Or you just make it mandatory route...
J
It's not simple. To have a point, a secret control needs to be quite late in the ride... if it's too early, then riders will just shortcut from there. If it's late, then you need someone to stay in one spot for hours, which is a joyless task, let's face it.
If you just threaten but then don't actually have a secret control, you are just creating problems down the line and for other organisers
You also need enough volunteers, very few of the other Scottish rides I did this year had organizers anywhere other than the HQ.
Tour of East Lothian had club members at each control, including the top of the redstane ride
The organizers of Hellfire Corner and NCC600 was able to work the controls with 2 control teams. (I didn't ride either)
Bairn Again was able to provide 1 manned intermediate control on the Auld Alliance, and that was him...
Argyll Alps, thanks to the layout of the roads on Cowl, the organizer was able to get to the top of the Rest and Be Thankfull before any riders got there, wait for the stragglers to get to the top and blast along to the Ballochindrain, by the time the last riders were through there he needed to hot foot it back to the ferry.
In some areas to have full manning of controls and secrets, you'd have a bigger Helpers ride than actual ride.