An ocean of empty dark green chairs surrounded the 16th hole of Augusta National with no golfers in sight.
In that sentence lies the beauty of this place. Patrons were perched, a Crow’s Nest beer in hand, happy to embrace the peace and tranquility of the Masters. It had nothing to do with who wins.
On my quest to ask patrons what they loved the most about the Masters, I met people who were regulars down Magnolia Lane – those who knew of the magic but it hadn’t worn off yet.
I also stumbled across those like me, a novice who wanted to see everything at once, yet chose to sit by the pond at this par-3 hole that had seen so much over the years, watching the crowd go by.
“I love the peacefulness and also the egg salad sandwiches!” said Maria from Augusta itself, revealing her spiritual and hungry form. She was a veteran of these grounds, as was Brian from Chambers, Indiana who pointed out where he sat for the Tiger Woods chip-in of 2005.
“It is so hard to say what makes it so special,” he said, sat back with arms wide across a couple of Masters fold-up chairs. “There are no phones, I love that there are no sweets, the shop is reasonable, and the concessions are cheap.”
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Carey was also from Augusta, but is only visiting for the first time this year. Such is the other-worldliness of this venue, it’s like they are aboard and not a matter of miles from home.
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“The landscaping is incredible. You feel like you are out of town being here, and we live five minutes away!”
Glen from Charlotte, only a few hours from Washington Road off where Augusta National sits, focused on the golf when I asked him to state the best thing about the Masters: “It’s simple – watching the best players in the world on the best golf course in the world”
Michael from Savannah in Georgia kept it short and sweet on his first visit: “Just the perfection of this place.”
Kathy, from the same area of this state, had lived in Augusta for many years and passionately described Augusta National’s role in investing in the city, particularly the $5 million the club set aside to help with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in 2024.
“The respect that the club has for the community is amazing. It serves the community in the way Bobby Jones had always intended. Both outside and inside the golf course, everyone is treated like they are special!”
A modern-day gripe with young people, and older people in some quarters in 2025, is they can’t put their phones down. This issue doesn’t exist at Augusta, as per the widely reported on-the-ground rule that you cannot have a phone.
“The fact that there are no phones and you can just talk to people. It’s about hanging out and being able to disconnect,” said Joseph from Alabama, after I interrupted him gazing through his binoculars down the 15th fairway. It was his first time at the Masters, so I let him to it.
Tim from Washington D.C was here for the fifth time, and the refreshment of not being attached to a little screen in your pocket couldn’t have been more welcome: “Not having my phone has been great, as work can be a little intense. The ambience of the golf course, too.”
With the weather and the whereabouts the way they are at Augusta National, golf can take a backseat. Miranda from North Carolina is back for a second time in 2025, having little interest in the sport.
“I just love how beautiful it is here. It’s so peaceful, and I’m not even a big fan of golf.”
And finally, it was the family feel for Josh from Iowa, on his second visit to the Masters:
“I love the family atmosphere – it has like a ‘sons and dads’ vibe to it. Everything is so perfectly managed with customer service and how well the course is looked after.”
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How much would you like to join the Masters patrons in 2026? Are you surprised by the words of the Augusta National patrons? Tell us on X!
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