AUGUSTA, Ga. — Although football dominates the sports scene in this country, attending the Masters ranks No. 1 on the bucket list of many Americans. Tournament organizers, like the suits for many sports organizations, could take advantage of the incredible demand.
They don’t.
From bargain ticket prices and dirt-cheap (and yummy) concessions to reasonable merchandise and free parking, the Masters is as fan friendly as any major event.
The biggest problem is finding a way to be one of the approximately 40,000 patrons who have access to Augusta National Golf Club each day. If you aren’t a season badge holder, the tournament hosts an online lottery for tournament badges and daily practice round tickets.
The tournament badge (four competition rounds) has a face value of $325, or less than $82 per day (StubHub! lists Saturday Masters tickets at more than $2,000). The face value for Super Bowl tickets ranges from $500-$1,500.
The bargains get even bigger once you arrive at Augusta.
The famous pimento cheese sandwiches are $1.50 -- same for a highly underrated and under-appreciated egg salad sammy.
For $3, early risers can get a coffee and a chicken or sausage biscuit.
A beer (with a souvenir cup) will set you back a whopping $4. The must-try sweet tea is $2.
And don’t forget about the $2 ice cream sandwich to seal the deal.
At the Super Bowl this year, a chicken sandwich was $18, a cheeseburger $15 and fries were $8.
The Masters takes it easy on patrons in the gift shop, too. The coveted logo hats are $24, T-shirts are around $30. A pin flag is $25. Thanks to Masters fever, even the $35 beach towel seems like a steal.
Of course, the drama annually produced by this event come Sunday afternoon is priceless.
It’s easy to see how many consider this place a dream come true.
Lang writes for the Shreveport Times, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK.
