Ladies Tournaments

[Erik Lee]

Good morning everyone,

I would like to know what type of tournaments ( scratch- hdcp - singles - doubles - trio ) that the ladies would like to bowl in and how far are you willing to travel to bowl in it.

[Daphne Smith]

I would like to see more women's scratch singles tournaments. Doubles would be something different, might be worth a try. Handicap tourneys don't interest me. It is much easier to shoot over average when you carry a 150 average versus a 200 average. I don't like to travel more than four hours for a tourney. I prefer single day tourneys versus two days. Having to get a hotel for the night is just an added expense. Most women's tournaments that guarantee $1,000 or more for first place don't pay hardly anything else to the rest of the field. So unless you actually win it isn't worth it to bowl. Maybe if the payout ratio were say 1:6 that would help. I would like to see more tourneys similiar to the RBT. Have 5 to 6 games of qualifying and then cut to top twelve or so (depending on the total entries) for match play. Having the tournament on a saturday would not put the one's that have to travel getting home so late on sunday night.

[Erik Lee]

Thank you for your reply Daphne. I have been trying to figure why is it so hard to get woman to come out and bowl like men. Yes, everyone say the prize fund is very low, but if more woman come out then the prize fund would get bigger. That is the big question, how to get woman to come out and bowl. Are you all scared of each other?

[Daphne Smith]

Scared? Come on, let's be serious. Most women like competition just like the men. One reason most women's tournaments don't fill is because the money isn't guaranteed. I won't bowl a tourney B.O.E. because it just isn't worth it. Another reason is poor advertising. If there is a women's tourney within a few hours of me that guarantees at least a grand, I am there. For instance, the Princess/Queen Tournament this past weekend has been going on for 16 years and this was the first time I have heard of it. It takes time for a tournament to build. Most women's tournaments happen once or twice and that's it. If you keep having the tournament the same time every year more women are bound to hear about it. The princess/queen is now a tournament I will plan to bowl each year.

[Megan Kimbler]

I will not really participate in a bowling tournament unless it is scratch and on some sort of "sport" pattern. With house shots, it is whoever can carry the best that day or weekend and if the pin gods are not with you, then you are screwed. Women are not afraid to bowl each other, it is due to poor promotion of women's tournaments. Most women will go to any tournament, as long as they know about it. Personally, I will travel pretty much anywhere but I do not enjoy dropping a hundred a night on a hotel room, so one day tournaments are better for me. I like to see that the money is GUARENTEED, not based on so many entries in the fine print at the bottom of the page to make that first place money. But, again, you run into problems of first is a grand and then the rest doesn't pay squat. The money has to be filtered down appropriately, not just heavy on one position. Side pots and brackets are always good. I've bowled tournaments that a portion of the entry fee put you into the side pots (it was like a buck a game for every bowler, hi game took all). I am one that when I find a tournament that I am going to bowl, I send emails so I can make copies of the flyers and take them with me to every house that I go to. I am new to the area and don't know many people, but I try to pass the word along to every place that I bowl at.

[Michelle Bowden]

Scratch or ladies double scratch--depending on the amount on how far I will travel

[Kathy Jeep]

I'm interested in scratch tournaments as well. I agree with Daphne and Megan that it's hard to make the trip when it's only BOE--you don't know if it's going to be worth the gas money. One-day tourneys would be better too because I usually have to drive at least 2 hours. The prize fund needs to be distributed reasonably too, not 1:2. I'm not really into the door prizes either. I'm just there to bowl. But, like the ladies have said before me, if I don't even know about it, I can't go. I'm willing to travel 3-4 hours, more if the prize fund is better. I would love to see more tournaments.

[Erik Lee]

Good morning Daphne,

I am glad that you are not scared, but to get a tournament to guarantee $1K or more then the woman must show up and that has been the problem, for one reason or another. For one reason or another I would have thought that the Woman's Classic in Cleveland would have grown like the men, but it hasn't. Could it be because of the weekend of the tournament or the amount of games. It couldn't be the compitition becuase it is there and for the most part it is not on house condition. I don't know, but maybe Michelle Bowden can answer that question since she is a past champion.

Daphne Smith said:

Scared? Come on, let's be serious. Most women like competition just like the men. One reason most women's tournaments don't fill is because the money isn't guaranteed. I won't bowl a tourney B.O.E. because it just isn't worth it. Another reason is poor advertising. If there is a women's tourney within a few hours of me that guarantees at least a grand, I am there. For instance, the Princess/Queen Tournament this past weekend has been going on for 16 years and this was the first time I have heard of it. It takes time for a tournament to build. Most women's tournaments happen once or twice and that's it. If you keep having the tournament the same time every year more women are bound to hear about it. The princess/queen is now a tournament I will plan to bowl each year.

[Megan Kimbler]

What tournament in Cleveland? That's all I have to say. To make a point on the advertising of tournaments, I bowl in a women's league in Newnan on Tuesday nights. Newnan is the host for the GA state queens tournament, which the entries close Feb 2nd, and I have not seen one flyer out!! And there are women board members in the league!! I think almost all women can agree that if they know about the tournament, they will bowl.
Erik Lee said:

Good morning Daphne,

I am glad that you are not scared, but to get a tournament to guarantee $1K or more then the woman must show up and that has been the problem, for one reason or another. For one reason or another I would have thought that the Woman's Classic in Cleveland would have grown like the men, but it hasn't. Could it be because of the weekend of the tournament or the amount of games. It couldn't be the compitition becuase it is there and for the most part it is not on house condition. I don't know, but maybe Michelle Bowden can answer that question since she is a past champion.

Daphne Smith said:

Scared? Come on, let's be serious. Most women like competition just like the men. One reason most women's tournaments don't fill is because the money isn't guaranteed. I won't bowl a tourney B.O.E. because it just isn't worth it. Another reason is poor advertising. If there is a women's tourney within a few hours of me that guarantees at least a grand, I am there. For instance, the Princess/Queen Tournament this past weekend has been going on for 16 years and this was the first time I have heard of it. It takes time for a tournament to build. Most women's tournaments happen once or twice and that's it. If you keep having the tournament the same time every year more women are bound to hear about it. The princess/queen is now a tournament I will plan to bowl each year.

[Erik Lee]

Good morning Megan,

That is all good that we can get a whole lot for nothing, but in this day and time it is hard to come up with sponors to guarantee the money, so in order to make the prize pot better you must have the bowlers. I understand bowling on tougher compitition is very rewarding when you shoot a score vs. bowling on easy conditions. What are some of the tournaments that you bowl in?

Megan Kimbler said:

I will not really participate in a bowling tournament unless it is scratch and on some sort of "sport" pattern. With house shots, it is whoever can carry the best that day or weekend and if the pin gods are not with you, then you are screwed. Women are not afraid to bowl each other, it is due to poor promotion of women's tournaments. Most women will go to any tournament, as long as they know about it. Personally, I will travel pretty much anywhere but I do not enjoy dropping a hundred a night on a hotel room, so one day tournaments are better for me. I like to see that the money is GUARENTEED, not based on so many entries in the fine print at the bottom of the page to make that first place money. But, again, you run into problems of first is a grand and then the rest doesn't pay squat. The money has to be filtered down appropriately, not just heavy on one position. Side pots and brackets are always good. I've bowled tournaments that a portion of the entry fee put you into the side pots (it was like a buck a game for every bowler, hi game took all). I am one that when I find a tournament that I am going to bowl, I send emails so I can make copies of the flyers and take them with me to every house that I go to. I am new to the area and don't know many people, but I try to pass the word along to every place that I bowl at.

[Erik Lee]

Good morning Michelle,

I hope that you are keeping warm in the Windy City? Some of us in the Indy area were thinking about running a doubles tournament for the ladies, which is quite interesting to hear of you mention that. Any ideas on what you would like to see in the tournament?

Michelle Bowden said:

Scratch or ladies double scratch--depending on the amount on how far I will travel

[Megan Kimbler]

Up north, our center ran a monthly true pba pattern scratch singles tournament. Top prize was 750, last to cash was 100, entry fee was 70. They also ran a sanctioned sport shot tournament, again top prize was 750, low to cash was 50, entry fee was 50. Both tournaments were just total pin fall for all games bowled with cuts. Average entry field was about 30-40 bowlers. The local proshops, local businesses and Pepsi were the sponsors. I also bowled ladies events through the pba--lately just the ladies and legends. I found a tournament in Anniston, AL in november that was a "sport" pattern, top prize was 1000, low to cash was 100, paying the top 16 with almost 100 bowlers. Entry was 80. I don't know who they had for sponsors...Down here, I really haven't found many tournaments that play and pay like up north. No casinos, no beer companies, no soda companies, no proshops, no anything on the sponsors really (exluding realbowlers). I have a head full of ideas, willing to go promote and ask people to sponsor, but don't really know anybody down here...Oh, the quad cities in Iowa ran a monthly like realbowlers, but they had a casino backing all the money for prizes.

Erik Lee said:

Good morning Megan,

That is all good that we can get a whole lot for nothing, but in this day and time it is hard to come up with sponors to guarantee the money, so in order to make the prize pot better you must have the bowlers. I understand bowling on tougher compitition is very rewarding when you shoot a score vs. bowling on easy conditions. What are some of the tournaments that you bowl in?

Megan Kimbler said:

I will not really participate in a bowling tournament unless it is scratch and on some sort of "sport" pattern. With house shots, it is whoever can carry the best that day or weekend and if the pin gods are not with you, then you are screwed. Women are not afraid to bowl each other, it is due to poor promotion of women's tournaments. Most women will go to any tournament, as long as they know about it. Personally, I will travel pretty much anywhere but I do not enjoy dropping a hundred a night on a hotel room, so one day tournaments are better for me. I like to see that the money is GUARENTEED, not based on so many entries in the fine print at the bottom of the page to make that first place money. But, again, you run into problems of first is a grand and then the rest doesn't pay squat. The money has to be filtered down appropriately, not just heavy on one position. Side pots and brackets are always good. I've bowled tournaments that a portion of the entry fee put you into the side pots (it was like a buck a game for every bowler, hi game took all). I am one that when I find a tournament that I am going to bowl, I send emails so I can make copies of the flyers and take them with me to every house that I go to. I am new to the area and don't know many people, but I try to pass the word along to every place that I bowl at.

[Erik Lee]

Megan,

When you get a chance take a look at the following website: www.tnbainc.org, and you will find regional and national tournaments.