It’s an annual summertime tradition for many golf fans – weeks of anticipation for notice on whether or not they were selected in The Masters ticket lottery. And with the lottery now being completed, most fans unfortunately received an email that looked like this:
So if this was what you saw this week, what can you do next? TSI is here to help provide you with avenues that you can take to potentially find an alternate path to Augusta National.
Option 1: Purchase hospitality through Augusta National
In 2024, Augusta opened its first off-site hospitality experience, Map and Flag, and will bring it back in 2026. Offering all-inclusive food and beverages, the package is intended to provide a more premium experience for patrons, as well as guaranteed access that doesn’t involve a ticket lottery.
Map and Flag is located just a short walk outside of Augusta National’s north gate. Sports Business Journal reported in 2024 that weekly packages cost a whopping $17,000, but the cost of a daily pass wasn’t published (and such an option may not have even existed). However, there’s some speculation that more of these passes might be made available this year, and that a daily option might be available as well
Although this pricing seems sky-high, it’s comparable to the price of what weekly passes might have been sold for on StubHub and other resale sites, with those tickets not including any food, beverage, or special access.
Those interested in registering for this experience should visit Augusta’s site here. There’s no harm in filling out the interest form – at least you’d be in the loop regarding options, availability, and pricing.
Option 2: Keep an eye on the resale marketplace
As we reported earlier this year, Augusta National was much more strict in enforcing its existing ban on resale tickets during this past April’s tournament, turning away fans at the gates and cancelling tickets bought on secondary marketplaces. As a result, some outlets are reporting that this increase in ticket enforcement is a prelude to significant changes coming to Augusta’s approach to ticketing, including even more crackdowns on resellers.
All that’s to say, navigating the already untamed resale market may become even more difficult moving forward. If this is the option you’re inclined to take, just know that it is risky. We advised fans to avoid purchasing resale tickets in our June story, and continue to suggest that, especially as Augusta could be ready to step up its increasingly stringent enforcement policies.
Option 3: Watch for new ticket options from The Masters
In conjunction with their stepped-up crackdown on resale tickets, it would not surprise us if The Masters came out with new and more moderately priced hospitality options, perhaps even on a daily basis. That’s just speculation on our part, but if they really do stamp out resale, there will be a loud clamoring from a lot of bigwigs who are pissed off that they can no longer access tickets. The Masters has to be aware of that, so it wouldn’t be a shock to see a new ticket offering announced in the coming months. But rest assured that it won’t be a cheap general admission option if it happens.
Option 4: Apply to next year’s Masters ticket lottery
This one isn’t exciting, and it won’t help you with attending the 2026 tournament, but it’s a viable strategy, odds be damned. You can’t win tickets if you never apply. After all, some people have to win, right? (Note – you’ll have to wait 11 months for this option, since it will open after the completion of next year’s Masters).
Bottom line
Many people go decades without winning The Masters ticket lottery. It’s one of the most sought-after sporting events in the world for a reason, and access is limited. And with this crackdown on resale, getting in has become even harder.
If you have the money, purchasing a spot at Map and Flag is a great way to go, particularly if you were planning on spending a lot of money on resale tickets anyway. But for the moment, the best option may be a “wait and see” strategy in the event that The Masters creates some new ticketing products.
