Confirmed: It’s not hard to spend $300 on U.S. Open hats, shirts
Jun 12, 2015, 11:52 AM | Updated: 1:51 pm
The head of merchandising for the U.S. Golf Association says hats are the most popular item on the shelves in the giant gift shop. (KIRO Radio/Chris Sullivan)
(KIRO Radio/Chris Sullivan)
!["The lowest price [for a hat] is $22. Most of them are around $27," Lopunsznski said. "A few of them are in the low $30s."](https://mynorthwest.com/wp-content/uploads/cms/14/1454/145420.jpg)
Golf fans had better be prepared for a little sticker shock at the U.S. Open merchandise tent at Chambers Bay Golf Course.
Much like a trip to Costco, it’s not hard to drop at least a hundred dollars. In fact, I managed to spend $300.
Related: Bubba Watson shows off crazy putt at Chambers Bay
“We have 500,000 items with the U.S. Open logo – men’s apparel, women’s apparel, headwear – our best selling item – we have all kinds of accessory items,” said Mary Lopunsznski, head of merchandising for the United States Golf Association.
And boy are they enticing. Lopunsznski says you can shop smartly and not break the bank, like I did.
“The lowest price [for a hat] is $22. Most of them are around $27,” Lopunsznski said. “A few of them are in the low $30s. For apparel, our shirts start at $39 – most of our Ralph Lauren shirts are $86. We also have Nike and Adidas where you might find shirts at $58. We have a pretty broad price range, so hopefully something for everybody.”
But it’s not the shirts and hats that will put a dent in your bank account, it’s all the commemorative stuff like the $30 for a flag, $11 for a sleeve of balls, and $18 for a golf towel.
There are also specialty items that have a Northwest flare.
“We have a U.S. Open logo’ed growler for the first time ever,” Lopunsznski said. “When we started coming out on advanced trips and started seeing the microbreweries and the growlers, we thought, ‘Wouldn’t that be great with the U.S. Open logo?’ So that’s a new one for us.”
But it’ll cost you $100. Lopusznski said if you like something, you should get it because it might not be around all week.
“We watch our sales down to the unit and we look at the trends,” Lopusznski said. “We can replenish and bring more in later in the week, but there are some items that maybe came from overseas or they are a one-shot deal for us that we can’t get back into … It’s sort of hit or miss to what we’ll have once we get closer to Championship weekend.”
You can get to the merchandise tent, which is really more the size of an indoor football practice facility at 41,000 square feet, for free through June 14. After Sunday, you will need a ticket.
