I first attended the Masters in the late 1990s, when I was in elementary school and my father took me and my little brother to a practice round. He’d gotten badges through work and I assumed, with the naivety of a 10-year-old, that I’d be back at Augusta National Golf Club on a pretty regular basis.
In reality, it would be about 25 years before I’d step foot again on that hallowed golfing ground. In 2023, I got to visit a Masters practice round thanks to my work with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and I was thrilled to take my father-in-law as my guest. He was able to check an item off his bucket list and I wrote an article about what to do in Augusta in the event of a weather delay — a piece that proved serendipitous when multiple trees fell after heavy rain and forced a suspension of play.
Credit: Henri Hollis
Credit: Henri Hollis
As an adult, I learned that while I’m inside the Augusta National gates, I need to make every second and every cubic inch of stomach space count. That’s exactly what I plan to do this Saturday; my dad has once again gotten his hands on some Masters badges and generously invited me to be his guest. I’m looking forward to a day of father-son bonding and the simple pleasures of cheap food and beer at one of the world’s great sporting events.
A professional eater’s agenda at the Masters
This year, the entire Masters concessions menu adds up to $77.25. But even with Augusta National’s famously low food prices, eating the entire menu would be a tall order, and attempting that feat would get in the way of watching the golf and experiencing the course.
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
I’m not an early riser, but I’ll be driving from Atlanta to Augusta first thing in the morning in the hopes of making it through the gates in time for breakfast, which cuts off at 10 a.m. I hope to be at the course around 9:30 a.m. so I can try the breakfast sandwich, one of the few Masters concessions items I’ve never had. Hopefully, my dad will get the chicken biscuit, another item I haven’t tried before. We’ll wash down breakfast with some of the Masters Blend fresh brewed coffee.
Credit: Ken Sugiura
Credit: Ken Sugiura
You never know if you’ll return to the Masters, so we’ll spend the morning walking the whole course. Around noon, I plan to eat at least one pimento cheese sandwich and one egg salad sandwich — a Masters tradition that I would never skip. I’ll also have my first ambiguously labeled domestic beer; it’s the weekend, and this isn’t work!
By early afternoon, we’ll find a spot on the course to watch a little bit of the golf action, and soon it’ll be time for another visit to concessions. I’ll grab another beer and some salty and sweet afternoon snacks: the Southern cheese straws and the Georgia pecan caramel corn. I would have loved to try the tomato hand pie, but those were only available last year. The Masters might have been early on the fancy Hot Pocket trend.
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Later in the afternoon, it’ll be time for an early dinner: a pork bar-b-que sandwich and another beer. Unfortunately, the Azalea cocktails are not available at the concessions stands this year. I might make a batch at home on Sunday instead.
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
On the way out of the tournament, I plan to get a Georgia peach ice cream sandwich and at least a couple of the new Masters candy bars, one for me and one for my wife. That’s my day of eating, and it will cost $32.
Of course, it’s just a loose plan; I can’t promise readers I won’t sneak a few extra pimento cheese sandwiches or candy bars into my orders throughout the day.
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
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