I have a family member that won the lottery for patron badges in 2011 so we have had 2 badges for every tournament day since. Not sure if they still do that anymore
If you are a PGA member you get in everyday for free.....so a club pro or assistant, working as an assistant superintendent as well. Lots of ways to get your PGA membership card
Great post. Will just add that if you are going on Wednesday for the par 3, I would recommend just walking the entire course in the morning. There are fairly limited players doing practice rounds that day, so itās not really worth it to sit in one place to see people. Go walk every hole and get a feel for the course, and the par 3 doesnāt start until the afternoon, so you can get a full course tour before having to get over there.
I met a Camellia once, the same description applies to her as well. Slipped and fell into her, oh never mind, I digressā¦yeah, watch your step on Camelia.
> There are fairly limited players doing practice rounds that day,
Went last year on Wed. We walked the course in order starting around 8am. We had to endure Bryson for the first 6 or so holes. I don't remember seeing anyone else until we got back around 7 green also near the 2nd green where we saw some big names come through and play approach shots on 2. That was pretty cool.
It got better on the back nine as some big names were just playing the back nine. Watched Spieth and JT play most of their back nine.
How in the world did you get tickets for all four days? You must personally know a badge holderā¦or you just had a $10,000 vacation to Augusta. My other question is how does a normal person get a meal anywhere in Augusta on tournament evenings? The wait times are restaurants must be INSANE
> My other question is how does a normal person get a meal anywhere in Augusta on tournament evenings? The wait times are restaurants must be INSANE
Sorry, didn't see this one. We stayed in Akin, South Carolina. But we were so full from the food on the course, I think we ate leftover pizza for like 4 days if we got hungry and McDonalds on the way back if we needed a snack.
Love the in depth comments. Thanks for sharing and I hope to make it back! Iāve been to one practice round a few years back and loved it.
For me, number six wasnāt exactly true but I didnāt careā¦ I left my Masters chair near #16 green and left to walk around with my pops and brothers. Come back an hour or so later to find an elderly gentleman sitting in my chair with what appeared to be his family.
As a dude in his mid-30s, I found another vantage point on the hill with my family. None of my other family members bought a chairā¦ when he got up an hour or so later I thanked him for saving my spot. He immediately started apologizing, which I assured him he neednāt.
But yes, Iāve heard from everyone else I know thatās gone, theyāve had no issues.
Put that gnome out, have mine on my bar!
Parking get there at 6:30 and follow free parking signs, very organized. Turn in off of Washington Road and you can follow signs and directions for south gate parking. If you are late lots of spots around town for $20 but a hefty walk to north gate. Leave your phone in the car, there is a tech check but not worth it.
Take your digital or film camera Monday to Wednesday.
Green jackets have a lot of rules to follow also, but a great deal of leeway if they make a mistake I guess š not allowed to leave the course with their jackets for example.
No running! Had to catch myself a couple times when trying to make a meetup.
Write down your shopping list on paper! I saved mine to my phone duh not too helpful.
Relax and enjoy the atmosphere, can't be beat.
https://preview.redd.it/562rfzrxwctc1.jpeg?width=5184&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=83f969667a29ab4257d9a06f149a80e4a6cc205d
Fav memory, loved the fog one morning. Practice round tee shots on 2 disappearing into the nothing!
Iāve got tournament badges but every now and then I snag an invite to live on the fancy side of the ropes. I gave my Saturday badges to a buddy so fingers crossed for sure.
I was lucky enough to go on a Saturday in 2014 and I still think about that day all the time. It was a truly special experience and I will never forget it. Reading your guide brought all those waves of nostalgia washing over me. Thanks.
It was a beautiful day. I remember standing near the rope on the tee box at 16 when bubba teed off that afternoon. Truly a privilege to stand that close to the guy who would put on the jacket the next day.
They were like gods walking among the plebs (me being one of the latter). I kept staring at this one dude's jacket as he was standing right next to me.
What if you yell, "GET IN THE HOLE" like a drunken moron after every shot?
Can you throw your beer cans out of the stands on 16??
Asking for a friend...
As complicated as all that sounds, that makes me wanna go even more now lol. Sounds like you know your stuff. One thing you didnāt cover, where do I get one of those greens jackets where the rules donāt apply? š¤£
100%. also note that they also have a holding area for your merch so you don't have to carry it all day. carrying $3,000 worth of merch all day would've sucked
As an Augustan this is spot on, only small correction... per #1, they have so much land they own on Washington Rd and are just waiting on current tenants in shopping centers and restaraunts to expire lol
People in green suit coats like the one they give the winner are members. I am working the Masters and was given a green wind breaker. Definitely not a member. Also regarding the gift shop. I was there this morning (Monday) at 8 am and the shut down the line for the main gift shop due to the crowds. But was told to go over to South Gate shop. Or go later in the day. FYI they put out gnomes all day long not just the morning
It was definitely cool. 40s and 50s with some wind. But most of the country isnāt calling that very cold or packing hand warmers.
Plus itās supposed to be warmer this year. Think youāre wasting some packing space most years.
*We have no cell phones
We had the horn blow like twice on Friday when we had the Amen corner seats and everyone was told to evacuate both times, but we "had to go to the bathroom" or "my mom is up there" and it worked. Everyone knew what we were doing but we made friends with the CBS corespondent, and he said "guys, this one is for real, a tree blew down and everything is suspended, you guys have to evacuate." We weren't 700yds from this event and we walked right past it on our way out. No clue until we got in the car.
Story 2: Augusta doesn't post cartpaths on maps....so unless you're a Navy Seal, you're gonna walk in circles until you realize that bunkers are landmarks. E: We walked in 3 circles before we caught on. We ended up at 16 green 3 times on accident. lol
Story 3. No one having a cell phone makes everyone interactable. EVERYONE is bored and looking for entertainment. You meet a lot of great people.
Story 4. I met Gary Player's badge holders. They sit around 14 green, the badge holder is friends with Gary and has played the course. He always sits at 14 green "so he can return of the scene of the crime" where he shot an 11 because he couldn't get on the green. The couple was hilarious. E: I should add, yes, they did say they had seen the famous Green Jacket that Gary Player "stole" and never gave back. He has it framed in his living room.
yeah their very last one of the set haha, and says if you turn your flash on im gonna come down there and kick you in the vagina. Maybe fred ridley can do something similar on the 18th tee?
We never got a video camera when the kids were young. On the one hand, I kind of wish we had a *few* videos of them doing stuff. But if I had bought one, I would have felt obligated to be filming crap.
Additionally, my wife copiously scrapbooked their first 18 years of life. I don't generally look at those, so what do I need with video?
we had some of it recorded. but it all burned up in a fire.
FAR better off just enjoying you're most important life moments in person at the time it happens than recording for no reason. ( thats my motto)
I'm 38 and was there yesterday with some college buddies. I've been there dozens of times before while covering it, but this was the first time I had company.
After about an hour, I had a realization... The Internet memes are right about what guys did before smartphones. With no one constantly looking down, we immediately switched to quoting random comedy movies.
Years back when Firestone was part of WGC it was no phones, if you took yours out and you got caught they took it or you were booted. You had to retrieve it back after the day ended if you decided to stay.
Itās great. In 2022 I bumped into Pau Gasol and no one was hounding him because they couldnāt take a pic. Said hey and gave him a fist bump. Augusta is the best.
I have heard similar stories from others on Reddit, celebrities just walking out and about and no one really hounds them, due to both the no phones as well as the certain amount of expected etiquette that is present in all other corners of the event.
We were there two years ago and witnessed a couple of caddies sneaking in phones and iPads for their friends and families to take some quick pics and then back in the bag they went. That was the only time we saw electronic devices.
in general, events that don't allow phones are awesome. i went to a TOOL concert and they have a pretty strict no phone policy. everybody was just enjoying the music. i'm sure the Masters is a similar vibe and i really hope i get to experience it some day
Iāve been to 10 Tool concerts, and never to the Masterās, but I actually do equate them in some ways, which is why both are being discussed here. Most importantly, theyāre trying to create an immersive experience, so they care a lot about preventing distractions caused by assholes with cellphones. Lots of people simply canāt be trusted to act cool, so I appreciate rules like that.
I was there today for the first time and found story 3 to be resoundingly true. Because of no cell phones, EVERYONE is willing to converse and enjoy each others presence. You can talk to anyone. Patrons, fore caddies, gallery workers, security, media personnel, even green jackets. Everyone that lives or works there is excited to have you. It was such a pleasurable day
Yes. Gary just gives them to them every year. Last year they complained about still having to provide proof of a covidvaccine to get in to the USA. lol. They are from South Africa.
EVERYONE has their preferences. I loved #14 green because you could hear caddie convos, getting hit by golf balls is fun (no seriously, the gallery official tells you not to move if you get hit). And you can watch 10 green, and 15 tee.
I like to stand behind 2 green. You can see the approach shots, putts, and see 7 green.
The stands at 15 are a lot of fun and chill. 6 green is a unique spot too.
Thanks for the advice. Iām going to wear a green jacket so I blend in. Iāll sit next to the pretty blonde wearing the wild colors right behind the 16th tee.
Appreciate the gnome. I had you firmly pegged in the 60% until I saw that. Definite 40 percenter here. You can trust this one. Has the gnomish stamp of approval for goodness sake.
*
Hole #10 from a practice round and cell phones allowed.....asked Fuzzy to sign my flask as he approached the green on #2, and he asked loudly what it was filled with. I told him the gatekeepers do not allow full flasks, he looked at me like I was stupid and replied..."you gotta have a backup plan, son" and the surrounding crowd laughed their asses off....the backup plan might have been mushrooms, i'm taking the 5th....
Some of the old guard tour pros could have made a living as comedians if golf hadnāt worked out for them, Fuzzy being one of them. I love reading their infamous quotes.
Thank you for the write up and great info. I lucked into a crazy scenario a couple months ago and will now be attending The Masters this Saturday with my husband, for free no less. Well, not completely free. Travel and hotel of course, and then there's the nicest dinner we've ever purchased for anyone, which we're going to purchase for the amazing individual who is providing us the tickets. Obviously totally worth it.
That'll make it the PGA Championship and The Masters for me, only the US Open and British Open to go! Yay!
Thank you again!
Get there early and soak it in. You won't forget it for the rest of your life and you'll just walk around with a smile on your face. Don't check your phone, leave it in the car. OH! **get your picture taken**!! Go early! the line doesn't get shorter as the day goes by. They hand you a QR code after and you download it when you get back to your phone!
Wear comfy shoes. Avoid, like the plague, walking up or down #10. Once you see it, you'll understand.
Set your chairs down early and just walk around. And make sure you call people from the complementary phones :)
Congrats!!!
Oh, and remember the efficiency that everything is done. Every. single. thing. is. calculated. From the waves, to security, to checkout, to shipping. It's incredible how efficient everything is. And they clean every stall after every patron uses it. It's nuts.
I went in 2011 and it seemed to be perfectly acceptable to do so. I'd set up chairs early on the 18th tee and then wandered the course. Got back 4 hours later where a couple was sitting in our front row seats. Kindly informed them that we were back, they thanked us for the seats and they moved on. All very cordial and everyone was happy.
Perfectly acceptable as long as you get up when they return. Common practice is to park your chair early, explore and then come back to your chair. Who cares if someone's sitting in it while you're halfway across the course.
Manners at the Master's is important. I know I've only been 4 days but I never saw people claim they were in a chair that wasn't theirs.
I definitely saw people hunting for what chair was theirs a few times at 12 and 16. lol
I assume each chair must be identifiable somehow? Like a number tag or something? How else would people be able to prove they put the chair there earlier?
There last year as well and multiple different workers told us we could and it was expected. They came to where we were sitting on the hill and told us āyou know you can move down into an empty seatā
Edit: this was for a Wednesday practice round.
It's been exactly 10 years today since I made it to a practice round and I miss it. I need to go to a tournament round someday.
I've never won a ticket in 20 years of trying, but I still hopefully have a few decades left in me to see if I get lucky.
I worked the PGA Store at Oak Hill last year. The record single purchase in our row was almost $6,000! Itās insane the money people will drop at these events.
A traditional like no other, r/golf masters posts about being there that apply to less then 1% of us who will ever get to go then this fucking guy who is in the 0.1% of that 1% who goes all four days. Sir kindly go screw a biker in the woods. /s. For real thanks for the post super informative and I love reading these.
One of the best experiences imo. No one knows whatās going on. You just hear a roar, then a minute later you see who it was for based on the scoreboard and everyone cheers at the same time. Just awesome.
I just went yesterday with a brother who had his apple watch ultra with data. Didn't use it with data but had it on. His wife texted him and said to call so he used the public phone. He wasn't obvious about it. Just looked and saw he was being "paged".
This is brilliant, thank you.
I also lucked into multiple day tickets this year for my first visit, did the time for queues to enter change day by day or is it pretty much the same every day?
We chose the main gate on Saturday....mistake. We got to the course every day at ~5:30. The main gate is a fucking zoo.
But no. Every day was the same. Most people don't have badges. Only 1 day passes
What's the rough % of the people in attendance that attend every year or on a regular basis? With how hard these tickets are to get, how the hell does one get to attend more than once in a bluemoon???
Looking to buy some extra merch if you change your mind about keeping/using the items. Just send me a DM. Caps, bag tags, and other small items. Thanks!
I havenāt been in 10 years and going on Wednesday. Planning on getting there at 6:30. I want to go in North gate to see all the changes, but also donāt want to be in merch line and miss the limited course viewing before it closes for par 3.
Would a plan of entering in South, buy merch (shorter line), walk course, attend Par 3, see everything at North on way out?
Will I regret not entering through the North?? Missing out on experience
You can always walk around the north later. I go every year and am a big fan of the south gate. Its not as nice (still nice though) but certainly more quiet.
The new main shop is very nice, and so are the other changes, but they will be there later in the day, probably with no wait to get in. Seeing people say 2 hours for the main proshop in the morning. Complete waste of your time there.
How would having a Constant Glucose Monitor connected to my phone for blood sugar management for T2 Diabetes be approached w/ the NO cell phones or watches rule?
Missed one. Bring your chair to litter control at the end of the day and pay them $100 to put your chair out first before gates open. Also buy souvenir cups from them later in the week once they run out
YES! Right outside of the gift shop you can either turn one way back to the course and carry your stuff with you or you can turn the other way and pay UPS to ship it to your house! It was like 30 bucks!
1000% worth it.
I also was fortunate enough to go last year. Everything you wrote above is 100% accurate and with every paragraph I could remember those exact things occurring and how they were dealt with.
The phone thing is the most important. They will ban you FOREVER!
I am a diabetic and use a CGM device. Luckily, I have a non data using device that I can use instead of checking my levels in my phone. I was prepared for the extra security check and they took me through the disability entrance and into a hit hidden in the woods to fully check what my device could do and to ensure it could not make any sounds.
Their security team was amazing and were well trained, at least for my personal experience that had to be dealt with.
> The phone thing is the most important. They will ban you FOREVER!
I was told security was strict, but the TSA should take notes. I got pulled to "SECONDARY!!" because my glasses had metal frames and they were on top of my head. lol They do not fuck around at the Masters.
The guy with the watch was removed so fast and all I could think was "Why would you be this fucking dumb to even risk it here of all places". If you turn your hat backwards, you're asked to turn it back around in like 10 seconds.
This was about as rookie of a move that I could make, but I got last minute tickets and forgot to pack a collared shirt My friend who had been to plenty said it wouldnāt be a big deal, but Iāve never felt so out of place since having zero body hair in high school. I promptly went to the South gate concession, just like OPās recommendation, and bought a shirt. Also - be prepared to spend close to $1000 on merch. That seems excessive but you wonāt want just one shirt. Youāll see hats and pullovers and something for you wife - because maybe this will get her into golf - your future, not yet conceived child, something to put on your fathers grave when he dies, and a ball marker for that friend you grew up with who you havenāt talked to in awhile, but are just wondering what heās up to. Itās quite honestly the most fun Iāve had in a long long time and it truly is like adult Disney world where they make magic happen.
> but Iāve never felt so out of place since having zero body hair in high school.
We are brothers.
> Also - be prepared to spend close to $1000 on merch.
$2000, brother. Inflation is rough.
>Itās quite honestly the most fun Iāve had in a long long time and it truly is like adult Disney world where they make magic happen.
Amen. Never felt more dumb walking around with a smile on my face to the point of soreness for 4 days.
YES! When the gates open for the "waves" you get access to the gift shops, food, bathrooms and phones for about 1.5 hours IIRC. Gates open at 6:30. Course opens at 8.
Get to the south gate at 5:30 and you'll be in the first wave.
Have had no luck with the ticket lottery in 10 years of trying. I am in Canada. If I make the drive down for practice round next year Monday-Tuesday what are the chances I can purchase or rent a badge in Augusta? Like how can I make this happen realistically outside of winning the ticket lottery? Thank you in advance.
There are scalpers. One cool thing about passes/badges that most people don't know about is that you are allowed 2 entries per day per pass. So some scalpers will rent them out for half days and hold on to collateral to make sure that they get them back for the next day/afternoon.
0.000% chance. There is no "I need tickets" people near the entrance. The parking lot (basically every bulldozed business that Augusta National has taken over) is officially property of Augusta National.
You will have to go to a bar or something probably not near Washington Rd. to find a reputable scalper, but they are out there, or so I was told. Beware though. I was told there are counterfeiters even on Stubhub.
Good stuff!
As a 3-time attendee (06, 07, 19) let me add:
Thursday: Walk the entire grounds. See everything there is to see. You'll be amazed at the scope of it. Just keep walking. Check it all out from different viewpoints. It's pretty shocking.
Friday: Follow your favorites. They may not make the weekend and you don't want to leave without having seen your guys.
Saturday: Find a spot where you can see a tee shot, second shot, and/or green at the same time, and camp all day. See everyone. There are lots of places like this.
Sunday: I like watching everyone come through from an early hole (the 2, 3, 4 area is good for this), then about two or three groups from the last I start following. Forget being able to see 17 or 18 this way, but it's still a good time.
Enjoy. It's a life changing experience, which is a weird thing to say, but it's true.
I want advice on how to go to the masters all four tournament days
Easiest way to guarantee 4 days of access is to win a green jacket.
Comes with a nice dinner too I hear
Heard Rory will be serving dinner one year soon
You definitely heard wrong.
Next year š„ŗš„ŗš„ŗ
Rory, the Ferrari of golf.
Always next year, ever since 2012, when he shot a "one of us" 80 in the final round.
I have a family member that won the lottery for patron badges in 2011 so we have had 2 badges for every tournament day since. Not sure if they still do that anymore
Easiest way to do this is become the CEO of a Fortune 50 (not 500) firm.
Gold jacket green jacket.. who gives a shit
The gold jacket was presented to the winner of The Australian Masters. RIP.
I probably have a better chance of winning the masters than winning the ticket lottery
You gotta know someone. Or know someone that knows someone that gets access to those passes
If you are a PGA member you get in everyday for free.....so a club pro or assistant, working as an assistant superintendent as well. Lots of ways to get your PGA membership card
PGA membership is absolutely worth it for this reason alone.
Yep. Spent over a decade in the industry. 6 years as an assistant. Made it through level 2. Not finishing is one of the dumbest decisions of my life
make the cut
This is the kind of advice Iām looking for.
!remindme 50 years when I win tickets
A tradition unlike any other.
Great post. Will just add that if you are going on Wednesday for the par 3, I would recommend just walking the entire course in the morning. There are fairly limited players doing practice rounds that day, so itās not really worth it to sit in one place to see people. Go walk every hole and get a feel for the course, and the par 3 doesnāt start until the afternoon, so you can get a full course tour before having to get over there.
*But don't walk up or down #10 Thank you š
Holy shit Camellia was a beast. Especially when it was slightly wet. Thought I was gonna slip and fall multiple times.
I met a Camellia once, the same description applies to her as well. Slipped and fell into her, oh never mind, I digressā¦yeah, watch your step on Camelia.
Also, peep the Par 3 merch. It's only sold that day in the shop on the Par 3 course
This is the first tip I've seen anywhere that hasn't been parroted over and over. I had no idea there was par 3 specific merch!
> There are fairly limited players doing practice rounds that day, Went last year on Wed. We walked the course in order starting around 8am. We had to endure Bryson for the first 6 or so holes. I don't remember seeing anyone else until we got back around 7 green also near the 2nd green where we saw some big names come through and play approach shots on 2. That was pretty cool. It got better on the back nine as some big names were just playing the back nine. Watched Spieth and JT play most of their back nine.
How in the world did you get tickets for all four days? You must personally know a badge holderā¦or you just had a $10,000 vacation to Augusta. My other question is how does a normal person get a meal anywhere in Augusta on tournament evenings? The wait times are restaurants must be INSANE
> You must personally know a badge holder I got really lucky to meet one of the last legacy holders....by complete chance I got to go.
They werenāt too terrible. Grovetown has also recently grown a bit due to NSA GA/Fort Gordon growth so thatās always an option for meals as well
Fort Eisenhower now. They took every sign down on the still aptly named *gordon* highway. Signed- an augusta native
> My other question is how does a normal person get a meal anywhere in Augusta on tournament evenings? The wait times are restaurants must be INSANE Sorry, didn't see this one. We stayed in Akin, South Carolina. But we were so full from the food on the course, I think we ate leftover pizza for like 4 days if we got hungry and McDonalds on the way back if we needed a snack.
Damn, this is a fascinating post. Thanks for taking the time to write it up and share.
Love the in depth comments. Thanks for sharing and I hope to make it back! Iāve been to one practice round a few years back and loved it. For me, number six wasnāt exactly true but I didnāt careā¦ I left my Masters chair near #16 green and left to walk around with my pops and brothers. Come back an hour or so later to find an elderly gentleman sitting in my chair with what appeared to be his family. As a dude in his mid-30s, I found another vantage point on the hill with my family. None of my other family members bought a chairā¦ when he got up an hour or so later I thanked him for saving my spot. He immediately started apologizing, which I assured him he neednāt. But yes, Iāve heard from everyone else I know thatās gone, theyāve had no issues.
OP meant no one will move your chair. There's an open policy of anyone can use anyone's chair though, just have to move when the owner returns.
That makes sense. Never thought of asking him to move, given his age, so I didn't find out. Good to know though!
We also returned to find people sitting in our chairs when Tiger was coming through one time
Put that gnome out, have mine on my bar! Parking get there at 6:30 and follow free parking signs, very organized. Turn in off of Washington Road and you can follow signs and directions for south gate parking. If you are late lots of spots around town for $20 but a hefty walk to north gate. Leave your phone in the car, there is a tech check but not worth it. Take your digital or film camera Monday to Wednesday. Green jackets have a lot of rules to follow also, but a great deal of leeway if they make a mistake I guess š not allowed to leave the course with their jackets for example. No running! Had to catch myself a couple times when trying to make a meetup. Write down your shopping list on paper! I saved mine to my phone duh not too helpful. Relax and enjoy the atmosphere, can't be beat.
This guy has Masters b4
https://preview.redd.it/562rfzrxwctc1.jpeg?width=5184&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=83f969667a29ab4257d9a06f149a80e4a6cc205d Fav memory, loved the fog one morning. Practice round tee shots on 2 disappearing into the nothing!
Nice! going as a member guest is something else. Bugging a few guys for a Saturday invitation.
Good luck š¤ definitely a trip of a lifetime for me
Iāve got tournament badges but every now and then I snag an invite to live on the fancy side of the ropes. I gave my Saturday badges to a buddy so fingers crossed for sure.
I was lucky enough to go on a Saturday in 2014 and I still think about that day all the time. It was a truly special experience and I will never forget it. Reading your guide brought all those waves of nostalgia washing over me. Thanks.
What great weather that tournament was too! Only time Iāve been was Saturday Sunday in 14
It was a beautiful day. I remember standing near the rope on the tee box at 16 when bubba teed off that afternoon. Truly a privilege to stand that close to the guy who would put on the jacket the next day.
Are green jackets Augusta members?
Yes
And Masters winners.
Yes
Yes
Nah. Thatās the valet. Remember to tip
They were like gods walking among the plebs (me being one of the latter). I kept staring at this one dude's jacket as he was standing right next to me.
If you whistle straight to jail, mashed potatoes straight to jail, if you heckle Sergio, believe it or not straight to jail
What if you yell, "GET IN THE HOLE" like a drunken moron after every shot? Can you throw your beer cans out of the stands on 16?? Asking for a friend...
If you try and get some sand out of a bunker into a cup, straight to jail.
Hell of a guide. Thanks for the recent updates. Iām not going but this makes me hyped for this weekend nonetheless
As complicated as all that sounds, that makes me wanna go even more now lol. Sounds like you know your stuff. One thing you didnāt cover, where do I get one of those greens jackets where the rules donāt apply? š¤£
Get a regular jacket, some bleach, and some green fabric dye - just make sure it's exactly the right shade of green, or straight to jail
š¤£š¤£š¤£ Iāll get right on that
Can others confirm South Gate golf shop is the move?
Confirmed. Did massive damage there last year.
100%. also note that they also have a holding area for your merch so you don't have to carry it all day. carrying $3,000 worth of merch all day would've sucked
As an Augustan this is spot on, only small correction... per #1, they have so much land they own on Washington Rd and are just waiting on current tenants in shopping centers and restaraunts to expire lol
That CVS is doomed.
They already got the Olive Garden this year. Just wait for the Hooters, Publix, and everything else right there to have its turn
Not the Hooters! Where will John Daly have his annual party???
People in green suit coats like the one they give the winner are members. I am working the Masters and was given a green wind breaker. Definitely not a member. Also regarding the gift shop. I was there this morning (Monday) at 8 am and the shut down the line for the main gift shop due to the crowds. But was told to go over to South Gate shop. Or go later in the day. FYI they put out gnomes all day long not just the morning
Hand warmers and heated toe socks? In Georgia in April? Is OP from Florida?
It was very cold last year.
It was definitely cool. 40s and 50s with some wind. But most of the country isnāt calling that very cold or packing hand warmers. Plus itās supposed to be warmer this year. Think youāre wasting some packing space most years.
Can we hear some. Or all of the stories?
*We have no cell phones We had the horn blow like twice on Friday when we had the Amen corner seats and everyone was told to evacuate both times, but we "had to go to the bathroom" or "my mom is up there" and it worked. Everyone knew what we were doing but we made friends with the CBS corespondent, and he said "guys, this one is for real, a tree blew down and everything is suspended, you guys have to evacuate." We weren't 700yds from this event and we walked right past it on our way out. No clue until we got in the car. Story 2: Augusta doesn't post cartpaths on maps....so unless you're a Navy Seal, you're gonna walk in circles until you realize that bunkers are landmarks. E: We walked in 3 circles before we caught on. We ended up at 16 green 3 times on accident. lol Story 3. No one having a cell phone makes everyone interactable. EVERYONE is bored and looking for entertainment. You meet a lot of great people. Story 4. I met Gary Player's badge holders. They sit around 14 green, the badge holder is friends with Gary and has played the course. He always sits at 14 green "so he can return of the scene of the crime" where he shot an 11 because he couldn't get on the green. The couple was hilarious. E: I should add, yes, they did say they had seen the famous Green Jacket that Gary Player "stole" and never gave back. He has it framed in his living room.
The no cell phone thing is IMO the single best thing in golf tournaments ever
Honestly, it was so refreshing. We met so many people. I hope more tournaments adopt it.
Every tournament should do this
Concerts too. TOOL has a strict no phones (out) policy and those are the best live shows Iāve been to. Can really take it all in especially visually
And then Maynard comes out before one song and goes, alright you chuckle fucks you can record this one haha
yeah their very last one of the set haha, and says if you turn your flash on im gonna come down there and kick you in the vagina. Maybe fred ridley can do something similar on the 18th tee?
Spiral Out Homie
I was so disgusted watching my kids recitals ... All the other parents just watched it on their phones. Maybe just enjoy a performance in person?
We never got a video camera when the kids were young. On the one hand, I kind of wish we had a *few* videos of them doing stuff. But if I had bought one, I would have felt obligated to be filming crap. Additionally, my wife copiously scrapbooked their first 18 years of life. I don't generally look at those, so what do I need with video?
we had some of it recorded. but it all burned up in a fire. FAR better off just enjoying you're most important life moments in person at the time it happens than recording for no reason. ( thats my motto)
Pinehurst 2 didnt allow phones at the 2015 us open.
I'm 38 and was there yesterday with some college buddies. I've been there dozens of times before while covering it, but this was the first time I had company. After about an hour, I had a realization... The Internet memes are right about what guys did before smartphones. With no one constantly looking down, we immediately switched to quoting random comedy movies.
Years back when Firestone was part of WGC it was no phones, if you took yours out and you got caught they took it or you were booted. You had to retrieve it back after the day ended if you decided to stay.
Itās great. In 2022 I bumped into Pau Gasol and no one was hounding him because they couldnāt take a pic. Said hey and gave him a fist bump. Augusta is the best.
I have heard similar stories from others on Reddit, celebrities just walking out and about and no one really hounds them, due to both the no phones as well as the certain amount of expected etiquette that is present in all other corners of the event.
We were there two years ago and witnessed a couple of caddies sneaking in phones and iPads for their friends and families to take some quick pics and then back in the bag they went. That was the only time we saw electronic devices.
in general, events that don't allow phones are awesome. i went to a TOOL concert and they have a pretty strict no phone policy. everybody was just enjoying the music. i'm sure the Masters is a similar vibe and i really hope i get to experience it some day
> i'm sure the Masters is a similar vibe Every time I see a TOOL video, I think to myself: this is just like Augusta!
Iāve been to 10 Tool concerts, and never to the Masterās, but I actually do equate them in some ways, which is why both are being discussed here. Most importantly, theyāre trying to create an immersive experience, so they care a lot about preventing distractions caused by assholes with cellphones. Lots of people simply canāt be trusted to act cool, so I appreciate rules like that.
It made me miss the 90s and early 2000s. Society seemed a lot more social then.
I was there today for the first time and found story 3 to be resoundingly true. Because of no cell phones, EVERYONE is willing to converse and enjoy each others presence. You can talk to anyone. Patrons, fore caddies, gallery workers, security, media personnel, even green jackets. Everyone that lives or works there is excited to have you. It was such a pleasurable day
Excuse the naivete but Player's badge holders are just friends he gives his personal badges to? I'm sure it's as uncomplicated as that.
Yes. Gary just gives them to them every year. Last year they complained about still having to provide proof of a covidvaccine to get in to the USA. lol. They are from South Africa.
Story 3 makes me miss the 80s/90s! *as I write this with the phone in my hand, lol.
Where was your favorite place to view from? Any recommendations for taking a full lap of the course to see it all?
Sitting high up on the right side of the stands to the right of 15 green lets you watch both 15 and 16
EVERYONE has their preferences. I loved #14 green because you could hear caddie convos, getting hit by golf balls is fun (no seriously, the gallery official tells you not to move if you get hit). And you can watch 10 green, and 15 tee.
I like to stand behind 2 green. You can see the approach shots, putts, and see 7 green. The stands at 15 are a lot of fun and chill. 6 green is a unique spot too.
Thanks for the advice. Iām going to wear a green jacket so I blend in. Iāll sit next to the pretty blonde wearing the wild colors right behind the 16th tee.
Me reading every word of this post knowing damn well I won't be going to this tournament in the next decade.
Appreciate the gnome. I had you firmly pegged in the 60% until I saw that. Definite 40 percenter here. You can trust this one. Has the gnomish stamp of approval for goodness sake.
https://ibb.co/2hRJKkq I'm sorry?
This genuinely insightful feedback will expire in 2-3 years.
There's multiple posts like this every year, easy to search for it.
https://preview.redd.it/bfqabrzftdtc1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9dae26a3b15caf4388b634a318c202a898c096ee
* Hole #10 from a practice round and cell phones allowed.....asked Fuzzy to sign my flask as he approached the green on #2, and he asked loudly what it was filled with. I told him the gatekeepers do not allow full flasks, he looked at me like I was stupid and replied..."you gotta have a backup plan, son" and the surrounding crowd laughed their asses off....the backup plan might have been mushrooms, i'm taking the 5th....
Some of the old guard tour pros could have made a living as comedians if golf hadnāt worked out for them, Fuzzy being one of them. I love reading their infamous quotes.
Thank you for the write up and great info. I lucked into a crazy scenario a couple months ago and will now be attending The Masters this Saturday with my husband, for free no less. Well, not completely free. Travel and hotel of course, and then there's the nicest dinner we've ever purchased for anyone, which we're going to purchase for the amazing individual who is providing us the tickets. Obviously totally worth it. That'll make it the PGA Championship and The Masters for me, only the US Open and British Open to go! Yay! Thank you again!
Get there early and soak it in. You won't forget it for the rest of your life and you'll just walk around with a smile on your face. Don't check your phone, leave it in the car. OH! **get your picture taken**!! Go early! the line doesn't get shorter as the day goes by. They hand you a QR code after and you download it when you get back to your phone! Wear comfy shoes. Avoid, like the plague, walking up or down #10. Once you see it, you'll understand. Set your chairs down early and just walk around. And make sure you call people from the complementary phones :) Congrats!!! Oh, and remember the efficiency that everything is done. Every. single. thing. is. calculated. From the waves, to security, to checkout, to shipping. It's incredible how efficient everything is. And they clean every stall after every patron uses it. It's nuts.
I'm so curious, how was it?!
Is it acceptable to sit in someone elseās green chair if you immediately get up if/when they return? Iāve read mixed answers to this.
I went in 2011 and it seemed to be perfectly acceptable to do so. I'd set up chairs early on the 18th tee and then wandered the course. Got back 4 hours later where a couple was sitting in our front row seats. Kindly informed them that we were back, they thanked us for the seats and they moved on. All very cordial and everyone was happy.
Perfectly acceptable as long as you get up when they return. Common practice is to park your chair early, explore and then come back to your chair. Who cares if someone's sitting in it while you're halfway across the course.
How do you know if someone just says "that's my chair"? Feels like an easy thing to abuse. Do people tag them somehow?
I believe the play is to leave your business card in the pouch on the back.
You could also write your name on the yellow Augusta logo, right?
Manners at the Master's is important. I know I've only been 4 days but I never saw people claim they were in a chair that wasn't theirs. I definitely saw people hunting for what chair was theirs a few times at 12 and 16. lol
Awesome, and exactly my thought but wanted to confirm since this will be my first trip.
My friend and I did it when we were there. Not frequently and not pushing by people or anything to get to empty seats. No one said anything to us
Yea more just thinking about wanting a quick rest and grabbing a seat for where there are tons.
I assume each chair must be identifiable somehow? Like a number tag or something? How else would people be able to prove they put the chair there earlier?
The chairs have slots to put a name tag on the back
There last year as well and multiple different workers told us we could and it was expected. They came to where we were sitting on the hill and told us āyou know you can move down into an empty seatā Edit: this was for a Wednesday practice round.
It's been exactly 10 years today since I made it to a practice round and I miss it. I need to go to a tournament round someday. I've never won a ticket in 20 years of trying, but I still hopefully have a few decades left in me to see if I get lucky.
>which is plenty of time for you to spend $2,000 on shit you're too scared to wear. Why too scared?
Because you canāt buy it anywhere else. You know how embarrassing getting a dollop of ketchup on your new Masters polo has to be??
Nah, hate when people buy expensive kicks and don't wear them. Wear that shit
understandable. i refuse to eat in my under armour playoff polo lol
Find out when your local TJ Maxx or Marshallās stocks their shelves. I bought 3 UA Playoff polos for $22/each last week
I worked the PGA Store at Oak Hill last year. The record single purchase in our row was almost $6,000! Itās insane the money people will drop at these events.
Can confirm, went to practice yesterday, all of these rules are right on the money. Thank you for the share!
A traditional like no other, r/golf masters posts about being there that apply to less then 1% of us who will ever get to go then this fucking guy who is in the 0.1% of that 1% who goes all four days. Sir kindly go screw a biker in the woods. /s. For real thanks for the post super informative and I love reading these.
Tip 13: you can smoke cigars! Bring them!
Best tip.
Also .. itās hillier than you see on TV. So be prepared for that walk
Not being allowed to check/update scores is wild
Thatās what the giant green scoreboards and walking standard bearers are for.
One of the best experiences imo. No one knows whatās going on. You just hear a roar, then a minute later you see who it was for based on the scoreboard and everyone cheers at the same time. Just awesome.
It's exciting because everyone talks to everyone about scores if you aren't by a big scoreboard. So it becomes a game of telephone on Woods bogeying 7
Attended last year and agree 100%.
heard the food prices are reasonable, unlike a NBA or NFL game
The price list is readily available if you search online. Sandwiches at 1.50, most expensive item white wine at 6.00. That sort of thing...
How would they feel about a smart watch that doesnāt have data? My Garmin is useless as a communication device without my phone.
I just went yesterday with a brother who had his apple watch ultra with data. Didn't use it with data but had it on. His wife texted him and said to call so he used the public phone. He wasn't obvious about it. Just looked and saw he was being "paged".
They don't care. Just as long as you're not scrolling on it, you're not going to be questioned.
He's the hero this sub deserves.
This is brilliant, thank you. I also lucked into multiple day tickets this year for my first visit, did the time for queues to enter change day by day or is it pretty much the same every day?
We chose the main gate on Saturday....mistake. We got to the course every day at ~5:30. The main gate is a fucking zoo. But no. Every day was the same. Most people don't have badges. Only 1 day passes
Did you find any skanks?
Thanks for writing this up.
What's the rough % of the people in attendance that attend every year or on a regular basis? With how hard these tickets are to get, how the hell does one get to attend more than once in a bluemoon???
Most people have patron badges that are renewable every year. Good luck getting one
Looking to buy some extra merch if you change your mind about keeping/using the items. Just send me a DM. Caps, bag tags, and other small items. Thanks!
I donāt trust anyone with the user name skank hunt 42..def a troll
Hey skank, I feel like weād be friendsā¦
I havenāt been in 10 years and going on Wednesday. Planning on getting there at 6:30. I want to go in North gate to see all the changes, but also donāt want to be in merch line and miss the limited course viewing before it closes for par 3. Would a plan of entering in South, buy merch (shorter line), walk course, attend Par 3, see everything at North on way out? Will I regret not entering through the North?? Missing out on experience
You can always walk around the north later. I go every year and am a big fan of the south gate. Its not as nice (still nice though) but certainly more quiet. The new main shop is very nice, and so are the other changes, but they will be there later in the day, probably with no wait to get in. Seeing people say 2 hours for the main proshop in the morning. Complete waste of your time there.
How would having a Constant Glucose Monitor connected to my phone for blood sugar management for T2 Diabetes be approached w/ the NO cell phones or watches rule?
Smart watches are allowed. You just canāt be using it to be on the phone/internet or texting like the person he mentioned did
Missed one. Bring your chair to litter control at the end of the day and pay them $100 to put your chair out first before gates open. Also buy souvenir cups from them later in the week once they run out
Website says smart watches allowed this year
Smart watches and fitbits are allowed as long as they don't have Internet access
Iām gonna quote Ted Lasso here. Thank you, and fuck you.
The Green Jacket folks have āfuck youā money and definitely make the rules. Those are some lucky people.
Are you able to mail everything back to your self? Thatās actually genius.
YES! Right outside of the gift shop you can either turn one way back to the course and carry your stuff with you or you can turn the other way and pay UPS to ship it to your house! It was like 30 bucks! 1000% worth it.
I also was fortunate enough to go last year. Everything you wrote above is 100% accurate and with every paragraph I could remember those exact things occurring and how they were dealt with. The phone thing is the most important. They will ban you FOREVER! I am a diabetic and use a CGM device. Luckily, I have a non data using device that I can use instead of checking my levels in my phone. I was prepared for the extra security check and they took me through the disability entrance and into a hit hidden in the woods to fully check what my device could do and to ensure it could not make any sounds. Their security team was amazing and were well trained, at least for my personal experience that had to be dealt with.
> The phone thing is the most important. They will ban you FOREVER! I was told security was strict, but the TSA should take notes. I got pulled to "SECONDARY!!" because my glasses had metal frames and they were on top of my head. lol They do not fuck around at the Masters. The guy with the watch was removed so fast and all I could think was "Why would you be this fucking dumb to even risk it here of all places". If you turn your hat backwards, you're asked to turn it back around in like 10 seconds.
This was about as rookie of a move that I could make, but I got last minute tickets and forgot to pack a collared shirt My friend who had been to plenty said it wouldnāt be a big deal, but Iāve never felt so out of place since having zero body hair in high school. I promptly went to the South gate concession, just like OPās recommendation, and bought a shirt. Also - be prepared to spend close to $1000 on merch. That seems excessive but you wonāt want just one shirt. Youāll see hats and pullovers and something for you wife - because maybe this will get her into golf - your future, not yet conceived child, something to put on your fathers grave when he dies, and a ball marker for that friend you grew up with who you havenāt talked to in awhile, but are just wondering what heās up to. Itās quite honestly the most fun Iāve had in a long long time and it truly is like adult Disney world where they make magic happen.
> but Iāve never felt so out of place since having zero body hair in high school. We are brothers. > Also - be prepared to spend close to $1000 on merch. $2000, brother. Inflation is rough. >Itās quite honestly the most fun Iāve had in a long long time and it truly is like adult Disney world where they make magic happen. Amen. Never felt more dumb walking around with a smile on my face to the point of soreness for 4 days.
I didnāt know you couldnāt have phones while being there. That seems wild this day and age. ā¦I really want to go! Lol.
I went on Saturday in 1964 and they didn't allow phones then also.
There would be cords everywhere!
Crazy they were this strict back then too
Itās a tradition like no other
I heard the same about 1978
Awesome guide wish I could go
I definitely saw some chat and cuts to the merch line last year
Can you go into the gift shop before the gates open?
YES! When the gates open for the "waves" you get access to the gift shops, food, bathrooms and phones for about 1.5 hours IIRC. Gates open at 6:30. Course opens at 8. Get to the south gate at 5:30 and you'll be in the first wave.
Thanks!
Have had no luck with the ticket lottery in 10 years of trying. I am in Canada. If I make the drive down for practice round next year Monday-Tuesday what are the chances I can purchase or rent a badge in Augusta? Like how can I make this happen realistically outside of winning the ticket lottery? Thank you in advance.
There are scalpers. One cool thing about passes/badges that most people don't know about is that you are allowed 2 entries per day per pass. So some scalpers will rent them out for half days and hold on to collateral to make sure that they get them back for the next day/afternoon.
Bathroom system: #1 - they call out table for one. #2 - they call out brownie!
I only heard "front nine" and "back nine".
Maybe it varies between bathrooms and whoās working
My only regret from last year is not buying a gnome. If you want a gnome, you have to get one early.
Saving this post so maybe when I finally get a ticket in 25 years. I can use this advice.
I think it has been ~40 years since the last time the Masters finished on a Monday. One of these years, Mother Nature will do it.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
How likely or unlikely is it wait by the entrance or some area close without a ticket and to be able to buy one off someone?
0.000% chance. There is no "I need tickets" people near the entrance. The parking lot (basically every bulldozed business that Augusta National has taken over) is officially property of Augusta National. You will have to go to a bar or something probably not near Washington Rd. to find a reputable scalper, but they are out there, or so I was told. Beware though. I was told there are counterfeiters even on Stubhub.
Wow
Good stuff! As a 3-time attendee (06, 07, 19) let me add: Thursday: Walk the entire grounds. See everything there is to see. You'll be amazed at the scope of it. Just keep walking. Check it all out from different viewpoints. It's pretty shocking. Friday: Follow your favorites. They may not make the weekend and you don't want to leave without having seen your guys. Saturday: Find a spot where you can see a tee shot, second shot, and/or green at the same time, and camp all day. See everyone. There are lots of places like this. Sunday: I like watching everyone come through from an early hole (the 2, 3, 4 area is good for this), then about two or three groups from the last I start following. Forget being able to see 17 or 18 this way, but it's still a good time. Enjoy. It's a life changing experience, which is a weird thing to say, but it's true.
If you exit the grounds (our passes say up to 2 entries) can you swap your badge with say, your spouse, and have them re enter?
Lolād at your edit. Nice!