AUGUSTA, Ga. – Fewer patrons are allowed into Augusta National Golf Club for The Masters this year. It is not stopping ticket scalpers from lining up along Washington Road trying to get in on the action.
“It’s really slow,” Jimmy D., a ticket salesman, says.
Jimmy D. has traveled to Augusta to buy and sell Masters tickets for years. He says demand for tickets is about “one-fourth” of what it is like for a typical year.
Just because business is slow does not mean ticket prices are low.
“Prices are super high this year,” Ram Silverman, a ticket salesman, says. “They’re high because there is little supply.”
Tickets sold directly from Augusta National Golf Club range cost $75 for practice round tickets and $115 for tournament tickets. Ticket salespeople tell NewsChannel 6 patrons should expect to pay $1,250 for a practice round ticket and $3,250 for a single-day tournament ticket if it is bought secondhand.
“Obviously, we would like it to be a lot busier,” Silverman says. “Unfortunately, it is what it is.”
Buying a secondary ticket can be risky. People can pay thousands of dollars and not get into the tournament.
“We would caution people about buying tickets not sold by Augusta National Golf Club just because you don’t know if the ticket is valid or not,” Capt. Scott Gay of the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office warns. “There’s no way to provide proof that it is valid until you come through the ticket turnstile at Augusta National Golf Club.”
But, it is a chance some are willing to take to get a glimpse of the green at Augusta National.
“It’s just an individual risk that people are taking,” Gay explains.
