Buyers And Sellers Be Aware Augusta Is Cracking Down On Third Party Resellers
Masters tickets are some of the toughest sports passes obtain–even if you have the necessary funds. And Augusta National strictly polices those valuable passes as much as keeping the patrons in line.
Golf.com’s Alan Schupak uncovers the news of Augusta officials sending out cease and desist notices to those buying or selling tickets thru third party resellers. Worse, the offenders could permanently lose their privileges obtaining future passes.
Some original ticket holders who have sold their tickets for the 2018 Masters through third-party resellers have received letters from Augusta National informing them that their tickets have been invalidated. According to these notices, one of which was obtained by GOLF.com, the sellers are told they will receive a full refund but that they will be “permanently removed from all ticket lists.”
Buyers of these tickets could face a worse result still. Invalid tickets could create a scenario where would-be patrons shell out for airfare, accommodations and rental car only to discover when they arrive at the gates of Augusta National that their tickets are no good.
The Masters has long prohibited the reselling of its coveted single-day tickets and multi-day badges, but last year it added a new defense to catch offenders: color-coded strips on the bottom of the tickets that the tournament’s ticket police can use as secret decoder rings of sorts to determine the original purchasers.
What about popular resellers like StubHub?
StubHub spokesperson Cameron Papp said the company wasn’t aware of more stringent efforts by Augusta National to limit the resale of Masters tickets but called the possibility of buyers winding up with invalid tickets “unfortunate” and said StubHub will stand by its guarantee of all tickets exchanged through its marketplace.
“We’ll do everything in our power to make sure you get into an event, even if that means spending money to make sure we get supply elsewhere,” he said. “As a very last resort you’ll get your money back and a voucher. We hope it doesn’t come to that.”
A Masters series badge — good for four tournament days — costs $375 if you are among the lucky few to acquire one. (According to the Augusta Chronicle, after a badge holder dies, the account is transferable only to a surviving spouse.) Badges come with additional barriers for resellers. Unless they’re sold for the week, the badges are essentially rented on a daily basis and must be returned at day’s end. To ensure the drop-offs happen, some scalpers require a stiff down payment, ranging from cash to a driver’s license and the keys to a rental car.
Tickets have been sold out since 1972. Since 1995, practice-round tickets have been sold via an annual lottery and some daily tournament tickets were added in 2012, the same year the process moved online. The public can apply for up to four tickets per day, beginning in May.
