After reading an article in the Tuesday, Sept 1 WSJ entitled, OLDER, WISER, SLOWER by Kevin Helliker online.wsj.com/SB100014240529702 … 45730.html ), I received an email from a person who had read my latest and took exception, calling me a “Nattering nabob of negativism!” Shades of Spiro Agnew…At least he did not call me a ‘pusillanimous pussyfooter’. To that I may have taken exception!
Since I have been challenged to produce a better US Senior, here goes…If I had the means I would hold a US Senior in a venue close to an extended stay hotel. It comes equipped with a full kitchen. There is one within a short walk of the hotel where the Southern Open has been held in recent years. One can stay at an extended stay for a week for the same price one will pay for two days at a hotel.
The tournament would begin on a Monday, with players arriving and getting ensconced Sunday. The rounds would begin at ten am, with a time control of 40/2, followed by an additional hour AND with thirty seconds added only in the secondary time control. There would be only one game per day, as two per day for a Senior is one too many! Games would be played each day thru Saturday, with an awards ceremony and banquet Saturday evening. Players could leave Sunday to return home.
I would do ‘whatever it takes’ to find sponsorship. There are a great many companies catering to the ‘baby-boomers’ who would be willing to sponsor something as worthy as the US Senior Championship! There would, therefore, be no entry-fee for the players.
I would pay Harry Sabine to direct the event for obvious reasons!
wsj.com now says the article at the link is unavailable.
They may have moved it over to the subscriber-only area, it does come up there when I search on ‘older wiser’.
I, too, like the longer time controls and like your overall idea. Assuming I now qualify (a sobering thought, but I think I do), and that the travel would be affordable for me, I would try to participate. 
I’d be OK with either 1 or 2 games a day - maybe alternating between the two - but not more.
However I don’t know about that ‘getting ensconced’. I didn’t research it, but it just sounds painful. 
Sponsored by Depends so that no player ever has to leave the board!
That would be really helpful int he K-1 section at national scholastics for sure.
Yes, an Orlando-area site would be within a one-day drive for me, whereas Boca Raton (site of the 2010 Senior Open) would take me two days. Orlando Airport is also served by many airlines, with Southwest Airlines holding a major presence. An extended stay hotel sounds like a reasonable idea as well, vs. the 2010 Senior Open’s $122 block room rate.
Time controls/Format:
(1) I wouldn’t mind playing two rounds a day for one or two days of the tournament (reduces the hotel expense, as well as the number of days away from work). Perhaps the tournament could offer the players a choice of at least two playing schedules?
(2) For the one round/day schedule, what time would the round be held? The current CCA online survey has this as one of its questions. An advantage to holding it in the evening (say 6:00PM or 7:00PM) is that players (w/ their family) could visit the Orlando-area attractions during the day. On the other hand, there are seniors who prefer to be asleep well before midnight.
A nattering nabob of negativism, Never!
A Paragon of Preciseness, no doubt! 