The Ultimate Masters Tournament Tip Sheet
The Masters is an unbelievable experience. I’ve been blessed to experience it a few times. Here is a list of tips to help you get the most out of yours
Getting to Augusta, GA
Columbia, SC (CAE), 1 hr 15 min drive
Atlanta, GA (ATL), 2 hr 15 min drive
Savannah, GA (SAV), 2 hr 30 min drive
Where to stay
Book a house or hotel within 5 miles of Augusta National (AN), if possible
Getting to Augusta National
Arrive between 7:30–7:45 AM (gates open at 8 AM)
To avoid traffic, go the back way (stay off WA Road). Approach AN on Berckman’s Road from the South
You can approach AN from the North on Alexander Dr., which turns into Berckman’s Road when it crosses WA Road
Park in lots C or D, nearest South Gate
No phones are allowed so leave your phone in the car!!
For emergencies, there are a few banks of wired phones to make free calls
Entering Augusta National
Line up and enter at the South Gate (“chair out of the bag, please”)
Pick up a spectator guide and pairing sheet as you walk in
Careful if it’s wet from dew or rain. The hills get slippery (we saw more than 1 patron with a muddy backside from hitting the deck)
Placing your Masters chair
Place your chair on a hole you’d like to watch later
This is the best way to have “reserved” seats when you’re tired of walking and standing
No one will mess with your chair
We place ours on the hill to the left of the pond on hole 16. We see the approach shots on hole 15 and the drives and putts on 16
Try to anticipate if a player will hit an errant shot into the area where your chair is; if this happens and you’re not there to remove/replace your chairs, your chairs will get moved out to allow the player’s next shot and won’t be put back where you left them
If you don’t have a chair, buy one ($30) in the shop
Write your name on your chair to find it later
Remember where you put your chain because when you return to them later in the day, there will be hundreds of the same chair all around them!
After placing your chair
Head for the first tee/putting green
If you can make it in time, try to see the honorary starters tee-off on Thursday
As you walk along, stop, look around and take it all in. As you cross fairways, stop and imagine hitting the approach shots. Check out the “perfection” of the fairways
Make a plan if you get separated
Since you won’t be able to text each other, make a plan to meet up at certain places at certain times if anything happens
Our “go to” is the Master’s records monument behind the 17 green stands. So you might say, “if we’re separated, meet at the 17 monument at 11 AM, then 1 PM, and 3 PM”
Things to do
Your complementary Master’s photo
Get your complementary Master’s photo in front of the clubhouse/at the end of Magnolia Drive
Expect a line of 30+ mins
Walk East between the clubhouse and first tee putting green, between Butler cabin and Ike’s cabin towards the Par 3 course, turn left/North and then walk East
You’ll see some of the Par 3 course holes as you walk which are cool
Go to the main shop
The line will be long, but it moves pretty quick
They will sell out of stuff so if you see something you want, get it as soon as you can
Inside it’s an absolute zoo. Have a list of folks you’re buying for and be ready. Things happen fast in there
When you walk out of the shop, think about shipping your stuff from the shipping location
There may be a line. It’s an amazingly efficient process and it goes pretty fast
We had great experience shipping t-shirts, mugs, and socks
Check out the driving range
Take a seat or stand at the rail (where the sun will hit you if it’s cold)
Tend towards the left end of the range (nearest the putting green). That is where the majority of players hit balls. On the other end, you can be person who says good morning to them/their caddies as they come out of their locker room, if you want
Probably the coolest range you’ll ever see
You can also watch them putt and practice their short games (and keep an eye on the shop line while doing it if you haven’t hit the shop yet)
The putting green next to hole 1 is one of my favorite spots to be. It is not usually crowded so you can watch every player practice with complete focus before they tee off
Eat all the food
As everyone has heard, all the concessions are very inexpensive and tasty
Over the course of your day(s), try all the sandwiches!
The breakfast sandwich is the best breakfast item, in my opinion
A pimento cheese sandwich is obligatory (so you can say you’ve had one) and is only $1.50
The BBQ sandwich was my favorite sandwich
The chicken club and egg salad were solid
The ham and cheese on rye was surprisingly tasty
The chicken biscuit and chicken sandwich were both dry so put some jam on the biscuit and mustard or hot sauce on the sandwich
The chocolate-covered caramel pecan cluster was my favorite item overall
Drink all the beverages (beers!)
The drinks are cheap and come in plastic souvenir cups (besides the coffee)
Start your “stack” of cups early and return with as many as you’re willing to carry
Try to get cups with the year (“Masters 2022”) on them. The “dated” cups will help you remember when you were there (if you’re trying to build your stack drinking beers, your memories may be a little fuzzy and the dated cups will help!)
Watching golf
If physically able, every first-timer should walk the ENTIRE course, first tee to 18 green. It’s amazingly beautiful and “a lot hillier than on TV”
As you walk around, be looking at stands and viewing areas for future reference
Try to think in terms of where/which holes you would most like to watch
Look at the Spectator Guides for Bobby Jones’ recommended multiple shot/holes viewing areas
Our favorite holes have been:
2 green (for the approach shots down the hill) and 8 tee shot
6 green (check out the pin placement on Sunday)
8 green (5 par reachable in 2)
11 green and 12 tee (in the stands, preferably right behind 12 tee, but good standing areas as well)
13 green and 14 tee
15 green and16 (where we put our chairs)
Stands at 17 green
18 green, which can get pretty crowded
General advice
Get to AN early in the AM because it’s beautiful
The late afternoon/early evening is one of my favorite times to be there
Lots of patrons get worn out and leave mid-afternoon. So, the late afternoon/early evenings are less crowded and make watching easier
If there’s a thunderstorm/lightning warning and you’re asked to leave AN, drag your feet
Be one of the last patrons off the property because they’ll often reopen the course/start golf again and, when they do, you’ll have the run of the place
Some of the best times to watch the action are after rain/lightning delays
I think it gets more and more crowded each year (despite what AN says otherwise). So, the sooner you go, the better. By the way, even with the ever-growing crowd, it’s still amazing!!!
After the tournament
Stop and reflect on how great it was. It’s really the best ticket in sports, I think. Then, get busy figuring out how you’ll get back because you now have the “itch” (I promise; I’ve always said, if someone offers a ticket for even a half-day, I’d do it in a heartbeat (and that’s after having been to the tourney a few times). It’s always worth it!
Shared from Twos ✌️
