Augusta National Implements Measures to Prevent Ticket Reselling at Masters Tournament

Augusta National Golf Club maintains strict controls on access to the Masters Tournament, limiting ticket availability to local lifetime patrons and an annual lottery. Tickets are passed down through generations in the community, with the patron program closed since the 1970s.

Reselling tickets violates the terms and conditions, though a loophole previously allowed buyers to claim tickets as gifts.

In recent years, ticket reselling has expanded into an online industry, with secondary market prices reaching as much as 50 times the face value. Georgia law prohibits scalping within 2,700 feet of the property boundary, but resellers operated from areas just outside this limit, such as easements near the interstate.

Augusta National members decided to address this practice to retain profits from low admission prices.

During the 2023 Masters, on the final Sunday, club security detained hundreds of attendees at the gates for using tickets obtained from resellers. Industry reports indicate that as many as 200 ticket holders were turned away that day. Affected individuals reported being questioned about ticket origins and accommodations, with some describing the process as similar to a police interrogation.

Some detainees were allowed entry after verification, while others were denied access. The club has not provided official details on the enforcement actions, leading to various reports in the industry. Tickets for the four-day event include radio-frequency identification chips to aid in verification.

S. sports events with limited public access and no high-profile political appearances. Background on the club's exclusivity includes a 2019 iMessage exchange reported by The Guardian, in which Jeffrey Epstein asked Steve Bannon for assistance in admitting Brad Karp, then chair of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, to Augusta National.

Karp stepped down from his position in February 2024 due to ties with Epstein; Bannon suggested pursuing amateur golf interests, but no admission occurred. These measures affect ticket resellers, hospitality companies, and attendees relying on secondary markets. Future enforcement may involve enhanced technology like RFID tracking to prevent resales.

The club's actions underscore its commitment to controlling access amid growing demand for the event.