How much money is premier golf, questionable outfits, specialty cocktails, and almost unfathomable traffic worth? At this year’s Ryder Cup, I made it my mission to find out.
I went to the biennial Europe vs. USA golf tournament on Friday with a media ticket, but everyone else had to buy their way in unless they snagged a corporate invite. Pre-sale tickets for the event went live almost a year ago, starting at $749.51 for entrance on Friday.
Tickets are just the beginning. The costs of the tournament, which is held at Bethpage Black Golf Course in Farmingdale, Long Island, are somewhat of a choose-your-own-adventure. I tallied how much a person coming from New York City might expect to spend in just one day.
The first question is transportation. Many, myself included, took the Long Island Rail Road from New York City. A one-way, off-peak ticket from Penn Station to Farmingdale costs $10.95. Free shuttles were waiting in the parking lot to drive us the two-ish miles to the course, but some opted for an Uber, which cost $25.72 at around 7:30 am.
When I arrived, it seemed that most chose to take the shuttle, though we might have all made a different choice if we’d known the ride would take an hour. Buses jammed the streets, some roads were blocked off, and it quickly became apparent that walking would have been the wiser choice.
For those who decided to brave the traffic and drive the whole way, a parking pass at Jones Beach on Friday was $55, according to the Ryder Cup website. From there, people took a free shuttle to Bethpage. I spotted some opportunistic Long Islanders offering up their driveways for $100.
The event ticket itself covered basic needs: food and non-alcoholic beverages. But alcohol seemed like a crucial part of the experience for a lot of people. I’d originally planned to calculate the cost of two drinks, but after seeing plenty of people walking around with cocktails and beers by 10 am, three drinks started to seem more appropriate.
A bartender told me that the “All-American Transfusion” and “Cherry Fairway Fizz” were the most popular choices, costing $19.50 and $17.50 before tax, respectively. Make it a double, and it’s an extra $6. For a souvenir Ryder Cup glass, it’s another $7.
Overall, an “All-American Transfusion” with an extra shot in a special cup cost $32.50. The cheapest beer was $15.
And then there was the seemingly endless, stadium-size hall of merch. Ralph Lauren Polo was the official outfitter of the US team this year, so the brand had a central spot in the huge merch tent.
One Ralph Lauren employee told me that the team polo shirts and customizable bear tees were the most popular choices, coming in at $128 and $82, respectively. I was a fan of a cashmere sweater, which cost $315. Next to the $415 cotton flag sweater, it didn’t sound as bad.
Many predictable, somewhat preppy athleisure brands were in the merch tent at comparable price points. A short-sleeved women’s Nike polo cost $110, a Vineyard Vines tee was $60, and an Adidas sweater was $190.
Crowds of mostly men swarmed the walls of hats, many of which cost between $30 and $40. Between the $42 Bethpage Black-themed Stanley Cup, the $32 bear stuffed animal, and the $290 duffel bag, it wouldn’t be hard to suddenly accumulate thousands of dollars’ worth of goodies.
A cashier told me the highest bill he’d seen so far was $1,500, while another said he’d seen someone spend $4,200. Most people, they said, spend a few hundred bucks.
Sufficiently weighed down by golf-themed attire and alcohol, it was time for people to deal with getting home. At 5:12 pm, a bit before the golf matches ended, the short Uber ride from the course to the LIRR station was $68.72, according to my app. After the hourlong morning shuttle, I wasn’t shocked that some opted for a car.
Of course, plenty of people attend the Ryder Cup for multiple days, meaning they have to think about where to stay, assuming they’re not from the Long Island area. Looking online the week of the tournament, nearby hotels were often fully booked or had rooms going for more than $500 a night, way more than the typical rates in the area. Some locals were listing their homes on Airbnb for tens of thousands for just five nights, local news outlet Greater Long Island reported.
And then there were those who flew in for the event from across the country or the pond, adding international airfare to their total costs.
There were endless ways to spend, and spend on, the day. I exercised great self-control and only paid for my LIRR tickets. A typical New Yorker’s day, however, might look something like this: entering with a standard Ryder Cup ticket, riding the LIRR both ways, taking the shuttle to the course and an Uber back to the train station, spending $350 on merchandise, and buying three drinks (a double cocktail in a souvenir cup, a single cocktail, and a beer).
That comes out to $1,255.13 — all for America to lose badly in its Friday matches.
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