The Masters Tournament Is the Ne Plus Ultra of #IYKYK Luxury
Every year for a week in April, the small regional airport of Augusta, Georgia, turns into a giant parking lot for private jets, a scene to rival the one at the tiny Idaho airport each July when all the billionaires descend in their PJs for Sun Valley. The occasion of course is the Masters, crown jewel of the men's golf major championships.
While it may not exactly be the most expensive game to attend, the Masters, which wrapped up its 87th tournament over the weekend, is without a doubt the most tightly velvet roped. The meme-worthy spectacle of private planes stretching ad nauseum down the runway is just the tip of the iceberg, and but one of several tells signifying what kind of event this really is. Which makes sense considering where it all takes place: Augusta National Golf Club, as legendary for its azalea-laced beauty as for its extremely exclusive membership (which is by invitation only and counts Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, and Condoleezza Rice among its cadre).
If you're lucky enough to make it past the gates of ANGC for Masters week—the only way in is by securing tickets through a lottery system, having a lifetime season pass you got before they closed the wait list in 2000, or paying thousands of dollars on the secondary market—you're granted access to an institution where old school traditions and old money values still reign. Some are quite quaint: Spectators are called "patrons," the pimento cheese sandwiches are the same price they probably were back in the '70s ($1.50), and there is a very strictly enforced rule banning cell phones and cameras, which applies to members, too.
But get past one velvet rope, and you're met with more. At the Masters, every little thing, from the logo on your hat, to the drink in your cup, to the color of your badge, quietly telegraphs where you fall in the ANGC caste system. Take the iconic Augusta National logo: a yellow outline of the U.S. with a flag planted where the club would be. Outside ANGC, that symbol carries a lot of cachet. You made it in. It's the most coveted emblem in golf, maybe in all of sports. And great for business: the two main shops selling merch, which can't be found anywhere else in the world (except on Ebay), net $1 million in sales per hour during the tournament. Patrons proudly sport their hats and half-zips and stack up their branded plastic beer cups like emerald badges of honor.
While that yellow logo is nice for showing off to your friends back home, in here the real sartorial flex is the green version of it. It's the same insignia embroidered on the green jackets worn by members and given to winners. And it's stamped on merch that is sold in the shops that 99% of the Masters' 40,000 patrons will never see. One is located in a 90,000-square-foot invitation-only dining and retail destination tucked behind the 5th fairway known as Berckmans Place. Members and their guests have access to the highly secretive BP, along with those fortunate enough to be on a shortlist for the few invites doled out each year, reportedly for the price of $6,000.
The whole experience, too, varies depending on your level of access. Invitation still pending on that ANGC membership? The next best thing might come courtesy of Mercedes-Benz, which has sponsored the event since 2013. The automaker annually crafts a fabulous Masters itinerary for its top clients and dealers. This year there were test drives of new models—including the aerodynamic fleet of electric EQS vehicles—and a pop-up of Mercedes' famous AMG driving academy, where car enthusiasts could spend an afternoon racing around in roaring GTs and lightning fast EQS's on a makeshift track on the grounds of a police academy. There were lavish dinners every night, capped off with an impressive roster of entertainers, from Lionel Richie to the Brothers Osborne.
As for what brand loyalty buys at the Masters? While most everyone else has to enter ANGC through the gen pop entrances, the Mercedes guest can drive a Benz through members-only Gate 3 and cruise down the iconic Magnolia Lane. Inside awaits MB's hospitality cabin, discreetly tucked behind the 10th tee, where the burgers (topped with pimento cheese) are fantastic, the Azaleas (the unofficial cocktail of the Masters) are unlimited, and there is an exact replica of the 18th green out front to practice your short game. And speaking of the good liquor, ask for your Azalea (or a Silver Oak cab, or whatever premium refreshment you fancy) in a to-go cup to take with you to roam the course. Consider it another subtle flex—the concession stands only serve beer.
You Might Also Like
