Gift trip to the Masters (practice) - how to

I realize that you can%26#39;t get in to the actual competition, but my MIL would love to find a way to give her husband a trip to the area for his 60th birthday on May 6 (gift to be redeemed in 2010). He is a lifetime avid golfer with a longtime desire to see the grounds (he works as a groundskeeper locally). I%26#39;ve done some research for her and these are my questions:

1. Is it worth buying a ticket from resellers to the practices? It seems like the going rate is around the 225-250 range - would you pay it?

2. Is there a preferred day of the practices or are they all the same?

3. Where would you stay? They%26#39;d be travelling from MA.

4. Would you enter the lottery and wait for a response, then buy from a broker if you didn%26#39;t get tickets, or buy now from a broker because you may lose your chance if you wait?

5. Can anyone recommend a reliable broker?

Thanks for your help!

Jen

Gift trip to the Masters (practice) - how to

There are two types of ticket for the Masters Golf Tournament: practice round tickets and tournament badges. You can try your luck with the practice round lottery. Applications are due on May 1st. Both types of tickets can be bought through a reseller. Badges cost about 10 times more. Wednesday practice rounds are different because of the Par 3 competition. You can stay in a hotel or rent a private home. Augusta has only a few “nice” hotels. They will all overcharge and are booked long in advance. PM me if you want a recommendation for a local tickets broker.