If you have a Question or Comment, e-mail us
Only e-mails that are signed will be posted on this page.
Jack McCarthy
Thanks for all you do for the sport...
Jette Bonifacio
Welcome back Woody, your continuous selfless efforts to promote the integrity of scratch bowling in the Chicagoland region would be impactful for the sport and I personally would like to thank you with heartfelt appreciation. Without you I can't imagine how scratch tournaments would be like in the future of our sport. Wish you all the best and I personally nominate myself as a spokesperson, with of course your validation and approval to promote your tournaments to many aspiring and competitive bowlers I have the pleasure of crossing on the lanes and meeting for the love of our sport. Lol. See you soon! Looking forward to becoming one of your Champions in the near future! Lol
Jeff Voght
Hey Woody... I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for running such a great tournament again this year. I've only bowled the last two years, but it's been run great, huge prizes, and I'm always willing to bowl again, even though I didn't do well this year, lol. Thanks again!
John Furey
Hey Woody, Just wanted to say you run a great tournament and I'm glad I was able to bowl this year. Thanks. Have a great summer!
Jack McCarthy
Thank you for your efforts to continue scratch tournaments and fair lane conditions...you were the "original" sport bowling tournaments.
Fabrizio Cerutti
Great tournament. Good weekend. Obviously wish we all could of bowled better from long island. Oh well. Thanks. See ya soon.
Dwayne Hickson
Hello Woody, I wanted to let you know that you ran a great tournament. I appreciate the fact that someone ran a tournament for the bowler. I'm sick of the USBC and PBA. Those organizations do very little to promote bowling. Instead, they milk the sport for all they can and give very little back to the game and it's participants (bowlers). My scores were not indicative of my abilities. However, I will live to fight again. I would like to make just a few suggestions. 1. The house shot sweeper was way too easy for a tournament. 2. I would like to have been warned of the dry conditions on the Saturday night sweeper. Greg and I drove 9 hours and we packed none of our older urethane equipment. We already had 18 reactive resin (useless on limited oil/short oil patterns) bowling balls packed. I'm not sure what my tournament bowling will be in the future. I just wanted to let you know you're efforts were appreciated. Thank You
Paul Gibson
Hi Woody, Even though I bowled like crap, I wanted to let you know that I appreciate a very well run tournament with a demanding shot. As you know, it is hard to find a place to bowl for the kind of money you are offering. Thanks again, really look forward to bowling the Grand Boot Hill in the future.
Jerry Rich
Fairport Harbor, OH
Just wanted to say thank you for hosting a great tournament. However you pulled off that prize fund I do not know, but it is appreciated. Maybe I'll even get a piece of it next time around. Thanks again!!
Greg McMahan
Woody, Just wanted to tell you what a great time we had at the Boot Hill. You can always count on you to do what you say. Its good to have tournament directors like you or amateur tournaments would fold. No bowlers from out of town would travel that distance based on a prize funds based on entries to protect the tournament holder from any risk. You deserve a large turnout and deserve to make some money based on the risk you are taking. Keep it up, bowlers need more tournaments like the Boot Hill. Thanks.
Vince Honeycutt
Thank you Woody, for all you do to keep this game going. Hope to come up for one of your tournaments.
Ralph Nickel
Now Woody, you know better than anyone that it was the God Awful POLITICS that surrounded the game of Bowling in all aspects of the sport from easy house conditions right down to the old PBA setting up the shots for the sponsors favorite Butt-Kisser! And, you are absolutely right; Bowling is no longer a sport, It has become just a thing of the past and all those with dreams and high hopes of making something out of this game got nothing in return but a false sense of something that just APPEARED to be there when it really wasn't. I believe whole heartedly that the ABC was the draw back and the eventual fall down of the sport of Bowling. {Someone had to pay for all those RING giveaways!} Yes, I was one of those with high hopes and if it wasn't for Woody Demma, I would not have lasted anywhere in America on any condition. I have bowled the Boot-Hill/Top-gun Tournaments since the beginning with a few of the other hard core gamers in Chicago and I can Honestly say that your Tournament has produced pound for pound some of the finest bowlers in the country. Even though I really haven't participated like I wanted to have in the last 10 or 15 years or so, I have shown up for a few here and there and everything I expected out of Woody's tournaments still hold true today. The conditions are tough and they are FAIR. I've heard all the complaints from the beginning to the last tournament I bowled and THAT my friends has never changed! So Woody and Lisa, my hats off to the both of you for showing the Bowling world all these years exactly what the Bowling world should have been from the beginning. Enuff Said! P.S I will make the next Tourney even though my AVG has taken a skydive! See if my Heart can take it. LOL
Johnny Pesch
Woody, Thanks to you and your staff for holding such great events! Keep up the good work and I'll od my best to bring you more entries!
Arnie Goldman
Inventor/founder - Perfecta Grip Industries - ( PGI )
Hello Woody... I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for your dedication to the "sport", for (at least) two decades now, that I know of. Most people do not realize how much time and effort are required to stage such events on a regular basis. ...I do. Although I have had much greater monetary success bowling in the other Megabuck associations throughout the years, I am proud to still make the trips to compete in yours in an effort to further support your cause, because I believe that YOU (unlike the others) are doing it out of a love for the game, as opposed to doing it for the money. Above all - that, is what draws me to your events. Your events, give me a reason to continue - to take my mom (& family) to Vegas, where I can enjoy a vacation from the grind of the unethical business environmen prevalent here in Michigan... (all expenses paid!) Some of the others have forgotten the very reasons they were so successful, initially. They have also forgotten the meaning of the word... "Integrity". So far, you Woody - have not. I look forward to making many more future trips with my Mom (who will soon turn 91), largely because of your continued dedication and honesty. Who knows, maybe I'll be even lucky enough to win one - someday! All the best, for the future.
Dan Miller
B.D.S. Bowling Ball Care Products
Hi Guys, Love your approach and your website looks great. Wish you success and a great future.
Jeffrey Butler
I BOWLED YOUR TOURNEY IN VEGAS THIS PAST FEBRUARY AND WOLD LIKE TO BOWL THE GRAND BOOT HILL IN MAY.. I WOULD LIKE YOU TO SEND ME AN ENTRY FORM OR A NUMBER I CAN CALL TO RESERVE A SPOT.. THX P.S THAT WAS A GREAT TOURNEY YOU RAN IN FEBRUARY..KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK
Dino Lunsford
Richmond,VA
Woody, I just bowled the 2006 Grand Boot Hill Open. Great tournament. You guys really do a good job. It's really great to go to a scratch tournament and not have to average 240 to get a check. My only complaint is that I wish you ran some tournaments in my area. Keep me informed on your upcoming events. Thanks.
Chuck
Hey woody, although I didn't make the cut for the second round, I thought this was a great experience for me and it helped bring my ego down a bit after shooting 756 in my house league on Friday then going back to back 160's in the second round of the tourney. Plus I'm going to the ABC's later in March and it's good to get a look at some different shots. Thanks.
Rudy
Hello Woody, From what I saw this past weekend, Sunday, January 23rd, at the Top Gun Tourney, some people were really voicing some complaints about the shot. I wanted to send you a note of appreciation. Every one of the Top Gun Tourneys (Boot Hill too), the shot is challenging, competitive, and it teaches someone to be a better bowler. I know that I have learned alot from your tournaments and even though I have been struggling, it's making me a better and more versatile player. Thank you.
Rudy - Thank you. I think the reason we don't get alot of entries is because Chicago does not have many bowlers like you, who want to improve their game. We use 7 differant patterns and each one is challenging. Thanks again for your support. - Woody
Karen
Hi Woody, I've been looking on the internet for different oil patterns for Gregg to practice on... I'm amazed at how much info is available about bowling! Personally, I think Gregg was appropriately humbled by his experience at the BootHill :-) He left there appreciating the challenge and full of new ideas on how to practice and improve his game...Thanks anyway about the patterns... we'll see you next year!
Karen - First of all I want to thank you for participating. Secondly, I have no way to send the oiling patterns. In fact I left my charts at the bowling center. Tell Gregg they were mostly very flat patterns, just different distances. We hope to see you in the years to come. Now that Gregg knows what to expect I'm sure he'll do better. Most bowlers don't do very well their first year here. They're not use to bowling on demanding conditions.
Thanks again. - Woody
KEVIN (I'M TIRED OF BOWLING ON THE SAME CONDITION) CARTER
HEY WOODY MY NAME IS KEVIN CARTER, I BOWL IN THREE LEAGUES A WEEK ALL IN DIFFERENT BOWLING CENTER, MY AVERAGE IS WELL OVER 200 (WHO'S ISN'T). I TRY TO BOWL ON DIFFERENT OIL PATTERNS, BUT YOU JUST CAN'T FIND A DIFFERENT SHOT, NO MATTER WHAT HOUSE YOU GO TO. I WAS READING SOME OF THE COMMENTS ON YOUR WEBSITE AND ALL THE GUYS ARE RIGHT, THE SHOT IS TO DAMN EASY. I GUESS THE BOWLING CENTERS GIVES EVERYBODY AN EASY SHOT, BECAUSE THE HIGHER YOUR SCORE, THE MORE BOWLING BALLS A COMPANY WILL SELL. OH WELL BACK TO WHAT I WAS E-MAILING YOU FOR. I'M GOING TO ENTER YOUR TOURNAMENT ON DEC 28TH, I WANTED TO KNOW WAS THERE ANYTIME A PERSON CAN PRACTICE ON THE SHOT THAT YOU AND YOUR STAFF PUT OUT THERE. PS IF I CANT PRACTICE ON THE CONDITION THEN I'LL TAKE MAY LUMPS IN THE TOURNAMENT.
Kevin - We have 7 different patterns we use for our tournaments. As you can tell by the scores, none of them are easy. We give you 10 minutes of practice before each tournament. If you want to stay after the tournament, the lanes will be available for open play. If you e-mail me your address I'll send you out flyers for all our up-coming events. Thanks. - Woody
Dan Miller
B.D.S. Bowling Ball Care Products Owner & PBA Member
Hi, I just read your remark about Scratch Bowlers. I think you just encapsulated the problem with bowling as a sport. There are a lot of bowlers holding averages 20 to 30 pins over their ability. Down in Miami, we have the same problem and the sport is dying. I good for you and keep up the good work! Best Regards.
Dan - There are too many young kids today who would rather tell you they shot 780 in their league than shot 640 in a tournament and made 3 or 4 hundred dollars. This is why bowling has become a recreation and is no longer a sport. Bowling in the Olympics, not in our lifetime. - Woody
Thomas Kunath
1/9/2003
Do You Want to Learn How to Really Bowl? Bowling in league one or two nights a week is only a start. Actually it is the start of many things like elevating a bowler's ego and inflating a bowler's average probably 10 to 30 pins. League play will also not lend to the versatility a bowler needs to combat tournament or sport conditions. Most league conditions are setup to be as easy as possible and give bowlers that warm fuzzy feeling inside. Showing up for league play is like a walk in the park, you arrive, see the same things, and experience the same terrain. One thing is for certain, your one or two night a week league bowlers will not be able to compete on tough tournament and sport conditions. Why? Many factors and variables will prevent "Joe Bowler" from success on tough tournament or sport lane conditions. The obvious is bowling equipment. The market is saturated with bowling balls that will do everything a bowler can dream up. But if you don't have the knowledge when to use it or put it away your never going to be more than a league bowler who can only bowl on league conditions. A second important factor is converting your spares. On league conditions you are agitated when leaving the occasional corner pin and it probably doesn't matter what bowling ball you use to convert the spare. On tournament and sport conditions you will throw at more spares and more pins with each spare attempt. Easy enough right? Not on tough lane conditions! Your nonchalant league approach to spare shooting will result in open frames and dramatic pin count loss. The fun is only beginning because you will not be leaving just corner pins. It gets so bad at times that the waitress comes down after your first shot and asks what kind of potato you would like with your half rack. Woody Demma of WDTournaments has always thought tough conditions are important. If "Joe Bowler" wants to learn how to bowl, Boot Hill and Top Gun tournaments are a great training ground. Entries have been down but Demma still guarantees $1000 top prize or more every single tournament no matter what the turnout. Boot Hill Tournaments used to draw an average of 110 bowlers a tournament. If Demma could get those numbers once again, bowlers would be competing for a first place prize of somewhere between $2000 and $3000 per tournament. For the last 15 years Demma has stood by his convictions that lane conditions should be demanding but fair to all bowlers. It has cost him a lot of money to stand behind what he believes bowling was meant to be. Bowling is relatively easy during traditional league play. If you want to learn how to bowl you must learn to bowl on all lane conditions. You must also practice and gain as much knowledge about your equipment as well as equipment available. Bowling league and carrying a big average does not establish that you are a good bowler, it simply means you're a good league bowler. I don't mean to over simplify the game of bowling on any lane condition because once you think you figured it out, here comes that damn waitress again. http://kenoshabowling.com/
Bryan Tyman
Hobart, IN
Woody, Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed the tournament last weekend. I plan on bowling some more, I was just wondering if you use the same pattern for every tournament or do you change it up. Just wondering.
Bryan, Thanks for coming. I have 7 different patterns that I use. They range from 34 feet to 43 feet. All the patterns do have a blend of oil in them,although you'll never find a real easy condition, unless the oiling machine breaks down.lol. Hope to see you soon. - Woody
Rob Gotchall
Lincoln, NE
Hello Mr. Demma, I like the changes that have been made to the tournament. When you send out our entry forms could you please send a few hundred extra as we would like to put them out at all of the tournaments that we bowl from now until memorial day weekend. My goal is to try to have 20 plus bowlers from Nebraska there this year. Look foreward to hearing from you in the near future. Have a good holiday season.
Tom Mitchell
Milwaukee, WI
LOL Being Human is a tough thing sometimes. You do a great job none the less.
Jeff Krzeminski
Aurora, IL
Good news! Hopefully I'll be able to finally make it to a few this year. You are doing this the right way.
Marty Trendel
Chicago, IL
Woody, I hope you're right and the entries get back up there where it used to be, it sure was a lot of fun back then. I see you drew some unique PBA entries to your last Boot Hill. (McNeely???) I hope to participate in some soon, I just need to get all those projects done around the house that I put off all summer to bowl regionals. Gotta keep the peace at home you know. See you soon.
The November 11th Boot Hill Tournament had an entry count of 56 bowlers. This is the largest turnout we've had for a regular Boot Hill Tournament in probably the last six years. For those of you who don't remember, the Boot Hill Tournaments used to draw an average of 110 bowlers a tournament. If somehow we can reach that entry count again, you would be bowling for a first place prize of somewhere between $2000 and $3000 per tournament. This is without a "progressive side pot". For the last 15 years we have stood by our convictions that lane conditions should be demanding but fair to all bowlers. It has cost us a lot of money to stand behind what we believe bowling was meant to be. This year the ABC has finally come out with what they call a sport condition. If they would have done this 15 years ago, maybe the sport wouldn't be in the state it is now.
Paul Gibson
Welcome back Woody, your continuous selfless efforts to promote the integrity of scratch bowling in the Chicagoland region would be impactful for the sport and I personally would like to thank you with heartfelt appreciation. Without you I can't imagine how scratch tournaments would be like in the future of our sport. Wish you all the best and I personally nominate myself as a spokesperson, with of course your validation and approval to promote your tournaments to many aspiring and competitive bowlers I have the pleasure of crossing on the lanes and meeting for the love of our sport. Lol. See you soon!
Mike Kristofik
5/7/2024
Hey Woody, I wanted to reach out and say thank you for all you and Lisa did for these tournaments. If this is really the last one, it’s been a fun ride. I’d say you achieved your goal of making them tough but fair. Grinding out 190-200 was always possible if you could find the right ball and right line to play. And make all your spares of course. Would you be willing to post the lane graphs for the oil patterns you used on the website? I was always curious how you made short patterns with out of bounds to the right. So many of the patterns from previous years seemed to play that way. Anyway thanks again for everything, these tournaments were fun. If you’re ready to hang them up, I’ll be proud to have won the last one.