Concession prices at The Masters are from another time

As the 81st Masters tees off on Thursday, it appears concession prices have not changed for a long time.

Masters week is a clear sign spring is here in the colder climates around the United States, and Thursday morning the first golfers are on the course at August National.

The Masters is one of the more prestigious events in sports, and narrowing the conversation just to golf there’s a case for it to be atop that list of prestige. It also holds the unique distinction of never-changing the venue each year. In this era of everything being instantly available, Augusta National holds things close to the vest with traditional television coverage of play and a lack of selling out to sponsors.

Concession prices at sporting events are often excessive, as ballparks and arenas have leverage over fans they willingly exploit for profit. But The Masters has set itself apart there too, with prices that are clearly a throwback to another era.

Let’s play out the “you have $12” exercise laid out above, assuming being there in the afternoon. A beer is a pre-requisite, but in the interest of saving a bit I’ll go with a $4 Domestic Light Beer. After that I’m taking a Turkey sandwich ($2.50) and an egg salad sandwich ($1.50). Then I’m splurging for candy $1.00) and some peanuts ($1.00), with the latter maybe saved for later, and I’ll finish with a water ($2.00).

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That’s $12, which is at least close to what it costs for just a beer at a baseball game these days. But at The Masters, you can get a beer, re-hydrate with a water, and eat fairly solidly for a remarkable price. It’s fair to wonder when concession prices were last changed for The Masters, but my bet is at least 30 years ago.