Masters Fans Burned in Chaos Caused by Tournament’s Resale Consolidation

Fans and brokers alike were left scrambling this weekend as Augusta National Golf Club enforced sweeping new restrictions on Masters badge resales — a move industry observers say prioritizes profits over patrons.

The uproar stems from Augusta National’s decision to consolidate ticket distribution through On Location, a luxury hospitality partner owned by Endeavor. The exclusive arrangement has resulted in a wave of invalidated badges sold via traditional secondary platforms, leaving fans who paid thousands of dollars with nothing to show for it.

Dozens of would-be attendees arrived at pickup locations around Augusta, Georgia, this weekend only to learn their badges were void. Many had spent thousands of dollars per badge for access, only to be turned away without recourse. In many cases, buyers reported having no communication from sellers until the moment they were left empty-handed.

While Augusta National has long prohibited the resale of badges — which are distributed to members and a small pool of patrons grandfathered into a waitlist closed decades ago — the rule had historically been enforced selectively. Now, using RFID tracking and tighter control measures on-site, the club has ramped up enforcement, stripping badges from resold buyers and expelling them from the grounds.

The key driver behind this abrupt shift? Money — and control.

Rather than tolerating the informal resale market that has long provided access to fans willing to pay a premium, Augusta National is working to eliminate those channels and centralize resale through its official partner, On Location. That includes a growing slate of high-priced hospitality offerings like the new “Map & Flag” venue, where a package of four badges can cost as much as $72,000.

This consolidation strategy mirrors a similar trend in another major sports property: the Super Bowl. The NFL has also partnered with On Location to control a growing share of its ticket distribution, aggressively limiting access through traditional secondary marketplaces. As a result, Super Bowl tickets have surged all-time record highs, with average resale prices approaching $10,000 last year, according to industry data The trend line on prices has been steadily climbing every year for a decade — a jump that many attribute directly to the league’s tight grip on the supply chain.

In the wake of Augusta’s crackdown, secondary marketplaces like StubHub began pulling listings for Masters badges altogether, leading to an unprecedented supply crunch. With brokers unable to fulfill promised inventory, some were left deciding whether to eat massive losses — estimated at up to $15,000 per badge — or cancel on buyers entirely.

The result was skyrocketing prices for the few badges that remained in circulation. A single badge for Sunday’s final round reportedly sold for $8,000 — a new record for same-day access to the tournament, according to Darren Rovell.

While Augusta National has not commented publicly on its long-term ticketing plans, sources told Rovellthat the club’s goal is to permanently clean up the resale market — effectively shutting out independent brokers and third-party platforms in favor of a system where revenue flows directly back to the rights-holder.

“This isn’t about protecting the integrity of the tournament,” one broker told TicketNews on condition of anonymity. “It’s about eliminating competition so Augusta and On Location can corner the market.”