Masters tickets aren't impossible to find, but they are among the toughest tickets in all of sports to get. And if you are able to find Masters tickets, it will probably require a lot of money - perhaps even thousands of dollars - to purchase one.
But there is some good news: During tournament week at the 2011 Masters, Augusta National announced it was making a small number of tournament tickets available for the 2012 Masters, with a random drawing following online registration. The club also announced changes in how it handles practice-round ticket requests.
Prior to those announcements, tickets to tournament days (rounds one through four) had not been available from the Masters Tournament directly to the general public since 1972. That year, Augusta National Golf Club opened a waiting list, but due to demand the waiting list itself had to be closed in 1978.
Twenty-two years later, in the year 2000, a new waiting list was opened. But it is now also closed.
There are options, however; some of them relying on luck and all of them requiring a good bankroll. The options are much more limited for tournament days, but open up a bit for passes to Masters practice days.
Masters Tournament Tickets
Masters badges are "among the most coveted tickets for any event, sporting or otherwise," according to Brian Talbot. Talbot should know - he works for a ticket broker, TickCo Premium Seating."From my experience, it's safe to say these are probably the toughest tickets to get in the world," Talbot said, "with Super Bowl tickets running a close second, depending on which teams make it and where the Super Bowl is hosted."
Beginning in 2012, however, there is a tiny window through which fans can obtain Masters tickets for tournament rounds directly from Augusta National. Each year, a small number of tickets are returned to The Masters following the deaths of longtime ticketholders. Previously, those tickets were simply removed from circulation. But for 2012, fans can register online to take part in a random drawing for those tickets.
The application deadline is June 30, 2011, and you must include your credit card information in the application process. Go to the tickets page on Masters.com and click on "Learn More/Apply for Tickets." The Masters isn't saying how many tournament tickets are available, but rest assured the number is very small and your odds are very long.
Those who are super-lucky will be notified via email in mid-July 2011, and will be required to pay for the tickets at that time.
But if you're not among the super-lucky who get those tickets, what other options exist for golf fans desperate to attend The Masters during tournament play? Ticket brokers are the easiest route, since many ticket brokers have been buying tickets from Masters patrons for years. But those tickets are hugely expensive. Talbot said tournament badges at ticket brokers might begin around $1,500, and he's seen prices as high as $12,000 ... for one ticket!
As with any major purchase, shop around among different ticket brokers to see if you can find a good deal (comparitively speaking of course). Talbot says to buy early if you're going the ticket broker route, since brokers have a limited supply (the larger, most established brokers might have 100 tickets available, Talbot said, while smaller brokers may have only one or two).
The auction giant eBay is another option, although you're more likely to find practice tickets than tournament tickets that way.
And you can always simply show up outside the Augusta National gates and hope to get lucky with a scalper.
"Ticket scalping was legalized in 2001 by the Georgia Legislature so long as the sale occurs at least 1,500 feet away from the event site (be aware that this provision is rigidly enforced)," said Dr. Melissa Stoppler, an Augusta, Ga., resident and formerly About.com's Stress Management Guide. "The law does not restrict the prices of scalped tickets as long as they are sold by a licensed ticket broker. In years past, fraudulent tickets have been discovered, so be careful when buying."
Masters Practice Tickets
Tickets to Masters practice days are much easier to come by than tournament badges, although you'll still need a little luck and a good amount of cash.Practice tickets are more readily available through brokers and on eBay, but the good news is that Masters practice-day tickets are available for purchase by the general public from The Masters itself. A limited number of practice tickets are sold in advance by The Masters, by application only. Whether you get tickets - and how many you get - is the result of a random allocation among all applicants.
But your odds of getting Masters tickets for practice rounds are much, much better than for getting tournament tickets.
For the 2012 Masters, Augusta National is no longer accepting practice-round ticket applications through the mail (snail mail). Beginning with the 2012 Masters, you must apply online.
Go to the tickets page on Masters.com and click "Learn More/Apply for Tickets" (same as the process for tournament-round applications described above).
Register and fill out an application. Applications for the 2012 Masters must be completed by July 30, 2012. A random drawing determines which applicants get tickets, and if you are one of the lucky ones you'll be notified via email in mid-August 2011.
Have questions? The Masters Tournament ticket office can be reached at (706) 667-6700.
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