$48.88 for USTA Singles!

[Craig Sheppard]

Man, there's a local tournament that is charging $48.88 for a singles tournament. What the heck!!! Has anyone else had to pay this much for a USTA singles event? The most I've ever paid I think is about $35, and I thought that was steep. Are they going to give me a dri-fit polo & shorts and a 3 course meal for participating? What a rip.... I probably won't play it just on cost alone, even though it's close by. I can't believe some of these tournament directors.

[goober]

yeah the costs of tournaments keeps going up. Smaller turnouts are inevitable. I probably will stop playing in them. They are becoming not worth it when you can play in a local league and get 7 matches for the same amount of money.

[burosky]

Maybe it comes with free massage after every match!

[Geezer Guy]

I could kinda see it if it was at an indoor facility, and the format was such that you were guaranteed several matches no matter what. (And if there was prize money or some nice give-aways.)

[Craig Sheppard]

Originally Posted by Geezer Guy

I could kinda see it if it was at an indoor facility, and the format was such that you were guaranteed several matches no matter what. (And if there was prize money or some nice give-aways.)

Yeah, I could see if it were indoor... i don't know what kind of giveaways they have, but it's just a nice outdoor public facility with 30 courts run by the city... so they could even use some courts for the tournament and still have paying customers on the other courts. My gut feeling is they're charging that so they can maintain their elitism.

[kevhen]

It used to be about $15 here but now many tournaments are $19 to $23 for singles. I think the USTA is going to keep pricing itself out of business. Team registration fees for winter leagues are too high.

Grassroots tennis currently pays the bills but for how long? I am dropping out of the USTA when my 5 year membership expires this summer. I plan to play with friends, at the club, and at the local university, and skip the pricier USTA matches.

[racingdad23]

Junior tournaments cost us usually around $18-25. Some though can be as high as $70. Gotta love the one we just went to last month. $35 entry (140 entries total) two days of play 120 miles from home. Won the tournament got a 5" trophy that cost probably $3. Driving back and forth kept the expense low for this one ($200) Oh well I guess its all in fun.

We'd love to play more out of state sectionals but 3 days, motels, transportation, entry fees = $1000 weekend.

I 've had out of state weekends racing for $10,000 to win and my expenses were less than that. So I understand that you have to pay to play. But it seems a little out of line for kids sports.

Its not just tennis but all sports. I know alot of underpriveledged kids that cant even afford to play local baseball. A real shame.

[Mike Danger]

And you know what else sucks on top of it, some of the biggest/most expensive clubs. dont even give out T-shirts. I mean come on, I sign up for three matches, cost me $90, and you dont even have a F$*% shirt?

[Doc Hollidae]

Norcal USTA tournies are usually around 40, give or take a few bucks.

[cghipp]

$48.88 sounds like a Wal-Mart price...

[zapvor]

i dont know...it sounds like a lot to me...is there prize money?

[goober]

Originally Posted by zapvor

i dont know...it sounds like a lot to me...is there prize money?

In NTRP tourneys nope. Occasionally in open tourneys there will be.

[zapvor]

thanks for the reply. i guess its all bragging rights then

[fridrix]

Originally Posted by cghipp

$48.88 sounds like a Wal-Mart price...

Hahaha it does! Good call.

[35ft6]

Dude, way too steep. Doesn't seem like court fees alone could explain it. Seems like somebody wants to get paid very well for their time.

[waves2ya]

Have you flipped through the USTA Eastern sked for 2007 - rarely a tourny w/ less than a $40 fee. And anywhere near metro area, usually $60...

My kid (11) is playing in a lax tourny this summer and fee is $50 - per kid; that's 18 players a team...! What a racket...!

Pays to be organizing - to hell w/ playing...!

[Caswell]

Tournaments in my area (Florida section, district 4) are generally between $35-$40. I've played four, have never gotten a t-shirt.

I've seen some with higher fees, but they're either round robin format or national events.

[tennis-n-sc]

Here in the Upstate, which includes Greenville, Spartanburg, Clemson, and Anderson, the going rate is between $25 -$35 per event. Some give a slight price break if entering two events. All of them have free beer, fruit, gator-ade, bottled water, t-shirts, and generally a nice cook-out, catered luch or sit down dinner in the club banquet hall or dining room. Many are charilty events and the cost of entry fee is deductible. Most tournament directors tell me, including my club's tennis director, that they seldom make a cent, and if the weather doesn't cooperate, can lose money.

[equinox]

What kicks me is all adult graded tournaments don't guarantee 2 matches. For $25 i expect more than 8/9 games guaranted.

Some don't state the exact venues only the general venue area.

They force you to play "best of 2 sets, 3rd set 10pt tb" format even in open grade.

I'm sorry $35 entry fee + $20 player insurance is too much for 2 sets guaranted.

What kind of tournament offers $750 winners and only $250 runners up?

[rommil]

Originally Posted by burosky

Maybe it comes with free massage after every match!

We will wait to hear from Rickson...