AUGUSTA, Ga. — Masters gnome mania dominated patron merchandise shopping during the three practice round days at Augusta National this week.
Lines at the North Golf Shop quickly grew to 90-minute wait times each morning shortly after gates opened at 7 a.m. ET.
“People line up thinking they’re going to get a gnome, but they’re gone in the first hour,” one tournament employee told Front Office Sports. Most afternoons, though, wait times are only around 30 minutes to get inside the 30,000-square-foot building.
Roughly 1,000 Masters gnomes are believed to be made available each day, split between the north and south village shops. The gnomes cost $59.50, up $10 from last year, and purchases are limited to one per person. Still, golf shop workers can barely keep up with restocking the gnomes as the limited supply flies off the shelf.
This is the 10th anniversary of the first year the Masters gnomes were released, and there have been rumors that this will be the last tournament in which they will be sold. That has created a wildly expensive presale market for the souvenirs, with the 2026 edition gnomes selling on e-commerce sites like eBay for as much as $1,000.
Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley was even asked about the potential end of gnome sales at his annual state of the Masters press conference on Wednesday. “I’ve been asking that question for several years, and they won’t tell me the answer,” he said. “So I can’t help you.”
No Gnome Left Behind
For patrons who don’t score the coveted souvenir, there are plenty of other gnome-themed items available to buy in the merch store.
New this year is a light green polo with screen-printed drawings of all 10 editions of the Masters gnome. The shirt is available in “dad & lad” sizes for fathers and sons interested in matching.
- Polo: $99 for men’s, $49 for kids
- Salt & pepper shakers: $39
- T-Shirts (in green or white): $34
- Mini gnome: $30 (also limited to one per person)
- Christmas ornament: $30
- Commemoratory flag: $30
- Cheese spreaders: $28
- Coffee mug: $19.50
As much attention as the gnomes attract, they are just one small part of the overall commerce craze at the Masters, which is estimated to bring in $70 million in merch revenue each tournament week.
When asked on Tuesday what the largest receipt they had seen was, one cashier told FOS, “Nothing too crazy today, just like $3,000.”
