1st Time Masters Winner Looking for Tips

[ddetts]

I was lucky enough after many years of trying to have been selected in the lottery and now I have 2 tickets to Thursdays round. I have read at of threads about getting there early where to sit, park in the free parking lot, ship your merch home etc.. Just so happens that I am leaving that Saturday for my Honeymoon so my then wife will be coming with me. Looking for a few suggestion's. Buying merchandise is the first thing I am doing. I read somewhere a guy got there at 6:30am and was able to get into the shop around 7 before the gates opened for the course. So I will try and do his, my question is do both the North and South Merchandise areas open early or does one rather then the other? Also is one better then the other? I think there is a parking lot right by the South shop?? Trying to find out where to stay Wednesday night is also on my agenda. I was looking at Columbia, SC as it is about 1 hour drive.

 

I'll do the best I can to describe this, but I don't know how to post a Google maps screenshot, so it may be tough. If you pull up Augusta National in satellite view on Google Maps, you will see an entrance at the western corner of the property. There is a paved area that leads to a large building, which is the entrance gate. Immediately before that large building is a smaller building, which is a small merchandise area. It is not nearly as big as the main merchandise area, but still has a lot of stuff.

 

When I last attended a few years ago, you could go into that small merchandise area without going through the entrance gate. We got there early, bought a bunch of stuff and just walked it back to the car and through it in the trunk.

 

I hope what I am describing makes sense.

 

Yes, it does, I remember seeing that. Except this particular merchandise area I believe only has a small selection of shirts and hats, maybe a few other trinkets as well.

 

But since you've been there (I believe), was there more than just that?

 

If you're speaking about the one by the North entrance (path that walks along the new press building, then the driving range/practice area, and finally up to the large merch area and concessions by #1 fairway) I can attest my wife and I went through that small merchandise building in 2016 and it had quite a bit of items.

[sekrah]

First, if you don't have a chair you won't be able to place one without buying one. The only place to buy a chair is the merchandise tent.

 

you can also pick one up at a smaller merchandise booth at the back of 12th tee, so my approach next time - if i make it again - will be to grab one there.

 

Your chair is safe just dropping it in a random spot and walking away? I didn't feel so comfortable with that move at Shinnecock this year.

[ddetts]

First, if you don't have a chair you won't be able to place one without buying one. The only place to buy a chair is the merchandise tent.

 

you can also pick one up at a smaller merchandise booth at the back of 12th tee, so my approach next time - if i make it again - will be to grab one there.

 

Your chair is safe just dropping it in a random spot and walking away? I didn't feel so comfortable with that move at Shinnecock this year.

 

Absolutely safe - have a business card or similar size name/address card to put in the back of the chair, as there will be thousands and you may forget which ones are yours if you don't. On both trips we've placed chairs and left them for 2-3 hours at a time. Now, you may come back to your chair with someone sitting in it, but in my experience if you let them know they are your chairs when you return they politely get up and move.

[CCTxGolf]

We did merch first because we figured the merch place was closing by the time we left and it was. I would hate to miss something cool on the course so you could make it to the merch building before it was to late. Do it early and don’t leave the course until they force you too!

[golfer929]

Not sure why you need WRX tips if you already won The Masters, but my advice would be to keep the left arm straight

[helper_monkey]

I was lucky enough after many years of trying to have been selected in the lottery and now I have 2 tickets to Thursdays round. I have read at of threads about getting there early where to sit, park in the free parking lot, ship your merch home etc.. Just so happens that I am leaving that Saturday for my Honeymoon so my then wife will be coming with me. Looking for a few suggestion's. Buying merchandise is the first thing I am doing. I read somewhere a guy got there at 6:30am and was able to get into the shop around 7 before the gates opened for the course. So I will try and do his, my question is do both the North and South Merchandise areas open early or does one rather then the other? Also is one better then the other? I think there is a parking lot right by the South shop?? Trying to find out where to stay Wednesday night is also on my agenda. I was looking at Columbia, SC as it is about 1 hour drive.

 

I'll do the best I can to describe this, but I don't know how to post a Google maps screenshot, so it may be tough. If you pull up Augusta National in satellite view on Google Maps, you will see an entrance at the western corner of the property. There is a paved area that leads to a large building, which is the entrance gate. Immediately before that large building is a smaller building, which is a small merchandise area. It is not nearly as big as the main merchandise area, but still has a lot of stuff.

 

When I last attended a few years ago, you could go into that small merchandise area without going through the entrance gate. We got there early, bought a bunch of stuff and just walked it back to the car and through it in the trunk.

 

I hope what I am describing makes sense.

 

Yes, it does, I remember seeing that. Except this particular merchandise area I believe only has a small selection of shirts and hats, maybe a few other trinkets as well.

 

But since you've been there (I believe), was there more than just that?

 

It's definitely smaller than the main merchandise area, but it had everything I wanted to get. Plenty of shirts, hats, head covers, ball markers, and I bought a couple of mugs and Tervis tumblers. Now this was in 2013, so it may have changed since then.

[ceejay81]

I went last year on Monday's practice round for the first time (my buddy won tickets). We went in the south entrance right at 8am. We hit up the big merchandise store on that part of the course to get chairs/merchandise, checked the bags, and then hit up the food area for chicken biscuits and arnold palmers. This puts you right near Amen Corner, so we walked up right next to the tower between the 15th green and 16th tee box to place our chairs. There were maybe a handful of chairs placed by 8:30-8:40. We went and walked the course for a couple of hours and when we came back, it was super crowded. But absolutely nobody messed with our chairs and we came back to sit in the front row. Had a perfect spot to watch the players skip balls across the pond on 16 as well as hit shots from behind the 15th green.

 

I won tickets for 2019 so I'm going back with the same friend plus our other buddy. We're going to Wednesday's practice round! Pretty pumped to see the par 3 contest.

 

I cannot put into words how amazing Augusta and The Masters are. Everyone was super nice and helpful. Even got to BS with a member for a half hour at my spot at 15/16. Very nice man and just seemed like a good dude. I swear every blade of grass is inventoried at that course.

[j.b.newton]

Columbia is a good choice as it's an easy drive in. Get there early, go to the big pro shop, and have all your goods shipped home. Don't carry them around all day. Immediately get some coffee and a chicken biscuit. Then a beer or three. Walk the course. Go to some holes you don't see often on TV. Find more food. Get one of everything. Get more beer. Find a good spot to sit and enjoy.

Needs more beer.

 

Would that be American Beer? American Light Beer? American Wheat Beer with Orange? Or Imported Beer? You know beside the: Cola, Diet Cola, Sports Drink options. Got to love the refusal to have other brands.

[btmoney]

All I have to say is you lucky bastxxx. Enjoy!!!

[Hawkeye77]

A fellow poster recommended Athens, GA which is about 20 minutes further than Columbia, but hotel rates are not jacked up.

 

However, SC is a 24/7 state and Columbia has a nightlife that goes until 4 AM.

 

Athens is a hike to Augusta.

[j.b.newton]

A fellow poster recommended Athens, GA which is about 20 minutes further than Columbia, but hotel rates are not jacked up.

 

However, SC is a 24/7 state and Columbia has a nightlife that goes until 4 AM.

 

Athens is a hike to Augusta.

 

Try small no name towns in your hotel chain of choice within 50 miles. We stumbled onto a Hampton Inn in Thomson (30ish minutes) for regular price...