Masters Par 3 Contest Tickets

[Joeby]

I have two tickets to the 2016 Masters Par 3 contest and I'm trying to decide whether to go or sell them on StubHub. I live in California and I don't have tickets for the tournament days. Has anyone ever attended the Par 3? Is it worth a cross-country trip just to attend the Par 3?

Also wondering if you're able to walk the rest of Augusta or do they limit you just to the Par 3 course. Does the same restrictions on cell phones and cameras apply for the Par 3?

[RLM]

Par 3 is for the entire day. Usually there's practice on the regular Augusta National course for about six hours. Then the players head to the Par 3 course.  Large crowds around the fairways, greens. I only went to that once, I think. I continued to walk around the course and take pictures with no players - but a lot of greens keepers prepping the course for the start of the tournament. I don't recall anyone telling me that I couldn't walk around the course.     There is the possibility for a rain out - that has happened where the entire day gets cancelled.  Would be unfortunate to travel all the way from the West Coast and have that happen. I enjoyed the practice round days more than the regular event - I've probably been to 10-15 days out there.   I lived in Augusta for 6-7 years while in the Army and would get tickets through the Army, from a friend, and did the lottery once and got in that way.   Hotels/motel prices get to be x2-3 priced more. I'd stay in ATL, drive out early (2.5 hr drive), get there about 8 a.m., stay the day, return to ATL that night.  Or use Columbia SC for hotel, and drive in (70 miles). 

[Joeby]

Thanks RLM!

Happy to hear from other folks who have gone, too.

[phan52]

On ‎2‎/‎14‎/‎2016 at 0:31 PM, Joeby said:

I have two tickets to the 2016 Masters Par 3 contest and I'm trying to decide whether to go or sell them on StubHub. I live in California and I don't have tickets for the tournament days. Has anyone ever attended the Par 3? Is it worth a cross-country trip just to attend the Par 3?

Also wondering if you're able to walk the rest of Augusta or do they limit you just to the Par 3 course. Does the same restrictions on cell phones and cameras apply for the Par 3?

The one year I went I had a pass for Wednesday, the day of the par 3, and Thursday, the first day of the tournament. It's hard to say which was better. Wednesday was fun, the players are accessible, you can take pictures, and the par 3 is great. There is a lot of practice on the course and you can access the course all day. Thursday was more intense and the golf was fun to watch when it mattered. I flew into Atlanta Tuesday evening, drove to Augusta early Wednesday. I was lucky enough to have a friend whose company had rented a house on Wednesday night and the floor was very accommodating. I stayed until around 4:00 PM on Thursday, drove to Atlanta and took an evening flight home that night.

Another year when I won the lottery for Monday I couldn't go and I tried to give them away to friends or family but nobody took them. I ended up selling them on Ebay for $500 apiece ($1,000), so there is always that.

Edited February 18, 2016 by phan52