My favorite piece of Masters merch doesn’t cost a cent

AUGUSTA, Ga. — When I was in high school, before I had fully caught the golf bug, my father attended the 1987 Masters and brought back two pieces of merchandise to share. The first was one of the popular green Masters folding chairs you see patrons place around the greens at Augusta National Golf Club as their own portable grandstands. It wasn’t as fancy as those sold today, the canvas covering serving its purpose of providing a place to sit albeit not providing the most comfortable resting spot. But it had that Masters logo, so it was nice little piece of swag that we subsequently re-used for various outdoor events, like going to the beach or when out at a bar-b-que, and still can be found in my parents’ garage.

The other thing he gave me was a 3-by-7 inch booklet labeled “Spectator Suggestions for the Masters Tournament.” It touted that it was written by none other than Bobby Jones, co-founder of the Masters, himself, (actually it said By Robert T. Jones Jr.) but was otherwise pretty non-descript. When he handed it to me, I politely said thank you, but as I recall I put it aside, not thinking much of it at first.

A day or two later, however, I picked it up again and started to read through it. As I turned each page, I became oddly mesmerized with all it contained. Inside was a treasure trove of Masters history and facts, a map of the golf course and bios of those who competing in the tournament that year all contained in a couple dozen pages. Remember, this was before the Internet, before full 18-hole TV coverage of the tournament, before golf gurus on social media distilled every Masters fact in the preamble to the tournament. Inside this book, however, was everything you wanted to know and then some about the most fascinating golf tournament in the world. There was a history of the tournament, a timeline of memorable moments, a list of past champions, a catalogue of Augusta National landmarks. And it was all right there in my hands.

A copy of the version of the 1987 Spectating Guide that my dad gave me after attending that year’s Masters.

Among the parts that fascinated me the most was a whole section written by Jones offering spectator suggestions for “Star locations” to watch the tournament. Jones first wrote his copy in 1949, and it had been updated for 1987, nearly 16 years after his passing in 1971. For some reason I devoured this section, despite the fact I had never taken a step on the golf course nor did I think at the time I ever would. Yet I now knew that Jones’ suggestion for a good gallery spot on the 13th hole was to follow along the border of the fairway turning right in front of the No. 14. And that perhaps the best place to few several groups at the same time was easily bouncing back and forth from the second green to the seventh green to the 17th green.

“My principal purpose in putting these Tournament thoughts on paper for our spectator friends is to help them see the play, as nearly as possible, from the player’s angle. It is my hope that all may enjoy the Tournament a little more by reason of being better acquainted with the golfing problems. The Masters is more faithfully patronized than any other Tournament held in this country and the Club is eager to do all we can to add to its popularly.

By the end of the day, I had read the book cover to cover and had suddenly become very, very interested in the Masters. To say that this book got me into golf is an exaggeration, but it got me curious about professional golf for sure.

Fast forward to 2001, and a young writer at Golf World magazine is covering the Masters for the first time. Before taking my first steps on the course, I enter the media center, and find by a rack containing 3-by-7 inch booklet of my youth. I picked it up, and started thumbing through it and a rush of memories came back. It was now titled “Spectator Guide,” which I found humorous since everyone makes a big deal out of the fact that the Masters likes to call its ticketholders “patrons.” (I’ve learned this isn’t an oversight by the club, but rather a homage to Jones, who specifically favored the terms “spectating” and “spectators” in this usage.)

The book hadn’t really changed all that much—it remains free and is available in several places around the golf course—but I had. I stuck it in my back pocket, and then walked out of the media center, following Jones’ instructions on how to get around the course. By the time I had finished, I was in awe. The golf course was amazing, and the booklet that had me dreaming about Augusta National for years, hadn’t oversold a thing. The course obviously lived up to the hype.

This year marks the 22nd time I’ve covered the Masters in person, and each time I come to Augusta, I pick up the latest copy the Spectator Guide and bring one or two back home with me, adding them to my collection. It’s not a Masters gnome, but it’s my favor piece of Masters merch—and it doesn’t cost a cent.