This year, Tuesday at Augusta National was described by my colleague Josh Berhow as “The Happiest Place on Earth.”
The sun was shining, the azaleas were blooming (and flowing, in cocktail form) and an air of optimism ruled the day. For golf fans, there is truly nothing like being on-site at Augusta National during Masters week. The grounds? Impeccable. The concessions? Affordable! The merch? Outrageously tantalizing.
Get Masters-ready with Fairway Jockey’s Azalea Collection
Many of GOLF’s staffers have been attending the Masters annually for years. For others, the experience is still new. Below, check out a list of 14 items our writers and editors cited as their very favorite things to buy at Augusta National. Then, make sure you enter the annual ticket lottery to give yourself a chance to make these same purchases yourself!
The GOLF staff’s favorite things to buy at the Masters
Sean Zak: A fresh box of Claritin, annually, at the Walgreens on Washington Road, to defend against the dark arts of pollen. But actually, my favorite thing to buy is one two peach ice cream sandwiches at the concession stand at Amen Corner, mosey over into the sunny area right of the 13th green and watch approaches land for eagle opportunities.
Zephyr Melton: I’m a sucker for an Azalea. Nothing like sipping on the Masters’ signature cocktail while people watching the titans of industry who gather under the famed oak tree.
James Colgan: You actually have not lived until you’ve had a Crow’s Nest under the pines at Amen Corner late on Wednesday afternoon. The air is hot and humid, the beer is cool and frothy, and if you’ve done it well, your company isn’t in a rush. It’s basically the best place on earth for a happy hour hang, and it’s the best $5 I spend every year.
Dylan Dethier: The only merch I’ve ever bought myself is a little gnome, so that’s right up there. But I like picking up a beer on Wednesday afternoon and trekking the course, when most of our pre-tournament work is done and it’s time for a stroll. If you need gifts for buddies, just head to the “hat” section. There are about 300 styles of Masters hat. Buy a bouquet and figure out the gifting later. Makes for an epic “thought of you” opportunity.
Josh Berhow: You can’t leave without picking up a ball marker with the year on it, just as an easy keepsake, but the koozies and coasters are also cool (and inexpensive). Only a fool would pass on those. The coffee mugs are also great and come in a few different colors, but while you are at it you might as well grab a cozy sweatshirt to wear only a couple of times a year, because, if you are like me, you spill everything and will be afraid to stain it.
Alan Bastable: I’m cheating a bit here, because it’s actually free, but I’ve long been a sucker for the Masters’ old-school, fits-in-your-pocket Spectator Guide, which tells you everything you need to know about the tournament and course via words, numbers and pencil sketches, printed in black and green ink. The highlight is the Spectator Suggestions section, written by Bobby Jones in 1949, in which he details the five best spots on the course for taking in the action — “gallery centers,” in his parlance. Jones’ top recs: behind the 2nd and 7th greens; left of the 17th green; behind the 10th green; behind the 12th tee; and left of the 15th green.
