With less than a week until the 2025 Masters, it’s officially time to get excited.
I can smell the azaleas from here.
If you are attending the tournament, I hope you have a blast. Few things in life fully live up to the hype but the Masters does.
We have a ton of patron-focused resources here for you. Perhaps you want to check out our “perfect one-day itinerary for first-time Masters patrons” story that was published a year ago or peruse a ranking of the top food items the Masters offers at its famously affordable concessions.
Search for “Masters” on this site and you will find an array of coverage that will ramp up next week.
This story here is a straightforward list of the 16 things every Masters patron should experience.
If you are looking at putting your day together—whether it’s next week or years from now—here are the experiences you simply have to have in your limited time at Augusta National.
1. See Amen Corner in peace (and then pandemonium)
Sean Fairholm, author of this story, visits Amen Corner. You had to know this one was going to top the list.
Amen Corner—the area around the 11th green, 12th hole and 13th tee—is perhaps the most hallowed ground in the entire game.
In my aforementioned itinerary, I recommend patrons enjoy Amen Corner in relative solitude (early in the morning when foot traffic is lighter) and at its busiest (mid-afternoon or when the leaders arrive) to get the full picture of why it’s so special.
It’s like going into an historic chapel—a quiet one has its gravitas and so does a packed one.
In terms of viewing experiences in golf, nothing is more spiritual.
You can try to get a good seat near the rope line, stand among the masses or opt for the grandstand—all are fine options although I personally wouldn’t put a chair in the eighth or ninth row. You aren’t getting much benefit at that point so the chair is best used elsewhere.
2. Take a picture at Founders Circle
One of the cool parts of attending the Masters is that you are allowed to take a photo in front of the clubhouse on Magnolia Lane, the most famous course entrance in golf.
It’s a free photo taken by a Masters employee and you receive a card with a QR code so you can access it later (because, of course, no phones are allowed).
No personal photos are permitted here but that’s not much of a problem given the quality of photo you are getting from the Masters.
And it goes without saying that you should 100 percent bring a camera (if attending during practice rounds) and take as many photos as possible elsewhere on property.
3. Spend too much money in the merch village
Look, a lot of Masters patrons only attend the tournament once.
You’re allowed to splurge a little bit. Would you rather regret not buying that pullover or would you rather regret having a Masters pullover?
It’s the latter every time.
If you are a better person than I am and have the restraint to not buy anything, I still recommend taking a stroll through the merch village near the north gate (the larger of the two stores).
That is one highly impressive operation. The exact amount of money the Masters makes on merchandise is unknown but it’s reported to be in excess of $1 million per hour.
4. Try as many concession items as possible
Masters concessions are a staple of the tournament.
It’s not just a necessity to eat there—you’re going to want to come hungry.
This is also an “airport rules” situation where it’s socially acceptable to eat or drink whatever you want at any time of day.
My top items include the peach ice cream sandwich, a true gift from the gods, and the egg salad sandwich. However, I would go crazy and buy everything possible including the new-for-2025 tomato pie.
If you bought one of everything, it would be about $70. Yes, that’s all!
5. Watch players skip balls across the water on the 16th hole
One of the great Masters traditions is during practice rounds when players arrive at the 16th hole.
After players hit their tee shots, patrons will start encouraging the players to “skip”—that means to throw a ball down in front of the pond and send a punch shot skipping across to the other side.
Sitting up on the hill left of the pond or anywhere around that area is an absolute must.
If you are coming during tournament rounds, I would amend this one to say “spend an hour or two around the 16th hole”—it is just a magical section of the course.
6. Walk from the 10th tee to the 10th green
The most unexpectedly stunning walk at Augusta National is from the 10th tee to the 10th green.
The elevation change is staggering. No amount of mental preparation can ready you for that walk.
What a gorgeous golf hole. Everything about it. It’s such an underrated piece of the property.
On this walk, you will pass the spot where Bubba Watson hit his iconic shot from the trees on his way to winning the 2012 Masters. There is a tree there now.
The green is surrounded by towering pines. It’s the definition of “peaceful.”
7. Stand around the big oak tree near the clubhouse
By far the most famous golf course tree that doesn’t come into play, the big oak on the backside of the ANGC clubhouse is the meeting spot for players, caddies, agents, media and anyone you can name in the golf world.
While most patrons don’t have access to stand directly under it, they can stand along the rope line and chill for 20 minutes, just people watching.
You are going to have to trust me on this one. It’s such a cool spot.
8. Make a phone call to a loved one from the phone bank
A washed-up former NAIA college golfer uses the Masters courtesy phone.Most of us haven’t used a phone with a cord since … well, since those of us who have never used one were born.
You have to make an exception just this once. Head over to a phone bank (there is one at the north gate course entrance and one behind 16 tee near the south gate course entrance) and make a call to someone who will appreciate seeing “Augusta National Golf Club” popping up on their caller ID.
And, you know, fill them in on how your day is going. (Correct answer: “It’s going well.”)
9. Sit on the 6th hole hill and have players “hit over your head”
This is a small one but a good one.
Once you are finished with the 16th hole, make the short walk to the hill on the sixth hole where you sit down and look at the green.
The players tee off from behind you—but the hole is downhill so the ball will be flying over you without knowing when a tee shot has been hit (other than the sound of the strike).
It’s a cool feature and something you rarely see in professional golf.
10. Take long walks around the 5th and 14th greens
On your list of holes you want to see, I’m assuming Nos. 5 and 14 are pretty low on that list.
That is fair. However, while you don’t have to tour the length of both holes, I highly recommend stopping at these two greens so you can walk around them and get an appreciation for their false fronts and the severity of the slope.
You could bury a few elephants in both of these greens. For my money, they are the two most dramatic green complexes on the course.
11. Spend some time around the practice area
We’re talkin’ bout practice. Not the course. Not the course I love. We’re talkin’ bout practice.While certainly not on the same level as seeing the course, the practice area is world-class and incredible.
For those entering through the north gate, the practice area is your introduction to the greenest grass you’ve ever seen.
One good option is to eat lunch in the practice range grandstands watching the best players in the world launch shots on repeat. It gives you time to momentarily rest during a rigorous day of walking.
12. Stand on the rope line corner near the 13th green
Arguably a top-five photo opportunity on property, I think every patron should get up on the rope line, as close as patrons can get, near the 13th green.
This is possibly the most famous par-5 in the world. The azaleas pop and the sand is blindingly white. The scale of the property strangely comes into focus in the cozy corner.
You can spend a lot of time here and you would be justified to do so.
13. Check out the par-3 course
This one won’t be for tournament rounds but I encourage everyone to walk around the par-3 course.
For those attending on Wednesday, it’s a tradition to put a chair down somewhere sweet and watch the legends come through.
While the Par 3 Contest isn’t my favorite (overrated unless you have kids), it’s still worth seeing. Wednesday patrons will want to experience the energy of being in a Masters gallery and you will find that here.
14. Have an impromptu picnic in relative solitude at the 18th green
One of my annual traditions is getting a pimento cheese sandwich and a sweet tea—two things I never have except at the Masters—and sitting at the 18th green before any players arrive.
I just like the thought of imagining all the moments that have occurred on that green in the 90 years since the Masters began.
Grab your favorite concession item and sit in a chair around the green. The less that is spoken for a few minutes, the better.
15. But also go up to the 18th tee to see how narrow it is
Players have to walk single-file up the 18th hole. Opinions differ on this one.
Half the people I talk to say the 18th hole is wider in person than they thought it would be; the other half have golf nightmares for the next month after seeing it.
My opinion is that is that it’s narrow. Maybe not for the pros but certainly for me.
There is only one way to form your own opinion. Head all the way back and watch someone hit a tee shot.
16. Have a random conversation with a stranger
Masters patrons are some of the most civilized people on the planet.
Everyone is ecstatic to be there. And there are no phones so everyone is living in the moment.
You would have a hard time going a full day without finding yourself in a conversation with a stranger but I think part of the Masters magic is seeking it out.
My move is to walk up next to someone and go, “This is pretty damn cool.”
The simple act of being amazed is a conversation starter at the Masters. And you meet the nicest people by doing that.
So those are 16 things I think everyone should experience as a patron. What did I miss? And what would be on your list?
Let me know in the comments below.
Top Photo Caption: Patrons cheer on Tiger Woods during the 2019 Masters. (GETTY IMAGES/Andrew Redington)
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