Masters Ticket Scalpers

[J_Tizzle]

3 hours ago, mstuewe said:

it might not just be the asshats.  At these prices I could sell 2 tickets and take my family on a Disney World vacation for a week.  That’s insanely tempting

 

I mean... 

 

Thats the exact point, people buying them with no intentions of using them only to flip them.  Seems like an asshat kind of thing to do.

[mstuewe]

1 hour ago, J_Tizzle said:

 

I mean... 

 

Thats the exact point, people buying them with no intentions of using them only to flip them.  Seems like an asshat kind of thing to do.

 

well in my case, I was super excited that I won the lottery this year...but am now questioning if the money would be better spent on a family vacation or taking my daughter to see Taylor Swift.  if that makes me an asshat, then I'm an asshat.  and that doesn't even count the people who might sell the tickets to put food on their plates or toys under the Christmas tree.

[dcmidnight]

The annual tradition of people crying about ticket flippers has begun early this year rofl.

 

As always a reminder, without people flipping tickets, an entire population of people who lost the lottery would never be able to go. So lets dial it down.

[cardia10]

Just expect one year to show up and they randomly ask for an ID for the original winner. They will never announce it, but it will happen eventually and be very ugly.

[dmbolp]

3 hours ago, cardia10 said:

Just expect one year to show up and they randomly ask for an ID for the original winner. They will never announce it, but it will happen eventually and be very ugly.

 

That won't happen without prior notice; nothing in the Ts & Cs says the original purchaser must use the tickets

[mshills]

On 12/25/2023 at 10:09 AM, mstuewe said:

well in my case, I was super excited that I won the lottery this year...but am now questioning if the money would be better spent on a family vacation or taking my daughter to see Taylor Swift.  if that makes me an asshat, then I'm an asshat.  and that doesn't even count the people who might sell the tickets to put food on their plates or toys under the Christmas tree.

 

You might or might not be an asshat.....what you do with your ticket doesn't determine that though....Once you buy the ticket, that ticket is yours, and you can do with it what you wish with no judgment from me!  Go to the Masters, or sell it to someone else who wants to go and use the $$ to do something else, there's no problem either way.

[CURO]

On 12/22/2023 at 2:30 PM, dmbolp said:

 

• Would you suggest we buy in Jan/Feb? 

What are your requirements?  If simply the lowest price, this thread is full of last year's pricing history from a monthly/weekly/daily/hourly basis.  Something that was very different last year was; prices didn't drop dramatically the week of as they have in all past years.  Instead, the prices went thru the roof, 4-6x previous years' prices. 

If you absolutely don't want to be waiting until the last minute for the tickets, don't buy from a Stubhub shipper, as that seller could wait to the last minute to ship, or not ship at all.  Buy from a local vendor who offers local pickup (several mentioned in this thread) or buy from Stubhub with the local pickup option (those listings won't be available until March/April).

 

• Does StubHub guarantee the authenticity of the ticket/badges?

Yes, like all events, either you get real tickets or you get your money back from Stubhub.  There's a house nearby that Stubhub rents for pickups/issues

 

• Will they send them in the mail/Fedex or will I have to pick it up at a place in Augusta?

Buy them at least a week or two in advance, your seller will ship paper tickets to you.  If last minute, or a hard badge, you'll need to pick up at the Stubhub house nearby morning of

 

• What happens if the day gets rained out?  Does StubHub offer or can we buy ticket insurance or are we out luck after spending all that money. 

Rain out history is also documented in this thread.  History has shown; course closes by 10am, you probably get your money back and option to buy same day next year.  Course closes 11am and on, you probably don't get anything back.  But nothing is defined by ANGC.  We do know it's not just a matter of "If Monday rains out then your Monday ticket will be welcomed on Tuesday, or any other day".  All days sell out and they aren't going to allow double attendance on a day.

 

• Is there a locker for cell phones?  We don’t really want to leave them in the car.

Yes, there's a phone/bag check before both entrance gates 

 

• Is there a neighborhood on the East side of Atlanta to stay that is recommended? Or would it be better to stay somewhere between Atlanta and Augusta on the Sunday night before. 

I highly recommend staying nearby, not 2.5 hours away in Atlanta.  Have Sunday dinner at TBonz on Washington, take photos outside Magnolia Lane gate, etc. 

 

• Would there be any shuttles going from Atlanta to Augusta for this?

Nothing specific available to the general public for the Masters without paying top $$ or part of an $$ package.  There are multiple shuttle buses that run between the two cities multiple times a day anyway; one company to look into is Groome Transportation[

 

Thanks so much @dmbolp

 

I am looking for the cheapest Monday practice tickets with a local pickup because I’m worried they won’t get here before we leave home on March 29. I believe the seller could likely ship the badges to arrive later than that. Can you choose the local pickup delivery method on all Stubhub tickets or is that an option for last minute tickets only?  I’m leaning towards buying from StubHub as they have a house there for pickup and any issues.

  
So if I’m understanding all the comments correctly - If I’m buying from Stubhub and the day gets cancelled before anybody gets to go through the gates, we would get our money back from Stubhub (E.g. on Sunday night they make the announcement Monday is cancelled). If it’s cancelled early after the gates open, Stubhub may refund it only if the originally seller gets money back from ANGC but this is not a guarantee.  Do I have this correct? 
 
 
What is your thoughts on why Atlanta wouldn’t be very good? What towns between Atlanta & Augusta would you recommend? I didn’t think it would even be possible to get an affordable/decent hotel near Augusta at that time. And my wife would like to do some other things in Atlanta but I realize we’d have to leave very early to get there at around 7:00 AM. Do you know what time the Stubhub house opens to get the badges? 

[dmbolp]

@CURO 

 

Stubhub: Shipping vs LMS (Last Minute Services / Pickup) - LMS won't be available until the tickets actually ship to original buyers from ANGC in March, and that buyer (also a Stubhub Seller) ships the tickets directly to Stubhub.  Then, Stubhub will allow that Seller to list their tickets as LMS for buyers to pickup at the local SH house.  So we won't see any of those listings until March.  All listings now should be shipping directly from seller.  Once into March sellers have the choice of shipping or LMS.  And at some point in early April shipping will no longer be an option and those listings will get turned off.  I think we figured out what that date was last year in this thread.  And I think the SH house hours are somewhere in this thread.

 

Course Closures - Whatever ANGC does (give refund or not), SH will almost always do the same, really always now that they don't pay sellers until after the event date.  So it's up to ANGC to make the refund decision.

 

Atlanta - I live in ATL and have made the drive most of the last 20+ years; it's a boring/awful drive that early in the morning.  I've always left at 5am and usually get stuck in a ton of traffic even before the exits off I-20, then stuck in local traffic, sometimes not on the course until 10am.  Some folks have said that traffic is much better the past couple years, but I've been staying in dirt cheap hotels on Washington Rd (I have a high tolerance for filth 🙂 ).  So I highly recommend staying local, seeing Augusta on Sunday before Monday practice, hit TBonz and Hooters on Washington, and then be in line at the main gate MON morning well before 7am.  Main merch store opens at 7am with no lines, quick in/out and store your merch right there for later pickup.  Then walk onto the course when the gates open at 8am and follow the first guy(s) out.  Merch lines get ridiculously long as the day goes on.  Do ATL on SAT or TUE 🙂

Edited January 4 by dmbolp

[Harmon25]

On 1/4/2024 at 6:28 PM, dmbolp said:

@CURO 

 

Stubhub: Shipping vs LMS (Last Minute Services / Pickup) - LMS won't be available until the tickets actually ship to original buyers from ANGC in March, and that buyer (also a Stubhub Seller) ships the tickets directly to Stubhub.  Then, Stubhub will allow that Seller to list their tickets as LMS for buyers to pickup at the local SH house.  So we won't see any of those listings until March.  All listings now should be shipping directly from seller.  Once into March sellers have the choice of shipping or LMS.  And at some point in early April shipping will no longer be an option and those listings will get turned off.  I think we figured out what that date was last year in this thread.  And I think the SH house hours are somewhere in this thread.

 

Course Closures - Whatever ANGC does (give refund or not), SH will almost always do the same, really always now that they don't pay sellers until after the event date.  So it's up to ANGC to make the refund decision.

 

Atlanta - I live in ATL and have made the drive most of the last 20+ years; it's a boring/awful drive that early in the morning.  I've always left at 5am and usually get stuck in a ton of traffic even before the exits off I-20, then stuck in local traffic, sometimes not on the course until 10am.  Some folks have said that traffic is much better the past couple years, but I've been staying in dirt cheap hotels on Washington Rd (I have a high tolerance for filth 🙂 ).  So I highly recommend staying local, seeing Augusta on Sunday before Monday practice, hit TBonz and Hooters on Washington, and then be in line at the main gate MON morning well before 7am.  Main merch store opens at 7am with no lines, quick in/out and store your merch right there for later pickup.  Then walk onto the course when the gates open at 8am and follow the first guy(s) out.  Merch lines get ridiculously long as the day goes on.  Do ATL on SAT or TUE 🙂

Thanks Dmbolp. All of your guidance  helped me successfully secure tickets last year for a reasonable cost. Going again this year and looking forward to tracking your weekly SH pricing and when you recommend buying.  

Edited January 6 by Harmon25

[dmbolp]

First update for 2024:

 

- All 3 practice round days are more expensive compared to this time last year

- TUE & WED way up in $, and way down in # 

- Like last year, the #s don't include listings of 5+ tickets (assumed speculators) and $s don't include fees

 

 

Edited January 10 by dmbolp

[CURO]

On 1/10/2024 at 10:43 AM, dmbolp said:

First update for 2024:

 

- All 3 practice round days are more expensive compared to this time last year

- TUE & WED way up in $, and way down in # 

- Like last year, the #s don't include listings of 5+ tickets (assumed speculators) and $s don't include fees

 

 

Even the gouging has inflation?  

[manku]

On 12/26/2023 at 3:08 AM, dcmidnight said:

The annual tradition of people crying about ticket flippers has begun early this year rofl.

 

As always a reminder, without people flipping tickets, an entire population of people who lost the lottery would never be able to go. So lets dial it down.

 

People also forget, or are unaware, that many tickets can be bought for a fraction of face value on the resellers sites.  For example, last year Springsteen was playing Houston...you could sit behind the stage for $3.00...yes, THREE DOLLARS.   Those same tickets were $300+ at MSG.   I could list dozens of events I've attended at 50-90% under face value.

 

Or, without resellers, I would never be able to attend a Premier League game because Soccer resales are illegal in England.   And the official "hospitality" packages are highway robbery as well...though at least the money goes to the club.

[2bGood]

 

On 12/26/2023 at 3:08 AM, dcmidnight said:

The annual tradition of people crying about ticket flippers has begun early this year rofl.

 

As always a reminder, without people flipping tickets, an entire population of people who lost the lottery would never be able to go. So lets dial it down.

 

The way the Open Championship handles it is way better in my view. They have a regulated re-sale sight. Using I could ge tickets at face value from people that could not use them. 

 

The Masters has there reasons for not doing this, but they could if they chose to, assure all the tickets get used without massive mark-up on the secondary market. 

[PMD669]

Two questions:

 

I am looking to go for the Sunday Tournament.  If I buy through SH now, can they ship badges to me or do I have pick them up onsite (I've heard that most of the Tournament badges are for all four days, and the single day buyers have to return them at the end of each day.  If that's the case, there's no way they can ship them to me, right?)?

 

Is there any utility whatsoever in buying the "hospitality package?"  $300 - $400 a person for "free" food and drinks seems awful steep.

 

Thanks!

[TexasTitleistUser]

On 1/12/2024 at 11:55 AM, manku said:

 

People also forget, or are unaware, that many tickets can be bought for a fraction of face value on the resellers sites.  For example, last year Springsteen was playing Houston...you could sit behind the stage for $3.00...yes, THREE DOLLARS.   Those same tickets were $300+ at MSG.   I could list dozens of events I've attended at 50-90% under face value.

 

Or, without resellers, I would never be able to attend a Premier League game because Soccer resales are illegal in England.   And the official "hospitality" packages are highway robbery as well...though at least the money goes to the club.

 

ok lol but I don’t think there are any

“ behind the stage” Masters tickets for pennies on the dollar. 

 

still looking for two Monday or Tuesday practice round tickets. Thanks.

[dmbolp]

9 hours ago, PMD669 said:

Two questions:

 

I am looking to go for the Sunday Tournament.  If I buy through SH now, can they ship badges to me or do I have pick them up onsite (I've heard that most of the Tournament badges are for all four days, and the single day buyers have to return them at the end of each day.  If that's the case, there's no way they can ship them to me, right?)?

 

Is there any utility whatsoever in buying the "hospitality package?"  $300 - $400 a person for "free" food and drinks seems awful steep.

 

Thanks!

 

#1 - SH LMS (Last Minute Pickup) listings aren't allowed by SH until the individual seller gets the actual tickets (paper or badges) to Stubhub.  Since no one would have any tickets yet, all SH listings now would be for shipping.  LMS pickup listings won't pop up until original buyers actually receive their tickets and then physically turn them over to Stubhub, so March.

 

#2 - Only you can determine if that's worth it, to you.  I wouldn't, I'd spend the entire day on the course buying $5 beers and $3 sandwiches, all day.  Wouldn't come anywhere near $300.

 

[PMD669]

1 hour ago, dmbolp said:

SH LMS (Last Minute Pickup) listings aren't allowed by SH until the individual seller gets the actual tickets (paper or badges) to Stubhub.  Since no one would have any tickets yet, all SH listings now would be for shipping.  LMS pickup listings won't pop up until original buyers actually receive their tickets and then physically turn them over to Stubhub, so March.

 

So, even if SH says the tickets are "shipping now," they won't ship until March (because the Seller doesn't have anything to ship today)?  Or, are you saying that, come March, the listing will flip to a LMS (because they can't ship me only the Sunday portion of a four-day badge)?

 

Thank you for all your help and all you do for this site/thread!

 

Ryan

[dmbolp]

"Shipping Now" is probably a generic Stubhub assumption (or intentional marketing ploy) applied to all listings that assumes all sellers already have access to the tickets they are selling, and that you the buyer will have them soon, in hopes of convincing buyers to buy now.  Of course with Masters tickets, no one physically have them yet.  And of course Stubhub frowns on Speculators (riiiiiiiiiiight).

 

The only way a seller can list a Masters ticket now is to choose between "I'm Ready to Ship" or "I'll Ship Later", and if later you're asked to declare a ship date during the listing process.

 

In late March sellers will have the choice of SHIP or LMS; it's up to the seller, nothing automatically flips to LMS.

 

Anyone can start a dummy SELL listing and play around with it just to see what the options are to sellers, without completing the listing.

 

 

Edited January 18 by dmbolp

[Cobalt289]

Great thread!  Thank you for all of the information.  Never been - desperately want to go this year.  I still have a couple of questions though. 

 

1. On Stubhub right now, my app says Monday tickets are available for $937, while on my computer browser at the Stubhub site it says Monday tickets are $991.  Anyone know or understand the differences in pricing between the site and the app?

 

2. From reading, it looks like 2 years ago Stubhub would stop onsite ticket sales at 8am?  But last year they kept selling until 2pm?  Is that right?  And if you buy tickets onsite from Stubhub there by the course, do you transact in person, or still use the app and have to pay all of the Stubhub fees?

[Cobalt289]

duplicate post - sorry!

Edited January 26 by Cobalt289

[Cobalt289]

another duplicate - sorry - was trying to post yesterday before my account was validated

Edited January 26 by Cobalt289

[cardia10]

On 12/27/2023 at 5:49 PM, dmbolp said:

 

That won't happen without prior notice; nothing in the Ts & Cs says the original purchaser must use the tickets

Never say never....

"The Ticket is a limited license, which may be revoked by ANI at any time with or without cause at the discretion of ANI. ANI is the only authorized source/seller of Tournament Tickets. Tickets may not be offered for sale, bartered, sold or rented through/to third party resellers including, but not limited to, ticket brokers, travel agents, hospitality entities or scalpers. The sale, resale or other transfer of Tickets for a value in excess of face value is prohibited by this Agreement and is also restricted by Georgia law, O.C.G.A. § 43-4B-25, et seq. Tickets may not be used for advertising or promotional purposes (such as prizes, raffles, auctions, contests, or sweepstakes). Tickets may not be sold, transferred, rented, or packaged in conjunction with any other thing of value, including hospitality services, home rental, or other products or services. A Ticket obtained in contravention of these provisions will not be honored, and Ticket Purchaser shall be subject to the permanent loss of Tickets."

 

They leave their wording vague enough to do what they want. With the growing size of the crowds, there will be a crackdown eventually.

 

[dmbolp]

1) Don't worry about $54, there's taxes, fees, different settings, etc

 

2) All tickets are physical paper/plastic tickets; typically you pay on the Stubhub app/online and pick up at the house, but the house staff can do the entire transaction for you too while you're there.

[Cobalt289]

dmbolp - From the earlier posts, it looks like 2 years ago Stubhub would stop onsite ticket sales at 8am?  But last year they kept selling until 2pm?  Is that right?

[dcmidnight]

2 hours ago, cardia10 said:

They leave their wording vague enough to do what they want. With the growing size of the crowds, there will be a crackdown eventually.

 

 

Do not agree. Changing the resell policy isnt going to affect crowds at all. Crowds are as big or small as the members want them - they sell however many tickets they want to sell and thats how many people show up. I spent the morning with a member last year and came away with one main takeaway - they dont do anything unless if positively affects their bottom line and/or their reputation.

 

Making it harder for people to get in the gate is the opposite of both.

[tssgj65]

On 1/3/2024 at 11:52 AM, CURO said:

 

Thanks so much @dmbolp

 

I am looking for the cheapest Monday practice tickets with a local pickup because I’m worried they won’t get here before we leave home on March 29. I believe the seller could likely ship the badges to arrive later than that. Can you choose the local pickup delivery method on all Stubhub tickets or is that an option for last minute tickets only?  I’m leaning towards buying from StubHub as they have a house there for pickup and any issues.

  
So if I’m understanding all the comments correctly - If I’m buying from Stubhub and the day gets cancelled before anybody gets to go through the gates, we would get our money back from Stubhub (E.g. on Sunday night they make the announcement Monday is cancelled). If it’s cancelled early after the gates open, Stubhub may refund it only if the originally seller gets money back from ANGC but this is not a guarantee.  Do I have this correct? 
 
 
What is your thoughts on why Atlanta wouldn’t be very good? What towns between Atlanta & Augusta would you recommend? I didn’t think it would even be possible to get an affordable/decent hotel near Augusta at that time. And my wife would like to do some other things in Atlanta but I realize we’d have to leave very early to get there at around 7:00 AM. Do you know what time the Stubhub house opens to get the badges? 

I took my son and his buddy a few years ago.  We stayed in Aiken, SC about 20 miles away.  We went to the Tuesday practice round, played Palmetto Golf Club (one of the first clubs in the US) on Wednesday, and then went to the Thursday round - set up our chairs on the 7th green in the first row.  The hotels in Aiken are still inflated during the Masters but somewhat affordable compared to Augusta.  Palmetto Golf Club allows outside play the week of the Masters- or at least it did a few years ago.  Highly recommended to play and historical.  Kisner has a house on the course.

[dmbolp]

2 hours ago, cardia10 said:

Never say never....

"The Ticket is a limited license, which may be revoked by ANI at any time with or without cause at the discretion of ANI. ANI is the only authorized source/seller of Tournament Tickets. Tickets may not be offered for sale, bartered, sold or rented through/to third party resellers including, but not limited to, ticket brokers, travel agents, hospitality entities or scalpers. The sale, resale or other transfer of Tickets for a value in excess of face value is prohibited by this Agreement and is also restricted by Georgia law, O.C.G.A. § 43-4B-25, et seq. Tickets may not be used for advertising or promotional purposes (such as prizes, raffles, auctions, contests, or sweepstakes). Tickets may not be sold, transferred, rented, or packaged in conjunction with any other thing of value, including hospitality services, home rental, or other products or services. A Ticket obtained in contravention of these provisions will not be honored, and Ticket Purchaser shall be subject to the permanent loss of Tickets."

 

They leave their wording vague enough to do what they want. With the growing size of the crowds, there will be a crackdown eventually.

 

 

What in that would allow them to require ID, or prevent an original purchaser from selling at face value, or giving a ticket to a family member or friend???  Nothing in that says the original purchaser must use the tickets.

[cardia10]

3 hours ago, dmbolp said:

 

What in that would allow them to require ID, or prevent an original purchaser from selling at face value, or giving a ticket to a family member or friend???  Nothing in that says the original purchaser must use the tickets.

I'd say their very first sentence. It leaves it totally open from a legal standpoint to do whatever they like whether you like it or not. The crowd last year was more than double what it was 5 years ago and it is getting much more rowdy. Less and less people caring about the golf and becoming a golfers Kentucky Derby it feels. Every time you go, they have bought more and more land to expand for more parking lots. The furthest parking spot to the front gate is now right at half a mile. Maybe that is what happens when a major is hosted at the same course every year, but to see a line that would require over an hour wait to buy garden gnomes just to resell on Ebay is getting silly and feels way different than the Augusta from years ago.

[CURO]

On 1/18/2024 at 8:32 AM, dmbolp said:

 

#1 - SH LMS (Last Minute Pickup) listings aren't allowed by SH until the individual seller gets the actual tickets (paper or badges) to Stubhub.  Since no one would have any tickets yet, all SH listings now would be for shipping.  LMS pickup listings won't pop up until original buyers actually receive their tickets and then physically turn them over to Stubhub, so March.

 

#2 - Only you can determine if that's worth it, to you.  I wouldn't, I'd spend the entire day on the course buying $5 beers and $3 sandwiches, all day.  Wouldn't come anywhere near $300.

 

@dmbolp When do you think would be the earliest LMS would show up on Stubhub? I know in reading this thread for last year you posted that it switched to LMS pickup only on Mar 31 and that year the Mon was April 3. So just 2 days before and the tix were sky high. Is there any chance we’d see LMS in the 3rd week of March on Stubhub? I’m wanting to buy Monday tix but I really need to pick up the tickets in Augusta but I also won’t be able to afford them if they go crazy high. It’s all very stressful. 

Edited January 27 by CURO

[dmbolp]

5 hours ago, CURO said:

@dmbolp When do you think would be the earliest LMS would show up on Stubhub? I know in reading this thread for last year you posted that it switched to LMS pickup only on Mar 31 and that year the Mon was April 3. So just 2 days before and the tix were sky high. Is there any chance we’d see LMS in the 3rd week of March on Stubhub? I’m wanting to buy Monday tix but I really need to pick up the tickets in Augusta but I also won’t be able to afford them if they go crazy high. It’s all very stressful. 

 

LMS was available well before Mar 31 last year; it should be available as soon as people get tickets in hand

 

Edit:  I assume the Mar 31 date you reference is the day that shipping listings were turned off, and therefore LMS listings were the only option remaining since too late to ship and receive before tourney.

Edited January 27 by dmbolp