Ryder Cup 2027 volunteers fear accommodation prices could price them out of Adare event
If she is selected as a volunteer, Margaret Elizabeth Birks will be attending her 10th Ryder Cup.
More than 35,000 people have applied to be volunteers at the 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor, with registrations coming from 87 countries — but it will be a costly experience for many, with accommodation rates through the roof.
If she is one of the lucky 2,000 to be selected, Margaret Elizabeth Birks, from Scotland, will be attending her 10th Ryder Cup.
“I've done all the Ryder Cups in Europe. This would be my 10th one, and it'll be my second one in Ireland because I did the K Club,” she told the .
“The atmosphere at the Ryder Cup is nothing like any atmosphere at any other golf course. The spectators enjoy themselves, and they cheer their teams on, and they sing. It’s just so wonderful.
"I've got friends now that we only see at the Ryder Cup, we call ourselves the golfing friends — we always share one big house.”
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Successful applicants will fulfil two types of volunteer roles — the traditional on-course marshal role and a new 'ambassador' role that will support the overall fan experience.
Volunteers and fans alike can expect a bit of celebrity spotting, as Ms Birks was once delighted to get a hello from David Beckham.
“You’ve got Rory McIlroy and all of them as they're walking past us volunteers, they always say thank you. They're very, very polite and are really nice,” she said.
While she is eager to find out in August if she got selected, the “ridiculous” price of accommodation in Ireland is a concern.
Local residents who rent their homes during the tournament could make up to €25,600 in a week through official channels, while a lot of properties have been listed on unofficial websites for tens of thousands.
“I was in the centre of Rome two years ago, and we got an apartment for eight of us, and it only cost about €3,000.
“The other thing as well is that the Ryder Cup have closed every hotel within a 50-mile radius of Adare,” she said.
Ms Birks said volunteers are not “wealthy golf people” — they have to pay for their own flights and accommodation.
“I just hope to goodness they manage to let their accommodation out, because I've got a funny feeling they'll have to drop the prices,” she said.
Last year, Ian Bushby got “very lucky” to be put on the waitlist to volunteer at Bethpage, New York. Unsuccessful in the first batch of applications, he was eventually called forward.
“It’s contagious. When you become a volunteer, you get more and more involved all the time because you're so close to so many elements. So I just went up to one of the marshalling desks, and I said, 'Look, guys, you know, I'm free. Do you need any help?' And the organiser said, 'Absolutely, because we've got people not turned up'."
According to Mr Bushby, because of how the results were going, some American volunteers did not bother to show up.
After being assigned to “match eight”, an Irish man informed him this would be “heaven”, as Shane Lowry was the one playing.
“We had this incredible experience of watching an American crowd come alive as they thought they were gonna see the Americans pulling off the impossible.
“I was standing on the 18th green when I saw Shane sink his putt to halve the match and to get the point, to retain the Ryder Cup, and it was just an experience that will live with me forever,” he recalled.
“The players are in a bubble because they've got to concentrate. You can speak to them occasionally, and you can get a word in with the caddies outside of the match environment."
On the Bethpage course, Mr Bushby witnessed “so much abuse” being thrown at the players from a small yet “very vocal” minority.
As he waits to find out if he got selected, Mr Bushby is “casually browsing” for accommodation. While the prices are eye-watering, he is not surprised.
“It’s understandable because people see it as an opportunity to cash in because there are always a lot of wealthy people, and so-called sports fans who attend marquee events such as the Ryder Cup because it's the place to be seen,” he said.
In Gleneagles, Paris and Rome, British man Philip Hughes was one of the walking media marshals. He got to see the likes of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy play. Next year, he is hoping to be in Limerick.
“I like to think that myself and others earned the respect of players, simply because most days they would come across afterwards and say thank you for helping them. That’s why you go, that’s it. That’s a buzz, no money could buy that,” said Mr Hughes.
At the Ryder Cup, you never know who you might bump into. In 2014 at Gleneagles, Mr Hughes was introduced to none other than the captain of the American team.
“My colleague and I met an American guy in the pub, we had some beers and told some stories. The next day, midway around the golf course in the middle of the Ryder Cup, this young guy comes up on a golf buggy and says ‘Phil, I’d like you to meet my dad’. And dad was Tom Watson,” he recalled.
Despite hoping to be selected, Mr Hughes pointed out a lot of the volunteers are on a pension, or have limited income.
“We’ve all seen the crazy rip-off offers online. We’re the foot soldiers, not the millionaire spectators,” he said.
The 2023 Ryder Cup, held at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in Rome, was the first to be staged in Italy. It delivered a €262m boost to the Italian economy — a record for a Ryder Cup hosted in Europe.
The figure was an 11% increase on the €235m generated in Paris in 2018.
Last year’s event at Bethpage Black in New York drew about 250,000 visitors, and generated an economic impact of more than $200m.
Every two years, the Ryder Cup pits the 12 best professional players from the US against the 12 best European players. First played in 1927, next year's event at Adare Manor will mark the first time the competition has been held in Ireland since 2006, when Europe secured an 18-9 victory at the K Club in Kildare.
The 2006 edition generated €143m of direct expenditure to the economy, with €127m of this invested in the Kildare and Dublin area.
According to Government officials, the economic benefits of the 2027 Ryder Cup are expected to be “in excess of €300m" to Ireland as a whole.
The European Tour's chief Ryder Cup officer, Richard Atkinson, said the impact in Rome generated a “significant impact” in Italy.
“A number of different metrics go into that — obviously, international visitors coming into the region, not only for the golf, but pre- and post-event. They need to stay somewhere, eat somewhere, be entertained, and all that generates a significant economic impact for the local city and the host nation.”
While Adare Manor is “suitable” to host a major tournament, the infrastructures around the course also needs to follow.
“We have to supplement that with temporary infrastructure and overlay. We don't have the luxury of six stadia that you perhaps do in football, rugby, tennis, and other sports," said Atkinson.
“We have to adapt to the environment, the location that we're in with temporary infrastructure. So that means things like grandstands, tent structures to house media centres, catering areas, bars."
The overall idea is to “build a sort of small town” for spectators.
As part of a wider transport plan for the Ryder Cup, a number of park and ride facilities will be located across Limerick to bring visitors to Adare Manor. One of the sites, located at Collopy’s Cross, Attyflin, Patrickswell, is expected to provide up to 3,900 spaces.
“We work very closely with local authorities, with Limerick City and County Council and the Government of Ireland to ensure we have adequate rail services," said Atkinson, explaining the park and rides are the most efficient way to get this number of people into a golf course.
More than 20,000 grandstand seats will be available at Adare — a European Ryder Cup record.
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In May, all matchday tickets available via an exclusive priority window for Irish residents sold out in under an hour.
Within a few hours, practice-day and weekly tickets available in the same window also sold out, as more than 150,000 people across the country pre-registered for early access.
Ryder Cup Europe nearly doubled ticket prices for the flagship event, with fans paying €499 for a daily ticket — up from €260 in 2023.
Atkinson said: “Approximately a third of our audience will be from the island of Ireland, and we're delighted with that. We know how enthusiastic and passionate they are and it's important that this is an Irish Ryder Cup.
"But we want to give the rest of the world an opportunity to be there and enjoy the Ryder Cup as well.”
For the first time, Ryder Cup Europe offered free tickets to local residents, with each household in Adare village’s postal code receiving two complimentary passes valid for any day of the tournament. However, residents in the wider parish outside the designated postal area were not included.
“The response and feedback was hugely, hugely positive. We’re well aware, whilst it's our event, it's their community, and we know how important community is in Ireland," said Atkinson.
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Another first will be the option to camp nearby Adare Manor — with a dedicated entry leading to the first tee point, only five minutes away from the venue.
“I can update you that we are going to have an official campsite that's going to be located next to Adare Manor,” Mr Atkinson told the . “There’s camping coming on board, which we're really excited about — it's the first time we've done it.”
As more than 35,000 people have applied to volunteer at the event, Mr Atkinson said the 2,000 roles available will mostly be allocated to Irish residents.
“This shows the passion people have for the Ryder Cup and the desire to be part of it," he said.
"A significant number of the volunteers will be Irish, especially in the ambassador roles. We want it to be an Irish Ryder Cup, we want it to be an Irish welcome."
He said the Ryder Cup was also an international event, so people from other countries would get a chance to volunteer. “We need people with language skills who can help communicate to our international fan base as well. We're in the middle of the process, but they will be informed in August time, and then hopefully training will begin after that.”
While volunteers will not be offered any financial help for accommodation or flights, Atkinson said “there is a strong volunteer community” among attendees.
“They tend to sort of look after each other, so I've no doubt they will be finding appropriate accommodation for their stay. We’re working very closely with the volunteer team to ensure that everyone does have a place to stay and can support us in the operation.”
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