The Masters host venue, Augusta National, is on the bucket list of so many golf fans across the world, but how do you become a member?
There really is no easy way to tell you this, but it's very unlikely you will get the chance to join their exclusive club. There are a number of different factors behind this, which we will go into a little bit later on, but it's not all doom and gloom.
There are a few ways that non-members can play Augusta National, but unfortunately it's not as easy as calling the pro-shop for a twilight knock. The club is very secretive in all it does, and this applies to all things to do with membership matters.
How Hard Is It To Become A Member At Augusta National Golf Club?
Membership at Augusta National comes with an expansive set of rules, including one in particular that requires members to refrain from talking publicly about the club. The chairman is allowed to do so, although he rarely does, but for everyone it's mum's the word.
Augusta National is owned by a private company that publishes no accounts. So, the outside world cannot even suss out how much the club receives in annual membership fees, or joining fees. Nor even how much it makes from hosting The Masters.
The latter is ‘a lot’. For this reason, Augusta National is not as expensive as many of the very high-end, exclusive golf clubs. But these things are comparative. No exact figures are known, but it's believed the joining fee is around $40,000 and annual dues are “in the low thousands”. If you want to put a figure to this, about $4,000 has been suggested.
This is a club for the rich and well connected. But the emphasis is more on the latter. It is just that that the former tends to lead to the latter. In 2015, Bloomberg listed 118 members of the club, and classed five of them as billionaires.
So, Who Gets Invited?
This is where it gets tricky. Members can propose people they think would make good members, but that would require you not only to be 'friendly' with a member, but also a person that the club would deem a valuable asset.
Then, when a rare vacancy arises, the powers that be then decide who to invite based on all the recommendations.
Augusta National has many famous members, but until recently it was a male-only membership. Annika Sorenstam and Condoleezza Rice make up some of the famous female members of Augusta National, with the club admitting its first female members in 2012.
Many of the members are from the worlds of business, politics and golf, but golfing ability is not a prerequisite. It's estimated that the average golf handicap of an Augusta member is around 14, but the average age is less surprising.
When USA Today published a leaked list of Augusta National’s membership of 2002, there were only four members listed as being under 50. If you were hoping to find an application form attached to this article, I am sorry to disappoint, but at least you know that if you become a very rich, very influential with lots of powerful friends... you might just have a chance!
