Adam Cairns-Imagn Images
Most people won’t be lucky enough to make the trek to Bethpage Black to watch the Ryder Cup unfold in person at the end of the month. The PGA of America is giving golf fans the chance to spice up their viewing gatherings with some “party kits” it’s whipped up for the event, but they’re accompanied by a pretty eye-popping price tag.
The Ryder Cup is a bucket list item for many golf fans who want to experience the international showdown firsthand, and the fact that the competition between the best players the United States and Europe have to offer is only held every two years makes it a very hot ticket.
The event will be heading back to American soil this year, four years after the home team walked away with a victory at Whistling Straits. Fans who made the pilgrimage to Wisconsin had to shell out around $185 for the cheapest ticket, so there was understandably some sticker shock when the PGA of America announced you’d have to pay a minimum of $750 for a single day at Bethpage Black.
However, that’s not the only way the organization overseeing this year’s Ryder Cup is trying to squeeze as much money out of the affair as it possibly can.
The PGA of America is charging some absurd prices for its very underwhelming Ryder Cup watch party kits
In 2021, Augusta National gave golf fans who missed out on the lottery that’s used to determine who’s allowed to walk its hallowed grounds the chance to get a “Taste of The Masters” courtesy of the package that contained a number of items that are peddled at its concession stands.
I couldn’t resist the urge to drop $150 on a purchase that included BBQ pork, pimento cheese, and, most importantly, a number of the highly sought-after cups that remain my go-to drinking vessels more than four years after I brought them into my life. As a result, I consider it money well spent.
However, I cannot imagine that is the case with the “Ryder Cup Live” party kits the PGA of America is selling through Seatgeek, which include an “At Home” version that will set you back close to $350 and an “Ultimate” option that’s going for $1,081.
The former is designed for people who are having Ryder Cup gatherings, well, at home. It includes 24 cocktail napkins, a dozen coasters, cups, drink stirs, skewers, and toothpicks along with some balloons, a pennant, a table runner, a custom “watercolor art print of Bethpage Black,” and a booklet featuring Ryder Cup trivia and cocktail recipes (you have to provide the ingredients to make them with along with any food you want to serve up).
The “Ultimate” kit is obviously intended for country clubs and bars that want to host a Ryder Cup watch party when you consider the cups, coasters, and other accouterments come in a quantity of 100. It also includes decorations like flags, window clings, and “customizable digital promotional assets,” but it’s very hard to overlook the steep asking price.
With that said, I can’t necessarily knock the hustle.