Imagine that the world’s wealthiest and most powerful person invited you over to his house to watch the greatest game you’d ever seen.
That’s what going to the Masters Tournament feels like, only it’s 300 of the world’s wealthiest and most powerful people, and they’ve invited 40,000 guests. (And it costs you a lot of money to go.)
The Masters is a golf tournament that has been played at one of the most exclusive clubs in the world—Augusta National—since 1934. Founded by Bobby Jones and Cliff Roberts, the club counts titans of industry, such as Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, among its members. The membership list is secret, and the club won’t be swayed by money alone—or public opinion: Women weren’t invited to join until 2012.
The tournament, on the other hand, is still only for men. The Masters is one of the four "majors" on the PGA tour, and it’s the smallest, with fewer than 100 of the most elite male players in the world asked to play. A badge to attend the Thursday through Sunday competition as a spectator costs $325, assuming you’re on the decades-old "patrons" list. If you’re not, you’ll have to go to a secondary market, such as StubHub, with the rest of us and cough up $5,000 to $15,000 to see all four days of play.
I didn’t used to be much of a fan of golf, but going to the Masters last year changed my perspective on golf completely. In fact, I’ve been privileged enough to attend many of the world’s major sporting events, including the Super Bowl, the US Open, Formula One, and MotoGP, and I like the Masters the best. Here are nine reasons why:
1. The Green Jackets
Members of Augusta originally started sporting green blazers so that it would be easier for the patrons to spot them and ask questions. It’s a big course, and a lot is going at the tournament—and members of Augusta, the most important people in American business, are required to work the lines! That means they interact with the golfers and guests, and you can go right up and talk to them.
Sometimes that’s even cooler than meeting the pros. Last year I met Lynn Swann. The Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver, who played in four Super Bowls and was the MVP of Super Bowl X, was a hero of my childhood. He showed me where the amateurs sleep in the clubhouse; it’s called “the Crow’s Nest,” because it’s nestled high atop the spectacular but not-over-the-top clubhouse, overlooking the first tee.
2. The History
Augusta’s storied history, along with that of Bobby Jones (the most successful amateur golfer of all time) is told in the Hollywood production Stroke of Genius. It only got 26 percent on Rotten Tomatoes but those critics are idiots—the movie is awesome.
There are some unflattering elements to Augusta’s past, mostly tied to elitist scandals, but at the tournament it’s easier to focus on the fun. The course used to be President Dwight Eisenhower’s favorite, and the club still houses some of his wine in the famous cellar there. Until 2014 a giant pine stood near the 17th hole, which Eisenhower himself had asked to be taken down because it interfered with his game. The club refused, and “The Eisenhower Tree” became one of the most famous landmarks in the sport. A storm felled the tree two years ago, and now the club showcases a huge table made from a crosscut of its wood.
3. The Golf Course
Bobby Jones put his famous course on a former nursery, so the flora are amazing. If an early spring sets in, the groundskeepers put ice under the azaleas to slow down their blossoming so that everything comes out in full color for the tournament.