Diamond Club Tickets

Being from St. Louis, I'm naturally a HUGE Cardinals fan. The Cards only play in DC once this season, so of course we had to go. After hearing how cheaply B's dad had gotten Diamond Club tickets, we decided it was worth it. We decided to go to the first 2 games of the 3 game series. I of course tried to research what we were in for ahead of time. If you're going to splurge on expensive seats, you don't want to seem like it was a splurge for you. I found one forum that gave a little info, but there wasn't much. So, if you're thinking about springing for Nats tickets in the Diamond Club, here are my tips.

What is Diamond Club?
Briefly, it's the section behind home plate, one level up from what you see on tv. The ticket price includes food and drinks and in-seat service.

How it works:
The center gate opens 2 1/2 hours before the game. They keep you just in center field, but you can catch home team batting practice. 1 1/2 hours before game time, all the gates open. This is also when the clubs open. You find your seats by following the normal signs. When you reach the diamond area, just go up to one of the staff and tell them it's your first time. They'll explain everything. But you scan your ticket in a machine in the wall. Then you will be given a wrist band and access to the club and your seat. I snapped some pics inside the club, but was trying to not be obvious.

There is a bar on one side, and buffet tables around the other sides. The gourmet type food seems to change each day, but there were a few standards. There's a hot dog bar, a candy bar, a table with peanuts and cracker jack (and popcorn).

MY TIPS:

1.) Don't buy from the team site.

Normally that's how I get my tickets, but B's dad told us he scored them for much cheaper on Stubhub. Single tickets online go for $170. We got ours for $139. Some people on the forum said they managed to get some on Craigslist for $80 a few days before a game. Once we got to the game, we found out some important information. There is a Diamond Club and a Diamond Lounge. The Lounge supposedly serves the same food, but it has NO field view. Only season ticket holders get access to the club. If you buy single tickets from the official site, you only get lounge access. The tickets we bought from Stubhub were season tickets, so we got club access.

2.) Tip well and upfront.

On the forums, people suggested tipping $5 for the first round, and decreasing each round, ending up tipping about $15. We planned on following suit, but we forgot cash, and had to use an ATM. That left us with $20 bills. One staff member will take your order while 2 or 3 others will deliver the food. You can either tip them individually, or tip one and ask them to split the tip. For the first game, we tipped $20 off the bat. We had excellent service the whole night. The next day, we were distracted by the game and didn't tip until the second inning. We weren't getting bad service before, but we certainly noticed a difference after the tip. One of the servers stopped by and told us thank you. He must have noticed B's drink getting low, because another server stopped by with a refill he didn't order. That annoyed the men behind us to no end, since they were waiting on the ones that had ordered. If you think about it, these tickets go for $170 a piece. There's no way the ballpark is going to employ bad servers. But it never hurts to be nice (or a good tipper) upfront. Also, if you're dropping that kind of money on a game, can't you afford to tip well too?

3.) Get served

It's part of the experience, so don't feel bashful getting served at your seat. Inside the club, you can request seating at a table in or outside the club. But there are also comfy chairs and cocktail tables where you can seat yourself. It's a buffet, so grab a monogrammed paper plate and load up. If you want to head out to your seats, you can bring your plate. Don't worry about trying to balance a drink too; a server will come take your order as soon as you sit down.  The servers came around about once an inning to take orders, so think ahead. You can get food from inside the club until the 5th inning. Servers will come around until last call. That's your last chance for food too. There's a menu at your seat too. When we went, it included jumbo hot dogs, burgers, chicken strips, loaded fries and old bay fries, nachos, soft pretzels, ice cream and salad. For drinks, there was 6 types of beer, 4 types of wine, Coke sodas, hot chocolate and coffee. You can get specialty and mixed drinks for $10 and $12.


4.) Use the club
Any time you're not in your seat, make sure your wrist band is visible. It was chilly when we went, so I ended up just fist bumping the air as I went in to drop my sleeve down. Plenty of people were ducking inside to warm up. A great perk of the club is member only bathrooms. That means almost no lines. You can duck inside between innings and not miss a thing. And if there is a line? They pipe in the broadcast, so you can here what's going on.

I definitely think the tickets were worth it. If you're used to paying well for the view, the price isn't much difference for the food. Considering how much the food fare usually is, not to mention all the time lost waiting in line, it's a huge convenience. I'm not saying I would go to a ton of games for $130 a pop (we only went to 2 games of the series). But if you want the ultimate-feel-like-a-big-shot experience, go for it. Heck, they even wipe down your patted seat before you sit down. If you take the metro, I guarantee, at the very least, you can drink your money's worth.

-DearLadyDisdain
Can the world buy such a jewel?