Augusta National/Getty Images
- The Masters Tournament is being held in Augusta, Georgia, between April 6 and April 12.
- Attendees are buying tons of merchandise, which includes branded golf gear, beach towels, and more.
- Some of the hottest items this year include $88 quarter-zip sweatshirts and $50 garden gnomes.
One does not go to the Masters Tournament in Augusta, Georgia, and leave with a single hat or T-shirt.
If you speak with anyone who’s attended the golf event, you’ll quickly learn that spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on themed merchandise is, pun intended, par for the course.
Morgann Savage, a 21-year-old from Evans, Georgia, told Business Insider she was on-site around 5 a.m. and was one of the first 10 patrons to enter the Pro Shop when it opened on Sunday morning.
“After 15 minutes, it got very busy in the store,” she said. “You could barely move with your bags, and everyone was bumping into each other.”
There are branded towels, sweaters, golf gear, socks, and mugs, among other popular items. More exclusive pieces include $50 garden gnomes, which Savage said people were “rushing to buy,” and $550 mahjong pieces.
Business Insider spoke with attendees who shopped for all of the above at this year’s Masters Tournament, taking place between April 6 and April 12.
They said their hauls contain more than “just stuff.” Instead, attendees left with memories and status symbols of exclusivity in their green Masters tote bags.
