GolfStinks

A Golf Blog for the Rest of Us!

Do You Pay To Attend A Golf Tournament?

| By | 2 Comments

Travelers Championship (photo by Bröder Media Group on Flickr, CC BY 2.0)

This weekend I attended the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands for probably the fourth or fifth time.  And for the fourth or fifth time, I attended without forking over any money.  As a matter of fact, so did a few other co-workers as well as some of my company’s clients.  So that got me to wondering, how many people who attend golf tournaments actually pay to get in?

I would imagine that I’m somewhat in the minority.  But when I know I never paid to attend, the people I brought with me also didn’t pay to attend and, honestly, I can’t think of a single friend or family member who has ever paid to attend, then the minority probably isn’t so minor.  So for a golf tournament, is the gate more of an afterthought?  Now I have no idea how a tournament actually runs, but I would think with sponsorship money, then yes, it probably is.  I would imagine the gate is almost like a bonus.

Now I came across the tickets because the company I work for provides the tournament with some items they use in their off-the-course events and tents.  We give them a pretty hefty discount, and in exchange we get tickets and parking passes.  But the tournament is still paying us a good amount of money AND giving tickets away, not really “making” money.  In total, the tickets I received along with a parking pass, were valued at roughly $235.  Now I understand this isn’t The Masters, but still….that’s not exactly chump change.  And I was only one of several people in or associated with my company to receive tickets and parking passes.  I’m sure other companies do significantly more work with the tournament than mine does, so I would think they receive more tickets and passes than my company as well.  So considering all of the money that goes into everything surrounding the tournament, not too mention the $6.5 million dollar purse, how can they afford to let all these people in for free?

Well, maybe they don’t care about the gate.  Maybe they just want people there walking the course.  Maybe they just want the crowds to look good on TV and they’re willing to sacrifice the gate to make everything else look nice.  I understand that because I think about myself.  I love playing golf, but I’m not much of a fan of watching golf.  So chances are slim that I’m going to pay to watch it.  And when you consider it’s going to cost me a minimum of $39 to get in the door before you factor in parking, food and drinks, the chances drop to almost zero.  And double the ticket price if I want to get into a sponsors club!  Now compared to some larger tournaments, this may not seem like much.  But again, for someone who doesn’t watch golf to begin with, that’s no small amount.

But there’s one aspect where I’m going to give a lot of credit to the Travelers.  I’m not sure how many other tournaments do this, but they let all kids, 15 and under, in for free.  I like this for two reasons – 1. When most places have a “kids free” thing going on, it’s 12 and under.  So they’re extending this by three years.  2.  Allowing kids in for free is more motivation to bring your kids along and expose them further to the game.  In order to keep this great game alive well into the future, we need to keep the kids interested.  And if you can do it for free, then you have no excuse not too.

Swing ’til you’re happy!

Golfers Dressing the Part

| By | 2 Comments

This weekend, the PGA Tour passed through Connecticut with a stop at TPC River Highlands for the Travelers Championship. Through a connection at my job (not my wife’s for a change!) I was able to grab a couple of passes. So I took one of my boys and gave him his first taste of professional golf.

We spent a few hours wandering the course on Sunday, stopped at some greens, sat at a few tees and watched from the fairway sidelines. But all along, I couldn’t help but notice something other than the golfers and their shots.

I noticed, and found it strange, that it seemed like so many of the people there to watch the tournament looked like they were about to step out on the course at any second! I mean, I don’t think I’ve seen so many shorts (yes, I know the pros don’t wear shorts) and polo’s since the last time I walked into Golfsmith! Now I understand that a golf outfit, for many, is no different than their everyday wears. But I still found it to be almost comical. I swear I even heard the clicking of spikes a few times!

I began to try and equate it to other sports. I thought of the last time I went to a baseball game. I don’t recall anyone dressed in full baseball garb. Of course you see team jerseys spread throughout the crowd, but that’s about as close as it comes. I also stopped to remember the last basketball game I attended. Same thing…a few jerseys sprinkled throughout the crowd, but nothing more. But at a golf tournament, any one of these guys could have walked down the fairway, and no one would have known the difference! But thinking even further, I begin to recall my trip to the CT Golf Expo where I witnessed the same thing!

But anyway, what I also found to be quite interesting was the difference in the dress of these golf fans. Looking at the older crowd, I noticed more of the classic golf look – plain, khaki shorts and classic, or old-school, polo shirts. But looking at the younger guys, I see more of a casual style – cargo or plaid shorts with an untucked polo. Of course, there’s always that group of the younger guys who look like mannequins that just stepped out of some combination of GQ Magazine and a pro shop. Those guys kill me. They look like they couldn’t possibly be more uncomfortable…and they’re just watching!

So what is it about golfers? Why do golfers dress the part when they’re just there to watch other golfers? Worse yet, why do golfers do this when they are just wandering through countless demos and product booths? Are they just trying to show everyone that they are golfers? Is that like doctors wearing their white coats to to a conference about the latest advances in brain tumor treatments? Or carpenters dressing like they’re on the job each time they walk into Home Depot?

I don’t know, maybe these things do happen and I’ve just never paid attention before. But, I guess as long as people are playing the game and paying some attention to it, then what does it matter how they’re dressed?

Swing ’til you’re happy!

Public Golf vs. Private Club: Familiarity or Variety?

| By | 5 Comments

Public golf course or private country club – which is better? It’s a debate that will continue on as long as the game of golf does. Unfortunately, it’s a rare occasion that your average weekend hack gets the opportunity to add a few divots to some exclusive private track. However, I was lucky enough to be given this chance and I can now offer my humble opinion. Right off the bat I can tell you, the country club life ain’t for everyone.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve played the very private TPC River Highlands (home of the Travelers Championship) right here in my home state of Connecticut, and it was downright amazing. The course itself was challenging, but not overbearing. The condition and maintenance of the course was exceptional and the staff was courteous and professional. All-in-all, this may have been the nicest course I’ve played up to this point. But, there’s more to this debate than just the course itself.

Some of the many fine points about TPC are rivaled by several public courses throughout the state at a fraction of the cost. At the time I played TPC, not only did I have to be invited by a member, but I had to shell out $180 to play. Other than Lake of Isles (ranked #85 on Golf Magazine’s Top 100 You Can Play for 2008) this would rank as the costliest course in the state. Not to mention the necessary membership fee, which at last check started at $13,500 per year and could reach as high as $36,000! Many courses throughout the state, and all of New England for that matter, feature beautiful scenery – something TPC was lacking a bit. Most courses have friendly and helpful staffs. Also, all of the upscale public courses throughout the state (99 out of 100 times) are well-maintained.

Further, there’s the stereotype of the typical private course golfer. You know the one – nose-in-the-air, can’t understand how or why you would want to play a public course…they have the “it’s private so it must be better” attitude. It is just a stereotype and I would imagine most private course members do not reflect this, but there was a guy like that in my foursome at TPC. In my experience both on-and-off the links, the private course member seems to take his game a little too serious – almost as if it’s a job. Whereas a typical public course player is more about the fun of the game and the camaraderie that goes along with it. Again, these are only stereotypes and to each his own, but I’m out there to have a good time.

In my own opinion, spending the money to play a beautiful private course is worth it…one time – if you’re invited or playing in a tournament there, go for it. But ultimately, I prefer variety. I guess I could understand if all your friends were members – but I would still want to travel around to various courses and experience the differences each has to offer. It seems to me playing a different course week-to-week adds something more to the game, rather than playing at the same place time and again. I’m not sure about you, but in today’s economy, I would feel committed to only playing on that one course if I were shelling out the monetary equivalent of a small car every year. And I’m a man…stereotypically I’m not supposed to be good with commitment.

Questions / Advertise

info@golfstinks.com

Disclaimers

See here

Privacy Policy

See here