How much a ticket to watch Jack Nicklaus at the 1979 Ryder Cup cost as Bethpage event hits $750 price

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Tickets for the 2025 Ryder Cup sold out within days despite the PGA of America charging extortionate amounts to attend the Bethpage Black event.

Fans were left fuming after $750 ticket prices were announced for next September’s renewal.

However, the PGA of America will believe its decision was justified after weekend tickets sold out quickly. It’s thought that around 2,500 European fans will also be in attendance.

Clearly, the small fortune required to attend didn’t deter those who wanted to be part of the action.

How much did the 1979 Ryder Cup cost?

The 2025 prices are a hike from last year’s event in Rome. However, the percentage climb from two years ago is nothing compared to the 1979 event Greenbrier in West Virginia.

Those who attended in 1979 were set back just $10.00 and managed to watch Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson and Nick Faldo.

The 1979 edition was the first time players from continental Europe took part. The USA would run out comfortable 17-11 winners.

• READ MORE: Why the decision over whether to pay American players at the Ryder Cup has been delayed

2025 Ryder Cup compared to 1979 ticket prices

Of course, inflation means $10.00 in 1979 was worth a lot more than it is today. Nevertheless, the converted price still demonstrates just how much prices have risen over the past 50 years.

According to a reliable inflation calculator, $10.00 in 1979 is worth around $43.48 in today’s money. So, a ticket for the Greenbrier event is worth around 5% of what fans paid to reserve their spot at Bethpage Black.

The PGA of America recently had to defend its decision to increase ticket costs. Bryan Karns, the organisation’s championship director, attempted to justify the price.

“We view ourselves as a tier-one event that’s on par with a World Series, or with an NBA Finals Game 7,” Karns explained on SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio. “That was a part of it. So when we look at pricing, we’re able to tap into data from all these different venues.”

“We’re able to see, ‘What do people pay? ‘ So that really drove this, too. Again, our position in this landscape — where do we see ourselves? I think that’s the reality.

“There are people who have the Ryder Cup on their bucket list in the same way that someone would have a Yankees opening game World Series on their bucket list. Ultimately, we felt like that’s where we are. The demand is at an all-time high for this event, so we wanted to make sure we priced it appropriately.”