There is a thick layer of pollen coating nearly every outdoor surface here in Georgia and that can only mean one thing: it’s almost time for The Masters.

The first men’s major of the season is the Super Bowl of golf, mostly because of how difficult it is to go if you’re not a series badge holder. If you did happen to get your hands on a pass and will be making your way to Augusta in April, let me share with you some advice I’ve learned in my years attending the tournament.

Getting There

Dress Code

Wear 👏 Comfortable 👏 Shoes 👏 Last year, all everyone could talk about was how Tiger Woods had switched to FootJoy when he debuted at Augusta in his first tournament since the accident. But even Tiger knows, the Augusta terrain is no joke. The one year I opted to wear sandals, they blistered my feet so bad I now have permanent scars on my feet. Learn from my mistake and please, wear good walking shoes. As long as it’s not a golf shoe with spikes as those are prohibited.

In terms of clothing, the attire you’ll see in Augusta is definitely more “formal” than other tournaments. You’ll see majority of the patrons sporting golf pants or shorts and a golf shirt. Women will be wearing a variety of options including golf attire, sundresses, and spring-colored pants & shorts with fun floral tops. You will see some denim jeans, but not a lot.

One thing you won’t see in Augusta compared to say, the Waste Management or the Ryder Cup, are costumes. I’ve seen security guards asking fans to remove their Tiger onesies at the gate. In 2018, fans were removed if they entered wearing a shirt with the popular catchphrase from the Bud Light Super Bowl commercial, “Dilly Dilly!” It’s unknown how Augusta National will react to any LIV Golf team shirts or logos on the course, if there will be any.

What To Bring or not to bring

You can bring a bag or purse to carry things in, but it can’t be larger than 10” x 10” x 12” (in its natural state). Usually a small fanny pack or crossbody purse works well if you just need something to hold your wallet, keys, chapstick, sunscreen, Tylenol, etc. If you usually keep a pocket knife in your purse, go ahead and take that out because they will turn you around.

If you are taking a ride share service to the course, or simply don’t want to leave your phone in your vehicle all day, there is a check stand at both the main and south entrance. You can check-in your phone and then pick it up again at the end of the day. They WILL NOT let you through those gates with your cell phone. If by some miracle you do happen to bypass the scanners with it, if you are discovered on those grounds with a cell phone not only will you be escorted out but your name will put on a “do not ever let this person get tickets ever again” list. So just don’t risk it.

Smart Watches are allowed, but they have to be turned on to silent/vibrate mode. Even if you have one of the upgraded versions that can place a phone call out-of-range from your cell phone, you can still wear it but it has to be turned on to silent. So you can still track your steps, cause trust me you’re gonna get a lot of them.

If you are attending the Drive, Chip, and Putt, or a practice round, you can bring a camera with you to take pictures. The camera must be still photography/personal use only; any device being used to record and/or transmit voice, video or data is strictly prohibited. I brought a Nikon D40 and had no issues. Regardless of what day you attend, they offer complimentary photos at Founder’s Circle. The line can get a little long so it’s best to either go early in the morning or wait until after the leaders have teed off.

Viewing Options

In my opinion, there’s two different ways to do a golf tournament: you sit and let the golf come to you, or you follow specific players as they make their way around the course. In Augusta, a lot of people do the follow option. They want to follow Tiger and walk the whole course, see every single hole as he plays it. While that is certainly one way to do it, there are other options that still allow you to walk the entire course and see a good amount of golf. You just have to know how to time it and where to go.

Here are some ways that we have mapped out our day over the years. We will change it up from time-to-time, switching out which hole we are going to camp out on for another. The end goal is always the same - just enjoy the day in a place we love.

Amen corner breakfast stroll

When the gates open, go in through the South Entrance. Personally, I love coming this way in the morning because there’s not as much hustle and bustle. Go ahead and grab a biscuit & coffee, you’ll want it after you set down your chairs. Head down the stairs to the right of the pro shop and make your way over to the 14th tee, Chinese Fir.

There is already a grandstand at the tee-box, but if you walk a little further down the fairway you can set up your chairs right on the ropes. You’ll have the perfect view of the approach shot coming into the 13, and their finish on the green with that beautiful backdrop of Azaleas. You’ll also be able to see their tee-shot from here and catch them walk up the fairway of 14.

You can leave your chairs here & take a breakfast stroll around Amen Corner. (Pro tip: put a business card or colorful name tag in the back of your chair so you can identify it from all the others when you get back later.) There’s just something very peaceful about walking those three iconic holes in the early morning before play has started. As you eat your breakfast you’ll make your way around to Golden Bell and White Dogwood, you can even stop for more refreshments at the concession stand behind 12. In previous years this concession stand was the only one to serve a drink called The Stand 12, which was a mixture of lemonade, blue Powerade, and sprite. Last year they were not serving it, no word yet on whether or not it will return for 2023.

At this point in your morning would be a good time to head toward the Clubhouse to get your Founder’s Circle photo & get your shopping done in the pro shop. If you drove to the tournament & are parked on site, you can use one of your two re-entries to walk your merchandise back to your car. Augusta also offers shipping options and bag checks for you to pick up your items at the end of the day. (If you do take your items to your car, enter back through the main gates this time.)

Once you’ve done all of these things, it should be time to eat again. Grab a sandwich and a drink, then make your way back down the hill to Pink Dogwood (2). Just behind the green, there’s a small hill that makes for a perfect built-in grandstand that you can sit on, without needing your chair. Take a seat and catch some action on a great scoring hole - you never know, you might see an albatross!

From here, the ball is in your court. It’s up to you (or really, the day’s tee times) when to head back to your chairs where you can sit and watch the pairings come through. You can walk the rest of the course, do some more shopping, more snacking, or all of the above.

Justin Rose practicing bunker shots on the par-five second, Pink Dogwood, during a Monday practice round in 2022

hidden gems

Everybody knows to walk Amen Corner when they come to Augusta. Everybody knows to watch for an ace on 16. But one of the things I love the most are the pathways that are a little less crowded, but still so beautiful. One of my favorite walks to take is down the backside of the 10th fairway, Camellia.

If you are up by the practice putting facilities or on the 10th tee, with the clubhouse behind you looking down the hill, start walking toward the little white houses down the 10th fairway. Keep following the path all the way down the 10th hole and eventually you’ll come out at the tee of 11 and be back at Amen Corner.

Hardly anyone ever takes this way around to Amen Corner, but it’s so beautiful. It’s also way less crowded and a lot more direct. It’s mostly pine straw so there’s not a lot of comfy places to sit if you don’t have your chairs, but it’s not lacking in view. You’ve got a great eye-line of both the approach shot and the green. Pro-tip: in a playoff they alternate playing 10 and 18, so this little hidden path is a great spot to head toward if the scores start getting close on a Sunday afternoon.

Practice Round Fun

If you are going on a Monday or Tuesday practice round, you’ll definitely want to steak out a spot down by the water on Redbud, the par 3 16th. During the practice rounds, players (and their caddies!) are known to take shots attempting to skip the ball across the water and up onto the green. In 2020, Jon Rahm famously skipped the ball across the water for a hole-in-one.

Come in through the South Gate Entrance, grab a biscuit and a coffee, and then take a left near the exit of the concession. The tree-covered pathway will dump you out right onto the fifth fairway where you will cross and head straight down the hill (and it is a HILL) to the green and pond area of 16. There are already grandstands set up along the tee-box area, but your best view of the water-skipping will be from your own chair down near the water or the hole itself.

Tyrell Hatton, Paul Casey, Viktor Hovland and their caddies all skipping the ball across the water at the same time

Outside the gates

If you’re in town for a few days looking for places to eat and things to do, you’re in luck. Masters week is the one week of the year when Augusta explodes with activities. That being said, if you do go out to eat at one of these recommended restaurants please be aware that the entire golf world has descended upon this small town and all of these establishments are going to be busy. Prepare for longer waits and please be kind and courteous to your wait staff.

Food

The three restaurants you’re probably going to see on everyone’s lists: Rhineharts, TBonez, and Frog Hollow Tavern. These are the places everyone is going to tell you that you must go to if you’re in Augusta (and they’re not wrong) but because of that, the wait is going to be insanely long. In fact, I’m pretty sure Frog Hollow Tavern has already been booked since January. You’re still more than welcome to try these places but here’s a list of some other great restaurants in the area that we also highly recommend:

Things To Do

Obviously you came to Augusta for one thing, to go to The Masters. But if you’re in town for a few days or if you didn’t even get tickets but you just want to be in Augusta during Masters week, there’s still things you can do outside the gates of ANGC.

There’s a recently built Top Golf, which will probably be busier during this week than it has ever been, if you want to go test out your own golf skills after watching the pros do it at the most beautiful course in the world. Another great place to hang out is the Savannah River Brewing Company - a fun brewery with several different brews on tap. They’ll have the tournament on every TV in the place.

There will also be several party-style events happening around the area during the week, too. John Daly will, of course, be setting up shop at the Hooters on Washington Ave. No official schedule has been announced yet but they usually have daily wings & drink specials along with t-shirt giveaways, and times you can get pictures & autographs with John Daly.

Golf influencer Paige Spiranac is hosting a party and concert in one with country music artist, Jimmie Allen. The “Par-Tee” is on Wednesday, April 5th at 8pm at the Bell Auditorium and features other artists including Lewis Brice and music by Dee Jay Silver. Tickets are already on sale and can be purchased here.

Now that I’ve said all of that, the best tip that I can give: relax and have fun.

I know it might feel like there’s a lot of pressure to make the most of every single second because it’s this once in a lifetime opportunity. But let me tell you a little secret - the reason that Augusta is such a magical place is because of you. It’s because of the people who come here with their families, sharing these incredible moments together, that they can hopefully one day pass down to the next generation. Don’t rush it, don’t force it. That Masters magic is gonna happen while you’re there - because you’re there.

These tips are just a starting point, something to go by if you’re like me and you like planning and itineraries. But the Masters magic doesn’t come from getting your chair set up at the perfect place to see the perfect shot. It comes from the feeling you’re gonna get in the bottom of your stomach when you drive over Rae’s creek as you pull into the parking lot, before you’ve even gotten out of the car. It comes from the way you won’t be able to stop smiling (or maybe crying, who knows?) when they scan that ticket and hand it back to you and you realize, “Oh my god, I’m actually in.” It comes from the way your breath catches when your foot steps on that first patch of dewy grass as you walk out onto the course.

Those are the moments I can’t give you “tips” for how to experience. But those are the moments that make the whole thing, truly, unlike any other.

Experiencing The Masters Like A Pro Patron