$120,000 Australian Open Bowls 2010 !!!!

jimcross

Active Member
It's on NOW apparently!! WOW !!! ----- Oops, it's Bowls, the lawn variety. !! #%@**!!! --Not Tenpin.
Amazing how it seems any and every sport 'cept ours, can manage decent sponsorship.
 
Re: $120.000 Australian Open Bowls 2010 !!!!

TBA Australian Masters is worth a minimum of $100,000 this year.
 
Re: $120.000 Australian Open Bowls 2010 !!!!

TBA Australian Masters is worth a minimum of $100,000 this year.

Hmmm,

should be a good field with every man & his dog invading the masters this year from overseas. And at the expense of how many other tournaments.
 
Re: $120.000 Australian Open Bowls 2010 !!!!

Hmmm,

should be a good field with every man & his dog invading the masters this year from overseas. And at the expense of how many other tournaments.

Don't shoot the messenger. I was merely letting jimcross know that there is one tenpin tournie with big sponsorship.
 
Yes, thanks Brenton. I knew that. It certainly is good ( great)? It is internal sponsorship, though. is it not?
Other sports, certainly in the majority, certainly the higher profile ones, could never support the sponsorships in the multiple millions which exist. Outside sponsorship is what they exist on. I know individual events in tenpin bowling do have outside sponsorship, which the Centres themselves chase up. I've done it myself. But, seriously, it is minor, is it not?

I know you personally do everything you can to lift the sports profile. I'm not looking for an arguement, BUT if we tend to say 'that's it then - that's the way things are", and not question why some sports like the lawn bowls I mentioned seem to do better, then we definately will remain in the rut we're in.
By the way, I watched the womens triples final ( ABC 1 ) in the Aust. Open Bowls that I mentioned, and the skill level demonstrated would have seen each of the finalists, (if one transferred it to tenpin bowling ) bowling at best a 160 average in our sport. Only the commentators made it appear that there was anything worth watching. They must be doing something right, which we're not.
 
A little while ago, I watched the last few holes of the Women's Aust. Golf Open. In common with normal skinflint practice, women's events attract miserable prizefunds as opposed to men's events. Consequently, the total prizemoney was only $600,000
 
Compared to most touraments overseas, the Australasian PGA Tour events pay like crap.

Why do you think most of the guys leave for the US, Euro and these days the Asian tours? The secondary tour is the US pays better than 95% of our events.
 
Jim, I think a big reason for the lawn bowls prize fund (as well as sponsorship obviously and that its televised regardless of skill level as you mentioned) is simply the registration fees. Im pretty sure its around $200 per year and I know of one ex state tenpin player who is now in the lawnies state side and they say that they are fully compensated when the travel interstate. I know our sanction fees have been increased but Im yet to see any effect. Im sure Rob will enlighten me if I have missed something.

Baron
 
As a 'retired' tenpin bowler who also plays competitive lawns bowls, a couple of comments / observations.

For those who haven't tried bowls, I assure you it is a lot more difficult than the common perception. Over the years I have taken several mates to have a crack at social bowls who thought it was going to be easy (and were more than happy boast about how well they were going to go), only to find they could not land more than one or two bowls out of many within 3-4 metres of the jack.

Regarding skill level, rest assured that any player, male or female who is playing off in an Aus Open final is a very good player. I guess it is important to remember that bowls is played in the elements, not something Tenpin has to deal with. Even the best players in bowls are made to look 2nd rate regularly when conditions are tricky (swirling or flukey breezes, intermittent rain etc). This also cant always been seen or understood when watching on TV.

But back to the main topic. Bowls has quite a few advantages over Tenpin when it comes to tournaments, sponsorship and prizefunds.

- Bowls has less overheads than Tenpin
- Tournaments run in Bowls, largely are backed by the Club that is hosting/running the event. In most cases these clubs are a big businesses in their own right (multiple bar and restaurant facilities, along with big revenue from pokies and keno). These clubs have memberships that spread across the whole community - not just limited to bowlers (social member who just use the above facilities and don't bowl). As a result of the above, clubs can afford to 'dip into their own coffers' to kick start a tournament, and invariably local business is happy to get involved through sponsorship, due to the exposure they receive across the whole community.
- Because of the above, entry fee to these events in much less than in Tenpin and covers meals throughout the tournament. (eg: not as reliant on entry fee to bolster the prize fund)
- Bowls tournaments / carnivals while important to the club at a bowls level, are just as much about getting people in the door to spend $$$'s in the clubs bar, restaurants and gaming facilities.

As a result of all of the above, the are plenty (probably over 100) tournaments or carnivals each year across Australia that are worth as much or more than Tenpin's 'major' tournaments (with the exception of this years 'mega' Aus Open which has been discussed).

No answers in the above for how this helps Tenpin, but the structures within the sports are completly different, so its pointless comparing them.
 
Hi Jim
Though $120,000 seems great it is spread over a variety of disciplines.
Remember the following facts:
First you have to qualify ( cost $37.50 per person )to get in to the main draws as in Tennis..If you qualify you don't pay any more.
128 men and women playing singles
64 doubles combos men and women
32 triples combos men and women
Plus an over 60'ssection
This year alone over 450 men trying to qualify for singles.
Mind you it's better than Tenpin entry fees
Also first prize in singles is $18,000 men and women.
Being able to get TV has certainly helped attract outside sponsoship but the competitors are still putting in around $45,000 to the prizefund.

I played in this tournament in 2007 and can recommend for any tenpin bowler to give this sport a try and do it before you get too old because they now have Australian under 18 rep sides.

Regards
Brian King
 
For those who haven't tried bowls, I assure you it is a lot more difficult than the common perception. Over the years I have taken several mates to have a crack at social bowls who thought it was going to be easy (and were more than happy boast about how well they were going to go), only to find they could not land more than one or two bowls out of many within 3-4 metres of the jack.

lmao!

Lets see, you have a few practise shots and you know how far the bowl is turning from each side. You line up a mark at the end of the green (sometimes closer) and then you try and keep a consistent speed on the bowl.

apart from the other bowls being in the way it is almost the same as bowling.
 
lmao!

apart from the other bowls being in the way it is almost the same as bowling.

...except for the fact that the greens don't guide the ball to the jack like today's lane conditions guide bowling balls to the pocket.. and also the fact that bowls don't have super aggressive coverstocks and weight blocks which enhance a bowler's ability to perform. They are not even close to being similar except that they both use round balls....
 
Take it up!!! You'll learn some accuracy and speed control from what ive seen. Can think of a few good young 'uns up my way that could give it a go, itll sort they're ball speed out no worries
 
no they are not but they do the same thing each time you bowl them on the same condition - assuming, like tenpin, that you bowl them the same.

Like I said, same theories as tenpin, just diff equipment.

Adrian says it as well. "You'll learn some accuracy and speed control ". How the hell is that different from tenpin?
 
You can draw a parallel similar to that for most sports (eg: you repeat your shot / technique the same thing happens). Other than that, the sports are completely different, from the skills required, to the equipment and conditions involved.
 
Every sport pays better overseas than it does here.

Except maybe AFL.

Just wait until the Americans develop their own AFL League. Then they will start paying bigger dollars and taking all of the great players overseas. You only have to look at sports like basketball, baseball and NFL.

Most people who are loyal to the clubs are already set up financially.

My dollar fifty's worth

Bigsy...
 
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