"But is a barbecue chicken pizza adequate recompense for the tournament raising its ticket price from $30 to $50?"

The PGA Tour continues to hear about their decision to raise Northern Trust Open tickets $20. John Strege in his Golf World game story:

The $20 increase over the cost of a walk-up ticket a year ago was, said Bone, necessary to offset the cost of some of the improvements made. "I wouldn't say the tournament has slipped as a golf tournament, but the sports landscape has changed everywhere, certainly here in Los Angeles. Everybody has suites now -- Staples Center, UCLA, the Angels, Dodgers, everybody. The sports landscape changed underneath the feet of the L.A. Junior Chamber. In today's market you need to make some significant investments."

The event focused on being more fan-friendly, which might have been accomplished with the Grove, an interactive area featuring food, a putting green and a pro offering swing analysis. For the first time, the tournament had branded food on site, a California Pizza Kitchen. It also increased the number of bleachers it erected around the course from two to seven, Bone said.

But is a barbecue chicken pizza adequate recompense for the tournament raising its ticket price from $30 to $50?

Bob Harig also raises this fine point, one that sails over the heads of the Ponte Vedra Value Proposition Police:

Golf tournaments ultimately do not depend on gate sales for their survival. It is about selling sponsorships, corporate hospitality, pro-am spots, etc. Those are the big-ticket items that pay the bills.

But the guy on the street is what gives a tournament its life, its buzz. Economics 101: Would you rather have one spectator paying $50 or two paying $25 each? Obviously those guys paying $25 are going to pay to park their cars and might buy souvenirs and concessions. You collect the same amount at the gate, but you give yourself a chance to make more on the back end.

More important, however, it means you create more excitement with more people attending the tournament.