Time To Sell
Roger looked at the well-maintained, bright green jacket.
People had been hounding him for years to sell it. Current life events had made money more necessary. So, he let out a long, painful sigh and sent out the text message, “Okay, I’ll auction it.” The other side exploded with thrilled responses.
Thinking Back
He sat in the back, looking at the buzzing bodies of the auction house and thought back on the day he had found it.
Roger wandered along the Toronto streets, enjoying the day and doing a bit of thrift store hunting. Little did he know something was waiting for him.
Out Of Place
He casually pushed the flimsy hangers along the pole, cringing at the amount of tattered corduroy and ’80s designed blazers that were going for only a couple of dollars.
A tacky biker’s jacket, a mis-racked windbreaker, and far too many denim-leather hybrids. But then … something bright green caught his eye. “It can't be.”
The Patch
Roger grabbed the jacket. His eyes immediately went for the left breast pocket.
If it was what his gut told him … He spotted the round black and green patch expertly sewn onto the outside. Inside a gold circle was an embroidered outline of the USA. Then, there was a little golf flag. “Oh my god,” he muttered.
Snatching It Up
Roger didn’t hesitate for a moment. He snatched up the garment before anyone else might spot his find and made his way straight to the checkout counter to purchase it. He needed to know more.
If Roger was right, this item was extremely valuable. And the fact that it had somehow made its way into a thrift store meant that it was hiding a huge secret.
Only $5
To anyone else, it would have looked like a jacket for a colorblind golf fanatic.
Even the $5 price tag would have been too much for some people. But Roger knew exactly what he was holding in his hands. Next, was to take a closer look at the tag. His hands shook with anticipation.
Something Missing
“Damn,” he said, feeling the excitement falter a little.
Aside from the maker’s label, there should have been a second “treasure”. Only, he couldn’t read the letters that still remained. But still, the question was… how did something like this end up in a thrift store? There must have been a scandal here.
Indecipherable
Roger looked at the tag attached and was immediately struck by what wasn’t on it. The tag had been crudely torn off... as if someone didn’t want anybody to have this information.
But could he decipher the tops of the letters that were stitched there? He could make out what looked like the top of a “G”... and maybe an “a”.
Suspicious
Roger knew that this was a Masters Augusta National Golf Club jacket. What made it so rare was it was only awarded to members who won the Master’s Golf Tournament… and even then, the winners were not allowed to wear it outside the club for more than a year.
So, it’s no wonder then that the owner had torn his name off the label. Roger had always been fascinated with the wild rumors about the strange, cultish golf club over the years.
Strange Rules
Taking a member Jacket (all members of the club are issued one) off club grounds is strictly forbidden. And when it comes to the Masters Green Jacket, they may not be removed from the grounds except during the first year after they are presented.
Keeping any Augusta jacket will get you banned from the golf club. But that’s not the only strange rule that members of the elitist club have to follow.
Getting Banned Or Jailed
Some of these rules have been criticized for being outdated, contradictory, and just flat-out strange. Tipping and using a cell phone are not allowed, and scalping tickets to tournaments can get you jailed.
What’s more, you can’t apply to become a member at Augusta, and nobody outside the club knows how many members there are. Still, Roger needed answers.
Searching For Information
The first step was to reach out to golf friends and a few “specialists” – all of them gaped at Roger’s find and begged to buy it.
He politely declined. He was a fan of the sport as well and having this in his home was amazing. However, the golf-collector’s world wouldn’t leave him alone.
It's Time
For years, people hit him up, asking if he had changed his mind and was interested in selling.
And for years, his answer was no. However, life brought on difficult circumstances that made sentimental attachments impractical. He picked up the phone and gave the news he was going to finally put it up for auction.
Rabid Buyer
A golf journalist from the UK was so confident that he was going to get it, he asked to hold onto it during the event, to make sure that nothing happened to it.
As the auctioneer announced the opening big of $5000, Roger let out a surprised huff. Not bad for a $5 investment. So what was the final bid?
Huge Profit
The UK journalist indeed fought and won for the golf jacket for $139,349!
People politely clapped and Roger could finally let the escape go. It was painful to watch his beloved blazer leave in the hands of another, but at least that person would appreciate it. The question everyone asks is, “why that much?!”
Exclusive Club
First, the logo on the breast pocket is of the Augusta National Golf Club.
It’s one of the most exclusive and coveted places in the world for anyone who swings a club. It was founded by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts and opened for play in 1932. But it wouldn’t be until 1949 that it became a prestigious tournament symbol.
Jacket Rules
Unlike other clubs (which run as non-profits), the Augusta is a for-profit club and does not release its working information.
How does the jacket factor into all of this. Well, first, anyone who is a member gets to wear one – but it’s strictly forbidden to wear one outside the club grounds. Why?
Memberships
As we know, only tournament Masters are allowed to don the bright green symbol outside the club grounds, and then, only for one year.
They also have their name stitched into the back label. To put this into further perspective, wearing one gives a considerable amount of clout. While people can come in and play, being a member is different. One difference is the membership fee.
In The Thousands
It runs somewhere between $10,000 and $30,000 just to join (and get your blazer).
After that, you’re expected to pay an annual fee of around $10,000. Guests of course are welcome, but that wasn't always the case when (not that long ago) some discriminatory rules were upheld.
Recent Changes
Women weren’t allowed to play. Players could only be caucasian and caddies had to be black.
It was in 1990 that Ron Townsend was invited. In 2012, the club bowed to public opinion and pressure and finally allowed two women to play in the tournament.
Secrets
There is a huge fence around the pristine course to keep the animals out.
There has only been one deer sighting on the grounds in the last 65 years, and visitors often wonder why they never see so much as a squirrel. Then, there is the mystery of the missing birds.
Mystery
Birds are rarely ever seen at Augusta National - and it’s something that is often spoken about among members and visitors.
Although bird calls can be heard during television broadcasts of tournaments, rumor has it that these sounds are artificial. Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post even made a comment about it.
Nowhere To Be Found
"Also, there are no birds, squirrels, insects, or any other living creature indigenous to planet earth at the Masters. Nowhere on the property,” Boswell said.
“Well, okay, there must be some somewhere. But the Post’s Dave Sheinin and I made a multi-day quest for a single bird sighting. So far, none. Those bird calls that you sometimes hear on the Masters broadcast? The source remains undiscovered." Then, there are the lakes.
Artificial Lakes
The sparkling, pristine lakes that look immaculate on TV have been artificially enhanced. Golf Digest tested the water on one hole in 1996 and found that the lake contained blue food dye.
And, even though those lakes teem with bream and bass, the players don’t talk about fishing there because it is forbidden.
A Lonely House
Strangely, there is a house located beside the Augusta National, in a free parking lot. But the owners adamantly refuse to sell it. Over the years, they have turned down millions of dollars from the club.
Next to the parking lot lies a stretch of empty land that used to house a whole neighborhood, now only that one house remains. The club spent $40 million to buy and bulldoze all the other homes.
Unresolved
While Roger will probably never know who the Masters jacket belonged to, he made a tidy profit of $139,349 from a $5 thrift-store jacket. According to experts, it had originally been made sometime in the 1950s.
Nobody knows how the jacket made its way into a thrift store in Canada, but Roger was lucky to have stumbled upon it.