R&A Blame The Weather for Poor Attendance

'Strange' that the R&A whilst wanting to spead the word around the globe at the same time make attendance at the one event that would spread the word in the UK quite unaffordable for most but the committed. And by golly we need more folk in the UK to take up golf to support our clubs and courses - but by charging an arm and a leg to the event that could really enthuse a non-golfer to take up the game or an infrequent player to join a club to play more is surely not the way to go. So dear R&A - forget overseas development - focus more on developing the game in this country.
 
I think £75 is okay as it keeps out the section of the golfing public who like to shout "mashed potato" or "geddinthehole".

If you make the tickets cheap then you will have the golfing underclass in en masse and that won't be fitting for the occasion. It will be football shirts, spitting, taking photos, using phones, cheap and nasty tattoos everywhere. etc etc.

It would ruin if for the normal punters and damage our GDP as it would show the world what the country is coming to...

I did not realise we had a real member of the R&A committee here on the forum. We are honoured. I would be interested to know from your position of being on the committee, what your views are on the attendance figures? It is official R&A policy to prefer a lower attendance made up of the right sort of chaps, rather than a sold out tournament containing some working class scum?
 
Another thing that for me proves that it's the price that has caused the attendance dip is that for the last couple of years there has been very little in the way of Golf Tournaments in the UK,especially so in England, so surely when the big one comes along crowds should be eager to go and watch no?
 
I did not realise we had a real member of the R&A committee here on the forum. We are honoured. I would be interested to know from your position of being on the committee, what your views are on the attendance figures? It is official R&A policy to prefer a lower attendance made up of the right sort of chaps, rather than a sold out tournament containing some working class scum?

My dear old thing.....my tongue was firmly in my cheek when I posted this. I think the entry costs are about 50% too expensive.

Unfortunate if everyone thought I was genuine in my previous post. Still, never mind.....
 
My dear old thing.....my tongue was firmly in my cheek when I posted this. I think the entry costs are about 50% too expensive.

Unfortunate if everyone thought I was genuine in my previous post. Still, never mind.....

I booked laser treatment after reading your post in case I'm looked down upon at West hill with all my "cheap tattoos", don't tell me you were joking now ;)
 
The R and A can try and put any spin they like on it, people didn't go because it was to expensive!, but I think £75 a ticket is a reasonable price for a day at the golf at a major, the inflation on prices is pretty standard, but £15 to park the car- disgusting!!! People,didn't go because EVERYTHING is dearer now, food, petrol, mortgages, gas and electricity etc and folk don't have the surplus cash they used to.

However in comparison with the masters the open IS very expensive

Masters entry for 4 tournament days-$250/£164
Car parking was free
Pint of cola-$1
Crisps-$1
Cheese sandwich- $1.50
Hot chicken sandwich -$3
Pint of beer-$3
 
I still maintain that even adding in food and drink which is a definite rip off and why you should take your own food, the cost for at least ten hours play at £100 (or £10 per an hour) isn't that extravagant. You can pay that for a concert ticket (approx. two hours) or a premier league ticket

I would suggest that logistics play a large part and getting in and out of places like Sandwich last year is a major consideration and turn off. I think the weather may indeed have played a part and know that four hours wandering around my own course and drinking regularly was a struggle
 
I live in Musselburgh not far from Muirfield.Spoke to a few mates who would have went for at least one of the days but decided not to because of the price of the tickets.At least 8 people I know didn't go because they were too dear.£75. is a good day or two watching it in the pub or house with a few mates.
 
I still maintain that even adding in food and drink which is a definite rip off and why you should take your own food, the cost for at least ten hours play at £100 (or £10 per an hour) isn't that extravagant. You can pay that for a concert ticket (approx. two hours) or a premier league ticket

But homer - you are arguing that it is reasonable in the context of comparisons and relatives and that is what the R&A do and will do - but money is absolute and £75 is £75 and for many, if not most, £75 entry is a lot of money and not affordable - regardless of comparisons and vfm arguments.

Too much these days is couched in vfm terms without real consideration of affordability. And so the cow will be milked but the cow is running dry as the pasture out there is poor.
 
I live in Musselburgh not far from Muirfield.Spoke to a few mates who would have went for at least one of the days but decided not to because of the price of the tickets.At least 8 people I know didn't go because they were too dear.£75. is a good day or two watching it in the pub or house with a few mates.

And let's say you are an 18 yr old on JSA - that's £56.80 a week btw. £75 plus say £25 to get there and £10 spending - that's £110 which is about two weeks 'income' if you are on JSA. Save £5 a week and it would take you 22 weeks to save up. Look at it from that perspective and affordability issues for many are pretty obvious. What sort of sport do we have or want to have - accused of elitism and for the wealthy. You bet the accusations can be made.
 
And let's say you are an 18 yr old on JSA - that's £56.80 a week btw. £75 plus say £25 to get there and £10 spending - that's £110 which is about two weeks 'income' if you are on JSA. Save £5 a week and it would take you 22 weeks to save up. Look at it from that perspective and affordability issues for many are pretty obvious. What sort of sport do we have or want to have - accused of elitism and for the wealthy. You bet the accusations can be made.

I think there were concessions at £30.00pp
 
And let's say you are an 18 yr old on JSA - that's £56.80 a week btw. £75 plus say £25 to get there and £10 spending - that's £110 which is about two weeks 'income' if you are on JSA. Save £5 a week and it would take you 22 weeks to save up. Look at it from that perspective and affordability issues for many are pretty obvious. What sort of sport do we have or want to have - accused of elitism and for the wealthy. You bet the accusations can be made.

Sorry but I was brought up to cut your cloth accordingly and so if you are on JSA and have outgoings then going to a sporting event isn't (or shouldn't IMO) high on a list of priorities. If you suggest £5 a week can be squirreled away and it takes 22 weeks then surely it acts as a carrot anyway
 
I think SILH makes very valid points money is absolute and £75 is just not justifiable to the average man or woman in the UK for a day watching golf.

I couldn't justify to HID £75 for a day ticket, £15 parking, say £15 for food for the day and near on a £10 for a programme plus say another £15 in fuel to get there and back if its local. that's £140 quid before I've even watched a shot hit, if I were travelling further it'd be nearer £200 which is the equivalent of booking a caravan for a week and visiting my kids in Cheshire obviously i'd have fuel on top of that but for a day at the golf i'd get a weeks accommodation for my family!

Now the prices for the PGA at Wentworth for a weeks ticket I could twist her arm and maybe stay at a nice hotel for a couple days with her having a spa treatment for HID.

People struggling to earn a living, support a family, keep a home and pay their way will struggle to justify a spare £75 for a day at the golf when they can watch it at home for free.
 
I think SILH makes very valid points money is absolute and £75 is just not justifiable to the average man or woman in the UK for a day watching golf.

I couldn't justify to HID £75 for a day ticket, £15 parking, say £15 for food for the day and near on a £10 for a programme plus say another £15 in fuel to get there and back if its local. that's £140 quid before I've even watched a shot hit, if I were travelling further it'd be nearer £200 which is the equivalent of booking a caravan for a week and visiting my kids in Cheshire obviously i'd have fuel on top of that but for a day at the golf i'd get a weeks accommodation for my family!

Now the prices for the PGA at Wentworth for a weeks ticket I could twist her arm and maybe stay at a nice hotel for a couple days with her having a spa treatment for HID.

People struggling to earn a living, support a family, keep a home and pay their way will struggle to justify a spare £75 for a day at the golf when they can watch it at home for free.

:thup: and for Homer's

Sorry but I was brought up to cut your cloth accordingly

Yes indeed - but those setting proces do not have to take that attitiude. They could say they want as many people as possible to watch The Open as that will attract more people to go along and maybe attract more to playing the game and maybe eventually joining a club. And for that reason alone we will charge £10 a head to get in.

I think back to the late 1970s and early 1980s when I went to Murreyfield for all Scotland Internationals. I went - not because I loved rugby - but because I knew a bunch of folk who did - and getting in was cheap. And so my interest in rugby was stirred and I love the game now. But the SRU decided that with all those folk going to matches they could build a new stadium and charge a load of money to get in . And what happened? Overnight the casual supporter stopped going as it was nopw too expensive and for most internationals Murreyfield is half empty therse days and rarely filled. Priced out as the money ther SRU charge makes it unaffordable for many and has driven them and the uncommitted away from the game. Golf will do the same.
 
Too expensive!! I'd rather pay for a decent round of golf and then watch the recorded golf on BBC. £75 is too much for a day ticket!
 
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