alexgaddis Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 So the PGA Championship is at a golf course near me this year. I have never attended a golf event but always thought it might be kinda fun. So the other day the wife hears my father and I talking about it and she says she wants to go! Anyone have any experience with majors before, or any golf tournament for that matter? my wife is not a sports fan so I am not sure why she is showing interest but I figure why not run with it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caveman_Nick Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 I have been to the Deutsche Bank Championship a few times, and I have worked at a couple of LPGA events. Do you have a specific question? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Double Agent Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 Haven't been to a Major but I've been to the Byron Nelson and Colonial tournaments numerous times. If you're wanting to watch Tiger, your best bet is to jump a couple holes ahead of him and wait. Then jump ahead again once he finishes that hole. We tried to follow him at the Nelson once and it was like a stampede. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexgaddis Posted June 1, 2009 Author Share Posted June 1, 2009 Nothing specific, just wondering if tickets are affordable or available and what the experience like... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timmypg Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 I've never been but I'm going to Saturday of the US Open this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timmypg Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 Nothing specific, just wondering if tickets are affordable or available and what the experience like... Check out Ebay as it gets closer. As hotels fill up &people need to cancel they'll lower their asking price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexgaddis Posted June 1, 2009 Author Share Posted June 1, 2009 I have heard the practice rounds are fun because the golfers interact more as they aren't under pressure...plus, not as many people attend so you aren't packed like sardines Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caveman_Nick Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 I can't really comment on ticket price. I got invited by a friend. The experience was fun. We picked a hole and sat in that area until the final group can by, and then moved to 18 so we could see everyone finish. Some folks just like to follow a particular golfer around. Some folks just like to sit at 18 and wait. Depends on how you want to approach it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpwallace49 Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 I worked the practice round and attended two days of the PGA Championship at Whistling Straights. Wear confortable shoes (preferable waterproof golf shoes), and be prepared to walk. I loved the PGA shop there too. If you know anyone try to wrangle your way in a corporate hospitality tent, it makes the experience MUCH more enjoyable! Lastly if they have shuttle service take advantage of it. You need to save that walking for the course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whoopazz Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 I lucked out and got a ticket to the final round of the 1999 US Open, won by Payne Stewart (4 months before his death) with Phil and Tiger in hot pursuit. I don't recall the price being outrageous. It was great, go for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimC Posted June 1, 2009 Share Posted June 1, 2009 Whisky Pimp goes to the Masters the past 3 years. Yeah, I hate him too. Yeah, it'd be awesome to go hang out watching major golf. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whiskey Pimp Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 Haven't been to a Major but I've been to the Byron Nelson and Colonial tournaments numerous times. If you're wanting to watch Tiger, your best bet is to jump a couple holes ahead of him and wait. Then jump ahead again once he finishes that hole. We tried to follow him at the Nelson once and it was like a stampede. Great advice. Go 2 or 3 holes ahead and get to the teebox so you can see him up close when he walks from the last green to the next teebox. I have heard the practice rounds are fun because the golfers interact more as they aren't under pressure...plus, not as many people attend so you aren't packed like sardines Practice rounds are great. The players interact for the most part and have a lot of fun out there. Plus they are cheaper. Whisky Pimp goes to the Masters the past 3 years. Yeah, I hate him too. Yeah, it'd be awesome to go hang out watching major golf. This is true. But in all fairness I work for a sports travel company (so I'm not paying for the ticket) and only get on the course when a client returns their badge early to get back to Atlanta for a flight. I've been lucky enough to get on a few days for a few hours here and there but not really a whole lot. I have been at the practice round all 3 years and this past year went to the Par 3 Contest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gopher Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 I just realized/remembered that the 2009 President's Cup is at Harding Park in San Francisco. Tickets are $250 for the entire week, $35 per day for Tues/Wed, $55 for Thurs/Fri, and $75 for Sat/Sun. I'm IN big-time for this... Never been to a PGA event before, but #1 on my list of sporting events to someday attend is a Ryder Cup in Europe (my wife wants to go to Europe at some point, specifically Ireland, so I'm thinking we can combine the two at some point in our lives). Attending a President's Cup isn't quite as high on my list, but it will still be pretty cool... I'm thinking about checking out one of the weekdays by myself, plus Saturday with my wife (probably watch football on Sunday, since it's in October). I'm so pumped for this... I can't believe I forgot this was taking place so close to where I live (I'm about 50 minutes away). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whiskey Pimp Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 I just realized/remembered that the 2009 President's Cup is at Harding Park in San Francisco. Tickets are $250 for the entire week, $35 per day for Tues/Wed, $55 for Thurs/Fri, and $75 for Sat/Sun. I'm IN big-time for this... Never been to a PGA event before, but #1 on my list of sporting events to someday attend is a Ryder Cup in Europe (my wife wants to go to Europe at some point, specifically Ireland, so I'm thinking we can combine the two at some point in our lives). Attending a President's Cup isn't quite as high on my list, but it will still be pretty cool... I'm thinking about checking out one of the weekdays by myself, plus Saturday with my wife (probably watch football on Sunday, since it's in October). I'm so pumped for this... I can't believe I forgot this was taking place so close to where I live (I'm about 50 minutes away). I think I would rather see The Presidents Cup over the Ryder Cup personally. Having a team made up of "the rest of the world" instead of just Europe makes for a better field of golfers IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gopher Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 I think I would rather see The Presidents Cup over the Ryder Cup personally. Having a team made up of "the rest of the world" instead of just Europe makes for a better field of golfers IMO. You could be right, at least on paper... However, the U.S. has had WAY MORE success in the President's Cup than they have the Ryder Cup. Since 1994, we've only lost one President's Cup (1998) and tied in another (2003)... that's a team record of 5-1-1. During that same time period, the U.S. is 2-5 in Ryder Cups. The Europeans might not put together a team with as many "studs" as the worldwide team, but they've been able to give the U.S. fits in match play events lately. From the standpoint of being able to see top players in the world, rankings-wise, you can't argue with the President's Cup... Ogilvy, Vijay, Villegas, Weir, Cabrera. Heck, just the short list of South Africans might be more impressive than the European team on paper (Els, Goosen, Clark, Sabbatini, etc.). What's even more impressive about that list is that all of the top Australians, other than Ogilvy, didn't make the list... Appleby, Allenby, Scott, Pampling, and Baddeley... all winners of multiple events on the PGA tour. As far as which event has gotten more publicity/hype, though, it's clearly been the Ryder Cup... and that's been a direct result of how well the Euros have played against the U.S. over the past 15 years or so, turning what was once an American-dominated event into European blow-outs as of late (not including 2008). Either way, I'm looking forward to this big-time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Beatings Posted June 2, 2009 Share Posted June 2, 2009 There's the walk theory and the camp theory. If there is one or a couple of golfers that you REALLY want to watch the whole time, you can walk with them as they play the course. You might see more spectacular shots that way (you'll definitely see a wider variety of shots). Otherwise a good way to spend the day is to find a nice comfortable place in the shade with a good view and just camp out there and watch all of the different golfers come by you at that hole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FWmaker Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 Went to a Seniors Championship once. Lots of fun. For big tourneys, practice rounds are better than the tournament, imo. I'm actually working the US Open on Friday. I think I'm grilling at the 12th Green Concession tent. My shift ends at 4pm then can watch rest of day. Any of you Huddlers going to be there? Shoot me a PM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skippy Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 I guess I am kind of weird in that I didn't really care for the experince at the US Open at all. To many people and it just never really seemed like you could get close enough to see anything. Had to park the car in bum eff Eygpt and take a shuttle which wasn't horrible but sort of sucked when it was time to leave. On the other hand I did go to a practice round that I enjoyed much more. As others mentioned the players were loose and interactive. If I was to do it all over again I would stick to the practice rounds only. Oh and I have no idea what the price was as I got all the tickets free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexgaddis Posted June 3, 2009 Author Share Posted June 3, 2009 Practice Round it is...we are going to get tickets for Wednesdays round...I have seen them for $20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whiskey Pimp Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 You could be right, at least on paper... However, the U.S. has had WAY MORE success in the President's Cup than they have the Ryder Cup. Since 1994, we've only lost one President's Cup (1998) and tied in another (2003)... that's a team record of 5-1-1. During that same time period, the U.S. is 2-5 in Ryder Cups. The Europeans might not put together a team with as many "studs" as the worldwide team, but they've been able to give the U.S. fits in match play events lately. From the standpoint of being able to see top players in the world, rankings-wise, you can't argue with the President's Cup... Ogilvy, Vijay, Villegas, Weir, Cabrera. Heck, just the short list of South Africans might be more impressive than the European team on paper (Els, Goosen, Clark, Sabbatini, etc.). What's even more impressive about that list is that all of the top Australians, other than Ogilvy, didn't make the list... Appleby, Allenby, Scott, Pampling, and Baddeley... all winners of multiple events on the PGA tour. As far as which event has gotten more publicity/hype, though, it's clearly been the Ryder Cup... and that's been a direct result of how well the Euros have played against the U.S. over the past 15 years or so, turning what was once an American-dominated event into European blow-outs as of late (not including 2008). Either way, I'm looking forward to this big-time. This will only be the 8th Presidents Cup ever and 4 of them were played at the same course so this doesn't even come remotely close to the history of the Ryder Cup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gopher Posted June 3, 2009 Share Posted June 3, 2009 This will only be the 8th Presidents Cup ever and 4 of them were played at the same course so this doesn't even come remotely close to the history of the Ryder Cup. Obviously, the Ryder Cup goes back WAY longer, and has a ton more history. I was just explaining that, although the PC team might be better on paper, the Ryder Cup has been the event that the U.S. has had trouble winning consistently, over the last 15 years or so (since the President's Cup started). From a history standpoint, they're not even close, which is why attending a Ryder Cup in Europe is the #1 thing on my sports "to do" list (even if it's just wishful thinking for now). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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