How To Host The World’s Best Masters Watch Party: Decoration Ideas, Recipes And More

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A drowsy, dreamy influence seems to hang over the land, and to pervade the very atmosphere. Washington Irving, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”

American author Washington Irving (1783-1859)

To me, it seems only fitting that, right around Masters season, we celebrate the birthday of American author Washington Irving. I can’t think of Augusta National without thinking of Irving. Due to the lasting popularity and significance of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, many people rightly associate Irving with Halloween and the Headless Horseman. However, his legacy and influence expand far beyond the sequestered glen of Sleepy Hollow and is crucial to understanding the American experience. Due to his distinctive style and voice, Irving helped break from European literary tradition and established a unique American writing style, and as a result, is widely considered “The Father of American Literature.”

That’s exactly why I see so much of Washington Irving in the Masters. When we look at it from a historic and cultural point of view, it’s clear the Masters did exactly what Washington Irving did: it took inspiration from one of the most respected European traditions but, through its own voice and lens, created something unique and uniquely American.

Washington Irving and the Masters transcend time and borders for a reason: their fervent embrace of tradition. Although Irving became a distinctly American writer, he still employed various tenets of British literature. Similarly, if you really think about it, many of the traditions and visual signifiers of the Masters very closely resemble a traditional English garden party. Although I’ve yet to make it to Augusta (I dream I will some day), it holds a dreamy influence over all whom it touches. There are few events I look forward to more than Masters week and my Masters Sunday party. If you want to capture the magic of Augusta at home, it starts with embracing tradition and innovating where you need to.

A great Masters party starts with great decorations

Although lavender isn’t a flower associated with Augusta National, for our party last year, my wife made a really fun centerpiece with golf balls and several lavender picks. If you want to host a great Masters party, get creative and think a little bit outside the box.

As I mentioned, in a lot of ways, the Masters strongly resembles a traditional English garden party. If you want to throw a great Masters party, lean into that. One of the defining decorations of a garden party is pennant banners. It should go without saying but make sure you pick ones that are green, yellow and white. Whether your party is indoors or outdoors, these go up easily and create a fun, vibrant and elegant atmosphere that celebrates the subtle English essence of Augusta National.

Also, if you have a surplus of golf balls, put them to use! Last year, my wife made a variety of faux floral arrangements in clear vases using golf balls as the base. This can be done with fresh or faux azaleas, tulips, lilacs, you name it. The flowers you choose don’t have to be Augusta-specific but if you want to go the more traditional route, stick with azaleas, firethorns and jasmine.

All parties need a statement decoration and anchor. Ours is a pretty big “Masters” flag at the entrance to our den. This is a great way of tying things together and approximating as genuine a tournament feeling as possible.

With that being said, like Augusta National itself, there is no detail too insignificant to ignore. So it’s in your best interest to make sure even something like napkins are considered. We like to go with yellow gingham napkins, which aren’t specific to Augusta but really keep with spirit of everything and makes the event feel special. Guests—er, patrons—like to feel taken care of. Making sure the smallest details matter creates an incredible atmosphere.

If you have a green golf bag or Masters-themed bag, show it off. You best believe that both my Ghost Golf Patrons Only Anyday Bag and Kolf Maison Paganica Golf Bag will be on display. This can also allow you to gameify things. If you have a practice putting mat/green and feel so inclined, you can let guests hit a few putts and/or have some low-stakes putting games planned.

Lastly, don’t feel like you need to spend too much money on decorations. You can make do with pretty ordinary items. Your biggest cost will likely be the flowers but you can buy faux flowers at any craft store for as little as $5 per stem. For everything else, here’s a checklist with general pricing.

The moment everyone’s waiting for: The menu

A proper Masters party has a proper menu and that means individually wrapping each and every sandwich and setting out picks or cards denoting which sandwich is which.

If you don’t feel like making a ton of sandwiches and you’d like keeping things simple, I recommend the following options. (Because they’re decently involved to make, please note that I’m not including the Georgia Peach Ice Cream Sandwich here but I highly recommend making them; they’re more than worth the effort.)

  • Pimento Cheese Sandwich
  • Egg Salad Sandwich
  • Masters Club
  • Plain and BBQ Kettle Chips
  • Soft Drinks
  • Cookies

Because we have a rather large party and because I love the Masters more than most, our menu is quite robust and if you’re the type looking for maximum effect, you will probably want to do the same. Our menu usually includes:

  • Pimento Cheese Sandwich
  • Egg Salad Sandwich
  • Masters Club
  • Pork Bar-B-Que
  • Plain and Kettle BBQ Chips
  • Soft Drinks – including Azalea Mocktail and Arnold Palmer
  • Georgia Peach Ice Cream Sandwich
  • Cookies
  • Azalea Cupcakes (Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes)

Again, you don’t need to spend a lot of money on food. One reason the sandwiches are so cheap at the Masters: they’re not that expensive to make. Most are made with the cheapest of white bread and use fairly ordinary and inexpensive ingredients. If you’re not the cooking type, don’t worry. I’ll be sharing my Masters recipes with you in just a moment.

But before we get there, one of the most important details of the entire party that must be tackled is individually bagging your sandwiches. That’s a big part of what makes eating at Augusta so magical. Each sandwich feels like unwrapping a tiny gift and if you want your party to feel just as magical, this detail is non-negotiable. Granted, all of the sandwiches at the Masters are sold in green bags and those are pretty much impossible to find. I’ve found that the next best substitute are Eco-Baggeez brown paper sandwich bags.

A guest prepares to finish the remnants of an egg salad sandwich and prepares to eat a pimento cheese sandwich. Pictured in the top left is a serving of select kettle BBQ chips.

This is actually a great segue to cover what some may consider a controversial topic: there are certain things you can do better at home than at the Masters and the Pork Bar-B-Cue sandwich is a perfect example. In his definitive rankings of Masters food items, fellow MyGolfSpy writer and Masters veteran, Sean Fairholm, notably didn’t even rank the Pork Bar-B-Cue because, well, it’s not that good.

"It is a decent enough sandwich if you just want a quick bite, but it is a very poor substitute for a legitimate BBQ sandwich you can find many other places throughout the South. Mediocre BBQ is insulting to me. You either get good BBQ or eat something else. In the case of the Masters Club, egg salad, peach ice cream sandwich and other food options there, their non-Masters substitutes aren't necessarily better. They hold up on their own, especially for the price. So why eat a mediocre BBQ sandwich?" -Sean Fairholm

It takes a good deal of time to individually bag each sandwich and since I make hot sandwiches like the Pork Bar-B-Cue, I make my life easier by warming up my pork in a crock pot and letting guests choose their own brioche bun and serve themselves. On top of that, I keep things really easy and serve Jack Daniel’s Pulled Pork from Sam’s Club. You’d never know this is storebought because it’s absolutely delicious. Pork Bar-B-Cue is messy and meant to be served hot. Make everyone’s life easier here.

Speaking of that …

Making your life easier (If you want)

If all of this is sounding pretty involved, don’t fret. There are certain substitutions you can take to make your life easier. Admittedly, they’re not as “authentic” but they’re still delicious and none of your guests will begrudge you.

Now, I will say that these are the only substitutes that I recommend. When it comes to the pimento, egg salad and club sandwiches, you’re best off making your own and if you want the peach ice cream sandwich, your only option is to make it yourself.

Recipes

Classic Pimento Cheese Sandwich

(Makes 6-8 sandwiches)

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup of shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 4 ounces of cream cheese
  • 1/2 cup of mayonnaise
  • 1 jar of pimento peppers
  • 2-3 tbsp of minced onion
  • 1/4 tsp of garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • White Bread (preferably Wonder Bread)

Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Mix together until smooth. Spread on white bread.

This is an extremely simple and delicious recipe. Feel free to add more or less onion depending on your taste. I always add much more.

Classic Egg Salad Sandwich

(Makes 9-10 sandwiches)

Ingredients

  • 12 large eggs
  • About 1 cup of mayonnaise (to taste)
  • 1/4 teaspoon of paprika (to taste)
  • 1/2 cup of minced onion
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Yellow mustard or a splash of white vinegar (optional)
  • White bread

The most crucial and overlooked detail is how you boil your eggs. I prefer the Jacques Pépin method where you actually make a small puncture at the bottom of the eggshell, boil the eggs over lower heat and immediately place the eggs in an ice water bath. This keeps the yolks perfectly yellow and essentially eliminates any sulfuric taste and smell.

Boiling, Peeling and Slicing The Eggs: Puncture the eggs. I like using the Norpro Egg Slicer, Wedger, and Piercer Tool. However, if you don’t have one, you can also use a thumbtack. Bring pot of water to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to a low boil. Add eggs. Boil for 8-10 minutes. After eggs have finished cooking, immediately place the eggs in a large bowl of ice water. Let the eggs cool for 5-10 minutes. Next, peel the eggs. To peel your eggs, tap them on a hard surface, and then roll the egg. Peel and rinse the eggs under cold water to remove any remaining pieces of shell. Next, using the Norpro, place the egg in the slicing chamber and press down. Then, take the sliced egg and place in the wedging chamber and press down. Transfer broken down egg into a large bowl.

Assembling The Egg Salad: Add mayonnaise, onion, paprika, on top of the chopped eggs (if adding mustard or white vinegar, do so here, too). Using a large spoon or rubber spatula, mix together until well integrated. These sandwiches are meant to be a bit chunky, so don’t over mix. Add salt and pepper to taste. Spread on white bread.

While slightly more involved, this is another very simple and delicious recipe. Again, I really like onion in my egg salad sandwiches and will often add slightly more depending on taste. Feel free to add or subtract as needed.

Masters Club Sandwich

Ingredients

  • Sliced honey ham
  • Sliced oven roasted turkey
  • Sliced Swiss cheese (or white cheese of your choice)
  • Yellow mustard
  • Mayonnaise
  • Brioche buns

Spread mayonnaise on the top bun and mustard on the bottom bun. Place two slices of Swiss cheese on the bottom bun. Add one slice of folded ham, followed by one slice of folded turkey. Repeat with another slice of ham and another slice of turkey, stacking the meat neatly to build height. Top with the bun and serve.

Georgia Peach Ice Cream Sandwich

The Georgia Peach Ice Cream Sandwich is a genuine treat and will likely be the star of your entire Masters Party.

Cookie Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup of butter (softened to room temperature)
  • 3/4 cup of granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup of brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup of light corn syrup
  • 1 egg
  • 4 teaspoons of vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoons of almond extract
  • 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt

Ice Cream Ingredients

  • 1.5 quarts of Tillamook Peaches and Cream ice cream
  • 8 ounces of chopped frozen peaches (or more to taste)
  • 2–4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Making Your Cookies

  • Preheat oven to 375°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, egg, vanilla, and almond extract until smooth and well combined.
  • Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until fully incorporated.
  • Using a 1 1/2-inch cookie scoop, form the dough into evenly sized balls and place them about two inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
  • Bake for 10–12 minutes. The cookies should be set in the center but not browned.
  • Allow the cookies to cool completely, then pair them together by size for easy assembly.

Making The Ice Cream

  • Allow the ice cream to soften slightly at room temperature until spreadable.
  • Fold in the chopped frozen peaches and 2–4 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream until smooth and evenly combined.
  • Line a quarter sheet pan with parchment or wax paper. Spread the ice cream mixture evenly into the pan, smoothing the top with a spatula.
  • Freeze for at least 3 hours, or until firm.

Assembling The Ice Cream Sandwiches

  • Remove the ice cream from the freezer and let it sit for a few minutes to soften slightly.
  • Cut the ice cream into rounds that match the size of your cookies.
  • Place one round of ice cream onto the bottom of a cookie, then top with a second cookie to form a sandwich.
  • Repeat with remaining cookies and ice cream.
  • Individually bag each ice cream sandwich in Eco-Baggeez brown paper sandwich bags and place in freezer.

This recipe takes more effort than the others but the result justifies it. For a simpler version, skip the mixing step and use softened store-bought ice cream to assemble the sandwiches. While it won’t be quite as good as the more involved version, the result will still come remarkably close.

Azalea Mocktail

Ingredients

  • 4 oz. lemonade (fresh or high-quality store-bought)
  • 2 oz. pineapple juice
  • 1/2 oz. grenadine
  • 1–2 oz. cold sparkling water (or club soda)
  • Ice
  • Maraschino cherry or lemon wheel (optional)

Fill a glass with ice. Add the lemonade and pineapple juice. Stir gently to combine. Pour in the grenadine and allow it to settle slightly before giving a light stir. This gives the drink its signature pink hue. Top with sparkling water for a bit of lift and brightness. Garnish with a cherry or lemon wheel and serve immediately.

Closing thoughts

Throwing a great Masters party takes a great deal of work but it’s very worth it. The tournament means so much to so many of us and it will mean that much more to you and your guests when you celebrate it together the right way. More than anything, to me, the Masters means getting together with friends and family and making lasting memories. Like Jacques Pépin, I consider cooking and hosting to be an expression of love. And in its own way, so is the Masters.

It’s tradition, care, and attention to detail all working together to create something that is truly unlike anything else. If you get that right, everything else will take care of itself. Now go—throw a Masters party for the ages—just don’t throw a better one than me.

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