What level are tournament green fees usually at?

C

Catwalk

New member
I'm trying to host a small 8-player tournament, totalling 5-8h of table time. If it's a hit, it will be a recurring event. The room owner wants to charge us for 7h, that seems steep to me. From my perspective, he's getting a lot of table usage at a time where the tables aren't used much (starting Sunday at 1pm and lasting 2-3h). It would make sense to me to offer a discount, both for sake of making money (I'm not interested in hosting it if it's too costly, and he's not earning anything on the tables not being used) and for sake of promoting the community.

So, in your experience, what do room owners typically charge for table use during tournaments?
 
First off

how many tables will you be using? If it is 4 to start with. I take it is on big tables and not BarBoxes? 8 player tournament should be over in 3 hours.
$10 dollar green fee should be about right, that's $80 for table time, or about $7 an hour for 4 tables (4 x 3hours = 12 hours total) 12 x $7 = $84.
 
Table time is perishable product. Is the room busy, are you scheduling it during prime time, meaning nights and weekends? If not, you may be able to convince the owner to offer free table time and try to make his money from food, drink sales, and associated foot traffic.

Good luck with your tournament.
 
ctyhntr said:
Table time is perishable product. Is the room busy, are you scheduling it during prime time, meaning nights and weekends? If not, you may be able to convince the owner to offer free table time and try to make his money from food, drink sales, and associated foot traffic.

Good luck with your tournament.
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It's scheduled early Sunday afternoon, at a time where there is little table coverage. I didn't ask for free table time, just a reduction on the table rate. I'm disappointed they're not willing to offer any discount at all, and was wondering if this is the norm.
 
When i play at Top Hat Cue Club's Sunday tournament, it's $25 per person. I pay the $25 and can warm up for free from noon till 1pm. At 1pm the tournament starts and runs till about 4-5 pm with ~20 players.

Brian :)
 
where I play the owner offers all day table for $10/person Sundays. PM me if you want the establesment info
 
Catwalk,

The Owner is a businessman. Is table time his main source of revenue, or does he have other avenues of income, such as food/drinks? If you're not familiar with how he makes his money, then you're not going to be able to convince him that your event will bring in more business (more money. That's why he's charging you full table time (his guaranteed profit).

If you want to see further examples of his norm, does he host APA or other leagues. Do they pay green fees to him? Have you shopped around other poolhalls, or bars with tables?

If you never ran a tournament before, approach someone who has, then ask to volunteer to help out to get experience.

Good luck
 
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Most places take out a set amount from the entry for green fees. like say $2 out of a $10 entry.

If he is just going to charge you the normal rates, you should probably look for a different place.
 
From another line of sight

You offering to begin a new tournament should be seen as interesting to the RO. Offering to pay green fees is the right way to aproach the RO. The RO is hedging for some reason. Try to find out what is causing the RO to be reluctant with your approach. I do believe you can make head way on table time fees. Drink and food sometimes cause us to have to add an employee during a time when nornal play is taken care of by the existing staff. Times are difficult for all of us in the business and ROs are left with out as many perks as they use to have. Every cost associated with the room has and continues to rise. Every order made for the most part is more with shipping going out the roof.

One other suggestion is to not take the RO's responses personally. Keep the disscussion in progress and find away for this tournament to be good for all parties involved. ROs want to see their business grow and survive. These are the most difficult times I have seen in my 61 years.

Best of fortune to you and your tournament.
CMB
 
Last time I play at Metro Sports Bar in Phoenix they were $2.00 as the event was held on 9' Tables, now all of Metro's Event are on Bar Boxes with splitting Quarters on Fifty Cent Tables. As I have not been out play on a regular basis in over 3 years, this is all I recall.

I think Green Fees beat the heck out of filling a Bar Box with Quarters only to finish 4th. and way in the RED....
 
I think most poolrooms on the dead times like a Sunday day time would be happy your doing a tournament and probably give free time or a really good rate just to have people there buying food and drink. I am surprised this room is not thinking like that, if there are other rooms just go and check it out, pitch it to them and I am sure it will work out.
 
Catwalk...How much is your entry fee? If it is small ($10) then greens fees should be no more than $2-$3. If you have 4 tables, there's no way that tournament will take even 3 hrs, unless you're playing really long races (7-9). I've run 8-man, DE tournaments on 2 tables (race to 3 winners, race to 2 losers) in 3 hrs. See what kind of business the owner is getting, in terms of food & drink. If it's pretty good, he should be willing to compromise some on table time/greens fees. Good luck with your event(s).

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

Catwalk said:
I'm trying to host a small 8-player tournament, totalling 5-8h of table time. If it's a hit, it will be a recurring event. The room owner wants to charge us for 7h, that seems steep to me. From my perspective, he's getting a lot of table usage at a time where the tables aren't used much (starting Sunday at 1pm and lasting 2-3h). It would make sense to me to offer a discount, both for sake of making money (I'm not interested in hosting it if it's too costly, and he's not earning anything on the tables not being used) and for sake of promoting the community.

So, in your experience, what do room owners typically charge for table use during tournaments?
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Brian...Is that $25 just for greens fees, or does it include the entry fee too?
If so, how much of the $25 is the entry?

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

bhale said:
When i play at Top Hat Cue Club's Sunday tournament, it's $25 per person. I pay the $25 and can warm up for free from noon till 1pm. At 1pm the tournament starts and runs till about 4-5 pm with ~20 players.

Brian :)
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Catwalk said:
So, in your experience, what do room owners typically charge for table use during tournaments?
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Most tournaments here charge nothing for the table time. The point of the tournament is to get alot of pool players into the place on normally slow days so they will buy drinks and food and perhaps play some pool AFTER the tournament which they pay for.

In fact once upon a time when this sport was doing better alot of room owners were adding money to the weekly tournaments, $100-$200 per a week added and ALL of the entry fees were put into the prize pool.
 
Scott Lee said:
Catwalk...How much is your entry fee? If it is small ($10) then greens fees should be no more than $2-$3. If you have 4 tables, there's no way that tournament will take even 3 hrs, unless you're playing really long races (7-9). I've run 8-man, DE tournaments on 2 tables (race to 3 winners, race to 2 losers) in 3 hrs. See what kind of business the owner is getting, in terms of food & drink. If it's pretty good, he should be willing to compromise some on table time/greens fees. Good luck with your event(s).

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
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It's $10 entry fee, and I suggested $3 green fee. To which he (the manager, not the owner) kept responding "We can't just give away table time". Which pissed me off a little, as offering them $24 for time on tables that are not being used is not giving it away, that's profit. I would have respected him more if he'd straight up said they have no interest in supporting the event but will let us play if we want to. Moreover, when I mentioned the idea 2 weeks ago he said to talk to him and he'd help out with tables. Thanks for the responses everybody!
 
I guess we are the privileged few that actually have no table fees 7 days a week from 11am-7pm. Yes there is a revenue stream from food and drink.
We actually get added $ on Sunday Tourneys starting at 16 players.

Thanks to "biggame"
 
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My room

At the Pool room I frequent, they have 5 tournaments between Friday (2), Saturday (2), and Sunday (1). We play on Barboxes, and Joe keeps the tables at .50 cents per game. (cuts down on quarters a lot). He also matches the pot, so they are 200% payback. This is about the best deal I have run across in 50 years of playing as far as tournaments available, entry fee, and payback. All tournaments are $5 entry fee. The tournaments pull in from 8 to 25 players usually.
 
Catwalk said:
It's scheduled early Sunday afternoon, at a time where there is little table coverage. I didn't ask for free table time, just a reduction on the table rate. I'm disappointed they're not willing to offer any discount at all, and was wondering if this is the norm.
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NO its not the norm. Some places I might pay slightly higher green fees if the tables are well kept, a decent menu, good service & clean restrooms.

The norm is closer to $3 per player with a $10 entry but usually its more than 8 players. Here we have a few two day events & the green fees are $10 total.

There's more but the point is if the owner is smart he will cut you some slack. If he relies only on table time & drinks its still a smart move but if there is a kitchen its even better for the owner & the players.

Some owners just don't get it. For those that don't its their loss. No matter where you go though, encourage your players to support the room. On your end have established rules & guidelines & get rid of any hot heads. The owner wants more income - not more problems. As in nip it in the bud.

Rod
 
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