How Much Does It Cost to Attend The Masters? #golf

Scrambling for a Masters Ticket? Wishing you could gaze at the azaleas while walking the hallowed grounds of Augusta National Golf Course along with Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson and, maybe, Tiger Woods?

Well you still can attend, but the cost may have you watching from your Big Screen TV instead...

With The Masters golf tournament just a few weeks away, emails from companies selling tickets to travel costs coercing me to attend, litter my mailbox. Here are a few of the "deals" (?) to attend the first major event of the season.

I was sent this note from a Priceline.com representative - Priceline.com and online ticket marketplace TiqIQ.com have analyzed the costs to attend the event, both the practice rounds and the tournament itself.

Priceline Travel Editor Brian Ek suggested to me that hotel rates and tickets during the practice rounds are much less expensive. "Tickets are a bit harder to come by, but prices for the early practice rounds are about a third to one-half the cost of a tournament ticket."

So, how much does it cost to attend The Masters?

According to TiqIQ’s Jesse Lawrence, the average cost of a secondary-market ticket for practice rounds is $362.67 for Monday, $502.69 for Tuesday, and $1,029 for Wednesday.

Okay, catch your breath...it's time for ticket prices during The Masters:

On April 9th, one-day tickets are averaging $1,460.62 for Thursday, $1,233.06 for Friday, $1,167.39 for Saturday, and $1,403.63 for Sunday.  A four-day pass for the tournament is approximately $4,442.40.

After searching the Internet to check those figures, I came across Ticket City which threw me for a bigger loop (not anymore); The Master Par-3 Package on April 7th was selling for $2,942 with a $545 service charge! Correction: Marketing and Communications Director For Ticket City, Ashley Kubiszyn, sent me an email after reading my blog mentioning that this price is for a practice round ticket, a Wednesday  badge and 3 nights of lodging.

WAIT!! Once you have secured the Masters tickets, you will need a place to stay!

Last-minute Masters' accommodations are probably difficult to find in Augusta but I was sent an email from Melissa at Augusta’s newly renovated historic Partridge Inn which she told me of special Masters rates starting at $549.00 ...she did not mention whether this rate is per night so, if you are planning this last-minute excursion, please make sure you contact them for details.

For that price, you could play a round of golf at Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill and stay at Spanish Bay! Hmmm...interesting thought.

Add in food (tourists will want to try a pimento sandwich), souvenirs, Masters hat, towel, etc. and the total cost? PRICELESS!

Have you been to Augusta National to watch The Masters? Let us know on this golf blog or on Twitter @Golf4Beginners.

AT&T Calls Up Larry the Cable Guy for Laughs on Pebble Beach @ATTProAm #ATTProAm #ATTBlogger

What golf course is on the bucket list of celebrities and amateurs alike...a course which evokes images of untamed beauty; the stuff of legends, drama, thrills and wonder? If you said Pebble Beach Links, then you hit the golf ball on the sweet spot!

Celebrities are more than willing to discuss their game, the course and more leading up to this week's AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am golf tournament.

NCIS:Los Angeles actor and golfer Chris O'Donnell recently told ET Online that there is "nothing I want more than to win this tournament someday."

For stars like Larry the Cable Guy (@GitRDoneLarry), Chris O'Donnell and Bill Murray to pro golfers like David Duval joining in the fun with corporate amateurs like Jesse Singh (@JesseSingh), the excitement has just begun.

Event chatter, sunrise photos and golf course selfies are popping up all over Twitter, Facebook and Instagram like highly lofted lob wedge shots from the players and AT&T Fan’s Eye View Foursome members @KTHorsford, @Black Girls Golf, @TimLangGolf (taking this photo of @TheDanPlan) ...and why not? These are three of the most beautiful courses in the world and this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many - expect the cameras to be clicking all weekend long!

Check this great swing out with matching scenery!! @thedanplan #ATTBLOGGER pic.twitter.com/y98eM3f11v

— Tim Lang (@TimLangGolf) February 10, 2015

Larry the Cable Guy says, "Hopefully I'll surprise Y'all and play good," and he's right on target.

Pebble Beach is not a golf course for beginners and a caddie is highly advisable as distances are confounding, the wind toys with your ball and the greens...well, the greens are undulating and deceptive and, although they will probably only run at only a "10" on the stimpmeter, they can run as high as "12" for the U.S. Open!

Having played Pebble Beach in November in the Legends Invitational, I would like to share a few tips that I took home with me - to make the Pebble Beach experience and score as rewarding as possible.

- Listen to your caddie - nothing is as frustrating as thinking you know your club distances or the yardages as stated on the markers. Distances are not always what they appear to be and bunkers or water may interfere with your shot. It is the caddie's job to inform and enhance your golf experience.

- Play it safe - although it is fun to go for the green, look for other avenues that might yield better returns. For example, on Hole #1, don't cut the dogleg on the right; Pebble Beach website says "it doesn't pay" - it plays longer than you think.

- Visit the Pebble Beach website and read the hole-by-hole course tour before you play! These tips are invaluable and will start you thinking about strategy instead of leaving your game and score up to chance.

- If possible, enjoy the majesty of Pebble Beach the day before you play the course. A friend of mine told me, if possible, I should walk the course in advance to get the nerves and breathtaking views out of the way so that I can concentrate on the game - it worked!

Get Ready for Hole #1: Spend time on the Pebble Beach driving range and on your short game before heading to the links and be prepared for a crowd to gather around you as you tee off. They will applaud if you crush it down the middle but the silence will be deadening if you top the ball. You will feel as if you are on Tour, which can make even the best amateurs a little weak-kneed!

Get ready for the 18th Hole! The iconic 18th hole is probably the one that fills most players with fear, anticipation, joy and amazement. It is easy to get swept up in the scenery or your score from previous holes and not concentrate on this 543-yard, par-5 finishing hole and, you want to finish strong, don't you?

Chris Dunbar, Head Pro at Pebble Beach, tells us to be very aware of swirling winds on 18. Aiming your shot to the right of the trees still leaves a right-to-left shot to about 100-yards. As for the green? Your putt will want to pull towards the ocean - "a one-putt could easily turn into a three-putt."


The goal is to have fun when you play golf and the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am is the Candyland of Events so it should be interesting to see who else shows up on Twitter with the Foursome!

I will be engaging with the Foursome all weekend on Twitter @Golf4Beginners and sharing some of their greatest moments from celebrity sightings to what's new at the Pebble Beach Golf Academy (Sam Lab...Robots...?)

Follow along using hashtags #ATTProAm, #ATTBlogger, attpbgolf.com and, of course, visit @ATTProAm for videos, live interviews and more!


This post is in partnership with AT&T. All opinions are my own.

photo credit: ATTPBGolf.com, @BlackGirlsGolf, @TimLangGolf