Getting a ticket to Augusta National for the Masters is like winning the lottery! As many patrons will often tell you, they are difficult to purchase. As soon as the windows open, thousands, if not millions, of patrons jump in to book their tickets for the tournament. Only a small percentage make it through to watch the best play in the historic event. The privilege! However, there are other ways patrons made their way into the club.

So, apart from the authorized channels, there are quite a few unverified businesses that sell tickets to the course. Every April, the course officials always catch a bunch of patrons who use tickets purchased from unauthorized sources to get into Augusta National. Let’s see how it unfolded this year.

A tradition unlike any other – Except the ticket tricks

Going back slightly, in April 2011, Augusta cracked down—11 people were busted scalping Masters tickets within 2,700 feet of the course. With prior warnings ignored, they faced $750 fines and possible lifetime bans. For 2025, ticket scams did not stop during Rory McIlroy’s major-winning event. Interestingly, the course officials have reported that hundreds of fans were caught carrying passes they didn’t purchase directly from the portal. And they have faced the consequences of the same.

Front Office Sports tweeted, “Hundreds of Masters ticket holders were pulled aside by Augusta National reps and questioned about where they bought their tickets—and many even had their passes canceled. The course cracked down harder this year on third-party ticket sales than it had in years past.” This happened just hours before Rory McIlroy wore his Green Jacket in the final round of the 2025 Masters Tournament.

The tweet then led to the entire article being published by Front Office Sports. During the investigation, the patrons were also asked “whether they had a direct connection to the original badge holder.” For anyone who isn’t aware, along with the patrons, many organizations also mass purchase tickets to Augusta National. Once they snag the passes, they flip them high through shady portals. It breaks Augusta’s code – fans pay the price with bans, and sellers face the sting of penalties.

The article also mentions how things might change for the Masters Tournament from next year. It reads, “Sources in the ticketing and hospitality business widely believe it was all part of preparation for big changes to the Masters ticketing process coming next year, including a larger role for hospitality giant On Location.” Something is definitely cooking within the decision-making committee of the course. Hopefully, stricter laws will be instilled to discourage patrons from trusting third-party sources for attaining passes.

Masters tightens rules: No digital tickets, no resale, no exceptions

Further explaining the rules of the course, the article mentions, “To understand why this is such a big deal, one must first understand the steadfast traditions and restrictions of The Masters. The golf course has a long-running ban on phones and thus does not accept digital tickets. All tickets are physical badges—either lanyard or paper passes that must be displayed around a person’s neck or on their belt loop, wrist, etc.—distributed directly by Augusta National, with strict rules against reselling.” As per the regulations, patrons should not keep their passes or tickets hidden at any time. Authorities have the right to demand the permits to verify them.

As stated in the official Masters Tournament website, “As a reminder, Augusta National, Inc. is the only authorized source/seller of Masters® Tickets. The resale of any Masters Ticket is strictly prohibited. Holders of Tickets acquired from third parties, by whatever means, may be excluded from attendance to the Tournament.” The article mentions how officials overlooked the breach in the past, but as the tournament and the sport get more popular, they need to tighten the locks to ensure everyone pays the same price to visit the course and watch the best play in the Masters Tournament.

Patrons might learn what steps the Augusta National is planning to take to crack down on the illegal reselling of tickets. But they are still not pleased with how expensive it is to purchase tickets for the Masters. And Paige Spiranac became the people’s voice when she raised the issue a few days ago. Let’s see what she had to say.

Paige Spiranac criticizes the Masters officials

Paige Spiranac has never shied away from speaking her mind. And when it comes to the fans, she has tried to be a champion of the people who follow the sport. She was quite vocal about the pace of play issue that had left everyone, including the fans, infuriated earlier this year. Spiranac also doesn’t mind going back on her word as long as it is good for golf. The golf diva had confessed that she had a change of heart about Bryson DeChambeau, like most people, despite being one of his biggest haters. So when it came to the cost of purchasing a ticket to the Masters, she didn’t hesitate to speak on behalf of the fans.

At first, Spiranac was appreciative of the rules at Augusta National. Speaking about the ban on smartphones, she said, “Hot take, but I wish all sporting events banned phones. It was so special to see everyone enjoying the moment and be present.” She seemed to love the atmosphere at the Masters Tournament last week. However, she also added, “I also think ticket prices for sporting events need to be more affordable. And resell at 5x the price should be banned.” Tickets to visit Augusta National during the Masters do come at an absurd price even through the official channels. A four-day pass went up to $7,880, and the cheapest single-round ticket was worth $1,401. Interestingly, she did plead for tournament officials to take steps to ban the reselling of tickets. Was that what prompted Augusta National officials to take strict actions against third-party sellers this year? We will never know.

What are your thoughts about the reselling of Augusta National tickets for the Masters Tournament? Let us know in the comments section.