I Bought A Traditional $30 Masters Chair And It Was By Far My Best Purchase Thanks To Augusta National's Timeless Unwritten Rule

It's the best purchase I made from the Masters Shop during my only visit to Augusta National in 2023.

I spent about $600 in total over several visits - the last of which was totally unnecessary - but the $30 that went on an official Masters chair was a very good investment (actually, it became $60 but I'll get onto that in a bit).

Of all the wonderful Masters traditions - the Champions Dinner, the Green Jacket Ceremony, the Par 3 Contest, the Honorary Starters, and the many more that have been in place for years - the simple green Masters chair and the etiquette that surrounds it has to be one of the best.

There's an unwritten rule at Augusta that once you've found a spot and parked up, that space is yours.

You can unfold your chair right by the side of the green, and even if you decide to go for a stroll, maybe spend an hour or two watching the players come through Amen Corner, your chair will still be there for you to sit back down in when you return.

Quite when this ritual began is not known for certain, but most patrons say that it gathered momentum over time, to the point where pretty much everyone now knows the etiquette.

I've tested it, and it works. There is security on site, of course, but I don't imagine anyone has ever been called upon to settle a seating dispute.

For research purposes, I also spent a couple of hours sitting in someone else's chair by the 9th green, relaxing and having a dose to see what would happen when the owners returned.

And here's exactly what happens when the owners come back to retake their spot. You exchange pleasantries, compliment them on finding such a great part of the course to watch the action, and move on. Everyone's a winner.

I will add that it was a Thursday afternoon. I'm not sure that occupying someone's spot by the 18th green on Sunday afternoon, no matter how briefly, would be the done thing.

If you’ve been fortunate enough to secure a ticket to this year’s tournament, be sure to visit the Golf Shop and buy yourself a chair. In 2023, it cost just $30. I'd be amazed if that price has shifted too much, and although there are no cup holders (maybe the 2026 version has one), it does come with that beautiful Masters logo on and a neat little carry bag.

Now for some important housekeeping. Firstly, be sure to write your name, address, and cell number on the back of the chair (they have a label).

Secondly, if you have tickets for the following day, don't assume you can leave your chair by the 9th green overnight (or anywhere on the property for that matter), for it won't be there in the morning.

This was the rookie mistake I made three years ago, and it meant returning to the Masters Shop to buy another chair - although having spent nearly $600 already, the additional $30 felt fairly insignificant.

It's easy to forget your chair, and plenty of patrons do, especially those who have been on the signature Crow's Nest beer all afternoon, but those chairs that remain on the property when the gates close or 30 minutes after play are considered an abandoned item and removed from the course.

I still wonder where they all go? There's no chance they are resold in the Shop. I like to think everyone who works at the Masters during the week gets to take home enough green chairs for the whole family.

Maybe Fred Ridley's massive garden is full of hundreds of rows of little green chairs...

A last word of advice. Don't approach an Augusta official the next day and try to plead your case. Chairs are not taken to lost property, not even those with a written 'Jack Nicklaus' on the back.

If you're wondering whether you can bring your own chair, please note that chairs/seats with pointed ends, folding armchairs, and rigid-type chairs are listed as prohibited items on the Masters website.

Finally, don't enter the property with numerous chairs, either, with plans of planting one down in all the best spots. No, no, no. It's one chair/seat per person.

I have to say, my Masters chair has given me years of satisfaction. I place such a high value on it that I hang it up in the garage, away from any grubby little childrens' hands. That green chair is not, I have said many times, a toy.

The rows of perfectly positioned Masters chairs are a beautiful sight, every bit as aesthetically pleasing as the magnolias, azaleas, and pristine greens and fairways.

Does any other sport have a tradition like this? I can't think of one.