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This article was first published business insider.
When the Masters Golf Tournament begins this Thursday, those watching on television will see the usual variety of images: lush green lawns, immaculate flower beds, and the world’s best players putting on a show. I made it.
But behind the scenes, there will be even more fierce competition: the battle for authentic Masters merchandise.
Sure, it’s great to see superstars like Tiger Woods and Scottie Scheffler in person. But so too is gear emblazoned with the Masters’ famous yellow logo, a beacon of cult status.
I was lucky enough to attend the Masters practice round on Monday and was able to see the merchandise craze up close.
When I showed up at Augusta National Golf Club with my family (shout out to my dad for getting tickets after winning the lottery for over 10 years), I immediately noticed how many people were already heading for the exit. They each had six to eight bags he had filled with shirts, hats, and towels, many of which had their most popular items. masters garden gnome.
A close-up of a very popular garden gnome.Christian Petersen, via BI
The tournament allows one re-entry per day, so those people may have intended to drop off the merchandise in their cars. But what I didn’t realize was that they could be part of an army of resellers who put thousands of marks on authentic items and flip them.To find out how lucrative it is, check this out 2023 Master’s Gnome listed on eBay for $1,200. (Original price: $50.)
As I continued along the entrance route, I saw the front of the line. It extended 50 feet back from the actual entrance, followed by a series of winding metal gates reminiscent of TSA checkpoints. Immediately in front of the entrance, people were trudging along shoulder to shoulder, trying to proceed to the actual course. It reminded me of moving between stages at a music festival. I wanted to take pictures of the commotion, but the Masters’ no-phone rule made it difficult to document the trip.
Waiting in line on the main line is a lot like waiting for a ride at Disney. As you enter the building, you’ll find vast rooms and hallways, with gates snaking through them. The line seems to grow longer with each turn. How many 20 minutes does he have until he gets that sweet product?
We arrived at the actual store in about 45 minutes. The final step is to wait at the entrance for about five minutes before letting in a large number of new shoppers.
Once inside, the feeling of mania is overwhelming. There are separate alcove sections for men, women, and children. In the center of the store is a huge display of household goods. Countless shirts and hats are displayed on the walls, and busy workers hurriedly remove items from bins of all sizes.
There are several checkout lines and at least five cash registers on each side. The cashier sifts through the pile of items, processes the credit card, and moves on to the next item. It is an impressive assembly line of capitalism.
In the end, I bought a polo shirt, T-shirt, hat, and cup. It felt like a small amount of luggage compared to most of the people around him, and in the end he only carried one bag with him all day.
A crowd of people gathered near the entrance to the Masters Golf Shop on Tuesday.Ben Jared, via BI
This whole experience made me feel like the Masters just happened to be a retail behemoth that also hosts golf tournaments.And the numbers back it up: 2022 tournaments brought in big prizes $69 million in revenue According to Forbes, there was far more merchandise revenue than the revenue from tickets and concessions.
Attendance numbers are not disclosed, but the consensus is that about 40,000 people attend the tournament each day, which translates to each visitor spending an average of $246 at the merchandise store.
But that assumes infinite supply. A man I met at the hotel said that last year, the store had to stop selling the product by Friday because it ran out of stock. It’s also possible that interest in merchandise wanes from Thursday through Sunday, when the actual golf tournament is held, which could push up the average number of spectators for practice rounds Monday through Wednesday.
The typical patron is likely to spend more than $246. As someone carrying six bags, I’m sure he was carrying around five figures worth of items.
After all, what is it for? The answer is very simple. Street credibility and status. Golf is already an expensive sport played mainly by wealthy people. In order to stand out among an already elite group, extreme measures must be taken. You have to wait in line, and there are lines of hundreds (thousands?) of people.
Excuse me, I have to go to the store to put on my new Masters hat.