Masters Roundup: Gas, food and lodging

PRICEY PARKING: Parking lots were filled up quickly Monday at paid lots all around the Augusta National property except for one: the National Hills shopping center.
The $40 price posted to park at the property, which was acquired last year by an Atlanta-based retail developer, is now the high watermark for Masters Week parking prices.

By mid-day, parking spaces were still visible in the lot surrounding the former Dillard’s department store, which closed in January. Nearby parking lots were charging $20-$30.

NO THRU TRAFFIC: The Madison on the Green apartment complex on River Ridge Drive has long been a favorite shortcut for locals and Tournament regulars as a good short cut to avoid congested sections of Washington Road.

Not anymore.

Non-residents attempting to drive through the complex, located directly behind the Washington Road Arby’s restaurant, were stopped by a two men asking for $5 for a one-day “pass” or $50 for the week.

A reporter inquiring about the toll was met with a no-comment from the men, who said the apartment complex is private property and that they had permission from the owner to collect the money.

County records show the property is owned by a limited liability company based in McLean, Va.

ROOM AT THE INN: Have some Augusta hotels priced themselves out of the market? That’s what some industry insiders are saying about vacancies at hotels such as The Partridge Inn and the DoubleTree Hotel, where dozens of rooms remain available.

With prices hovering around $700 a night for what is essentially a $100 room, well-heeled patrons and corporations are looking elsewhere for accommodations.

On the budget end of the spectrum, the glut of low- and mid-priced hotels in recent years has boosted the number of available rooms, giving patrons more choice in where they can stay.

NO DOUBLE DIPPING: Those attending past practice rounds and tournament days are using to having their tickets and badges scanned on the way in to the Augusta National. This year, they were surprised to have them scanned on the way out, too.

Longtime patrons were speculating Monday that the move is designed to cut down on more than one person using the ticket at the same time.

Here’s how the con has worked in the past: A group of friends go in the gate. Once inside, they go to a discreet area (such as a restroom) pass the tickets to a designated mule who walks the tickets back out the gate to another group of people who then use the tickets to enter the property.

Once together, they can then walk around and hope security doesn’t notice only half of them are wearing tickets. If noticed by security, the ticketless patron could pretend their ticket must have been lost or stolen.

Not anymore. Now, tickets that haven’t been scanned out will send up a red flag if they are used to reenter the property.