Patient patrons and people who want to profit discuss Masters tickets

AUGUSTA, GA. (WFXG) - Washington Road, a parking lot during Masters Week, even in the rain. Thousands of people flooding Augusta National Golf Course - tickets in hand.
That’s where you can find Herbert Bowers. “They go from, anywhere from $100 up. Different prices.”
He says the ticket prices skyrocket each day. He’s been out here since 6 a.m., but the rain dried up his expected clientele. “Well, today, I ain’t sold but two since I been here.”
He takes a chance on re-selling tickets. While he's not a broker, he buys tickets from people who have extra - then tries to make his money back.
Tuesday, selling them for $200 a pop. For him, scalping’s a gamble. Just like the Masters Lottery.
“I had decided that if you wanted to go the Masters, if you wanted to go to it, you had to participate in the lottery. We wanted to do it the right way. So we’d been planning this trip for a long time and both my boys and my wife got to come,” said John Russell, who won tickets in a Masters lottery.
For people who’ve waited so many years to get into those green gates, they say the wait is worth it because it doesn’t come with risk like buying tickets from a third party.
“Wouldn’t ever do that. You never know if you’re going to get real tickets. Counterfeit tickets are out there,” said John Peterson, who won tickets in a Masters lottery, too.
Some say scalping is a necessary evil that needs regulation because that’s the only way to get in if you aren’t lucky enough to win the lottery - or don’t have the funds.
“I probably would, If i was getting a few more years older and wanted to make sure - it’s on my bucket list. It’s a big event,” Norm Casarin said about scalping. He also got tickets from a Masters lottery.
Augusta National prohibits reselling Masters tickets. People who sell tickets less than 2,700 feet away from the golf course, can expect a citation from the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office. According to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, you can re-sell Masters tickets - but there are certain locations off Washington, Alexander and Berckmans Roads that are prohibited:
Washington Road at Taco Bell to the West Washington Road near Calhoun Expw. to the East Alexander Road near the fire station to the North Berckmans Road near Surrey Center to the South.
2010 Georgia Code TITLE 43 - PROFESSIONS AND BUSINESSES CHAPTER 4B - GEORGIA ATHLETIC AND ENTERTAINMENT COMMISSION ARTICLE 3 - TICKET BROKERS § 43-4B-28 - Resale by ticket brokers; disclosure requirements; sale and resale restrictions; refunds O.C.G.A. 43-4B-28 (2010) 43-4B-28. Resale by ticket brokers; disclosure requirements; sale and resale restrictions; refunds (a) The ticket broker shall be required to: (1) Post at its established place of business the terms of the purchaser’s right to cancel the purchase of a ticket from a ticket broker; (2) Disclose to the purchaser the refund policy of the ticket broker should an athletic contest or entertainment event be canceled; (3) Disclose to the purchaser in writing the difference between the face value of the ticket and the amount which the ticket broker is charging for such ticket; and (4) Sell tickets only at its permanent office, place of business, or through the Internet; provided, however, that delivery of one or more tickets after the transaction is completed to a place other than the ticket broker’s office or place of business shall not violate this paragraph. (b)(1) A ticket broker shall be prohibited from employing any agent or employee for the purpose of making future purchases of tickets from the owner, operator, lessee, or tenant of the property on which an athletic contest or entertainment event is to be held. (2) Each ticket broker, including any affiliated group of ticket brokers, shall be prohibited from acquiring and reselling in excess of 1 percent of the total tickets allocated for any contest or event. (3) Unless otherwise provided in a written agreement between a ticket broker and the purchaser, a ticket broker shall be required to refund any payment received for the purchase of a ticket under this article if the purchaser returns the ticket and requests a cancellation of the sale thereof within 36 hours from the time of purchase of the ticket and if such return is made more than 72 hours preceding the athletic contest or entertainment event. (4) A ticket broker shall be required to refund any payment received for the purchase of a ticket under this article if the athletic contest or entertainment event is canceled and not rescheduled. (5) If a ticket broker guarantees in writing delivery of a ticket or tickets to an athletic contest or entertainment event as provided under this article to a purchaser and fails to complete such delivery, the ticket broker shall be required to provide within 15 days a full refund of any amount paid by the purchaser and, in addition, shall pay the purchaser a refund fee of three times the amount paid by the purchaser for each such ticket. (c)(1) For all venues which seat or admit less than 15,000 persons, a ticket broker and its employees, agents, and assigns are criminally prohibited from reselling or offering for resale any ticket within 1,500 feet from the venue where an event or contest is to be held or is being held. (2) For all venues which seat or admit 15,000 or more persons, a ticket broker and its employees, agents, and assigns are criminally prohibited from reselling or offering for resale any ticket within 2,700 feet from the venue where an event or contest is to be held or is being held. (d) Any ticket broker offering to resell tickets to an athletic contest or entertainment event through any printed, broadcast, or Internet advertising shall include in such advertising the license number of such ticket broker offering such tickets for resale.
Copyright 2019 WFXG. All rights reserved.