Universal Disc Golf Season Pass
Information for Course Managers
01/15/2015
Contact us by using the form to the right.
The Basic Agreement
Eligibility
Selected disc golf courses that charge admission of at least $3 per day and accept these terms. ("You")
Rights
You may sell the 2015 Universal Disc Golf Monthly Pass ("Pass" or "UDGMP") and keep the revenue from the sale.
You may use the Trademarked phrase "Universal Disc Golf Monthly Pass" for promoting your course.
Obligations
From January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015, you will waive the admission fee for every Universal Disc Golf Monthly Pass Holder ("Holder") when the Holder presents an unexpired Pass with a legible name matching a photo ID.
You will buy the blank Universal Disc Golf Monthly Pass passes from the Administrator.
You will allow your course to be listed in any and all lists of participants in the Universal Disc Golf Monthly Pass.
You will post a notice that you accept the Pass and the notice must be clearly visible where admissions are paid. You will train all personnel that enforce admission policies to accept the Universal Disc Golf Monthly Pass.
You will not impose additional restrictions on players using the pass, other than restrictions that are also imposed on fee-paying customers.
Questions and Answers
Who is doing this?
Steve West Disc Golf, LLC is the administrator.
What's the driving force behind this?
To improve disc golf course revenue with minimal impact on the distribution of the revenue among courses. Here is how:
The universal truth – that offering passes in multi-course packages maximizes revenue - is recognized by almost everyone who runs multiple courses. That is the reason they offer one pass which is valid at all their courses. The Universal Disc Golf Monthly Pass takes it up to the next level of revenue maximization.
A monthly pass seems to offer the best perceived value for disc golfers who generally have limited budgets and have constraints on planning their time far in advance. Yet, for a single course the market value of a monthly pass would be too close to the price of the annual pass or too low to be worth the effort to sell it. The UDGMP gives courses an easy way to offer a monthly pass with enough perceived extra value to support a high enough price point to make the offering worthwhile.
It is expected the UDGMP will be purchased primarily at each player’s favorite course. Therefore, no post-sale sharing of revenue is needed to keep it fair.
How much will the Pass cost?
The price to players of the UDGMP will be $24.
What do players get when they buy the pass?
Unlimited free admissions to every participating course during the month for which the pass is valid.
Can a course still offer its own daily or season passes?
Yes.
What is the process for selling a pass?
Simply collect the price of the pass as you would for a disc or beverage.
What is the process for honoring the pass if the pass has already been filled in?
(For example, if they bought the pass somewhere else.)
Check that the name on the pass is the name of the person using the pass. Also, check that the current date is on or after the Valid date and on or before the thru date. If both check out, you must grant free admission.
What is the process of honoring the pass if the name or the dates are blank?
(For example, if they just bought the pass.)
Fill in the name and dates before granting free admission. Ask for a photo ID and fill in the name. Write the current date in the Valid blank, and the same day of next month on the thru blank.
Example: Valid 05/03 thru 06/03.
Use leading zeros so the dates cannot be modified. We recommend using the Sharpie Industrial Extra Fine pen.
After you fill in the name and date, the pass is valid and you must grant free admission.
If the name doesn’t match, or the pass has expired, or either is not filled in, or the thru date is more than a month and a day after the Valid date, you do not need to grant free admission.
Can a course credit non-expired admissions toward the purchase of the UDGMP?
Yes, and you are strongly encouraged to do so.
Most commonly, you would be giving credit for a one-day admission fee when a player decides to purchase the Pass after paying for admission.
For longer-term passes, you may give credit for the portion which covers the same time period as the monthly pass.
You may not give credit for any portion of pre-paid admissions that extends beyond the expiration date of the UDGMP being sold.
You may give credit for unexpired admissions from any participating course, not just your own.
A player who has a regular pass from a participating course has already purchased part of what the UDGMP offers. Therefore, it only seems fair to not pay for the same thing twice.
Each course may decide whether or not to take advantage of the benefits of giving credit for unexpired paid admissions.
From the course’s point of view, by giving such credit you remove any reason for a player to be hesitant about buying your own regular admission or pass.
Where will players buy the Pass?
You may sell the Passes wherever you sell your own passes or admissions.
This way, disc golfers will likely buy the UDGMP from the same course they usually play.
Can a course sell blank Passes?
Yes. They make great gifts or players pack items.
Until the player's name is put on the pass, the Pass is transferable.
Until the Valid thru dates are put on the pass, the "clock" doesn't start on the month.
Can a course honor the pass without selling any passes?
Yes. And, you can be listed as a Participating Course.
Can a course honor a Pass that may be questionable, or accommodate a customer for other reasons?
The course may follow its own policy about waiving an admission fee.
Similarly, if a frequent player is well-known to staff, you wouldn’t always need to check the ID.
Can a course use the UDGMP as its only more-than-daily pass?
Yes. The pass should still be sold at the full price, as it will be honored at the other participating courses.
What if a course's regular pass offers more rights in addition to unlimited admission?
The only right you are obligated to give a UDGMP holder is to waive the admission fee to play disc golf.
You may choose to reserve other rights for just your own pass holders.
Can the pass be sold for longer periods than a month at an increased price?
No.
Why not?
There is likely to be little demand for this. The extra complication of allowing (and pricing) extended periods may cause more trouble than it is worth.
Limiting the passes to a just one month gives courses with later opening dates a fair shot at the second, third, etc. sales to a player in a year.
Also, by keeping the value of the passes limited to one month, the incentive for fraud or theft is reduced.
Can a course participate without making any agreement with any other courses?
Yes. The deal is between your course, the Holders, and the administrator.
Can a course keep its sales information secret?
Yes. Whoever sells the UDGMP keeps all the revenue from the sale. There is no requirement for you to share your sales or usage figures, or any other information.
The administrator may announce the total number of passes available.
Can a course get out of the deal?
Any course can stop selling the UDGMP at any time. However, each participating course must honor the UDGMP through December 2015.
How will the agreement be enforced?
Courses that receive blank passes will also be listed as honoring the pass. The list will appear on a website referenced on the pass itself.
If a course refuses to accept the UDGMP after receiving blank passes, the snubbed disc golfers would have negative feelings toward that course. They may give your course negative reviews, or take other action.
The administrator may chose not to send more passes to any course for any reason.
If it all goes to pieces, everything expires at the end of December 2015 so there will be no need to pursue extreme measures.
Will the Pass be offered in future years?
The administrator intends to offer the Pass in future years. However, nothing is promised beyond the end of December 2015.
What about security?
You will play a role in this, by training your employees to look carefully at the pass when it is presented, to check the dates, and to check the name against a photo ID.
You will treat the unsold passes just as you would any valuable items of inventory.
The passes have no cash value. The most anyone could get is one free admission at a time.
Anyone who would try to use a stolen or fake pass would face the daunting prospect of presenting a photo ID every time they commit a crime trying to save a few dollars.
After the name is put on the pass, it won't be valid if it is sold or lent to anyone else.
Use a Sharpie Industrial Extra Fine pen to write the name and the Valid thru dates.
The administrator may reserve up to twelve Passes for the purpose of verifying compliance.
The issuing course for each pass can be determined by the administrator from the serial number of the pass.
Other measures designed to keep the passes secure from unscrupulous disc golf courses will, understandably, remain secret.
What if a course gets inundated with disc golfers who purchased the Pass at other courses?
It is true that you can expect to see some players visiting from other courses who use the UDGMP and would have otherwise paid for admission.
You will also see other players who would never have paid your admission, and only came to your course because they have the UDGMP.
Any player with the Pass will likely bring some friends who will need to buy admissions or more UDGMPs.
But, many of your regular players will pay you more for the UDGMP. In total, there should be more revenue for all.
How many courses need to sign on before it's a "go"?
At least enough to make it worthwhile in the opinion of the administrator.
Is this open to disc golf courses everywhere in the United States?
Yes. It's called "Universal" for a reason. The more courses that join, the more value there is to everyone. With over 400 pay-to-play courses in the United States, it could be huge.
The perceived value (to the disc golfers) of adding far-away courses is more than the revenue you might forgo from allowing far-way players to play for "free". So, the more courses that join, the more value to each participating course.
For 2015, invitations will only go out to selected courses in MN and WI. However, other courses that want to join will be considered.
What about courses where the admission to the disc golf course is part of a larger package - like state or county parks, campgrounds, resorts, or amusement parks?
If there is a separate admission fee of at least $3 to play the disc golf course, then that course could participate.
Disc golf courses where there is no separate charge for playing disc golf cannot participate at this time.
What about tournaments and special events where the admission fee is built-in to the entry fee?
If the entry fee is higher for those without regular passes, you are charging an admission fee. Therefore, you must waive that fee for UDGMP holders.
Why require a photo ID and name?
The photo ID and name prevent the sharing of one pass among many players.
Can a course collect information about Holders when they use the Pass?
You may only collect the same information that you get from your fee-paying customers. Requiring more information would be an additional restriction on using the pass, which is not allowed.
Can a course limit the days or hours when the Pass is Honored?
Yes, but the Pass must be honored anytime the course would allow admission to fee-paying customers.
Can a course collect information about Holders when they buy the Pass?
Certainly. In fact, you may wish to keep track of purchasers by name, serial number, and expiration date to be able to replace lost or damaged passes or resolve issues.
Is there room to negotiate?
At this point the terms are set for 2015 and any courses who want to join will need to take it or leave it.
Ideas for improvement are always welcome.
How does the administrator make money off of this?
At some point, there will be an annual fee and a per pass charge for courses. However, for 2015, the blank passes will be sold at cost plus the cost of delivery. Also, no annual fee will be charged for 2015.
Steve West Disc Golf, LLC owns the phrases "Universal Disc Golf Monthly Pass", "Universal Disc Golf Season Pass", and "Universal Disc Golf Pass", also the pattern and wording on the passes, and the concepts listed here.
The administrator may sell advertising on the passes, website, posters, or other areas associated with the Pass.
The administrator may come up with other sources of revenue that do not come from pass holders or participating courses.
What is to prevent a proliferation of similar passes?
The goal is to pre-empt any similar pass by making this deal the most course-friendly possible.
How does a course sign up, or get more information?
Use the Contact Us form at the top of the page, or call Steve West at 612-578-1832.
You will be asked to fill out an application to provide essential information including contact information, shipping address, your website, etc.
