As inflation continues to hamper Americans’ pocketbooks, few areas of the economy have been left untouched. However, Masters tickets prices for a four-day badge did not increase from 2023-2025. But now that’s changing in a big way for the 2026 event at Augusta National.
If you’re lucky enough to have a ticket to this year’s Masters, whether as a first-time lottery winner or a longstanding patron, you’re going to have to fork over more money to experience the first major of the year in person.
Masters tickets hit with price hike for first time in years
Back in July, as happens every year, Augusta National notified the fortunate few who won the Masters ticket lottery for the 2026 event.
According to a report from Golfweek, Augusta National again contacted their future patrons in early January, this time announcing the new price for a four-day badge, which gives a patron access to all four rounds of the tournament.
As one of the most sought-after tickets in sports, people would likely pay anything to experience the Masters firsthand. But even if they’re hard to get, Masters tickets are famously far less expensive than tickets to any other major sporting event.
From 2023-2025, patrons paid $450 for a four-day badge, or just over $110 per day. But in 2026, they will be paying significantly more.
According to the report, a four-day badge for the 2026 Masters will cost $525. That extra $75 roughly amounts to a 16% increase. While that’s a big jump for a single year, remember that it’s the first increase since 2023, and it’s unlikely prices will go up again for the 2027 Masters.
It is, though, quite a bit higher than the price of a badge to the first-ever Masters in 1934: $2.
At about $130 per day, 2026 Masters tickets are far, far cheaper than a pass to the Super Bowl, NBA Finals, or any number of other major sporting events. But the prices also compare favorably to other golf tournaments.
At the 2025 Ryder Cup, fans were charged $750 for a single-day ticket to the matches at Bethpage Black. Volunteers were reportedly charged $350.
Add to that the fact that food and beverage prices at the Masters are shockingly low, and it becomes clear there’s no better value in pro sports than a Masters ticket.
How to get Masters tickets
Unfortunately, you’re out of luck if you want to score a ticket to the 2026 Masters the traditional way. You still have a chance to be invited by someone else, or to play your way into the field. But that’s about the only way you’ll get to Augusta National this April.
The 2027 Masters, however, is very much in play. For a chance to earn the right to purchase Masters badges for 2027, patrons can enter the lottery which will be open from June 1-20, 2026.
By July 2026, you’ll find out whether or not you’ve won the lottery. Good luck, you’ll need it.
This article originated on Golf.com
Leave a comment