Why Should I Join This Club?
A week or so ago someone posted a question on our Facebook page: “why should I join this club?” Great question! Off the top of my head, the answer would be “because you like disc golf”, but that’s really not a good answer. You can like disc golf but not have any need or interest in joining a local club. This question deserved a little more thought. So I put aside the mapping project that was driving me crazy for a few minutes and came up with some better answers. Here’s what I replied with:
Here are a few reasons why you should join this club:
1. To help get more courses in San Diego – the club has provided funding and labor to help put in several courses in the past 5 years.
2. You want more PDGA tournaments – the club has run or supported numerous PDGA events at Goat Hill, Brengle Terrace, Sun Valley, Sycuan, Kit Carson and CSUSM.
3. You like less competitive charity tournaments – each year club members run Ice Bowl tournaments to raise money for local food banks and Ace Races to raise funds for EDGE.
4. You want to see more kids play disc golf – funds from the Ace Races and other events have been donated to Educational Disc Golf Experience, who has (or will soon) put discs and portable baskets in schools or youth programs in San Marcos, Escondido, Vista and Cardiff.
5. To get one of our cool club-logo discs.
6. To get some of the prizes that disc manufacturers give the club because of our large disc orders.
7. You want to participate in the bag tag competition, searching for the elusive black tags.
8. You want to be part of the North vs. South Team Challenge, playing match play on 4 of our local courses, just for bragging rights.
9. You want to support the club’s efforts to improve our local courses – we handle maintenance at Kit Carson, Montiel and Brengle Terrace, and do a bit of grunt work at Sun Valley, too.
10. You want to be part of one of the largest non-profit disc golf clubs in the U.S., and share your talents and enthusiasm to grow and improve the sport in San Diego County.
Not everyone wants the same things out of a club, but there’s a lot to choose from with the SD Aces.
San Diego Aces Disc Golf Club 
You guys never keep to your promises. Brengale…..it took months for it to re-open 13-18… Because no one wanted to volunteer? You guys make 20$ a pop and don’t have enough for a crew to come In and finish it? I met the pres. At the ace race. Told me all the plans and contractor were ready to go for montiel the 1st of sep…..it’s been three weeks already. Where does the money go? To the same 5 ppl running the aces? That’s alot of pocket change. Wouldn’t doubt if u delet my exploitation
Hi Anon,
Thank you for your questions. It’s always nice to have an opportunity to set the record straight.
I respectfully disagree with your statement that the Aces don’t keep promises. The Aces had very little control over the delays in re-installing the baskets at Brengle Terrace. The City of Vista’s construction project required closing several holes while work crews were present. The Aces had no choice in the location of the closures or the timing, but we were in communication with the Parks Department throughout the process. Once the city decided that the old holes 14 and 15 were no longer available for use, we met with the City and Kinetic Disc Golf to get new holes approved and installed. And no, the $20 membership dues we collect cannot be used to hire a work crew – our work is done by volunteers.
As for Montiel Park, what I told you at the Ace Race was the situation at the time of the event (August 10, 2013). In between that time and September 1st the City of San Marcos had internal contract issues that caused a delay in beginning the Montiel Park remodel project. The Aces have no control over the schedule of this $300,000+ construction project. Do you somehow think we should?
And where does the money go? Most of your $20 membership dues goes to pay for the membership disc ($10 for manufacture, custom printing and shipping) and bag tag (about $3 each for manufacture, custom stamp and shipping). Another big expenditure we have each year is insurance – about $1,600 per year. Insurance was required before we could install the Brengle Terrace course, and is used to cover liability for our work parties and other events. We also spend several hundred dollars per year for course maintenance and enhancement projects. Granted, Brengle Terrace has cost us several thousand dollars in 2012-2013, but usually our repair budget is about $500-600. There are other expenditures from time to time such as tee sign sponsorships at tournaments and food for the member BBQs we hold, but generally our goal is to save money so we will be able to afford to purchase baskets for another local course, just as we purchased the old Emerald Isle baskets which are now at Brengle Terrace.
No, “the money” doesn’t go to the board members. We pay for our memberships just like everyone else and paid for the Aces shirts we wear (which will be available for members in 2014). We aren’t paid for the time we spend at board meetings or meetings with city staff or the time we spend organizing and running Aces events. We do it because we love the sport of disc golf.
More questions? Happy to answer them. And I’ll put my name on my statements.
Thanks!
Allen Risley
President
San Diego Aces Disc Golf Association