The rush to reach Augusta for this year’s Masters has been laid bare by a mind-blowing graphic that shows the private jets vying for a spot to land this week.
The players went out every 11 minutes on Thursday morning. They began their opening rounds in groups of two and three between 7.40am ET until 1.45pm ET.
A dozen miles away, the schedule was even more crammed. Private jets touched down at Augusta Regional Airport every few minutes: 8:55, 8:59, 9:01, 9:06 and so on.
They came in from Dallas and Palm Beach and Buffalo and Atlanta, a rolling conveyor belt of luxury and four-letter aircraft codes.
According to reports, more than 225 jets flew in and out of Augusta on Tuesday alone. One had made the 14-hour flight from South Korea.
Around 40,000 patrons a day are allowed through the gates to watch the first major of the year and more than 1,500 private aircrafts are expected to arrive Augusta this week.
A graphic shows hundreds of private jets flying in and out of Augusta ahead of the Masters
A TikTok video shows dozens of private aircrafts lined up at an airport near the course
The first major of the year began on Thursday morning at the famed Augusta National
Many others have been forced to land in Columbia (75 miles north east) and Charleston (150 miles south east).
This slice of the American South doesn’t attract many high-rollers across 51 weeks of the year. But space is at a premium over the next few days.
Just across the Georgia-South Carolina border from Augusta, Aiken Regional Airport boasts of its ‘Southern hospitality’ and proximity to the Masters.
It sits ‘about 27 minutes’ down Interstate 20 from Augusta National. Unfortunately, the parking lot for private jets is full.
‘Aiken Aviation is at maximum capacity and is no longer accepting reservations for Wednesday, April 9 through Sunday, April 13, 2025,’ the website reads.
Those lucky enough to have secured a spot face paying between $50 and $2,000 a day for the privilege – and that is on top of the fee just for reaching the airport.
It’s said that, for a group of eight, a round trip from Palm Beach to Augusta will typically cost around $60,000. According to Front Office Sports, booking last minute can see prices hike by up to 60 per cent.
Among those flying in for the Masters is Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and chairman of the LIV Golf.
Golf legend Jack Nicklaus was among the honorary starters who kicked off the 2025 Masters
Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of Saudi Arabia’s PIF, jetted in for the first major of the year
Parking your private jet at Aiken Regional Airport will cost between $50 and $2,000 a day
His jet was tracked on its long flight from the Middle East to Augusta – via a short stopover in Maine. Al-Rumayyan touched down in time for the first tee times.
The high-rollers can at least save cash inside the exclusive, historic course. The famed concessions menu at Augusta includes pimento cheese sandwiches for just $1.50. Nothing costs more than $6.
There are 27 items on offer and the entire menu would cost a patron just $77.
The tournament has added to its menu for 2025, with a ‘savory tomato pie’ now available for $3, while patrons can now buy apple slices for $1.50.
The most expensive items on the menu are wine and beer including the ‘Crow’s Nest’, which is served exclusively at the four-day tournament.
