ROGERS -- Visitors to the Wal-Mart NW Arkansas Championship will pay below average prices for tickets, concessions and souvenirs.
Daily passes are $10 per person and $25 for weekly entry. Tickets for past years started at $25 per day and $50 a week.
Organizers said reduced prices reflect the atmosphere of the region and the mission of tournament sponsors Wal-Mart and Proctor & Gamble. The $10 tickets are in honor of the event's 10th anniversary. The LPGA Tour event runs through Sunday at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers.
"Some golf tournaments are about customer entertainment and others are about showcasing real estate or a club," said Jay Allen, event chairman of the tournament. "Neither of those are the mission here. Ours (echoes) Wal-Mart's mission to provide quality of life and make Northwest Arkansas a better place to live."
"This is a typical Wal-Mart move," said Michael Whan, LPGA commissioner. "They're all about community, having people come and enjoy themselves. They spend a lot on water and fun spots.
"It's not just a business, it's about enjoying Rogers."
LPGA Tour stops preceding and following the Northwest Arkansas tournament -- the Meijer LPGA Classic in Grand Rapids, Mich., and the Cambia Portland Open in Oregon -- have similarly low price points with $10 daily and $25 weekly entry. Those tickets are the exception, not the norm.
The Women's U.S. Open, to be held the second week of July, has prices more typical of the average tournament stop with daily rates ranging from $60 to $150, depending on the day of the week and level of accessibility the visitor wants. Weekly passes are $250.
Keeping costs low for adults and allowing youth free entry make it more accessible for the whole family to attend.
Estimates for a family of four -- two adults and two children -- to enjoy a day at the tournament include $20 for tickets, $5 for parking and roughly $20 on food, since bottled water is sold for $1 and other concession items are $2 to $4 each. Throw in a T-shirt or two and the family tab is still under $100 for a day of entertainment, Allen said.
"Considering the average cost of a family of four to attend an NFL or NBA game is around $650, ticket prices for this tournament are in line with most minor league baseball games," said Sarah Stokowski, assistant professor of sport management at the University of Arkansas. "This is a great opportunity to raise awareness for the sport of golf as well as female athletes throughout our community."
A goodie bag of P&G products, such as Crest toothpaste, Scope mouthwash, a Gillette razor and Cover Girl lip gloss, is provided with each general entry and has an estimated value of more than $60.
In a previous years, tournament officials handed out bottled water for free when temperatures rose to 100 degrees. Organizers said they are open to doing so again this year to keep fans safe and make the experience more pleasant. The National Weather Service predicts temperatures will rest at an average of 92 degrees today through Sunday with a heat index of 100.
An added value of the ticket price is the accessibility of the golfers.
"In here, some of the best women golfers are just a few feet away," Allen said. "The LPGA is good at interacting with fans. When rounds are over little girls are lined up waiting for them, and they'll sign autographs."
Having greater accessibility benefits the athletes, too, Whan said. Unlike other locations, the golfers are welcomed into homes during their stay, are picked up at the airport and attend block parties, cookouts and other community events.
"These athletes travel all over the world, 34 weeks of travel in a year and it's rough on the 34th week," Whan said. "Not a lot of stops feel like home, but this one does."
Other events that happen in conjunction with the tournament make for a weeklong, festival-like atmosphere. The cost of entry for those activities are similarly kept low.
Bite, a two-night food festival that starts tonight at the Wal-Mart Arkansas Music Pavilion and showcases regional chefs and restaurants, charged $30 per night for individual tickets and $50 per night for pairs until it was sold out. An LPGA 5K benefiting Mercy Hospital on Saturday morning costs $25 per person and includes a goodie bag and breakfast. A concert featuring Rachel Platten at the Wal-Mart AMP on Saturday night costs $5 for a seat on the lawn or $10 for a covered seat.
"Having events surrounding the tournament only add to the experience," Stokowski said. "Having just the LPGA event might deter people from attending, but having other events compliment (it). I think you'll see an increased interest."
NW News on 06/23/2016