Tears, magic and a returned check: Masters patrons share favorite memories

Two years ago, my dad brought my younger sister, Ellen, to the third round of the Masters. I’ve been attending the tournament since 2023 for work, so the three of us were able to spend a day walking the course, trying various sandwiches, purchasing merchandise and soaking it all in at Amen Corner.

The responses I got to the article I wrote that day were overwhelming. I got emails, texts, replies on social media and messages from people who have attended and those who wish to attend the Masters with a loved one.

It got me thinking about families, friendships and the Masters. Everyone who goes has a story, and exchanging anecdotes from Augusta National has become one of my favorite parts of golf. The undertones are the same: I got to spend an unforgettable day at a stunning golf course that’s rich in history with someone I love. I wanted to help share those stories, and the idea for this project was born.

I’ve received almost 100 Masters stories over the last few weeks and have had so much fun reading them all. I’ll be publishing new ones every day this week. Thank you to everyone who reached out and shared their favorite memory. I teared up more times than I’d like to admit when putting this together. There really is nothing like the Masters.

Taking dad to the Masters

I never thought I would be able to go to the Masters, and I certainly never anticipated the circumstances. In the years leading up to all of this, my dad’s health had been failing. He had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease six years earlier, and as the years went on, his motor and cognitive functions started deteriorating. He was still fully functional and aware, but you could tell he had lost a step. In 2017, my older brother started making a few phone calls to people with connections to Augusta National to see if he could find a way to get my dad to the Masters. My dad was a huge golf fan. He taught both of us how to play and made lifelong fans out of both of us. My dad had always assumed that the Masters was out of reach — a bucket list item that he could only dream about. On Christmas day in 2017, my brother surprised my dad and me with passes to the upcoming Masters. My dad, normally a very stoic and composed guy, broke down in tears (regulating emotions became much harder with the Parkinson’s).

Anyone who has the privilege of attending the Masters makes incredible memories, and we were no different. But we also spent that week taking care of my dad, making sure he was hydrating and starting that unenviable task of playing caretaker for a parent. We were there for the Par 3 Contest and Round 1, and we just watched my dad take it all in. We did everything. Pimento cheese sandwiches, merch, followed Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson, marveled at every blade of grass and the amazing customer service. They were long days for my dad, but he was in heaven. We set him up with a chair just left of the water on No. 16 — that was his only request of the whole trip —  and pretended we were Ken Venturi calling every shot that came in. 

My dad passed away in April 2022, five days after the Masters. During those final few years, his health had worsened to a point where he needed around the clock care. My brother and I often talk about how that week in Augusta was the last time Dad was really “still there.” Sure, he needed tons of naps and caretaking, but he was fully lucid, attentive, and grateful those few days. It’s how we both choose to remember him. That place is absolute magic. — Marc Sawyer, San Diego, California

A solo stroll at Augusta National

I was lucky enough to attend the Wednesday practice round in 2025. What’s really funny about this is that I was inspired to apply for only 1 ticket in the lottery based on your tweet about your dad (see below). I told myself I’d do this for the next go around thinking I didn’t have anything to lose, since I probably wouldn’t get selected anyway. Turns out, that may be the secret. When I got the email that my application had been selected, I had to read it three times and logged into my Masters account just to make sure it was real. I really did end up going alone and had such a great time!

I flew into Atlanta from Tulsa, picked up a rental car and stayed in Aiken, S.C. Aiken has a really great Masters week setup in their downtown area and the energy during that time is really special. I would definitely stay in Aiken if I ever get the chance to attend the Masters again.

One of the coolest moments was watching Tom Hoge make a hole-in-one during the Par 3 contest (with his newborn crying in his backswing!), but my absolute favorite memory from the trip was later during the Par 3 Contest. After walking those 9 holes, I found a spot under the big tree overlooking the green on No. 9 and took a seat underneath it. It was so peaceful sitting under that tree in the shade, with a slight breeze, and finally taking a seat after walking the main course, with a Crow’s Nest in hand.

From that spot, I got to watch Shane Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood, and Rory McIlroy’s group finish up their round.

I watched Poppy McIlroy made her famous long putt during the Par 3 Contest. Because I was there for a practice round, I didn’t think I’d get to experience the roars of a tournament day, but the entire place just exploded. Legitimately one of the coolest moments of my life. I still get chills thinking about it.

I feel so blessed and fortunate to have been able to attend the Masters. Everything is obviously so well put together, but the people everywhere are really what made it. Some patrons, like me, are there for the first time, others have been going for decades. Regardless, nobody is having a bad day. It really is a tradition unlike any other. — Stephen Shin, Tulsa, Oklahoma

The magic of Berckmans Place

I remember describing my first visit to the Masters in 2011 as a ‘religious experience.’ I did not intend for it to be funny or ironic. It felt like completing a pilgrimage. The patrons were so energetic and well mannered, the staff was calm and accommodating and the colors were so vibrant. It was like stepping into a children’s book. It was as if I were stepping into Willie Wonka’s Chocolate Factory or something.

I returned to the Masters in 2023 and the experience was very different. We had gotten passes to Berckmans Place for Wednesday’s practice round. Imagine going to the most exclusive, most coveted sporting event in America and then discovering there is an even more exclusive and coveted spot inside that event. It was overwhelming. There is a massive putting green where you can putt to famous hole locations on the course, outdoor dining overlooking the putting green and classic cabins on the perimeter. The cabins are essentially a small boutique shopping mall lined with restaurants and Masters memorabilia. The Italian restaurant offers pizza made by a chef from Italy brought to Augusta just for the week of the tournament. The merchandise shop in Berkmans offers items only available there. The entire experience was beyond belief.

My trips to the Masters made it clear to me it’s the best event in sports. There is no chaotic mob running to a hole, the food lines move fast and the staff always has a smile. People are respectful and pleasant. Strangers stand shoulder to shoulder and make more than small talk about where they are from. You find yourself telling and listening to stories about your trip there, how many times you’ve been, what your favorite memories of the Masters are, where you play golf in your home-town. None of it feels forced. Everyone is happy to be there, there are no intoxicated fans jumping off campers into tables. It’s all so civil without being stuffy. It made me realize I need to get back there again and make sure my family can experience this one day as well. You know it’s a special place when all you can think about is how much your wife and three kids would enjoy it. — Patrick McCarthy

Growing up a Masters patron

I have had the profound fortune of experiencing the Masters with my family throughout my youth and young adulthood. We had the tradition of meeting my father by the practice green near No. 1 after he worked a half day at Casella Eye Center, the optometry clinic he took over when his father retired. We would watch a few groups tee off, then make our way over to the eighth green by means of the third green and  fourth tee. Behind the fourth tee is a great and subtle vantage point. You have shade, a scoreboard, a bathroom and concessions just up the pathway on the 2nd fairway and a view of the 2nd green. No. 8 is a great spot for watching the pairings come through. The top left seats get more shade as the day progresses. 

When the leaders come through No. 8, we’d head to No. 11 to find a spot about halfway down the fairway. Eventually, we’d made our way to the tee on No. 14, which affords a great view of the 13th green, even when it’s crowded. Then, we’d take a few steps backward down the downslope of 15 for yet another stunning view. No. 16 has that great stadium feel, especially from the hill on No. 6. Then it was time to mosey on back up to the clubhouse. We made that perfect trek many times as a family, and I feel so fortunate to have done so. My mother and father both passed away in 2023, and I miss them dearly. My father had a rich history with the Masters, having worked the scoreboards as a high schooler. He was the biggest fan of the Masters and an extremely knowledgeable patron. It was his heaven on earth, and I said that in his eulogy. — Ben Casella, Augusta, Georgia

A memorable call from the pay phones

My Masters experience was a dream come true. I grew up in a family of golfers and watched the Masters every year as a kid in the 1980s. My dad caddied in his youth, and so did my siblings and I. However, I am the only one that got to Augusta. I remember calling my Dad from the phones behind the 3rd green at Augusta. I wanted him to know he was getting a call from Augusta National during Masters week. That was the last time I would pick up a phone specifically to talk to him (outside of a holiday) as he passed away unexpectedly a few months later. It’s a happy memory, as it was a great moment I could share with him.

I also remember saying the same phrase over and over as I walked the course. Most of my sentences began with “I had no idea.” I had no idea how big the hill to the 9th green was. I had no idea how small the 12th and 15th greens were. When were standing on No. 11 just right of the fairway, I had no idea that I’d be able to see all of Amen Corner. To experience it all with my wife made it all the better.

I am a lifelong college basketball fan and a graduate of the University of Kansas, who won the National Championship later that evening. Possibly the best day of my life. — Ray Janowski, Chicago, Illinois

A grandmother’s death and a love realized

I was first introduced to the Masters in April 1997. My grandmother died that week. While our house was full of family grieving, 11-year-old me sat in front of the TV watching Tiger Woods steamroll his way to his first Masters victory. It was strange. I had just a woman who meant so much to me, but when I look back, it’s also when I fell in love with golf and with the Masters.

I traveled from Cohasset, Mass., to attend the Tuesday practice round in 2024 with some friends. My favorite memory is simply walking around the course and taking everything in. We were near the front of the line to get in early that morning and watched Tiger, Justin Thomas, and Fred Couples play the front nine. And we stayed until they basically kicked us out that evening — most everyone had left the course, but Bryson DeChambeau was doing Bryson DeChambeau things on the driving range, so we stayed until the staff politely told us it was time to go. — Stephen McDonald, Cohasset, Massachusetts

Experiencing the Masters with my best friends

My mom and dad are my best friends. I say that only partially in jest. I’m blessed to have many incredible people in my life, but I’m the second of four children in my family and the only one without a spouse and kids of my own. As a result, I’ve been able to travel with my mom and dad more than my siblings, and it’s become a running joke for me to quip ‘just me and my best friends!’ when we’re driving around a foreign country, boarding a plane or turning out the lights in our tiny hotel room at the end of the day. So while it’s hard to choose a favorite moment from the Masters (from lightning delays to the kindness of strangers to spotting Scott Van Pelt in the wild), my favorite memory is who I got to do it with.

My mom is the one who loves golf the most in our family. The joke is that we grew up in a household where my mom was shouting at the TV watching golf while no one else really cared. It wasn’t until adulthood that I became interested in the sport after my mom converted me during a Ryder Cup. I now know all of the players and consider golf one of my favorite sports to watch. Our trip to the Masters in 2024 was so special because my dad gifted it to my mom, who deserves it more than anyone I know, and because I was invited along. — Emily Kinard, Washington, D.C.

A father-daughter day at Augusta National

I attended the 2023 Masters with my dad, Bill. After hitting the merchandise shop and shipping our purchases home, we walked across the first fairway. I’ll never forget the way my dad’s eyes welled up with tears as he took in the fact we were at Augusta National. We walked the whole course trying to beat the potentially impending rain and tried every food item along the way. We both must’ve said “this is unbelievable” a thousand times. 

I was so thrilled to share the moment with my dad who had never even dreamt of stepping foot on Augusta. So seldom do children get to make their parent’s dreams come true and I was so lucky to do so. Now every spring, we share a flurry of texts about the beauty of Augusta National, the meal we shared the night before we attended, the sneaky view of No. 16 that felt like secret to everyone but us and how lucky we were to get to do it together. 

Augusta has a way of making everyone feel as if the course was made, staffed, and opened just for you. It’s different from any other experience I’ve had. Getting to experience it with the person who did the very same for me growing up was a dream come true. — Cate Remphrey

A returned check from Augusta National

I attended the Wednesday practice round in 2006 with my older brother and a bunch of our friends. We drove an RV down from the Philadelphia area that Monday, picked one guy up near DC & went all the way to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, where we stayed overnight and played 36 holes of golf on Tuesday. We stayed over again and left at 5 the next morning to drive from Myrtle Beach to Augusta. We parked in an independent dirt lot off Washington Road and walked over to the course. This was when the practice range was still small and adjacent to the clubhouse. Our first stop was the merchandise tent.

When checking his receipt when he got home, my brother realized that they didn’t charge him for a sweater he bought. So he wrote a letter to Augusta National and enclosed a check for the correct amount. Seven weeks later, he got a letter back from the club, thanking him for his honesty and telling him that’s exactly what makes the Masters so special. They returned the check too. He’s had that letter framed in his office ever since. — Pete Thompson, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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