The Masters: Must-Have & Rare Golf Memorabilia Make It a Collector’s Dream
Every April, the world’s best golfers converge at Augusta National Golf Club to battle for the coveted Masters green jacket. Around 40,000 fans a day following them around the course soaking in the history, beauty, and prestige of one of golf’s most iconic stages.
Most of these fans also make their way to the pro shop, where they’ll spend big bucks on clothing, equipment, collectibles, and keepsakes that bear the Masters logo. We’re talking more than $10 million a day and over $70 million for the tournament — truly insane numbers.
Yet, Masters merchandise is unlike any other in sports in that most items are sold exclusively at the tournament. You can’t just walk into DICK’S Sporting Goods or log onto Amazon to buy official Masters gear. If you want this year’s Masters-branded polo, golf bag, or one of the famous commemorative cups, you have to be there in person.
This is easier said than done as Masters Tournament tickets are notoriously hard to get. The scarcity this creates results in many of these items turning up in secondary markets, swooped up by fans willing to overpay for a piece of the Masters legacy.
While these items have immediate FOMO value, serious sports memorabilia collectors and investors aren’t typically looking for value in pro shops and merch tents. They’re looking for mementoes with lasting value — items with autographs from golf legends, pieces tied to a significant moment in Masters history, or rare artifacts from the tournament’s past.
The line between a keepsake and a true golf memorabilia investment comes down to authenticity, player legacy, and historical significance. That’s why signed Masters flags, tournament-worn gear, and championship trophies fetch top dollar.
From green jackets to record-breaking auction sales, here’s a look at some of the most valuable Masters memorabilia ever sold:
Masters Ticket Stubs As Memorabilia
Masters Tournament tickets are highly prized collectibles, with their value often influenced by factors like age, condition, and historical significance. Tickets from the inaugural tournament in 1934, which was called the Augusta National Invitation Tournament, are particularly sought after. Those bearing autographs from legendary figures like Bobby Jones and Hortin Smith are especially coveted.
Some notable examples of the most valuable Masters tickets include:
1934 Masters Series Badge Signed by Horton Smith and Bobby Jones
In April 2024, a 1934 Masters Series Badge, signed by tournament winner Horton Smith and Augusta National co-founder Bobby Jones, sold at auction for $470,857. This badge is one of only three known to exist — only two bearing these significant autographs — underscoring its rarity and historical memorabilia importance.
1934 Masters Season Ticket Autographed by 17 Participants
A full-week pass from the first Masters Tournament, autographed by 17 of the 61 participants — including Smith and Jones (yes, this is the other one) — sold privately in 2022 for $600,000. This sale set a record for the highest price ever paid for a sports ticket, reflecting the ticket's exceptional rarity and the prominence of the signatures it bears.
1934 Final Round Ticket
A ticket from the final round of the inaugural 1934 Masters Tournament sold at auction in 2018 for $118,598. Originally priced at $2.20, this ticket's significant appreciation highlights collectors' deep interest in early and rare Masters memorabilia.
Masters Green Jackets
Few items in sports memorabilia are as exclusive, or as valuable, as an official Masters green jacket. Since 1949, every Masters champion has been awarded the legendary green blazer, a tradition that symbolizes entry into one of golf’s most elite clubs.
But unlike most trophies, even winners have limited access to their own jackets. After wearing it for a year, the champion must return it to Augusta National, where it’s stored with the others in a private locker, only to be worn on club grounds. The exclusivity of these jackets, combined with their deep historical significance, makes them some of the rarest pieces in golf collecting.
Here are two notable green jacket sales that somehow found their way into the collectors’ sphere:
Horton Smith’s Green Jacket
The most expensive green jacket ever sold belonged to the first-ever Masters champion, Horton Smith. He won the 1934 inaugural event, then took the title again in 1936. The green jacket wasn’t a thing in the tournament’s first decade-plus, so Smith was awarded his jacket retroactively in 1949. In 2013, this historic green jacket was auctioned for $682,229, setting a record for golf memorabilia at the time.
Masters “Thrift Store” Green Jacket
One of the most surprising Masters memorabilia sales involved a mystery green jacket that was discovered in a Toronto thrift store. Bought for a measly $5, the garment was later authenticated as an Augusta National members jacket. In 2017, the Thrift Store Green Jacket was sold at auction for $139,349. While it didn’t belong to a Masters champion, its rarity and connection to Augusta National still made it incredibly valuable.
Masters Tournament-Used Clubs
Masters tournament-used golf clubs are among the most valuable collectibles in golf memorabilia. What sets the highest-priced clubs apart from the rest is their direct connections to legendary players, iconic victories, and historic moments at Augusta National.
Signed clubs, tournament-used putters, and equipment linked to the Masters’s greatest champions often command top dollar, especially when verified by provenance and (sometimes disputed) authentication. Here are three notable Masters-related clubs that have sold for high prices:
Tiger Woods’s “Tiger Slam” Iron Set Memorabilia
Tiger Woods memorabilia is some of the most sought after golf memorabilia. One of the most expensive golf memorabilia sales ever, Tiger Woods’s set of Titleist 689-T irons and Vokey wedges, believed to be used during his historic “Tiger Slam” (when he won all four majors consecutively in 2000-2001), sold for more than $5.15 million in 2022. The sale set the record for the most expensive golf clubs ever sold. Their authenticity has since been disputed, however, as Woods reps claim Tiger still owns the original set.
Tiger’s Scotty Cameron Backup Putter
Tiger is known for his legendary Scotty Cameron Newport 2 GSS putter, which he used to win 14 of his 15 major championships, including the Masters. While often buried deep in his golf bag, his backup putters have also become highly valuable collectibles. In 2022, one such Scotty Cameron backup putter sold for $393,300 at auction. The putter wasn’t tied to a specific Masters win, but it’s connection to Woods and the extreme rarity of his backup putters — only a few are produced each year — made it one of the most expensive putters ever sold.
Arnold Palmer’s 1964 Masters-Winning Putter
Arnold Palmer’s putter from his 1967 Masters victory — his fourth and final green jacket — sold for $97,000 in 2017. As one of the most legendary figures in golf history, any tournament-used club from Palmer’s bag is valuable, especially one tied to a major victory.
Masters Trophies As Memorabilia
Unlike many major sports, where trophies remain with the winners or leagues, Masters trophies have occasionally made their way into the hands of collectors, becoming some of the most prized collectibles in golf memorabilia.
First introduced in 1961, the official Masters trophy is a sterling silver replica of the Augusta National clubhouse and is awarded to the tournament champion. While the champion’s green jacket must be returned to Augusta National after a year, the trophy is theirs to keep.
What makes these trophies valuable is their direct connection to a Masters champion’s triumph. Unlike merchandise or autographed memorabilia, these are actual pieces of history, awarded to winners who have etched their names into golf’s most prestigious tournament. Because so few of them exist, they rarely come up for sale, but when they do, they fetch astonishing prices at auction.
Here are two of the most valuable Masters trophies ever sold:
Arnold Palmer’s Masters Tournament Trophy
Palmer won four Masters titles in his legendary career, and one of his official Masters trophies was sold at auction for $444,012 in 2016. The trophy had originally been donated to be displayed at a planned Virginia golf museum that was never built. Rather than giving the trophy back, its new owners (to the disappointment of the Palmer family) decided to sell it at auction. Given Palmer’s status as a fan favorite and one of the sport’s greatest ambassadors, any item tied to his Masters wins is a collector’s dream.
The “Permanent” Masters Trophy
This oversized Masters trophy, known as the "Permanent" Masters Trophy, is a one-of-a-kind item — a “Holy Grail” piece for collectors of Masters memorabilia. Measuring over 10 inches tall, 21 inches in diameter, and weighing more than 45 pounds, it’s twice the size of the standard trophy and was originally created for a planned Masters museum that never materialized. The trophy, which features engravings of every Masters champion and runner-up through 2000, sold for $220,752 in 2015, making it one of the most expensive non-champion trophies in golf history.
Sam Snead’s 1954 Masters Winner’s Trophy
One of golf’s all-time greats, Sam Snead claimed his first of three Masters championships in 1949. He also won in 1952 and 1954, contributing to his seven career major championships. In 2023, the official Masters trophy from his 1949 Masters victory sold at auction for $766,433, more than five times its sale price from just a decade earlier.
Whether you're a lifelong golf fan, a seasoned golf memorabilia investor, or someone who simply appreciates the legacy of Augusta National, Masters collectibles offer a tangible piece of history that only grows more valuable with time. From rare green jackets to one-of-a-kind tournament tickets, these artifacts are more than souvenirs—they're stories, sealed in time.
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