Every golf fan dreams of attending The Masters. Every one fantasizes of playing Augusta National… but the reality isn’t that simple.
You will likely only ever walk the hallowed grounds of Augusta National if you have tickets to The Masters. The good news? You won’t necessarily have to mortgage your home to afford them. The bad news? They are extremely hard to get.
To attend The Masters, you have to win the lottery. Not the actual lottery – although that wouldn’t hurt – but rather the ballot, which fans have to sign up for and hope they hit the jackpot.
The number of Patrons allowed to enter the iconic course throughout the tournament is limited to 40,000 per day with a reported 2 million applicants per day entering the lottery. Frankly not the best odds.
But if fans did strike gold this year, it would have cost them $100 for a practice round and $140 for a tournament round.
Every fan fantasizes of attending The Masters but getting to Augusta isn’t that easy
You will likely only ever walk the grounds of Augusta National if you have tickets to The Masters
Membership to the iconic golf club is exclusive and only members can invite guests
For the extremely lucky few, Master series badges – which grant an undisclosed number of patrons access to all four tournament days – are available for $450 but don’t even try and think of signing up, the waiting list hasn’t opened up for two decades.
However, even $450 is a bargain if you can get hold of a ticket or badge through the lottery as resale prices are likely to leave you bankrupt.
As of Friday, there was a limited number of tickets available on resale sites such as StubHub with a single day ticket costing as much as $3,288 and a four day pass going for up to $12,449.
There are also companies that offer packages, including tickets, accommodation and travel – for a hefty fee.
Yet, once you’re actually on the course, you can dine like a king – or queen – for a pittance.
There are around 25 items on the menu at concession stands around Augusta in total, all offered at staggeringly cheap prices. You can sample an Egg Salad or Pimento Cheese sandwich for as little as $1.50, while a beer will set you back just $5 and a glass of wine costs just $6.
Single day tickets cost as much as $3,288 on resale site, StubHub, as of Friday
A four day pass was going for up to $12,449 with less than a week to go until the major
Having a captive audience means sports events around the world are able to charge what they want for food and drinks. And in some occasions, fans can find themselves paying a hefty price for their half-time hot dog or a post match pint.
But the Masters continues to maintain its low prices in perhaps a nod of respect to the patrons who spend thousands flocking to Georgia every April to watch the best players in the world battle it out on Augusta’s sprawling green fairways.
Yet, even if golf fans can complete the pilgrimage to watch their favorite pros tackle Amen Corner, they face an even tougher challenge to play one of the most infamous courses in the sport.
Augusta National is one of the most exclusive venues in the world of golf and getting a tee time on the hallowed fairways is practically impossible – unless you know the right people.
Yet, once you’re actually on the course, you can dine like a king – or queen – for a pittance
The prestigious club only has 300 members, including the likes of Condoleezza Rice
The prestigious club only has 300 members and, unsurprisingly, membership is invitation only with places rarely becoming available, usually in the instance of someone passing away.
If you do receive a coveted call up, you’d better be ready to pay up as the initial joining fee is believed to be around $40,000 with yearly dues estimated to be a ‘few thousand’, according to Golf.com.
However, there is a slim – incredibly slim – chance of playing the course without being a member yourself , you just have to know one.
Members can invite guests but with membership at Augusta limited to some of the US’s most elite and powerful figures, unless you happen to know Bill Gates or Condoleezza Rice, it’s unlikely you’ll be receiving a guest pass.