This years OPEN - £80 for a day ticket!

[Deleted member 18588]

For the Open of 2013 - Attendance at The Open Championship this year was not only below the R&A’s hoped-for figure of 170,000 but, at 142,036, also 11.5% below the attendance at the Muirfield Open of 2002 http://www.golfbusinessnews.com/news/sponsorship/open-attendance-figures-disappoint/

For the Open of 2014 - Hoylake's attendance for the 2014 Open Championship attracted 26,059 fewer spectators than when the tournament was last played on the Wirral links in 2006. http://www1.skysports.com/golf/news...-for-the-2014-championship-lower-than-in-2006

So it would seem from the past 2 years that they are struggling to sell as many tickets as they once did.

Hardly surprising during a recession and at a time when there are fewer golfers in the country.

Reducing the ticket price would also reduce the amount of money the R&A can provide for the development of the game, both in this country and abroad.

Prize money needs to remain comparable with the other Majors if the quality of the entry is to be maintained. If the leading Americans etc; started to stay away as was the case pre-Arnie many on this forum would soon be blaming the organisers.

 

[Tongo]

Hardly surprising during a recession and at a time when there are fewer golfers in the country.

Reducing the ticket price would also reduce the amount of money the R&A can provide for the development of the game, both in this country and abroad.

Prize money needs to remain comparable with the other Majors if the quality of the entry is to be maintained. If the leading Americans etc; started to stay away as was the case pre-Arnie many on this forum would soon be blaming the organisers.

Such a simple reason isnt as interesting as banging the drum about the game going down the pan though.

 

[rob_golf1]

Went to two of the last three Open's and loved every second of it. This year, with increased prices, plus travel and a lack of places to stay, has meant the cost of the trip has gone up significantly. A bit gutted tbf.

 

[peterlav]

If £80 is too much for a day at The Open, try Regional or Final Qualifying, Walker Cup, Amateur Championship, Seniors Open, Womens Open, all will offer exceptional golf, some are free to watch and you won't have to peer through a sea of arms and heads to catch a glimpse of the golfers!!

 

[Jeff Lamp]

Anyone else gutted that the Wales Open at Celtic Manor is no more? I went to that for the last 4 or 5 years and it was always a great experience. Reasonably priced (about £20 a ticket) and never too busy. The design of the 2010 means it's a great course for spectators too and it was easy to get a good view. Maybe it didn't have all of the really big names but the top European Tour players would always be there.

Apart from that I try to get to one day at Wentworth each year. Also went to the Ryder Cup final day at Gleneagles - so compared to that The Open is a bargain!

 

[Sweep]

Whilst i can see that it is a lot of money, some of the arguments are amusing, particularly the one about the action being spread out. Well, yeah, its a golf tournament.
.

Good grief.
In explanation (not that I would think I would have had to explain) I wasn't complaining that the action was spread out, because "yeah, it's a golf tournament". I was merely making the point that this fact restricted the spectators chances of seeing most of the important developments, unlike a cup final for example. This, IMO impacts on whether the ticket price is worth £70 plus.

 

[Hacker Khan]

Such a simple reason isnt as interesting as banging the drum about the game going down the pan though.

Actually I seem to remember the R&A blaming the fact that the weather was too good in 2013.

 

[Duckster]

If £80 is too much for a day at The Open, try Regional or Final Qualifying, Walker Cup, Amateur Championship, Seniors Open, Womens Open, all will offer exceptional golf, some are free to watch and you won't have to peer through a sea of arms and heads to catch a glimpse of the golfers!!

Me and the mrs are thinking about doing the US Open qualifying at Walton Heath - freebie, no ropes etc.. and meant to be a great day to watch.

 

[Deleted member 18588]

Actually I seem to remember the R&A blaming the fact that the weather was too good in 2013.

It is accepted that approx 90% of attendees at any Open Championship are "regular" golfers and it is equally accepted that there has been a significant reduction in their number due to a number of factors, not least the recession.

As a spectator experience the Open is something that, due to its non-dynamic nature, is never going to appeal to those who are not already committed to golf so ticket pricing is not (at current levels) a major factor. There is also a growing realisation that there is a natural limit on crowd size as most links courses are relatively flat and do not, therefore, afford the spectator with a great view.

Reducing ticket prices will not greatly affect attendances but would reduce the R&A's ability to promote and support the game throughout the world.

 

[richart]

Me and the mrs are thinking about doing the US Open qualifying at Walton Heath - freebie, no ropes etc.. and meant to be a great day to watch.

It is. 36 holes, usually a play off. Very good value.

 

[Tongo]

It is accepted that approx 90% of attendees at any Open Championship are "regular" golfers and it is equally accepted that there has been a significant reduction in their number due to a number of factors, not least the recession.

As a spectator experience the Open is something that, due to its non-dynamic nature, is never going to appeal to those who are not already committed to golf so ticket pricing is not (at current levels) a major factor. There is also a growing realisation that there is a natural limit on crowd size as most links courses are relatively flat and do not, therefore, afford the spectator with a great view.

Reducing ticket prices will not greatly affect attendances but would reduce the R&A's ability to promote and support the game throughout the world.

Indeed. There is the clamour to get more people in but that would lead to complaints about being able to see nothing cos there were too many people. Damned if you do....

 

[Tongo]

Actually I seem to remember the R&A blaming the fact that the weather was too good in 2013.

Probably. I was just highlighting that there are more reasons for a drop in ticket sales than the quick and easy default excuse from some quarters that the game is going down the pan.

 

[Bobirdie]

The tickets are priced in par with the us open tickets. They were $120 per day last year. That's around £80.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Me and the mrs are thinking about doing the US Open qualifying at Walton Heath - freebie, no ropes etc.. and meant to be a great day to watch.

Great shout. You get to see plenty of top players up close and personal. Failing that, I'd suggest practice days at the BMW as Wentworth isn't great for spectators.