Let's Fix the 2016 Grand

Let's find a home for the 2016 Grand. This is just a place to park the Grand for a year, maybe two, while a new facility is built. The ATA is wandering in the weeds and can't do this on their own.

I've looked at many ranges, and here's what I think are the strongest options.

Tier 1 Choices (In no order):

Evergreen

Clark County Shooting Complex

Cardinal Center

Tucson

Tier 2 Choices (In no order):

San Antonio

Elysburg

Mason

Iowa

Tier 3 Choices (In No Order):

Wisconsin

Linn Creek


Analysis to follow

 

Analysis:

Tier 1 Facilities are the strongest choices. All are capable of hosting large events, right now, and need only reshuffle their calendars to accommodate the Grand.

Tier 1 Facilities also have the greatest access by Interstate and air and have the greatest availability of dining, shopping and attractions.

Not selecting a Tier 1 location would be a disservice to shooters.

 

Sounds like a worth while project. BUT, no site is worth consideration unless they are willing to hold the Grand. Which of your named locations are willing? Rumor is Linn Creek was approched before the move to Sparta, but declined.

 

How about putting some names of States after the names of the clubs?

 

How about Detroit for the future?
They are slated to raze thousands of homes.
It could generate much needed money and the sound of gunfire probably would not be a problem. Pretty close to everything. Land probably a steal.

Regards.....Gerald

 

Would I need a passport to go there?

 

No, just body armor!

 

Hell yes, Detroit would also offer the option of arriving by a boat also. That should draw more shooters!

 

Looks like Linn Creek should be Tier 1 with its 60 trap fields

 

Certainly, capacity is important, but it's not primary. If capacity were preeminent, Sparta would be greatly supported. I would classify Sparta no higher than a Tier 2 facility.

 

If it ain't broke why fix it? Oh maybe if only those with a 90 or higher average in there class were eligible to participate in the Grand. Make it more of a GRAND. It would put an end to allot of this BS. JMO

 

For some of us that are not familiar with some of these clubs, it would be nice if we knew where some of them are located.

 

The only one centrally located to the rest of the country is Linn Creek.

 

Linn Creek is 37 miles to the nearest Interstate, and 150 miles to the nearest metropolitan area of over 1 million. It's 170 miles to the nearest airport of any size. It's 77 miles to the nearest La Quinta Hotel.

Linn Creek isn't even centrally located in the State of Missouri. Linn Creek might have a more inaccessible location than Sparta.

It's Tier 3, no higher.

And that "centrally located" bit is an absolutely horrible means of siting an event. You need to lose that way of thinking. All "centrally located" does is make something inconvenient for everyone. It's not a smart way of siting something, unless you're a freight terminal.

 

Linn Creek is centrally located for the rest of the country. It has resort areas on the lake giving one many options.

While I like Tucson and it's closer to me than other zone shoots in Texas but its a far distance from NE states just as Iowa and Evergreen are a long way away for all but the NW states.

 

Your mistaken Linn Creek has a large supply of motels, dining, shopping centers, all around the lake, + Country Western Music, a large wedding Cave, shooters have gotten married there.

Plus they can expand trap line.

GB DLS

 

Just where do you think Iowa is located?

 

Based on these criteria, the fact that Tucson, Clark County and San Antonio would be much to hot in August, the only cite that might really qualify under your plan is Cardinal. I disagree that size shouldn't be the primary factor. If you're looking to keep the Grand attendance up, which you're above criteria seems to point to, you'll need to have a facility capable of hosting 1500 plus shooters in a day.

Some of the clubs you've listed could be expanded to hold the Grand but they would need a long term commitment from the ATA to do so.

 

The accommodation Grand doesn't need to be in August. In fact, it should probably be a bit later to allow Illinois and the ATA to have a bit of negotiating time.

No accommodation site needs to host 1500 shooters a day. You're letting your experience constrain your imagination.

 

Smoker have you ever shot a Grand? You need a place that could handle 4000 shooters a day and allow for growth.

Lefty

 

Tucson has warm summer breezes.

 

Linn Creek is my #1 Choice and a Tier #1 choice, it has everything a shooting family needs, very few fly in, and there is an Airport at Linn Creek for Air Shuttle Service, I have seen the Airport, It's right on a main Highway, near a mall.

 

The facility in Sparta has 100+ traps and they have never been needed and or utilized ... The grand could probably be shot on 50 or 60 traps if those running it knew what they were doing ... I looked at the numbers of this just past grand and with that number of shooters there would be no problem what so ever getting it done in daylight ... If the numbers increased by 50% + it could still be done with the co operation of the shooters and still get it done in a timely manner ... Its the responsibility of the shooters to be ready and on time when their squad is on the ready, its needs to be enforced ... The weather is no doubt something that has to be considered as is the time frame of the grand which can or should be subject to change rather than not at all ... There are many options out there, its just getting any of those clubs to commit and the ATA to look at things with more reason and logic applied for the future ... WPT ... (YAC) ...

 

Do very few fly in because the Grand has never been structured as such an event?

Can we break the "camper culture?" Would it be more fun as a fly-in event at Vegas? Too bad Florida doesn't have a long trap line. A big event in December in Florida is an easy winner.

 

Why would San Antonio be a Tier 2?

 

The non-shooter speaks again!

 

San Antonio and Tucson are warm enough.