USGA bait and switch with Walker Cup ticket prices

[ed_getka]

Pretty pathetic. I can't wait to hear who they point the fingers at for the bait and switch move on the ticket prices. Reality is that it is the USGA's responsibility and they should be ashamed that it happened. Where is the infamous INTEGRITY the USGA drones on about? Just charge what you want, but don't then tack on a "grounds fee" , taxes, and processing fee. I never would have expected something like this with Mike Davis working for the USGA.

[Mike Sweeney]

Pretty pathetic. I can't wait to hear who they point the fingers at for the bait and switch move on the ticket prices. Reality is that it is the USGA's responsibility and they should be ashamed that it happened. Where is the infamous INTEGRITY the USGA drones on about? Just charge what you want, but don't then tack on a "grounds fee" , taxes, and processing fee. I never would have expected something like this with Mike Davis working for the USGA.

A reasonable rant. The USGA is positioning themselves in a similar manner to lawyers and cell phone companies!

[M. Shea Sweeney]

No admission for PGA members. Not the policy for the US Open and Augusta.

Maybe in an effort to keep the fields low?---understandable. However then why not issue a limited offering per day?

[jeffwarne]

Interesting considering they expect and receive thousands of comp rounds for USGA guests at nearby clubs.

[Jim Nugent]

Ed, can you tell us exactly how much the extra charges were? 

[John Mayhugh]

My Trophy Club ticket for the event was advertised at $250 and ended up being just over $287, about a 15% premium.  Everyone else does that with tickets, it seems, so I didn't think much about it.  The premium for the Trophy Club was really a waste of money for me, but I've no complaints about the total cost.  Exceptional event at an amazing venue.  I just assumed that the USGA was using ticket prices to keep attendance down.

It would have been a nice gesture to have a tent with complimentary ginger snaps, peanut butter, crackers, and cheese spread out around the 10th fairway.  Wouldn't have cost all that much.  I would have paid an additional $5 ticket surcharge for that.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Anyone booked a hotel lately ?

Room taxes, city taxes, misc fees.

A room listed at $ 175 ends up costing $ 225 or more

[David_Tepper]

"I just assumed that the USGA was using ticket prices to keep attendance down."

John M. -

I am curious why you would think the USGA would want to keep attendance down? What purpose would that serve?

Does anyone know what the attendance was for the matches on Saturday & Sunday?

DT

[M. Shea Sweeney]

"I just assumed that the USGA was using ticket prices to keep attendance down."

John M. -

I am curious why you would think the USGA would want to keep attendance down? What purpose would that serve?

Does anyone know what the attendance was for the matches on Saturday & Sunday?

DT

My thought would be because of the lower numbers, in relation to other large golf events, there are less volunteers, less food and beverage options, less bathrooms, hardly any grandstands, and a different tournament strategy in regards to spectator viewing...perfectly understandable when reviewing tournament logistics and developing an attendance strategy.




(Adding to initial rant---)
However, I still would be interested in hearing the USGA's reasoning for not giving tickets to PGA Members. As noted above there is a lot done by the members of the PGA to make the USGA and their guests feel welcomed to the area.

Furthermore the generous volunteers had no idea why a PGA Member would receive a ticket. This is apparently one of the USGA's big time events, don't you think it would be an insult if the ladies and gentlemen connected to the heart of the game didn't support this event?

So with that said--why wouldn't this have been addressed? Meaning shouldn't the "gate keepers" been notified how to handle this?

[David_Tepper]

M. Shea Sweeney -

I find the notion that the USGA would attempt to limit/discourage attendance at one of the premier events in amateur golf perplexing, especially given how much it was enjoyed by the many GCA-ers who attended.  

I attended Saturday of the Walker Cup matches at Royal Aberdeen 2 years ago and the attendance that day was well over 3,000. Did anywhere near that many attend at NGLA this past Saturday?

DT

[Patrick_Mucci]

"I just assumed that the USGA was using ticket prices to keep attendance down."

John M. -

I am curious why you would think the USGA would want to keep attendance down? What purpose would that serve?

Does anyone know what the attendance was for the matches on Saturday & Sunday?

DT

My thought would be because of the lower numbers, in relation to other large golf events, there are less volunteers, less food and beverage options, less bathrooms, hardly any grandstands, and a different tournament strategy in regards to spectator viewing...perfectly understandable when reviewing tournament logistics and developing an attendance strategy.

MSS,

Some former Walker Cup team members commented that it was the best Walker Cup they had seen.

I didn't notice any shortage of facilities nor did I notice any lines of significance.

As far as spectators go, I thought it was a great event and experience as spectators could go almost anywhere except on the greens and tees.

(Adding to initial rant---)
However, I still would be interested in hearing the USGA's reasoning for not giving tickets to PGA Members. As noted above there is a lot done by the members of the PGA to make the USGA and their guests feel welcomed to the area.

I'm not aware of the PGA giving tickets to USGA staff/committee members for PGA Tour events.
Why would you expect the USGA to give tickets to PGA members

Furthermore the generous volunteers had no idea why a PGA Member would receive a ticket.

I can understand that.
Shouldn't a PGA Member have made an inquiry about obtaining credentials.
I ran into a number of PGA Pros at the event.
 
This is apparently one of the USGA's big time events, don't you think it would be an insult if the ladies and gentlemen connected to the heart of the game didn't support this event?

I don't understand the question ?

So with that said--why wouldn't this have been addressed? Meaning shouldn't the "gate keepers" been notified how to handle this?

Isn't that akin to asking a private in the field what the General Staff's battle plan is ?

[Carl Johnson]

Sad to say, but today the advertised price is rarely what you will pay for entertainment.  USGA?  They're businessmen.  (But, the listed movie price at the multiplex is still pretty good, I think.)

[Mike_Young]

No admission for PGA members. Not the policy for the US Open and Augusta.

Maybe in an effort to keep the fields low?---understandable. However then why not issue a limited offering per day?

If not mistaken, Jim Morris the golf professional at NGLA has never been a member of the PGA ......some may find that interesting....

[jeffwarne]

No admission for PGA members. Not the policy for the US Open and Augusta.

Maybe in an effort to keep the fields low?---understandable. However then why not issue a limited offering per day?

If not mistaken, Jim Morris the golf professional at NGLA has never been a member of the PGA ......some may find that interesting....

You're mistaken.
You're thinking of the former person who had the concession-Jim's been there since '98 and IS a professional and PGA member

[Mike_Young]

oops... Jeff...I knew one of the guys there had said he wasn't...

When you coming south..Thanksgiving?

[jeffwarne]

Quote from Patrick Mucci

MS

I'm not aware of the PGA giving tickets to USGA staff/committee members for PGA Tour events.
Why would you expect the USGA to give tickets to PGA members[/size][/color]

[/quote]
[/quote]

Pat,
Every one of the four majors gives tickets to PGA members.
In fact, The Masters is the only event that does not allow a guest for PGA members (understandably).
Given the fact that every local course was expected/asked to donate 60+ USGA comp rounds (at least many did much more)  on a weekend shotgun still in prime season and still reeling from a brutally busy August, you'd think somebody might've thought of it.
Atlantic turned them down.
As you said it was wonderful Walker Cup.
Comping a few PGAers would've gone a long way in the goodwill department, but once you've got $250 million in the bank, why not soak an overworked assistant who just serviced multiple comp rounds.

I personally was given two complimentary tickets by the USGA, so it's not a personal beef.

[ed_getka]

Ed, can you tell us exactly how much the extra charges were? 

Jim,
    My ticket for Sunday started at $75, then they added a $5 grounds fee (whatever that is), approx. 8% tax, and then a service fee of $7.50 so the total came to $94 and change. The more egregious ticket price was for the practice round that was billed as $25, but ended up being about $39. Suppose a middle class family showed up expecting to spend $100 for 4 tickets, but instead was charged $156. That is a substantial difference.

Patrick,
     Everyone knows that you have to ask for the final price when booking a room, booking a flight, renting a car, etc. I expect to pay a processing fee when I buy a ticket (even though nowadays with computer automation there isn't anything to process, no person actually does any work except putting the ticket in an envelope, which of course entitles them to $7.50 for the grueling labor they are subjected to).

[ed_getka]

I was there on Sunday, I had a great time, so none of my issues with the ticket prices affected my enjoyment of the event itself. I knew I would probably never see another event at NGLA in my lifetime so I was coming hell or high water as long as my son was okay. I worked on all day Saturday then drove all night to Long Island, walked 60+ holes, then turned around and drove home. I was up for 45 hours straight and it was worth every minute. But some things are just not right and how the ticket prices were handled is one of them.

[Mike Sweeney]

Anyone booked a hotel lately ?

Room taxes, city taxes, misc fees.

A room listed at $ 175 ends up costing $ 225 or more

Wait a second, are you saying that makes what the USGA did right?

[ed_getka]

My Trophy Club ticket for the event was advertised at $250 and ended up being just over $287, about a 15% premium.  Everyone else does that with tickets, it seems, so I didn't think much about it.  The premium for the Trophy Club was really a waste of money for me, but I've no complaints about the total cost.  Exceptional event at an amazing venue.  I just assumed that the USGA was using ticket prices to keep attendance down.

It would have been a nice gesture to have a tent with complimentary ginger snaps, peanut butter, crackers, and cheese spread out around the 10th fairway.  Wouldn't have cost all that much.  I would have paid an additional $5 ticket surcharge for that.

John,
   Note the premium paid for practice round tickets. Much more than 15%. My point is that they should have just charged the net amount and the attendance wouldn't have changed one iota. Every person that was there was coming anyway.

[Michael Whitaker]

Ed,

Where did you park? Did you you take the shuttle bus to the event?

The USGA could have charged $10-$20 per car for parking, but instead included the parking and shuttle service (which was quite nice) in the cost of the ticket and grounds fee. Seems like a good deal to me.

[ed_getka]

Mike,
    I did use the parking and shuttle which was nice and was stated as being included. My simple point I just prefer to be charged a fixed amount of money, I don't care what that amount is. I think it is BS to then include a grounds fee (I assume that is to reimburse NGLA for all the damage the gallery did to their course, since God knows they can't afford it , then taxes, then a processing fee. I guesss I should be happy they didn't include a security fee, a concession fee, a water fee, and a miscellaneous fee for all they stuff they couldn't think of a name for.
    I am frugal by nature. I find nickel and diming people to be distasteful.

[Mike Sweeney]

Ed,

Where did you park? Did you you take the shuttle bus to the event?

The USGA could have charged $10-$20 per car for parking, but instead included the parking and shuttle service (which was quite nice) in the cost of the ticket and grounds fee. Seems like a good deal to me.

I love you, but stop drinking the not-for-profit BS. I surfed today in Montauk with my Autistic son and 20 professional surfers at Ditch Plains Beach (Google it   ). The parking shuttle was free today as was the event. The professional surfers were paid $0.00. They took out 150+ Autistic kids surfing and have done it for 3 weeks up the East Coast. Tomorrow we surf with "Murph" and his family in Rhode Island, and I am so SICK and TIRED of "not for profits" that abuse the tax system. The USGA is VERY VERY high on that list. Does anyone really think it is a real "not for profit"?

I love golf, alot, but enough already. When the USGA can stand next to Izzy Paskowitz and www.SurfersHealing.org, then and only then should they get 501c-3 status.

And I don't need a lawyer to figure this out, and I probably am a Moron!

[Lou_Duran]

Not a classic bait and switch, Ed.  You got the product you bargained for, you just ASSUMED, incorrectly, that the face price was the same as the total.  I wonder how many of your paying patients- I am ASSUMING that there are still a few of those- go into the hospital thinking that the quoted price of X will be the whole nut and later find that it is not even close.  When I fly into CLT, my rental car has a base price of $400 but I will instead pay $565 after the local govt. tacks on arena and infrastructure development costs, sales tax, etc.  It really sucks.  It would be great if Truth in Pricing was the ethos, but I suspect that this would dampen demand.  

[M. Shea Sweeney]

"I just assumed that the USGA was using ticket prices to keep attendance down."

John M. -

I am curious why you would think the USGA would want to keep attendance down? What purpose would that serve?

Does anyone know what the attendance was for the matches on Saturday & Sunday?

DT

My thought would be because of the lower numbers, in relation to other large golf events, there are less volunteers, less food and beverage options, less bathrooms, hardly any grandstands, and a different tournament strategy in regards to spectator viewing...perfectly understandable when reviewing tournament logistics and developing an attendance strategy.

MSS,

Some former Walker Cup team members commented that it was the best Walker Cup they had seen.

I didn't notice any shortage of facilities nor did I notice any lines of significance.

As far as spectators go, I thought it was a great event and experience as spectators could go almost anywhere except on the greens and tees.

(Adding to initial rant---)
However, I still would be interested in hearing the USGA's reasoning for not giving tickets to PGA Members. As noted above there is a lot done by the members of the PGA to make the USGA and their guests feel welcomed to the area.

I'm not aware of the PGA giving tickets to USGA staff/committee members for PGA Tour events.
Why would you expect the USGA to give tickets to PGA members

Furthermore the generous volunteers had no idea why a PGA Member would receive a ticket.

I can understand that.
Shouldn't a PGA Member have made an inquiry about obtaining credentials.
I ran into a number of PGA Pros at the event.
 
This is apparently one of the USGA's big time events, don't you think it would be an insult if the ladies and gentlemen connected to the heart of the game didn't support this event?

I don't understand the question ?

So with that said--why wouldn't this have been addressed? Meaning shouldn't the "gate keepers" been notified how to handle this?

Isn't that akin to asking a private in the field what the General Staff's battle plan is ?

Mr. Mucci-

Your're right. Great event. The National is one of the best golf courses I have ever played. I was really impressed with the set up.

It was absolutely wrong of me to second guess the General's. They do know best. Why in earth would the USGA offer something nice to the local golf pro's?

Thanks for the insight!