If you are going to attend the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, you must be prepared to bEAT the house on free food to counteract the outrageous beer prices and cost of alcoholic beverages. Arrive hungry!!
This seems to be the new normal in golf, which certainly helps to ease the hurt on the bank account.
Unfortunately, even though it helps, free food does not change the reality of the booze. Golf fans in New York must be prepared to spend a small fortune if they want to drink.
Ryder Cup beer prices are expensive.
The cost of alcoholic beverages at nearly every sporting event in the United States has become predatory. Spectators in search of booze have no other choice but to pay whatever number is listed.
The venues take advantage of that reality.
Food and drink prices at Lincoln Financial Field destroy minimum wage employees. The New Orleans Saints recently raised costs during what is expected to be a horrendous season. Fans must pay up or go sober. They do not have another choice.
And this price gouging does not only apply to football! There are countless examples.
The PGA Championship charged $14.50 for a Bud Light and $18.50 for a transfusion back in May. A glass of Chardonnay sold for $13.50.
Unlike the Masters in August, Ryder Cup prices are even more expensive!
- Michelob Ultra, 16oz — $15.00
- Michelob Ultra Seltzer, 12oz — $13.00
- Stella Artois, 16oz — $16.00
- KONA Big Wave, 16oz — $16.00
- Wicked Weed Pernicious IPA, 19.2oz — $19.00
- Transfusion — $19.50
- Mulligan — $19.50
- Dark ‘N Stormy — $17.50
- Blood Mary, Margarita, Mule — $17.50
- Spirits — $17.50
Ouch. Gates open at 5:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Matches start at 7:10 a.m. and will not conclude until closer to 5:00 p.m. each day.
Lets say you wanted to drink six beers over ~8 hours. That’s at least $120, which is more than half the cost of the general admission ticket.
Food is free!
Although drink prices at the Ryder Cup are far too expensive, there is an opportunity to make some of that money back on food. Every single ticket includes unlimited access to unlimited food.
Per the official Ryder Cup website, “Ticket holders can redeem one entree, snack and non-alcoholic drink per visit to any concessions market.”
The key words there are “per visit.” There is no limit to the amount of visits! Food is “free” all day and the menu looks awesome. (Free in quotes because you have to buy the $232 ticket plus housing, travel, etc.)
- BREAKFAST
- Sausage, egg and cheese on a toasted biscuit
- Chicken biscuit
- Donuts
- Apples and bananas
- LUNCH
- Hot dog
- Chicken sandwich (grilled chicken breast, pickle slaw, chipotle ranch on a potato roll)
- Cheeseburger
- Italian sausage on a hoagie roll
- Plant-based burger
- Ham on ciabatta
- Asian-inspired salad
- SNACKS
- Chips
- Pretzels
- Doritos
- Cookies
- Rice Krispy Treats
- Fig Newtons
- Clio Bar
I don’t know about you, but I could probably get pretty close to even on booze by eating. At the very least, I could put back enough food over the course of 10+ hours to where the alcohol was normal priced.
If you are going to attend the Ryder Cup with plans to drink, be prepared to bEAT the house.