There’s a double-edged sword when it comes time to visiting the merchandise shop at Augusta National.
The term ‘shop’, indeed, might be an understatement; it’s more akin to a superstore that wouldn’t be out of place on Fifth Avenue in New York, except that the foot traffic in this corner of Georgia – in this week of weeks – sets a pace unmatched anywhere.
The Masters is unique in that there is no official online store for its vast array of merchandise, ranging from ball markers to leather totes and limited-edition Swiss watches. If you want a piece of the Masters, you’ve got to get it here. You take your place in the queue that starts up by the side of the practice range and move, slowly but surely, to the promised land.
The line moves its way from the sunshine inside where choreographed moves through neatly-formed roped channels takes you along walls which feature visionary sayings of Bobby Jones and recent images of those young golfers involved in the Drive, Chip & Putt competitions are digitally propelled on to the corridor walls.
Those queuing, mostly giddy in expectation of unfurling their credit cards, are in jovial mood. The talk among strangers is of golf . . . almost as if their time in the line has provided its own escapism from real life.
Some comments, though, still need to be fact checked and verified.
“I hear there are Asians who come and buy 200-300,000 dollars worth of merch to ship home,” says one man to anyone who will listen.
The reality is that the merchandise store at the Masters sees the card machines (no cash is taken and, in this modern age where many people use their phones to pay, there is no room either for digital payment with physical cards required!) kerching-ing to the tune of an estimated $10 million in sales a day which equates to $1 million an hour . . . or $16,000 a minute!
Finally, close to an hour after starting the snakelike shuffle from start to finish, a sign by the entrance to the actual merchandise store provides a hint of how busy it has been with no storage – or checking – available for purchases, so anything bought would need to be carried in clear plastic bags for the rest of the day.
No issue for anyone it seemed.
So, what are the hottest items?
As it has been since its introduction in 2016, the Masters gnome – strictly limited to one per patron with a limited number of 1,000 a day sold – has a short shelf life, the 18″ high statue this year clad in a shirt with Masters-related food items and carrying a knapsack and holding a sandwich, gold shoes and a wearing a hat. It retails for $49.50 but only the very early arrivals manage to get their hands on one. The gnomes started as a novelty but have become a collector’s items through the years.
While there are only a limited number of gnomes, there is constant restocking of the majority of merchandise with baseball caps ($34), Tilley broadbrimmed sun hats ($99), polo shirts (from $85), ball markers ($22), gloves ($25) and Masters flags ($30) among the most popular sales items. Premium leather driver covers come in at $110.
In truth, there is no rip off at all when it comes to the offerings. This year’s lovely colour print – 30″x24″ – is of the 13th hole and retails for $30.
The non-golf items include a limited-edition Swiss manufactured (unnamed) watch, limited to 1,800, which retails for $299 engraved on the back and housed in a special Masters watch box, while a pair of wine glasses can be bought for $40 . . . .. and Peter Millar underwear for $39.50.
Something for everyone.
