The Masters Tournament - Augusta

When one mentions The Masters in the USA, there is a visible shifting of attentiveness. I knew someone who went once as a guest of the Club - I don’t know what (or who) he’d done, but he went. He told me it was arguably the most prestigious and tradition-soaked event in any sport he’d ever witnessed - with lavish and generous hospitality and the cheapest sarnies he’s ever bought anywhere.

I remember thinking at the time that the three or four people who were listening to this, were suddenly talking in lowered voices as though we were discussing the discovery of the Holy Grail,

It is the first of golf’s four “majors”, and the only one played at the same location every year: Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia. In two days' time, the entire golfing world will be fully focused there until Sunday. Augusta National was founded by the legendary Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts on the site of an old indigo plantation and plant nursery. This is why every hole is named after a flower or tree (like Azalea or Magnolia). It is famous for its “impossible” perfection—fluorescent green grass, bright white sand, and blooming flowers.

Even for America, which this year will be almost as old as my first flat in Ealing, it’s incredibly old-school. No cell phones are allowed on the course, and you won’t see a single piece of branded trash; even the sandwich wrappers are green, so they don’t stand out on TV.

Amongst the many traditions, there are a few which surely everyone is aware of. Since 1949, the winner has been awarded a green club jacket. They get to keep it for one year, but then it must return to the club forever, as it can only be worn inside the clubhouse. Held on the Tuesday of Masters week, the defending champion (this year, Rory McIlroy, who finally completed his Career Grand Slam in 2025) hosts a private dinner for all past winners and chooses the entire menu.

Rory’s menu is:

Appetizers

Peach and ricotta flatbread with balsamic, hot honey, basil - Rock shrimp tempura with creamy spicy sauce - Bacon-wrapped dates with goat cheese, almonds - Grilled elk sliders with caramelised onion jam, roasted garlic aoli

First Course

Yellowfin tuna carpaccio with foie gras, toasted baguette, chives

Main Course

Wagyu filet mignon or seared salmon with traditional Irish Champ, sauteed Brussels sprouts, glazed carrots with brown butter, crispy Vidalia onion rings

Dessert

Sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream and warm toffee sauce

Wines

Salon Cuvee “S” brut

2022 Domaine Laflaive Batard-Montrachet

1990 Château Lafite Rothschild

1989 Château d’Yquem

All that aside, and despite being the most exclusive ticket in sports, the food is famously cheap. You can still get their signature Pimento Cheese or Egg Salad sandwich for about $1.50.

Keep an eye out for Amen Corner, which refers to the 11th, 12th, and 13th holes. It’s where the tournament is usually won or lost, often involving high-stakes shots over Rae’s Creek. You will also see Magnolia Lane, the world-famous driveway lined with 60 massive magnolia trees that leads to the clubhouse, and of course, there is Butler Cabin, where the green jacket ceremony is televised immediately after the final putt.

Last year’s Masters