The Loop
You can get a "member's experience" at the Players Championship...for $5,000
Compared to the Super Bowl, World Series and NBA Finals, entrance to one of golf's four majors is relatively affordable. If you're lucky enough to win the lottery for a Masters badge, it will only cost you $65 to attend a practice day and $100 for the tournament. Tickets to this year's U.S. Open at Oakmont, British Open at Royal Troon and PGA Championship at Baltusrol are in the same ballpark.
But these prices are strictly to get on the grounds. If you want a more exclusive, upscale experience, it's going to cost you.
To the tune of $5,000.
At least, that's the figure attached to the new "Players Club" package at golf's fifth major, the Players Championship. For five grand, you get access to the TPC Sawgrass clubhouse, a personalized attire fitting, shopping spree, food and drink service, special parking and box seats on the 17th hole.
“If you look across the sports and entertainment landscape there’s increasingly an ultra-hospitality experience that’s really setting the tone for more sports and entertainment venues,” Players Championship executive director Matt Rapp told Forbes. ”Your larger events are hitting this demographic and it’s a demographic that frankly will only attend a sporting and entertainment event if they can do it in an over-the-top, white glove, everything’s included, spectacular sort of way.”
I'd say they accomplished that "over-the-top" ambition. Halfway through, I was expecting "and sit in the floating car by the 17th green!" as part of the package.