How Can I Play A Round Of Golf At Augusta National?

Augusta National is a private club and not open to the public, except with a ticket during the Masters. As one of the most beautiful and iconic golf courses in the world, every golfer dreams of playing a round there. Keep reading to find out how you can play a round at Augusta National.

How to Play Augusta National

Augusta National Golf Course is one of the most private and prestigious golf courses in the world, and there are only a handful of ways to be able to play there. Some of the different ways that a person could play a round at Augusta National are:

• Joining the Augusta National Golf Club
• Knowing a member
• Winning the media ballot
• Qualifying for the Masters
• Qualifying for the Augusta National Women’s Amateur
• Working for Augusta National
• Playing golf on a local college team
• Joining Augusta Country Club
• Becoming a volunteer at the Masters Tournament
• Becoming a caddie

Augusta National is one of the hardest golf courses to play a round at. Membership is invitation-only, meaning that the only way to even become a member of this course is to know somebody who is a member.

Augusta National Golf Course is one of the nicest and best-kept golf courses that you will see in America. It is the nicest golf course that many play on throughout their entire life. 

Becoming a Member

While it is the least-feasible of the options on this list, the only way to get as much unrestricted access to the Augusta National Golf Course as possible is to become a member of the course’s golf club. Surprisingly, Augusta National’s membership fees are substantially lower than most other private, prestigious golf clubs, which often have entry fees of $100,000 or more. 

However, this does not mean that a membership at Augusta National is cheap, or easy to obtain. To join the club, a prospective member must first be invited to join, and then must pay initiation fees of around $20,000 to $40,000, along with yearly dues of several thousand dollars in addition, all of which is well out of range for the average golfer.

Additionally, because the club prefers to keep its membership list around 300 people, spots are extremely limited, and usually only become available when a current member dies or leaves the club. These free spots are often taken quickly by those with connections, such as politicians or star athletes, meaning that even those who have the money to pay the entry fees may be out of luck if they are not influential enough.

Despite these impediments, for those who have the money and power to do so, a membership at Augusta National is the surest way to be able to play on the course. This is the best way to get one’s friends and family in to play there as well.

Knowing a Member

Aside from becoming a member at Augusta National, one can earn the right to play there by knowing a member of the club. There are roughly 300 members of Augusta National, and being invited by one of them is the quickest way to get a round in at the famous course. Members are allowed to bring up to four guests on the course at a time, each for a relatively small fee of around $40.

Winning the Media Ballot

Someone could play a round at Augusta National by winning the media ballot at the Masters, which is when media members covering the Masters tournament are randomly selected to play a round for free on the day after the tournament. As with most options on this list, these media slots are extremely limited.

Qualifying for the Masters

The hardest way to get a round in at Augusta National is to qualify for the Masters Tournament, which is held annually in April. Qualification for the Masters is an extremely difficult task, as you must be a professional or top amateur to qualify. Even some of the best golfers in the world do not qualify for the Masters, so this is certainly the toughest way to play at Augusta.

Qualifying for the Augusta National Women’s Amateur

This tournament draws the best women’s golfers from around the world. Held the week before the Masters, competitors in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur get one practice round and one competition round on the course.

Working for Augusta National

All employees of the golf course are allowed one round per year on the course. This applies to every type of worker and not just caddies. While this may be a rare treat, yearly access to the course could be an enticing job perk for an avid golfer.

Playing Golf on a Local College Team

Students at universities in the area occasionally play the course as part of collegiate tournaments and on special invitations. While it is not a guarantee, joining the golf team at a school near Augusta (the general Georgia and South Carolina area) is a good way to increase your chances of playing a round on the course.

Joining Augusta Country Club

Sometimes members of Augusta National will phone the clubhouse at Augusta Country Club looking for a golfer to complete their foursome. This is another method that requires some luck, but a membership at neighboring Augusta Country Club can get you onto the greens at Augusta National.

Other Ways to Play

Other ways to play at Augusta National also include becoming a volunteer for the Masters, which is said to be just as hard as securing membership at Augusta National, or working as a caddie at the golf course. Occasionally, volunteers and caddies may be able to play a round at Augusta in the event of a vacancy, but this is extremely rare.

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