Anthony Tartaglione and his friends were “packed like penguins” at Augusta National’s North Gate at 5:30 a.m. on Monday.
The gate didn’t open for another 90 minutes, but the pastel-clad group of patrons had grown from a small crowd to a horde. Tartaglione, from Wilmington, North Carolina, left home hours before sunrise hunting the same item as every other patron he spoke with around him: the 10th edition of the Masters gnome.
The craze for the gnome originated in 2016, when Augusta National debuted the 18-inch lawn ornament. The original gnome is an old-school golfer wearing an argyle vest with a bag of clubs over his shoulder. Newer editions of the gnome have personified patrons, caddies and the club’s take on a tacky Christmas sweater.
The 2026 gnome is dressed as a patron with a classic green-and-white functioning Masters umbrella.
The gnome’s novelty — and the resale value — have skyrocketed over the past decade. Many patrons beeline to the Golf Shop before watching a single swing or taking a bite of pimento cheese.
“It’s crazy how much a piece of ceramic can influence people’s time,” Tartaglione said.
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
Credit: Jason Getz/AJC
That influence could soon be snuffed, though. Rumors aggregated by a Golf Digest article suggest the gnomes could be leaving the Golf Shop next year due to its intense popularity. It’s the only item in the shop that is limited to one purchase per person.
The early-morning frenzy has become too much for some Masters regulars. Augusta residents Kyle and Brittni Amerson have collected all 10 gnomes, but they wouldn’t mind avoiding the anxiety of the gnome-chase next year.
“For us, it’s more of a staple for Augusta, but at the same time, it’s one of those things where if people are reselling them for $400 or $500 for something that’s costing them $50, it’s just like everything else,” Brittni Amerson said. “It’s a price-gouge, but it makes the actual shopping experience not worth it just because of the chaos, unfortunately.”
Amerson added that she loves the gnomes — she wore gnome-themed earrings — but the chase has worn her down over the years.
Karen Neubauer from Richmond, Va., and Justine Dutton from Raleigh, N.C., said the hunt for gnomes was significantly wilder than it was even three years ago.
“Have you ever seen ‘The Hunger Games’? That’s what it felt like,” Neubauer said.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Singular gnomes resell for several hundred dollars while 10-year sets are listed for tens of thousands online.
As for the patrons chasing the sentimental value, some claim no amount of money could convince them to sell their collections.
“I’m going to sit there and stare at it,” Tartaglione said. “Like, that’s all I’m going to do. I’m going to look at it.
“But damn, is it nice to have one.”
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