Beer Prices At The PGA Championship May Force Fans To Watch Golf Sober
Anyone attending this week's PGA Championship at Quail Hollow needs to take some time to both mentally and fiscally prepare for the amount of money they will have to spend if they're looking to have a beer or cocktail at the tournament.
While it's easy to compare the concessions and booze prices of any sporting event to the prices we see at the incredibly affordable Masters each year, the Masters is very much an outlier. Augusta National is essentially its own functioning government. It sets the prices reasonably, both because it can and because every piece of food, ounce of liquid, and piece of merchandise is the Masters' own brand.
Nothing, whether it be a beer, bottled water, or a pack of crackers, has any branding other than the Masters logo.
Having said all that, it doesn't make the obscene prices at the PGA Championship any more reasonable.
Josh Carpenter of the Sports Business Journal shared a photo of a menu at a concession stand at Quail Hollow, and the alcohol prices will make your head spin.
A 16 oz. can of Bud Light or Michelob Ultra will run fans $14.50. A ‘Premium Beer’ of the same size is an extra dollar, while a 19.2 oz ‘Premium Beer’ costs a smooth $18.50. The High Noon seltzer fans get to fork over $15.50 for one 12 oz. can.
The non-beer drinkers who are still looking to grab a buzz at Quail Hollow aren't let off the hook either.
A single version of one of the four ‘Specialty Cocktails’ on the menu is priced at $18.50. A double runs $24.50. A Bloody Mary, margarita, or mule costs $16.50, but don't worry, fans can make it a ‘souvenir cocktail’ for an extra five dollars.
Any drinkers who have attended a sporting event over the last 20 years are used to paying an outrageous price for a drink. The PGA Championship is rather notorious for incredibly long lines at concessions. So, not only do you get to pay $15 for a 16 oz. canned beer, you'll likely get to pay that fee after standing in line for such a long time you'll be forced to make small talk with the person next to you.
Just an all-around lose-lose situation.