Every April, Augusta National Golf Club becomes an obsession for golf fans. And with The Masters tournament teeing off Thursday, there’s a lot for people to talk about.
Tiger Woods has shocked the golf world by not only announcing that he would play in this year’s three-day tournament, but that he expected to win. Phil Mickelson, a three-time champion and last year’s winner, is MIA after making disparaging comments about the PGA Tour and the Saudi Arabian backers of a younger golf circuit.
But the real hot topic in the golf world is the price of a ham and cheese sandwich.
While a ticket to the Masters will set you back $115 per day, grabbing a bite to eat at Augusta National has always been a bargain. And the ham and cheese on rye, at $2.50, has been a long-time favorite. This year, though, the price has jumped to $3. And it’s not the only menu item costing more.
A chicken biscuit has gone from $1.50 to $2. The Master’s Club sandwich is now $3, a 50-cent increase. And a cup of coffee will cost you four bits more. Several other longtime menu items, like the Georgia peach ice cream sandwich, aren’t on the menu at all, although some items, like the pimento cheese sandwich which has had a $1.50 price tag since 2003, saw no price changes.
Make no mistake, food prices are still ridiculously low at Augusta National. That’s part of the course’s strategy to make guests (called patrons) feel welcomed and like they’re not being gouged, in large part because that makes them more likely to spend more in the three-story merchandise shop.
But the slight tweaks, which range from a 20% to 33% price hike, are a sign that inflation’s creep is everywhere.
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