Just $365 Gets You In The Chalet!

Apparently trying to make a Yankee game look like a bargain, AmEx is getting a little more desperate reminding us of their U.S. Open tournament day passes for cardholders...at $365 a pass.

UNIQUE TICKET PACKAGES NOW AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY FOR AMERICAN EXPRESS® CARDMEMBERS TO 2009 U.S OPEN® AT BETHPAGE STATE PARK (BLACK COURSE)

American Express is offering unique access exclusively for Cardmembers to one of golf’s most prestigious championships. Cardmembers have the opportunity to purchase daily passes to attend the 2009 U.S. Open Championship at Bethpage Black on June 18-21 and enjoy access to a private, fully-catered Cardmember-only Chalet.

This special ticket package grants entry to the scenic grounds of Bethpage State Park’s Black Course and the Chalet in the USGA Partner Village that American Express has reserved exclusively for Cardmembers. The Cardmember-only Chalet is located off the 15th fairway and will feature a climate-controlled atmosphere, televisions for viewing championship coverage and complimentary food and beverage.

Tickets* are available for purchase with the American Express Card at http://tinyurl.com/pl5ro2. Cardmembers can also take advantage of a Father’s Day weekend offer, saving $100 when pairs or multiple tickets are purchased.

Comments

[Vinny From Bethpage]

Yo, there are a whole bunch of tickets on Stub Hub. My advice, just wait.

[dbh]

Holy smokes, what a deal!
No question things will be decided near my Chalet vantage point , 'off the 15th fairway'. And free food and drink to boot!

Card member since 96.

[Ollie]

So what, Open volunteers get their "family and friends" tickets for only $400. Take that, you Big Corporations and your members program!

Oh. Wait a minute...

[vwgolfer]

A Chalet!!!! Wow I thought I had to go to Switzerland for that. I was just there on Sunday, its a tent, AMEX, a tent. A tent is a tent is a tent until coporate speak takes over and then a tent is a tent is a enhanced tent or no enhanced has some baggage to it right now so CHALET it is!!!

[thusgone]

amex had a "pavillion" at oakmont. they let in all cardholders, who were then treated to a free drink and an ice cream or a hot dog, i think. it was also air conditioned and had tvs and stuff. i thought it was a really nice thing to do for their "members." didn't cost nothing neither.

[AXP Laying Off 11,000]

Interesting observation there thusgone. Today Amex announced 4,000 more layoffs in addition to the 7,000 they announced in October '08. Free food and drink would prob go over like a lead balloon from a PR perspective.

Vinny is right, the bottom will fall out of this ticket market, I think daily passes will be plentiful at $20 each -- JMO.

[Farmingdale]

Wednesday practice round tickets readily available on stubhub.com for $8 each! Thursday general admission tickets readily available for $53 each. That's not a bad deal, probably gets better!!

[Carl Thompson]

Ollie, is that $400 per ticket per day? I don't think so; but that's the ballpark for these Amex tickets.

[Dick Mahoon]

Carl, I think it's a day pass. You'd wanna be eatin' and drinkin' plenty to cover that 400 bucks. Maybe if you passed out under a table, they wouldn't notice and you could stay overnight.....

DM

[OWGR Fan]

>> Maybe if you passed out under a table, they wouldn't notice and you could stay overnight <<

Wow that sounds like a story I heard about John Daly at the old 84 Lumber Classic from somebody that worked there.

[Bethpage Fanatic]

I'd be happy to pay this to see the best players in the world play in my backyard. Check out the next time the Open is scheduled to be in NYC. It isn't on the list of future sites thru to 2015 and who knows when it'll be back.

And have you ever been to an Open? I know journalists get their posh media tent with free food but regular joes are out walking for miles in the sun and/or rain. Having a ticket to one of these tents sounds nice to me.

Comparing this to a Yankees ticket makes no sense. 80 some games year to watch a sub par team juiced on steroids vs watching Tiger and Phil take on, arguably, the best public course in the country? Easy choice for me...