Golf Channel Am Tour - Is It Too Expensive?

[fburns]

I have played the GCAT for a while now and I have enjoyed it, but it seems that the annual fees (almost $200) and tournament entry fees are climbing.i love competing, playing by the rules and checking out new courses but there is a financial limit at some point.  In our area in Florida one day events on the GCAT cost $120-165 and two day weekend events are $495. Some of the courses are special but certainly not all of them. By comparison, the Golfweek Am Tour, that I also play on, has one day events at about $80-90 and two day events under $200. The Florida State Golf Association has one day events for $60. What do you think is a reasonable price for playing in these amateur tours? Do you think the GCAT is worth the extra expense? If so, why?

[HJJ003]

20 minutes ago, fburns said:

I have played the GCAT for a while now and I have enjoyed it, but it seems that the annual fees (almost $200) and tournament entry fees are climbing.i love competing, playing by the rules and checking out new courses but there is a financial limit at some point.  In our area in Florida one day events on the GCAT cost $120-165 and two day weekend events are $495. Some of the courses are special but certainly not all of them. By comparison, the Golfweek Am Tour, that I also play on, has one day events at about $80-90 and two day events under $200. The Florida State Golf Association has one day events for $60. What do you think is a reasonable price for playing in these amateur tours? Do you think the GCAT is worth the extra expense? If so, why?

I think that is a very personalized question. My golf budget is quite small unfortunately so paying any sort of annual dues and tournament fees to be in a league at all is out of the question. However, there are others here that would pay the GCAT fees/dues all day long. What matters is it worth it for you? And TBH the moment you start to doubt if something is worth the price your paying...it usually isn't. 

[mcanadiens]

There is an attractiveness to playing new courses, but I can compete and play by the rules at my home courses and pay $40 association dues and $20 per competition. For variety, there are city championships one could enter at some of the other courses.

Is there some real prize money in this GCAT that makes those entry fees potentially worthwhile? Otherwise, that cost is a bit hard to rationalize.

[David in FL]

I enjoy the FSGA one day events and I’ll play a few of those each year.

Other than that belonging to a club allows me to play in plenty of competitive events throughout the year which, like you, I really enjoy.  

As long as you’re doing the math, you might want to look at a club membership realizing that what you’re spending on the GCAT events could offset some of that membership cost…

[bkuehn1952]

2 hours ago, fburns said:

...What do you think is a reasonable price for playing in these amateur tours? Do you think the GCAT is worth the extra expense? If so, why?

Florida is going to be quite a bit higher than where I live. Still, I consider the local Michigan GCAT and Golfweek Tours locally to be pricey.  Your impression that the cost is too high probably is correct.

As others have suggested, local communities also hold tournaments. I know Sarasota does.  It takes a bit more effort to locate and enter non-Tour events but if you want to save some money, that is the way to go.

[BushwoodCC]

I suppose this question is a bit like asking how much is too much to pay for a car, house, etc.... it depends on the buyer.  I have played on the GCAT for more than ten years, and greatly enjoy it.  I can see, however, that the entry fees can be out of some folks price range.  I do feel like the fees are generally worth the experience.  Also, I don’t like that Golfweek has a maximum score on a hole. 

[RayG]

Remember that the GCAT is really just trying to produce revenue for the Golf Channel and it's owners. State and local groups aren't generally income stream driven as much since they might get subsidies from various government agencies. And if they are playing on municipal courses, that saves them money as well.

You are paying for the cachet of the golf channel itself.

[Moose68]

I also play in a few of the FSGA events every year, and think the value of those is spot on.  If I were you, and you can take the weekdays off to play in those, that is where I'd focus.  Even when they play at the high end courses, the prices are very reasonable for the FSGA events.

[BushwoodCC]

On 11/28/2018 at 8:07 AM, RayG said:

Remember that the GCAT is really just trying to produce revenue for the Golf Channel and it's owners. State and local groups aren't generally income stream driven as much since they might get subsidies from various government agencies. And if they are playing on municipal courses, that saves them money as well.

You are paying for the cachet of the golf channel itself.

Respectfully, you are incorrect.  You do not understand how the AmTour local tours are run, and what the Tour Directors do.  

[NM Golf]

On 11/28/2018 at 7:07 AM, RayG said:

Remember that the GCAT is really just trying to produce revenue for the Golf Channel and it's owners. State and local groups aren't generally income stream driven as much since they might get subsidies from various government agencies. And if they are playing on municipal courses, that saves them money as well.

You are paying for the cachet of the golf channel itself.

 

13 hours ago, BushwoodCC said:

Respectfully, you are incorrect.  You do not understand how the AmTour local tours are run, and what the Tour Directors do.  

I have said it before, but I would love to see a breakdown of how the GCAT uses entry fees and membership fees. I mean the association at my course charges $50 to join and $20 for a one day tournament (not including the $35 green fee). The GCAT plays an event at our course and charges $150. The payouts aren't any better for the GCAT, so where does that extra money go?

[iacas]

15 minutes ago, NM Golf said:

I have said it before, but I would love to see a breakdown of how the GCAT uses entry fees and membership fees. I mean the association at my course charges $50 to join and $20 for a one day tournament (not including the $35 green fee). The GCAT plays an event at our course and charges $150. The payouts aren't any better for the GCAT, so where does that extra money go?

@BushwoodCC, can you comment here? Do you have a role with the GCAT?

[BushwoodCC]

I can certainly comment, and no I don’t have a role with the GCAT.  Here is an example breakdown, based on playing over ten years on the tour and having multiple discussions with tour directors:

Entry Fee: 125

Greens Fee: 60

Prize Pool (includes trophy to flight winner) 30

Costs to Tour Director ( travel, labor, insurance, lodging) 10-15

Fee to GCAT: 5

Profit to Tour Director: 10-15

So in a 60 player event, the GC makes $300 and the Tour Director makes $600 for their work planning, setting up, executing, and taking down the event. Plus answering questions/emails/text messages from probably 150 players on their tour. 

The Tour Directors also work to staff the Majors (two day events at marquee locations like Pinehurst, Sawgrass, etc.) and the national championships.  They don’t do this for free, and I do not expect them to.  

Hope this helps - but I’m glad to answer any questions. 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 1, 2018 by BushwoodCC

[iacas]

4 hours ago, BushwoodCC said:

I can certainly comment, and no I don’t have a role with the GCAT.  Here is an example breakdown, based on playing over ten years on the tour and having multiple discussions with tour directors:

Entry Fee: 125

Greens Fee: 60

Prize Pool (includes trophy to flight winner) 30

Costs to Tour Director ( travel, labor, insurance, lodging) 10-15

Fee to GCAT: 5

Profit to Tour Director: 10-15

 So in a 60 player event, the GC makes $300 and the Tour Director makes $600 for their work planning, setting up, executing, and taking down the event. Plus answering questions/emails/text messages from probably 150 players on their tour. 

So they pay out $1800 in prizes? And @NM Golf says the greens fee is $35 at his course, yet the GCAT charges $150?

[BushwoodCC]

6 flights - $300 per flight if 10 per flight, more or less depending on number of players in flight.  

Entry fees are set by Tour Director, and events are played prime time on weekends.  Also includes range balls. Make sure it is an apples to apples comparison - maybe he is comparing weekday or twilight fees to prime time.  

 

 

[allenc]

1 hour ago, iacas said:

So they pay out $1800 in prizes? And @NM Golf says the greens fee is $35 at his course, yet the GCAT charges $150?

I play it and my experience is more in line with what @BushwoodCC says.  $125 for a course with a $65 green fee.  And yes, $1800 in prizes for 60 players.

For nicer courses you sometimes actually get a good deal.  I’ve signed up for Pelican Hill next month for $220.  The normal green fees there are, wait for it, $220.

[NM Golf]

Okay, I gave out wrong information, I checked and the tournament fee for this past year was $125 when they played at my course. Our "Prime Time" greens fees on weekends are $35, so there's $90 unaccounted for. If they put $30 per man in a prize pool thats still $60, or about half of the entry fee, NOT benefitting the players, that seems like a lot to me.

That is all AFTER you pony up a $199 to join, where does that money go? 

If people enjoy playing on the GCAT that's great, but the value is not there for me. For someone with a much larger golf budget they may not mind. 

 

[BushwoodCC]

2 hours ago, NM Golf said:

Okay, I gave out wrong information, I checked and the tournament fee for this past year was $125 when they played at my course. Our "Prime Time" greens fees on weekends are $35, so there's $90 unaccounted for. If they put $30 per man in a prize pool thats still $60, or about half of the entry fee, NOT benefitting the players, that seems like a lot to me.

That is all AFTER you pony up a $199 to join, where does that money go? 

If people enjoy playing on the GCAT that's great, but the value is not there for me. For someone with a much larger golf budget they may not mind. 

 

If you don’t feel like it’s worth it, then it’s probably  best you don’t play it.  Im not the guy who asks a restaurant how much they paid for my steak.  If I enjoy the experience, I come back. If I don’t, then I won’t return.  Expecting a business to provide an accounting of how they spend their money to a customer is a bit over the top.  The Tour Directors are “working” and they expect to get “paid’... just like you do when you go to work.  It’s not intended to be a break even scenario... 

[NM Golf]

11 hours ago, BushwoodCC said:

If you don’t feel like it’s worth it, then it’s probably  best you don’t play it.  Im not the guy who asks a restaurant how much they paid for my steak.  If I enjoy the experience, I come back. If I don’t, then I won’t return.  Expecting a business to provide an accounting of how they spend their money to a customer is a bit over the top.  The Tour Directors are “working” and they expect to get “paid’... just like you do when you go to work.  It’s not intended to be a break even scenario... 

See here's the thing, I ran tournaments as part of my course's golf association for over 10 years. I have put together tournaments with over 130 players and 6 flights. I did it all for the price of my own entry fee ($20-$30). I have no problem with people making money, but a director clearing $500-$1000 for running a one day tournament seems a bit excessive to me. Especially if when I win I get $100 gift certificate and a crappy trophy. For years and years golf associations around the country have been running golf tournaments without anyone expecting to get "paid". The Golf Channel definitely adds some extra bells and whistles to try and justify the extra cost of their tournaments, and it would be an individual decision on whether or not those bells and whistles are important enough to you to shell out the extra cash. 

Listen, I understand you like the GCAT and that's great. The title of this thread is Golf Channel Am Tour - Is It Too Expensive? I think it is. I don't think the value is there because they pay their director's too much. That is me. Going back to your restaurant comparison, its is again a choice, do I want to pay $60 for a steak at Ruth's Chris when I can get a pretty damn good one at Texas Roadhouse for $15. No. But Ruth's is certainly allowed to charge what they want and some people will always choose to go there. I am more of a Texas Roadhouse guy myself.