First Time at PGA Championship: Surprises, What It’s Really Like | Invesloan.com

Unlike the Masters, getting into the PGA Championship doesn’t require winning a lottery or knowing the right people.

Tickets go on sale to the public, and while championship rounds sell out fast, I nabbed a general admission ticket for last Thursday, the first day of the championship, which retails for about $199.

Still, if that’s too steep, practice-round passes are also a genuinely affordable way in. At $79, which includes food and non-alcoholic drinks, it’s also one of the better deals in major championship golf, and you still get to watch Tour pros prepare up close.

Imagine my surprise that it was just that affordable.

One of the bigger surprises of the day was how seamless it was to get food. It’s a long day, and you have to stay nourished.

Championship+ ticket holders eat for free, and there are markets set up throughout the grounds serving burgers, chicken sandwiches, sausages, and an array of snacks. It’s nothing to write home about, but it was decent and free. The lines also moved efficiently.

If you have access to a hospitality area like Club Magenta (more on that below), you’ll also find complimentary cocktails.

Aronimink Golf Club is expansive. There are 18 holes spread across a course. I surely got my steps in that day.

I was glad I wore comfortable tennis shoes instead of focusing on fashion.

The day I was there, it was also mildly chilly, which was a bit unusual for spring in Pennsylvania, but I will take that over the beating sun any day.

I scored access to a hospitality suite, which can cost up to over $1,200 on the resale market, thanks to being a T-Mobile customer.

Club Magenta, T-Mobile’s fan hospitality area at the 15th green, is for fans like me who don’t have loads of cash to drop on a one-day suite. T-Mobile customers got in free just by showing their app at the door. I could also bring up to two guests.

Inside, there were complimentary cocktails, comfortable lounge seating, meet-and-greets with players and athletes, and an unobstructed view of championship play.

For a first-timer who spent the earlier part of the day covering miles of ground, it was the perfect place to take a breather. And they were giving out free lawn chairs, which I luckily snagged!

I showed up in green athletic pants and a polo top, which felt appropriate enough for my first time. But after a full day of watching people walk the grounds, I’m already planning my look for next year.

Skirt sets, coordinated sets, and elevated athleisure were everywhere, definitely making for some great Instagrammable moments.

I’ve already got my eye on a Malbon golf skirt set for next year. Consider this my formal notice that I am taking the outfit as seriously as the sport from here on out.

I went to the PGA Championship knowing next to nothing about golf, and dare I say, I’m completely converted. I’ve since taken my first golf lesson. And while I’m not going to say I’m going to be the next Tiger Woods, I’m also not not saying that.

What I will say is that the PGA Championship was one of the most genuinely fun days I’ve had at a sporting event.

If you’ve been sitting on the fence about going because golf always felt like it wasn’t for you, that’s exactly why you should go. The sport is more accessible than it’s ever been, the experience delivers on every level, and, at the very least, you walk away with a new hobby.