A little Pricey ?

[Lee Hooper]

I feel that with No 19th hole the tournament is a little pricey at $ 435.00 and should be down around the $350.00 range. What do you think ?

[chuck cole]

I agree, but $300 would be a good value. Keep in mind that this year entries will be nearer 2000, so they need to make a profit somehow.

[Walter White]

My .02. Seems fair price to pay since they did reduce it more. it was already reduced for early entry. You will be paying the same for the chance to win the world AM as you did before, which should be the reason for entering. There is cheaper golf in Myrtle, but not the Competition and Camaraderie here with past friends and players.
People who never cared about the 19th hole always paid their entry fee and never mentioned about over paying because they did not use the 19th hole.
Now we have this mess going on and they are doing their best to play the World AM. My opinion is that they need our (players) support more this year than before. They work hard to make this happen every year and probably harder this year. One year with out the 19th hole is not that bad. I will miss it too.
However, everyone has different opinions, just my observation. All I know for sure, the more that do not go in my flight, I am that much closer to winning my flight;)
I hope everyone and their Families stay healthy.

[Ken Weatherford]

I have to agree with Walter. My wife and I may use the 19th Hole one night of the four it’s open. It lost its novelty after the first couple of years, and my wife doesn’t play golf, so she gets bored to tears when we’re there. I’d also like to say that the food last years was probably the worst we’ve had in the last 12 years. We only went when we had a WAM friend go with us. He stayed at the Convention Center hotel. We don’t drink much, so free booze didn’t get us excited. Food was bad. About the only thing we love is the ice cream. Wooo Hooo!

[Tommy Briggs]

I guess i just dont eat enough ice cream!

I would gladly take $100 off my entry fee every year and skip the ice cream, i mean 19th hole

Standing in line for 15 minutes for a rib and a tablespoon of beans is not my idea of a good time.

[Tommy Briggs]

I guess i just dont eat enough ice cream!

I would gladly take $100 off my entry fee every year and skip the ice cream, i mean 19th hole

Standing in line for 15 minutes for a rib and a tablespoon of beans is not my idea of a good time.

Btw if you dont plan on winning that factors into it. I have always won noney so i get a portion of my entry fee back anyway. Reducing the entry fee reduces the prize pool.

[Jim Kavanagh]

I know from many summer trips to MB that most of the courses we play can be had for less than $50 in August, with a few exceptions. And just how often are you assigned to one of those premium courses? They do have expenses beyond the golf, however, as a staff has to be paid and the gift bag items have to be purchased. I am more concerned that they will not use the new handicap system with up to date numbers instead of the 12-month low. Or even use a 12-month average. My 4.5 of today could just as easily go back to the 8.9 it was in January. I live in Florida, so there is no winter golf effect here, just normal inconsistent play.

[Tommy Briggs]

Jim they do not use a 12 month average, they use the lowest revision you have had in the last 12 months.

[Ken Weatherford]

I’m with you, Tommy. Can’t eat enough ice cream and standing in line for horrible food is not my idea of fun. If I were single, I could probably make a night of it, but my wife comes with me every year. Guess she thinks I’ll get into girl trouble. lol Yeah, if you add up the courses, say $50 each, the gift bag and gift card, maybe another $100. That’s $300. Then the boys need to make a buck for running it. They don’t just run it, they have to almost organize all year long. They have to use indexes from the WAM if it was the lowest, and they have to create everything in the database for handling indexes, scores, etc. I know, because I am just finishing an entire online tournament and skins game site. $15K and a year later, I am very close to being done.

Everyone asks me why I would waste my time and money. Well, I have seen the competition and this will blow them all away. Video training for the site, laughs, chatbots, and a lot of stuff no one thinks about. I think playing golf should be fun, and keeping score (and skins) is also a part of that.

[Charles Mines]

I agree it’s still a bit pricey without the 19th hole. Think about it, 95% of these courses will cost you between $35-$60 for a WEEKDAY round. And you are really only going to get that one expensive course. So between the 4 Weekday Rounds you it would cost around $200 (and remember range balls are extra with/without the tournament). My guess is the original price is high as they are also accounting for your one “free” guest at the 19th hole. So you could have 3000+ golfers but potentially 6000+ at the 19th hole eating and drinking. Without the 19th hole I’d say $350 would be a very fair price.

[Tommy Briggs]

What about the money for the flight winners and trophies? There are only 40 players per flight and a payout of $1200. per flight not including trophies. So you have to add a minimum of
$40 per player for prizes.

What about the money for the final round, I can tell you that is not cheap. The Friday finals at the Dye Course is what I am playing (and paying) for, not a free cup of ice cream on Tuesday.

This is a business for Scott and his staff and they do a damn fine job. I play around 40 tourneys a year and this one surpasses any of them for efficiency, value and competition. I do not have any factual basis for this statement but I would be willing to bet at the end of the day when you add up all the costs including salaries, gifts, prizes, green fees, cart fees, administrative costs, the World Am is a break even proposition.

I agree they plan for two guest at the 19th hole per entry fee, at the very least 1.5 guests per entry fee.

[Charles Mines]

Tommy… great point!!! I forgot about all those extras (plus the early bird prizes and daily prizes)

[Tommy Briggs]

Charles a few years ago I played the Golf Channel Am Tour, for ONE year ONLY. I was still playing the Florida State Golf Association regularly. The Golf Channel regularly charged $140. for tourney rounds at courses I could play for $50.

The Golf Channel had a tourney at Grand Cypress, they charged almost $600 for it and called it a “Major”. The $600 was for two days of golf and range balls. Their tourney was on Saturday and Sunday. The FSGA played a two day tourney starting the very next day (Monday and Tuesday), the charge, $55. per round. I played the FSGA tourney.

The Golf Channel had a two day tourney at Streamsong, (Sat/Sun), again they charged almost $600. for the two days. The next weekend the FSGA had a two day tourney there, (Sun/Mon) for $495 and our entry fee included a room for two nights at the resort.

I spoke with people who played the Golf Channel tour and they raved about the the good time they had, and how much they enjoyed playing the Golf Channel Am Tour. The entire time I am thinking, “do you not know how bad you got ripped off”. I can share numerous other examples like this and I now realize, one mans hell is another mans heaven. I have always had a great experience at the World Am, I think it is one of the best run tourneys I have ever played in. I personally think it is a very fair value.

I am sure if Scott shared there would e numerous other expenses we are not considering. For me $435. is very fair and I look forward to seeing everyone in August.

[Rick Kimbrell]

How can someone who only goes to the Convention Center 1 night out of 4 rate the food overall as being worst in, what was it…12 years. Have to disagree but then I go every night.

[David Baker]

The flip side of the proposition is that the Tournament is held when tourism is slow in MB. Golf Holiday helps it’s clients by hosting the World Am and filling rooms and restaurants for 4-7 days. The World Am is a business and obviously good for the MB economy. With everything I am sure that they are making a return on the investment or they couldn’t continue to run the World. Some like the 19th hole and some could care less, personal preference. No one has to go there, but you can. No one has to eat the food or drink the drinks, but you can. You have options, 19th Hole or one the fine restaurants that MB offers. I don’t always agree with decisions that the WA makes, but all in all I feel they try and do the right thing and until I feet that they don’t I’m in. I get to play golf on good courses and gather with good friends for a week, eat good food and have a few drinks. There are other golf options but I doubt they offer what the WA does. Just my 2 cents.

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