Getting tickets to the prestigious Masters Tournament held annually at Augusta National Golf Club is extremely difficult, with odds of winning the ticket lottery sitting at around 0.55%. As a result, many fans turn to the secondary market to buy Masters tickets and badges from other patrons looking to sell.
But with Augusta National’s strict policy prohibiting resales, is it legal to resell Masters tickets? And is trying to profit off the high secondary market prices worth the risks involved? This comprehensive guide answers those questions and more.
The Legality of Reselling Masters Tickets Varies
Augusta National explicitly states that the resale of any Masters tickets or coveted multi-day badges is strictly prohibited. But while reselling Masters tickets is illegal in the state of Georgia specifically, it remains legal in most other states.
According to Georgia state law, it is illegal to “sell, offer for sale, buy, assign, transfer, pledge, pledge of credit, mortgage, or otherwise dispose of [Masters tickets]”. Doing so in the state of Georgia can result in fines or even arrest.
Additionally, reselling tickets within 2,700 feet of the Augusta National gates themselves is considered illegal ticket scalping under Georgia law.
In other states however, reselling event tickets for profit is generally legal on secondary marketplaces, with some restrictions around fraudulent activities.
So reselling your Masters ticket is not inherently illegal in most of the US, but does violate the tournament’s own resale policy. Additional local laws may also apply around scalping tickets for events.
Augusta National Cracks Down on Resales with Ticket Technology
In recent years, Augusta National has implemented new technology in an attempt to catch and punish fans reselling their Masters tickets or badges.
Since 2012, a unique color-coded strip has been printed on the bottom of all Masters tickets. This allows Augusta National’s “ticket police” to secretly trace tickets back to the original purchaser even if the ticket number itself is obscured in online resale ads.
There have been reports of fans who sold their tickets on secondary marketplaces receiving letters informing them their tickets had been invalidated and they were “permanently removed from all ticket lists.”
So while a thriving secondary market for Masters tickets still exists on sites like StubHub and eBay, sellers and buyers alike now face heightened risks of repercussions from the tournament’s organizers.
Where To Resell Masters Tickets?
If willing to take the legal risks, several online marketplaces provide a platform for reselling coveted Masters tickets and badges:
StubHub
As one of the largest ticket resale sites, StubHub offers seller protection and facilitates payment. Fans must ship the physical tickets confidentially to buyers. Single-day Masters tickets easily sell for over $3,000 on tournament weekends.
eBay
Another popular marketplace, eBay enables fans to sell their Masters tickets directly to other patrons. But less protections exist compared to dedicated ticket platforms.
Facebook Marketplace
Facebook Marketplace allows fans to advertise their extra Masters tickets locally for other fans to purchase directly. Without a middleman or fees, buyers and sellers keep all profits.
When reselling Masters tickets on these secondary markets, sellers should always hide any ticket details like the barcode or seat numbers that could identify them to Augusta National if investigating resales.
Which Masters Tickets Resell for the Highest Profits?
With face values of just $100 for practice rounds and $140 for daily tournament tickets, the potential profit margins reselling Masters access are massive due to intense demand. But some tickets command higher resale values than others:
Masters Tournament Badges
The rarest and most coveted tickets are the Masters badges which grant access to multiple tournament days or the entire week. These badges are no longer sold publicly, rather they are rented out to patrons each year by brokers. On secondary markets, daily tournament badges sell for over $4,000 per day. Making these tickets extremely valuable to get into the hands of fans willing to pay top dollar.
Daily Tournament Tickets
After badge holders gain first access, the remaining daily tournament tickets are prized by fans. Weekend tickets for Saturday and Sunday when competitors are battling for the lead are most popular, often fetching over $2,520 to $28,685 per single-day ticket.
Practice Round Tickets
While the tournament days allow fans to see champions crowned, even Masters practice round tickets offer high profit potential. The rare access to walk Augusta National itself drives prices. Individual practice days sell on secondary markets for well over $1,500 each.
Wednesday’s practice round also includes access to the beloved Par 3 contest, further increasing demand.
Weighing the Pros and Cons of Reselling Masters Tickets
If you are lucky enough to score Masters tickets through the lottery or other means, reselling them offers these potential upsides:
Pros
- Large profit potential from intensely high secondary market ticket prices
- Immediate sale online via marketplaces like eBay and StubHub
- Transferable asset to cash in from your Masters luck
However, several downsides exist around such Masters ticket resales:
Cons
- Legal risks, especially reselling within Georgia which violates state law
- Possibility of having your ticket invalidated by Augusta National
- Required hiding of unique ticket identifiers to avoid identification
- No protections against selling counterfeit tickets as a buyer
- High secondary market prices if looking to buy tickets yourself
So while high profits tempt many fans to resell their Masters access, doing so safely and legally requires effort and carries real risks of repercussions.
Tips for Fans Reselling or Buying Masters Tickets
For fans willing to accept the hazards and try their luck transacting Masters tickets on secondary platforms, here are some tips to minimize risks:
For Sellers
- Thoroughly research your local ticket resale laws before proceeding
- Hide all unique ticket details like seat number or barcode when advertising
- Require buyers send payment before ticket transfer to avoid scams
- Utilize secure payment platforms with seller protections
For Buyers
- Vet your ticket seller carefully and check their reviews if possible
- Pay via means with buyer protections in case tickets are fraudulent
- Confirm a ticket guarantee or insurance policy protects your purchase
- Avoid paying with cash or cryptocurrencies irreversible if scammed
- Have backup travel plans in case purchased Masters tickets are rejected
For All
- Conduct exchanges locally instead of shipping tickets when possible
- Use common sense precautions for any high-value secondary market transaction
While Augusta National prioritizes patrons list loyalists in distributing highly limited Masters tickets originally, the odds simply don’t favor most fans. As demand increases exponentially year after year from golf and sports fans globally, more patrons will continue seeking Masters access through secondary sources – legally risky as it may be.
Understanding the complexities around reselling Masters tournament and practice round tickets enables fans to make educated decisions navigating these murky marketplaces. Weigh the pros and cons for your personal situation before jumping in. But for the passionate and risk-tolerant, potentially large profits await those capitalizing on extra tickets to golf’s most esteemed springtime tradition at Augusta National.
Conclusion
Reselling Masters tickets always violates Augusta National policies, but remains generally legal across most US states beyond Georgia. While smart resellers can profit from intensely high secondary market prices, all buyers and sellers take notable risks around invalidated fraudulent tickets or other potential legal repercussions. Use caution transacting high-value Masters access on secondary markets, but for willing entrepreneurs or simply fans offsetting travel costs, a tempting rewards system endures.
