Course · Golf
Augusta National Golf Club
Augusta National is a private members club in eastern Georgia that opens to the public for one week a year, and that scarcity defines everything about visiting. The course itself is the most recognisable in golf, built across former nursery land with severe elevation change that television flattens completely: the walk down the tenth or across Amen Corner is far steeper in person than it looks on screen. Attending is difficult, expensive and tightly controlled, and no part of it can be arranged casually.
The club does not publish attendance or capacity figures for the tournament, and has never done so. Any number you see quoted is an estimate.
What happens here
The teams and events that put this venue on a fan travel itinerary.
Home teams
No permanent club tenant. This venue operates on an event calendar, so what is on depends entirely on the date you are travelling.
Major events
- the-masters
How it got here
The history that still shapes what you see on a visit.
Bobby Jones retired from competitive golf in 1930 and set out to build a course of his own, choosing a former plant nursery outside Augusta and hiring the Scottish architect Alister MacKenzie to design it. The club opened in 1933 and the first Masters was played the following year. Many of the holes are still named for the plants that grew on the nursery beds they occupy, and the course has been lengthened and revised many times without changing its basic routing.
Getting there
Including what changes on the way out, which is usually the harder half.
Transit summary
There is no public transport that meaningfully serves the club. Augusta Regional Airport is small and its capacity is stretched during tournament week, so many visitors fly into Atlanta and drive roughly two and a half hours, or into Columbia, South Carolina, which is closer. Shuttle services run from designated lots and hotels during the tournament.
Parking and rideshare
The club provides free on site parking during the tournament, which is unusual and genuinely well organised. Rideshare and taxi drop off points are set at specific locations away from the gates and are heavily managed. Local traffic patterns change substantially during tournament week, so follow the published routes rather than a mapping app.
Where to stay, eat and drink
Nearby hotel areas
- Downtown Augusta along Broad Street (closest concentration of hotels, books out a year ahead for tournament week)
- Augusta suburbs and the I-20 corridor (chain stock, still expensive during the tournament)
- Private home rentals across Augusta (the dominant option during tournament week and often better value than hotels)
- Columbia, South Carolina or Aiken (an hour or less away, materially cheaper, requires a daily drive)
- Atlanta (two and a half hours away, viable only as a base for a single day trip)
Bars and restaurants nearby
- Broad Street in downtown Augusta, the main restaurant and bar strip and the social centre during tournament week
- The Riverwalk area along the Savannah River for a quieter evening
- Surrey Center and the Summerville area for local restaurants away from the crowd
- On course concessions are famously inexpensive by the standards of major sporting events, which is a deliberate club policy
Tours and visits
There is no public tour. Augusta National is a private club with a small membership and it does not open its grounds outside the tournament and its associated events. The only realistic public access is with a tournament ticket.
Practical tips
Planning a visit to Augusta National Golf Club
- Tournament tickets are distributed mainly through a random application process that runs well over a year ahead. There is no way to buy directly from the club outside it.
- Leave your phone in the car. Electronic devices are not permitted on the grounds and there is no exception for keeping it switched off in a pocket.
- The elevation change is severe and you will walk a long way. Comfortable shoes matter more here than at any other sporting event.
- Practice round days are a completely different and more relaxed experience from tournament days, and are usually easier to obtain.
- Augusta has limited accommodation for the demand tournament week creates. Home rentals are the norm and prices reflect scarcity, so plan a year out or plan to stay further away.
Bags, security and accessibility
Mobile phones and other electronic devices are prohibited on the grounds and the rule is enforced without exception, which is the single most important thing to know before arriving. Bag restrictions are strict and specific. Accessibility provision exists but the course has significant elevation change throughout, so plan the day around that rather than assuming a flat walk.
Related destinations
The wider city guide around this venue
Related events
Major events staged at or around this venue
Where to go next
Frequently asked questions
Can I visit Augusta National outside the tournament?+
No. It is a private members club with no public tour and no general access. The tournament week and its associated events are the only realistic way onto the grounds.
Are phones really banned?+
Yes, and the rule is enforced strictly. Mobile phones and other electronic devices are not permitted on the grounds during tournament days. Plan to be uncontactable for the day.
How do people get tickets?+
Primarily through a random application process administered by the club that runs more than a year in advance, covering practice rounds and tournament days separately. FanForged is independent and has no involvement in ticketing or any affiliation with the club.
Last updated August 19, 2026
Sources and verification
- Masters Tournament official spectator and ticket information
- Augusta Regional Airport travel information
Capacity figures are approximate and configuration-dependent. Transit routes, bag policies, and tour access change around fixtures and construction. Verify before travel.
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FanForged has no affiliation with Augusta National Golf Club, its operator, or any team or event staged there. Venue names are used descriptively and no venue marks are reproduced here.