Masters keeps pimento cheese sandwich at $1.50 despite inflation
8 reported
The Masters golf tournament in Georgia has drawn attention for concession prices that have remained low for decades, even as inflation and other factors raise costs elsewhere. The Augusta National Golf Club’s pimento cheese sandwich has cost $1.50 since 2002, down in real terms from 30 cents in 1934. Most menu items cost no more than $3.00, with beer and wine at $6.00. The tournament stated on Instagram that “Masters morsels are a model of concessions consistency.” Ticket prices, however, are steep, with practice-round tickets at $125 to $150 and four-day badges at $525, up from $450 in recent years. Resale tickets are prohibited but appear on secondary platforms, with single-round tickets starting over $6,000. The Masters makes most of its revenue from merchandise, with Forbes estimating $141 million in 2022, including $69 million from merchandise and only $8 million from concessions.
What’s reported
The pimento cheese sandwich has cost $1.50 since 2002 and has been on the menu since 1934, when it cost 30 cents.
Most menu items cost no more than $3.00; beer and wine cost $6.00.
A patron could buy all 27 menu items for $78.75.
Practice-round tickets cost $125 and $150; tournament rounds cost $160; four-day badges cost $525, up from $450 in the last three years.
Resale tickets are prohibited but available on StubHub starting at over $6,000 for single rounds and over $20,000 for a four-day badge.
Forbes estimated Masters revenue at $141 million in 2022, with $69 million from merchandise and $8 million from concessions.
The new Masters Candy Bar costs $2.25; blueberry muffins and cheese straws rose 50 cents since last year.
A khaki-clad lawn gnome souvenir costs $59.50, up $10 from last year, with a limit of one per customer.
Key figures
Monica Johnson, spectator (quoted from last year)
Billy Payne, Augusta National Chairman (quoted from 2007)
Sources: NPR
