Retirement gnome? Masters miniatures rumoured to have short future at Augusta | The Masters
Everyone ends up saying goodbye to the Masters. Sandy Lyle, Ben Crenshaw, Ian Woosnam and Bernhard Langer took advantage of the last few years to say goodbye. Will 2026 be the end of an iconic Augusta National feature of more recent times…the Masters gnome?
Speculation is rife that this Masters will be the last time gnomes will be for sale at Augusta outlets. At first glance, this hardly seems dramatic. The oddity, however, is that the home staple for any golf enthusiast has become a victim of its own success. Augusta National had no comment when approached about the gnome’s future, but the race is focused on collecting the last batches of stock before the 14-inch ceramic doll is enshrined in Masters history.
Gnomes were originally introduced in 2016, as a gift to the great Masters of hospitality. In 2018 they were on sale to the public and in short order extremely collectible (especially the Santa version of the Covid-affected 2020 Masters). Complete gnome sets typically sell for over $20,000. Sports auction specialist Ryan Carey told Golf Digest last month that he hopes to sell a 2016 gnome for $10,000. At the source, Masters gnomes cost $49.50. They appear on resale sites for several multiples of this price from the start of each Masters week. You would be afraid to leave one outside your front door unprotected.
The black market element of the gnome trade does not seem to bother Augusta officials. Tickets change hands for small fortunes close to the golf course gates, without batting an eye or penalty. All of this adds to the appeal of the Masters. Instead, the chatter among the azaleas is that those who run the Master Organizers are upset about the impact of gnome hunting on their customer experience. There is a limit to the number of gnomes an individual can purchase, but even that doesn’t slow down the search for Augusta’s hottest commodity.
No one knows how many gnomes go on sale daily – there are estimated to be 1,000 – but what is clear is that they sell out within an hour. It really is quite a scene as golf fans line up for hours before the doors open before rushing – without running, that’s not allowed – to the store for the one item that is a near-certainty for boosting retirement funds. Masters participants are allowed reentry, which means no need to carry the bulky box of gnomes around all day if you can carry it back to your vehicle.
Augusta of course has no reason to worry about the financial consequences of suppressing their gnomish phenomenon. Conservative estimates indicate that the Masters generates $70 million in annual merchandising revenue. Disappearing the gnomes would actually increase their subterranean value.
Despite the great weather at the Masters, this year’s gnome design includes an umbrella that, of course, even works and can be set up. The poor little guys might well need more protection than that to ensure a stay of execution. Their existence would be short but wonderfully famous.
