Why not? The Memorial does it. USDGC does it (unless they change it to make the course tougher), Hambrick, Des Moines, AM NATS, Steady Ed, Beaver State, The Majestic, Almost all of the NT stops are the same course each year, with pin placements in the same place. So why not us?
Certainly there is flexibility, but for the most part the courses on the NT stay the same with a tweak here and there from time to time, which is usually always done to make the course harder, so why not? What do we lose by stream lining what we have? If we really want to make the Wide Open the biggest and baddest, why not make it a three or four day tournament and include all the PRO level courses in the area? (WW, Swope, Rose, BV, Cliff, and maybe one or two of the Smithville courses) What would the pros think if they saw the size and scope of this tournament as a monster each and every year? Why not be the toughest yearly tournament to win? A marathon of disc golf on awesome courses. I think that would set us apart.
The Memorial doesn't really have any other options for courses, and the Arizona courses aren't really all that great. The Memorial has a few of big advantages:
1. It's the first big NT event of the year, and they've been lucky to stay scheduled that way.
2. They are in sunny Arizona. The weather isn't much better anywhere else in the country in early March.
3. They get serious support from Discraft.
4. While Vista del Camino isn't really a fantastic course, the venue isn't bad because it has Duke's on the 12th hole...it's a nice venue close to the course.
5. Host hotel has been across the street. Not sure if they are still using that place or not.
Des Moines uses all 5 of their big courses. Columbus (Hambrick) doesn't have any better courses, and although I haven't played Hoover Dam since 1992, I imagine some of those tighter routes on the original back 9 have closed up quite a bit.
We haven't really strayed all that much. At least 2 of Rosey, Swope, and Water Works have been used for Wide Opens as long as I remember.
I can't speak for Portland. Never been there.
I think the 3-day format works well.
We have variety, and many, many good courses. People here don't realize just HOW good we have it. I like that we have options.
And really, no matter what the format, if you put on a fun, quality event with decent value for all, people will come.