Growing up in Augusta, Georgia, I know a thing or two about how impossible it can be to get Masters tickets. Yes, those legendary pimento cheese sandwiches may be cheap, but to score that $1.50 delicacy, you first have to get in the gates.
When I was little, we relied on the kindness of friends, including an elderly neighbor who, much to the chagrin of her adult grandchildren, occasionally lent us a couple of badges for a morning or afternoon. (My parents moved to town in the ’70s, too late to get on the waiting list for badges, much less to make me a so-called “Masters nepo baby” who could inherit badges.)
Last year, my dad got lucky. He was able to attend one of the newer events leading up to the Masters Tournament—the Augusta National Women’s Amateur Championship, added in 2019. The opportunity to buy tickets to these events is awarded by lottery, slightly increasing your chances of stepping foot on the storied grounds.
There, he promptly discovered a new white whale—the Masters gnome.
A friend had asked him to buy one for his wife at the Pro Shop. No biggie, except that Masters gnomes, he quickly learned, are a very popular collector’s item. The only people to score a gnome that day, he was told, had arrived before daylight to be the first through the gate at 7 a.m., while he had strolled through the gate at 8 a.m.-ish. He never had a chance at the day’s allotment.
The gnomes first appeared at The Masters in 2016, returned in 2018, and have reappeared at the Pro Shop each year since. Every time they come back, they have a fun new look. This year’s comes with a gnome-sized umbrella—yes, it works.
At $49.50 and limited to one per customer, the coveted gnomes are restocked each day the Masters Pro Shop is open. Once they’re gone for the day, they’re gone. And when the Masters Tournament ends, there are no more gnomes until next year when the new edition makes its debut—at least that’s been the case over the last decade, but that could be changing.
Word is that 2026 might be the Masters gnome’s last. Golf Digest reports that an unnamed merchandising source for the Masters says he is “95 percent plus” sure that the gnomes will be retired after this year, citing the Augusta National’s desire to curb the frenzy.
The resale market for Masters gnomes is already sky-high. Now with rumors of an end to their production, it might be about to go to the far side of the moon like our friends on Artemis II. On eBay at the moment, 2026 editions are already listed for Buy It Now prices north of $700, or best offer.
A 2016 edition gnome, the original, is listed for a whopping $9,499.99 right now! Got one tucked away in your closet? That could buy you a lot of pimento cheese sandwiches.
Terri Robertson has been an editor and storyteller for more than 20 years. As Deputy Digital Editor at Country Living, she curates daily newsletters and has found a niche writing about odd corners of the internet and people embracing American life off the beaten path. She’s passionate about gardening and nature, writing about everything from super monarchs to supermoons. She also contributes to Country Living’s entertainment coverage, including HGTV stars, popular TV shows, and music. Terri began her career proofreading Southern Living cookbooks—a first job befitting an English major with a childhood penchant for reading her mom’s cookbooks—and went on to edit many food, garden, and lifestyle titles. She later worked for the University of Alabama’s marketing and communications division, capturing the stories of students and faculty. Returning to lifestyle media in 2017, she covered local arts, culture, and business news in Birmingham, Alabama, for Bham Now and later served as digital media manager for Flower magazine, a luxury home, garden, and lifestyle publication, before finding her home at Country Living. She and her husband live with their four cats in Birmingham.
