In a world of “spin” and lame excuses the R&A are raising the bar.
This years Open Championship saw a drop in attendance figures, the R&A would have us believe this was down to the Tour De France, the Ashes or the “hot” weather, SERIOUSLY!!!!
When the Open was last held at Muirfield the Saturday was one of the worst weather conditions I have ever seen the Open played in, howling a gale, rain storms, freezing cold, did that make golf fans stay away ? No!
The R&A have reached into the barrel marked “desperate excuses”
Personally I stayed away because morally I could not support an event held at a men only club, but being honest I am in a minority with that stand, but it is a growing minority.
The plain and simple truth is the R&A priced the Open too high in the current fiscal climate.
£75 a day was too high for many.
Remember on top of that you had accommodation, travel expenses, parking and the ludicrously over priced concession stands on the course.
Now many will say £75 is value for money if you are there from the 1st tee shot till the last putt is sunk, if you are a golf addict that’s fair enough.
But lets say you are in Edinburgh, you and your partner fancy nipping down for the day, that’s going to be at least £200 for a few hours.
For the £300 you would have paid for 4 days you could have bought a season ticket for Glasgow Rangers and got £3 change! That’s 18 games of football.
A season ticket for Fulham in the Premier League costs £449, that’s less than £24 a game! A third of the price of an Open ticket!
A decent ticket for the multi award winning Wicked in the London West End will set you back £55, £20 less.
If you had bought tickets for Bruce Springsteen in Leeds they would have cost you £65, that’s right the Boss is £10 cheaper.
So has the R&A lost touch totally with the public??
They bury their heads in the sand on the sexist question of that there’s no doubt.
The players always say they love playing the Open Championship because of the knowledgeable crowds.
This is largely because golfers attend the Open as oppose to sports fans.
In some tournaments poor shots get applause, not at the Open though.
No “mashed potatoes” or “You Da Man” or “get in the hole” from par 5 tee’s!
To watch 12 hours football at Fulham would cost you £189, 12 hours of the Boss would cost you £390.
Also if you took your son or daughter you would be paying for them, unlike the Open if they are under 16.
Think about that for a minute and see if you think £75 is still too dear?
So what can the R&A do to boost sales?
The prices inside the ropes are ridiculously high! At Carnoustie in 2007 I had to pay £2 for a bottle of water, English water at that! A cap on pricing would be welcome.
Car parking is also high at £15, surely including car parking or offering a park & ride would help?
But here is an idea for advance sales, do it via Golf Clubs with a discount if you pay subs to a governing body?
Or how about offering a couples ticket ? Oh hang on, that would mean the R&A recognising women, oops
Do I think £75 is too high? Yes I do, but I think it is reasonable if truth be known.
But I do know 1 thing £75 for a senior citizen is far too high!
This years Open Championship saw a drop in attendance figures, the R&A would have us believe this was down to the Tour De France, the Ashes or the “hot” weather, SERIOUSLY!!!!
When the Open was last held at Muirfield the Saturday was one of the worst weather conditions I have ever seen the Open played in, howling a gale, rain storms, freezing cold, did that make golf fans stay away ? No!
The R&A have reached into the barrel marked “desperate excuses”
Personally I stayed away because morally I could not support an event held at a men only club, but being honest I am in a minority with that stand, but it is a growing minority.
The plain and simple truth is the R&A priced the Open too high in the current fiscal climate.
£75 a day was too high for many.
Remember on top of that you had accommodation, travel expenses, parking and the ludicrously over priced concession stands on the course.
Now many will say £75 is value for money if you are there from the 1st tee shot till the last putt is sunk, if you are a golf addict that’s fair enough.
But lets say you are in Edinburgh, you and your partner fancy nipping down for the day, that’s going to be at least £200 for a few hours.
For the £300 you would have paid for 4 days you could have bought a season ticket for Glasgow Rangers and got £3 change! That’s 18 games of football.
A season ticket for Fulham in the Premier League costs £449, that’s less than £24 a game! A third of the price of an Open ticket!
A decent ticket for the multi award winning Wicked in the London West End will set you back £55, £20 less.
If you had bought tickets for Bruce Springsteen in Leeds they would have cost you £65, that’s right the Boss is £10 cheaper.
So has the R&A lost touch totally with the public??
They bury their heads in the sand on the sexist question of that there’s no doubt.
The players always say they love playing the Open Championship because of the knowledgeable crowds.
This is largely because golfers attend the Open as oppose to sports fans.
In some tournaments poor shots get applause, not at the Open though.
No “mashed potatoes” or “You Da Man” or “get in the hole” from par 5 tee’s!
To watch 12 hours football at Fulham would cost you £189, 12 hours of the Boss would cost you £390.
Also if you took your son or daughter you would be paying for them, unlike the Open if they are under 16.
Think about that for a minute and see if you think £75 is still too dear?
So what can the R&A do to boost sales?
The prices inside the ropes are ridiculously high! At Carnoustie in 2007 I had to pay £2 for a bottle of water, English water at that! A cap on pricing would be welcome.
Car parking is also high at £15, surely including car parking or offering a park & ride would help?
But here is an idea for advance sales, do it via Golf Clubs with a discount if you pay subs to a governing body?
Or how about offering a couples ticket ? Oh hang on, that would mean the R&A recognising women, oops
Do I think £75 is too high? Yes I do, but I think it is reasonable if truth be known.
But I do know 1 thing £75 for a senior citizen is far too high!
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