How U.S. Open Concession Prices Are Breaking More Than Par

Imagine you’ve just sealed a thrilling 18-hole round, strolling past concession stands expecting the usual overpriced stadium fare. Instead, you’re hit with sticker shock so severe:

• A Philly cheesesteak for $13.95 (a small mortgage, perhaps?)
• Hot dogs clock in at $7.59—with fries politely ignored
• A bottle of water? Only $4.95. Because hydration at high altitude is apparently a luxury 

But the real kicker is the beer: roughly twice what Augusta charges. Yes—$11.95 for a Corona, and about $12.34 a can if you’re viewing from overseas. At the Masters, a beer caps out at $6, and a pimento cheese sandwich lives in kid-arcade territory at $1.50  . Yet here at Oakmont, we’re suddenly playing in a different league—apparently the one where snacks are financial instruments.

Imagine…the spectators roar…digitally, and the golf fans cry foul online. One even grumbled:
“11 bucks for a beer?”  Another pointed out the banana heist: “$1.95 for a banana??? I’m taking my business elsewhere!” 

And the crown-jewel complaint? “A bottle of water costs more than a soda!”

Let’s crack open a cold one: should you pay $12 for a beer, and all you could get is a lousy hangover…and at a souvenir price tag! So, are the prices really that bad?

Answer: Kinda. Sure, they’re high—but in the world of stadium economics, that’s basically the baseline. Compared to a $15 hot dog at a basketball game or $17 wine at tennis, this sort of thing is almost… quaint. Still, when you look next to Augusta’s ultra-budget offerings, the contrast is stark and practically comedic.

Here are some Budget survival tips for fans:

1. Strategic sipping: Grab drinks in less crowded zones to save a few bucks.
2. BYOS? Check if items are allowed in—like in tennis, where snacks are sometimes okay.
3. Fan craftiness: Bring a cooler in—one Redditor joked it “saved like $200 on food”  .

Overall:

• Oakmont’s concession prices are steep—food’s up in the teens, beer in the low-$12s, water’s shockingly pricey.
• Compared to Augusta, it’s hard not to feel mugged (and not by a golfer).
• Still, fans expect it at major events, so for seasoned attendees it’s “par for the course.”