What do volunteers get for $350 Ryder Cup registration? Perks explored
Ryder Cup is charging $350 from volunteers to work at the prestigious biennial tournament in 2025. The tournament has already made headlines for its sudden increase in ticket pricing, and now, Goal.com reported that the volunteer registration fee has also increased.
With this fee, the volunteers will receive a uniform, drawstring bag, commemorative pin, food (during shifts only), and tournament credentials. The report about the volunteer fee was recently published by Goal.com, claiming they spoke to volunteers about the cost.
Notably, Ryder Cup’s high-priced tickets received criticism from fans a few weeks ago. The upcoming edition’s ticket prices are higher than ever. The practice round tickets are priced around $255, while tickets for the competition days will be around $749.
This was a tremendous increase in pricing compared to the last edition of the event. In 2023, Ryder Cup tickets were priced between $53 and $277 for different categories and rounds.
PGA of America director justifies the increase in Ryder Cup pricing
PGA of America Director Bryan Karns opened up about the pricing of Ryder Cup tickets. In an episode of SiriusXM, the director defended the officials’ decision to increase ticket prices by comparing it to NBA Finals tickets. He said:
"We view ourselves as a Tier 1 event that's on par with a World Series, or with an NBA Finals Game 7. That was a part of it. So when we look at pricing, we're able to tap into data from all these different venues."
Karns further added the tournament is on the "bucket list" of several fans, and its "demand is at an all-time high," justifying the increase in the pricing.
"We're able to see, 'what do people pay?'" Karns continued. "So that really drove this, too. Again, our position in this landscape [is] where do we see ourselves? I think that's the reality."
"There are people who have the Ryder Cup on their bucket list in the same way that someone would have a Yankees opening game World Series on their bucket list. Ultimately, we felt like that's where we are. The demand is at an all-time high for this event, so we wanted to make sure we priced it appropriately," he added.
Ryder Cup is one of the oldest golf events. It usually takes place at alternative venues in the USA and Europe. The last edition was held in Rome, where the European team won the event.
The 2025 Ryder Cup will take place at Bethpage in New York from September 25 to 28 at Bethpage Black Course in Bethpage State Park, Farmingdale.
The tournament will feature two teams, USA and Europe, consisting of 12 players each. Keegan Bradley is the captain for the US team, while Luke Donald is the captain for the European team.