numbering about 350 and scattered throughout the property, enjoy the opportunity to watch shots while on duty. Essentially, they need to be pre- pared to answer four basic questions: Where’s the beer? Where’s the bath- room? Where’s Tiger? How do we get to Amen Corner? Occasionally they do get the odd stumper, like, “Where’s my husband?” Gallery guards tend to entertain themselves between inquiries by people-watching and eavesdropping snippets of conversations, the most en- tertaining being the misidentification of players coupled with strong opinions. Of course, the crème de la crème of perks, afforded not just to the gallery guards but all the volunteers, is a round of golf at Augusta National at the end of May before the club closes for the summer. They also can hang around and play the Par-3 Course as many times as they want and buy Masters merchandise at half-price. Oh, and lunch is free, too. As one can imagine, there is a waiting list to join these ranks. “I waited four years to get here,” says one gentleman from South Carolina. “How else would someone like me get on Augusta National? It’s a sweet deal if you don’t get rained out. They don’t reschedule.” WHITE JACKETS A wildly popular herd, this contingent in white jackets and black bowties serves as waiters and bartenders. They are seen scurrying about the expansive verandah ensuring that club members and guests receive first-class service, validating Augusta National’s reputa- tion for across-the-board efficiency. If only every restaurant we visited em- ployed the same immensely helpful ratio of servers to guests. LILAC JACKETS Just about all attendees interact with this group stationed in the Masters shop. They work as cashiers, merchan- dise stockers and support to help peo- ple run up their credit-card balances. The shop reportedly brings in as much as $850 000 per hour, with its shelves of Augusta National-logoed items as diverse as wallets, ties, cutting boards, garden gnomes, cufflinks and more, in addition to golf accessories.
Amateur and the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals. However, compensa- tion comes with the perk of having an opportunity during off-hours to take in the year’s first major, which is cool when you consider that the Masters is known for being the toughest ticket in sports. Feel like signing up? Visit jobs.masters.com to investigate oppor- tunities for the 2025 edition. “It’s not about the money because the money is not great,” says an Augusta resident who has worked in the conces- sion areas the past few years. “You get to see some golf, and that is pretty awe- some. The cool thing is saying you are a part of the experience. It’s the stories you can tell your friends. You can say you contributed to something that a lot of people have an interest in. It’s an ‘I was there when’ thing. There is a lot of satisfaction in that.” These helpers aren’t just locals but rather come from all over the country, and many have been returning for a de- cade or more. Just who are these indi- viduals with their eye-catching jackets and what do they do? Well, we asked them. These are the leader-board operators, and in the Land of Cellphone Purgato- ry, their job is among the most integral on the property. Quite celebrated is the crew manning the giant 18th-hole lead- erboard, especially on Sundays as the swollen mini-village of patrons in fold- out chairs reacts with ever-increasing excitement to the updated numbers. GREEN JACKETS (tan-hat division) Working the registers under the roofs of the permanent concession structures is literally a job made in the shade. Perks include the ability to easily step out to watch golf during off-hours or, around mid-afternoon, to engage in enlighten- ing repartee with Mr I’ll-Have-Another. It should be noted that all the volun- teers may watch golf but must remove their hats when off duty. GREEN JACKETS (beer-distribution division)
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Few symbols of success are more rec- ognisable, coveted and iconic than the green jacket of Augusta National Golf Club, and there are only two ways to get one – accept an invitation for member- ship or win the Masters Tournament. Either way, you pretty much have the world by the balatas. With a big asterisk, a third way to don an Augusta jacket is to work the tourna- ment. It won’t be a tailored Pantone 342 (rye green) single-breasted sport coat emblazoned with the club logo and three brass buttons, but it still gets you inside the gates. Assisting the mem- bership in running the greatest sport- ing event on Earth takes a small army – well, maybe not that small – of hired help and volunteers. If you’ve attended the Masters, you’ve come to recognise these folks by their distinctive jackets. Green remains prominent (especially the half-zip pullover and windbreaker variety), but look around and you’ll find overlayers of red, blue, black, lilac, white and, well, almost every oth- er spring it seems a new colour pops up like a flower, and the Augusta National logo adorns most of these jackets. The hours can be long, and the pay isn’t what you would call handsome – typically about $12 to $16 per hour – and many of these positions require shifts during the Augusta National Women’s
GREEN JACKETS (yellow-hat division)
These are the gallery guards who run the crosswalks. This volunteer brigade,
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MARCH/APRIL 2024
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