!
Step One
Pick a hole on the course that is between 295 and 400 feet. The hole can have no more than 20 feet of downhill elevation change from tee box to basket. The hole should have a clear camera angle from the tee pad to the basket.
Step Two
Grow Disc Golf (an entity supported by Dynamic Discs, Latitude-64, and Westside Discs) will provide a tee box sign that must be displayed on the hole during the round that you determine. The tee box sign must be placed by the tee box.
Step Three
Tournament Director will add the phrase “(GDG $5K/$10K event)” to the end of the tournament title used by the PDGA on the pdga.com site.
Step Four
Tournament Director must assign a volunteer to the hole to record each tee shot. A smart phone can be used to video the hole. A tripod is highly recommended. Sample videos can be seen below. If multiple aces are thrown on the designated hole during the designated round, the ace pot will be split evenly among those that threw an ace based on the disc they threw.
Examples:
- If Player A throws a Trilogy disc for an ace and Player B throws a non-Trilogy disc for an ace, Player A will receive $5,000, or half of $10,000, and Player B would receive $2,500, or half of $5,000.
- If both players aced with a Trilogy disc, they would both receive $5,000.
- If both players aced with a non-Trilogy disc, they would receive $2,500 each.
Note: Posting this footage to social media and tagging participants after the event (whether an ace is hit or not) is a great way to raise awareness for your event and help build registrations for future events!
Step Five
If an ace is hit during the sanctioned round, Grow Disc Golf will award $5,000.00 to the player for the ace. If the disc is documented as a Dynamic Discs, Latitude 64, or Westside Discs disc, the award will be doubled to $10,000.00. Players must state their name and the disc they are throwing into the camera before they throw their shot. TDs should contact Derek Savory (620-412-8831) as soon as an ace has been hit. A social media campaign celebrating the ace will begin immediately.
Once video evidence is submitted to Grow Disc Golf, the appropriate check will be mailed to the winner (or winners) within 10 business days.
How much does it cost?
The cost per player for the Grow Disc Golf $5K/$10K Ace Challenge is $3.00 per projected player in the event. So if your event has 90 people playing, the cost to add this opportunity would be $270.00. Payment must be received no later than 10 business days prior to the event. Payment should be based on the number of players expected at the event. If 90 players are expected and only 80 show up, Grow Disc Golf will refund the fee for the 10 players that did not register. Final numbers will be verified by the final results posted on the pdga.com website.
Setting Up A GDG Ace Hole
Additional Rules
- An event must have a minimum of 72 players to be eligible.
- Event must use the appropriate PDGA-approved baskets based on the sanctioning level. Click here for more details on basket specifications.
What do you get?
- Grow Disc Golf will provide a sign to be placed at the tee box of the hole that is chosen.
- Grow Disc Golf, in conjunction with Dynamic Discs, Latitude 64, and Westside Discs, will promote your event as a “Grow Disc Golf $5K/$10K Ace Challenge” event via social media the week leading up to the event.
- If an ace is hit, Grow Disc Golf, in conjunction with Dynamic Discs, Latitude 64, and Westside Discs, will publicize the ace via social media. Grow Disc Golf will also send the video to national news outlets.
What do we need from you?
- Payment for the Grow Disc Golf $5K/$10K Ace fee no later than 10 business days before the event
- Photograph of the basket that will be used from the tee box
- Distance from tee box to basket that will be used
- Shipping Address to send tee sign
- Photographs of the hole with tee sign installed the day of the round chosen for the Grow Disc Golf $5K/$10K Ace Challenge
- Video of any aces hit during the specific round.
- Name and address of player or players who have hit the ace.
What does disc golf gain?
This is the most important question of all. Grow Disc Golf is willing to take on the risk of paying hole in one winners knowing that the video coverage of an ace that pays that kind of money will be a very popular video on social media. The social buzz that both the ace and the money will create is invaluable as we continue to look for ways to grow the sport.
It is likely that as this program grows, there will be more money generated by tournaments using the program than is paid to folks that hit aces. Grow Disc Golf has spent the last few years developing initiatives to grow the sport. Excess funds from the program could be used to install courses in underprivileged areas, donate discs and curriculum to schools, or support large events like the PDGA Junior World Disc Golf Championships. In an effort to be transparent, it is important to know that this money will be turned right back around into the sport we all love.
FAQs
I want to run this challenge on more than one hole or during more than one round. Can I do this?
Yes, however, these will be treated as separate challenges that will need to be treated as separate entities.
Do I need to be registered for the event to participate in the 5k/10k Ace Challenge?
You must be a registered competitor of the PDGA sanctioned event to participate in the 5k/10k Ace Challenge.
Can I only throw the hole being utilized for the 5k/10k Ace Challenge and then quit?
You must complete the round to qualify for the 5k/10k Ace Challenge.
More FAQs to come…