(MONEY Magazine) – Got georgia on your mind? coming up short of the $50,000 needed for so-called patron status on prime digs and gold-medal tickets for the first Summer Games on U.S. soil in 11 years? Not to worry, says Scott Anderson, a managing director of games services at the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (ACOG): "There are lots of great opportunities for the American public."

Sure. But even with 486 days to go before the lighting of the Olympic flame signals the start of the centennial games in 1996, you could be left standing in the dust in the race for a place among the thousands of Americans who are expected to descend upon Atlanta. Eager fans are already competing to secure hot tickets and hotel rooms. Here's how to make sure you get out of the starting block in fine form.

FIRST MOVE: GETTING YOUR PICK OF TIX

The gun goes off officially next month, when 11 million tickets go on sale for $6 to $600 each. Chunks of them, however, will be parceled out to corporate sponsors, various Olympic committees and foreign spectators. To snare a precious few of the remaining tickets:

Turn around your order form in 24 hours. ACOG begins its 60-day mail-only order process on May 1, when it releases its free 48-page ticket brochures at thousands of Coca-Cola displays at participating retail outlets nationwide. Then you better be ready to act fast. Orders will be filled on a first come, first served basis, determined by postmark--except in cases where demand exceeds ticket availability. When that occurs, all requests will get kicked into a lottery. As for payment, the only credit card allowed is Olympic sponsor Visa, but checks and money orders will also be accepted. You'll find out which tickets you get by this fall. Your tickets will be shipped to you via UPS a few months later, in the spring of 1996.

Beware of ticket scams. Like most major sporting events, the '96 Games promise their fair share of con artists. Sure, some legitimate outfits, such as major hotel chains, will offer Olympic travel packages to select big-spending regulars. And a few sporting groups will hawk tickets obtained through ACOG. But stick with established organizations or tour groups, such as the motorcoach operators affiliated with the American Bus Association. If you doubt any offer, call ACOG's information line (404-744-1996) and ask whether the group was actually issued tickets.

Choose events with several sessions--and be realistic. The 37 sports will be contested over 542 total sessions, with tickets for each session divided into various price levels, which are determined by the event's popularity as well as by status of seats. You may choose up to 16 sessions on the order form and must select second and third choices for each. You'll have a hard time scoring tickets to most gold-medal rounds of the popular sports (see the box on page 173), but if you'd like to see Shaq jam on some poor, undersize nation, order tickets for a preliminary-round game. The same strategy will likely get you into some less visible but still electric events such as volleyball ($15 to $20), team handball ($15) and baseball ($6 to $15). Also, you should note venues where the events will be held. You'll be more likely to get a ticket at the mammoth 85,000-seat Olympic Stadium than at the 26,300-seat Stone Mountain Tennis Center.

Show up at a true spectator sport. To avoid a ticket migraine altogether, don't forget the freebies--events that take place on the streets of Atlanta. You can catch the marathon, road cycling and race-walking events live, up close and gratis.

SECOND MOVE: FINDING A BED FOR YOUR HEAD

The nerve center for the Games will be known as the Olympic Ring, the three-mile-wide area encompassing downtown Atlanta. But you can forget staying at the convenient Ritz-Carlton--for now. Most of the region's 56,000 hotel rooms (spread out over 20 counties, some as far away as Alpharetta, 32 miles from the Ring) are off limits until ACOG opens the lines to its central reservations system in the fall. Still, there are some realistic options you can pursue now:

Private homes. Athletes won't be the only folks going for gold in Atlanta. Thousands of locals are planning to open their homes to visitors like you, and they may be your best bet for a bed. The biggest referral service is Private Housing 1996 (404-455-0081), the ACOG-sanctioned company that's placing visitors into more than 5,000 prescreened private homes. The living may be easy (abodes range from modern apartments to antebellum mansions) but it won't be cheap. Minimum stays are six nights, and rates are from $150 to $425 per bedroom per night. Prices are based on the value of the property, not location--which means paying top prices won't guarantee you proximity. Other caveats: You won't get a photo of your digs in advance, and you must fork over a nonrefundable 25% deposit for your specified price when booking. Final payments are due in full on Jan. 1, 1996.

Several other housing services want to show you some southern hospitality too. These include the International Bed & Breakfast Reservation Service (800-473-9449) and RSVP Grits (800-823-7787)-we didn't make that up. Though these outfits are members of the Georgia Hospitality & Travel Association, be warned: They don't guarantee that the homes they list are prescreened.

Think small. Just because the larger Atlanta hotels are clogged by the ACOG doesn't mean you should abandon hope of obtaining room service by the Ring. Some 50- to 200-room hostelries in the Atlanta area--including many within a javelin toss of some events--are now offering thousands of rooms through Event Management Travel (800-695-3665). Rates hover at the $300-a-night level, with weeklong stays required. There may be some perks, however. Many of these packages include round-the-clock transportation and other extras; ask when you book.

Stay away from the fray. The Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau expects a rush on rooms as far away as Hilton Head, S.C.--a nice setting, but a full five-hour drive east from Atlanta (see the map on page 171). Less intrepid travelers should still explore beyond Atlanta's limits, where an additional 20,000 rooms are within a 90-mile radius of the Ring. For instance, towns such as Cartersville (43 miles away), Athens (67 miles), Rome (70 miles) and Macon (84 miles) have beds available now, but you may need to reserve blocks of six or more. These cities feature such familiar chains as Days Inn (800-325-2525), Best Western (800-528-1234) and Comfort Inn (800-228-5150) at rates of about $140 a night. And remember, MARTA, Atlanta's public transportation system, will be free to Olympic ticket holders, so you can simply drive to the outskirts of Atlanta, park for free and then ride the bus or train to any events.

Really see the stars. Finally, there's still plenty of time to vie for one of the 407 campsites and cottages at the five state parks within a 50-mile radius of Atlanta. You can reserve the great outdoors starting on Aug. 1 by calling the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (800-869-8420)-again on a first come, first served basis. Nightly rates are $10 to $18 for tent and trailer sites (talk about dirt cheap!), up to $125 for modest cottages sleeping six. As far as Olympic deals go, that's as good as a perfect 10.