Berckmans Place - The Masters

[RussBaribault]

Has anyone every been to the Masters hospitality tent? What's so special about it?

[Paul Jones]

It is Disney Land for golf nuts !!!  They made 3 identical greens and 1 large additional practice green with famous pin locations.  The greens are kept identical to the course and you are allowed to putt on them.  Also ~4 nice restaurants, all beer/booze/wine you can drink and access to special gift shop that also carries logos/stuff from the members Pro Shop with Augusta National original logo that is on the green jacket.  There is more, but those are 1st things that come to mind.

[Blake Conant]

They laser scanned the existing 7th, 14th, and 16th greens, scaled them to ~90%, and built them side-by-side.  They have putters and caddies so you can putt on something close to the actual thing.

[Mark Chaplin]

What do they charge for the day? Assume you need entry tickets before you can apply?

[Bill_McBride]

What do they charge for the day? Assume you need entry tickets before you can apply?

My question too as I will be there Thursday this year, my first Masters visit ever!


Where does one purchase the apparently mandatory chairs?

[Ben Kodadek]

What do they charge for the day? Assume you need entry tickets before you can apply?

My question too as I will be there Thursday this year, my first Masters visit ever!


Where does one purchase the apparently mandatory chairs?

Bill,


Immediately upon entering the grounds, the practice range is on your left.  Just pass the range on the right is the merch building.  You can grab your chairs there.  It's literally on the way to the first tee.

[jeffwarne]

What do they charge for the day? Assume you need entry tickets before you can apply?

My question too as I will be there Thursday this year, my first Masters visit ever!


Where does one purchase the apparently mandatory chairs?

Bill
It's a separate ticket And no doubt unavailable other than via scalpers.
Very expensive.(it's Augusta's concession to corpoatization)




Asking for a hospitality house ticket at The masters is like getting into heaven and looking for the VIP area.

[Jeff_Brauer]

Breck's is not a tent!  Because its an annual event, they built a beautiful permanent structure.  Has a middle hall, a merchandise store (smaller than the main ones) and 4 different restaurant venues, plus the aforementioned putting greens outside. 

You have to have a ticket that allows entry, and cannot get in otherwise.  If you cause a disturbance of any kind, you get kicked out and whoever owns those tickets may be subject to losing them, so if you are a guest on a ticket, please behave.

They have members outside as greeters.  The year I went, then new member Condi Rice welcomed us to the tent and we had a nice chat before going in for breakfast.

[Paul Jones]

Last year I was told that each member is allocated 10 tickets and the building is only open/used for the tournament.  Therefore, each ticket along with matching bracelet is tied directly back to the corresponding member.  They make you wear the bracelet so you don't swap out the badge with anyone else.

[Mike_Young]

I think the members were asked to sell a specific number of the Berkman tickets to business associates etc.  I don't know exact details but know of a couple of companies that have the tickets.  Best I can tell they have to buy like 4 tickets for a large dollar amount and have either a three or five year contract on those...The food and drink is scanned right back to those badges and those ticket holders pay for whatever you consume.  I just don't know why the Masters needed this stuff...

[jeffwarne]

[quote author=Mike_Young
 I just don't know why the Masters needed this stuff...


It didnt.....

[Zack Molnar]

They absolutely didnt need this. But this is just another spot in the trend of the Masters becoming more "corporate". People who I talk to who have been going for years talk about the growth of the merch area, about how more and more people seem to come every year, meaning more badges are being made available (not necessarily a bad thing for those of us non-patron saints), as well as the steady increasing of badge prices.


Maintaining the food prices at low levels helps keep their image as a event free from corporate influence, but there are many items that indicate otherwise.


The question i have is, if you get invited to BP, are the green replicas that interesting, seeing as you probably have a pretty close connection to a member, and most likely have played the course?

[Mike_Young]

Zach,
Being invited to Berckman doesn't necessarily mean you have a connection to a member...most of the ones I know with those tickets are corporate...
As for corporate ....recent word is they have inquired as to buying three holes at Augusta CC...

[Mike_Trenham]

Zach,
Being invited to Berckman doesn't necessarily mean you have a connection to a member...most of the ones I know with those tickets are corporate...
As for corporate ....recent word is they have inquired as to buying three holes at Augusta CC...

Is that the way to grow the game? ugh

[jeffwarne]

Zach,
Being invited to Berckman doesn't necessarily mean you have a connection to a member...most of the ones I know with those tickets are corporate...
As for corporate ....recent word is they have inquired as to buying three holes at Augusta CC...

Mike I find that hard to believe that would ever happen as I'm not sure what ACC replaces those holes with, BUT, I could see an arrangement where they BORROWED 3 holes for the event.


If they're going to to take 2 holes. 8's not so great after they expanded across Rae's Creek and both holes, 9 especially, could use some serious drainage work-being the closest to ANGC and lowest points on the property. Maybe they could return them well drained and sand capped

[BCrosby]

Mike - I too think a purchase of part of the ACC course unlikely. ANGC has lots of land right of the 5th hole and behind BP, much of which was purchased over the last several years.

The only rationale I can come up with for building BP is that the Masters has become an important corporate outing. There was a perceived need for a place where big dogs could find relief from the hoi polloi.

Bob

[Kalen Braley]

Anyone got pics of the place?

[David Jones]

Of all the events out there I just don't know why anyone would want to spend a huge whack of cash just to sit in a hospitality tent, no matter how good, rather than be on the course.  I have been lucky (I guess) to have done corporate hospitality at the Open and Ryder Cup recently and I actually find it kind of frustrating.  I feel obliged to spend an inordinate amount of time inside, watching a screen, eating and drinking (tough I know) when I would much rather be out watching the golf.  To do that at Augusta would just be awful.  I spent 5 days there in 2014 (which wasn't even a great Masters) and at no time did I think it would be better to be sitting in a hospitality facility rather than spend every minute on the course. 


Now, if you were hosting a corporate gig I'm sure Berckmans Place would have an incredible wow factor and is probably actually pretty OK value when you compare to some other stuff.  However........there are better ways to spend the money and have a real wow factor for your clients - there are some pretty great experiences to be had for the same money which are more personalised.


This article did whet my appetite though - http://www.golf.com/tour-and-news/berckmans-place-augusta-nationals-ultimate-masters-vip-room and some external pic here - https://www.lovemaryhester.com/blog/the-masters-2015-practice-round-and-berckmans-place

[jeffwarne]

Of all the events out there I just don't know why anyone would want to spend a huge whack of cash just to sit in a hospitality tent, no matter how good, rather than be on the course.  I have been lucky (I guess) to have done corporate hospitality at the Open and Ryder Cup recently and I actually find it kind of frustrating.  I feel obliged to spend an inordinate amount of time inside, watching a screen, eating and drinking (tough I know) when I would much rather be out watching the golf.  To do that at Augusta would just be awful.  I spent 5 days there in 2014 (which wasn't even a great Masters) and at no time did I think it would be better to be sitting in a hospitality facility rather than spend every minute on the course. 


Now, if you were hosting a corporate gig I'm sure Berckmans Place would have an incredible wow factor and is probably actually pretty OK value when you compare to some other stuff.  However........there are better ways to spend the money and have a real wow factor for your clients - there are some pretty great experiences to be had for the same money which are more personalised.


This article did whet my appetite though - http://www.golf.com/tour-and-news/berckmans-place-augusta-nationals-ultimate-masters-vip-room and some external pic here - https://www.lovemaryhester.com/blog/the-masters-2015-practice-round-and-berckmans-place

David,
You nailed it.


Corporate hostpitality tents and boxes etc.(even the cream of the crop) pretty much represent everything that's gone wrong with golf and sport over the last 30 years.Unless you think athletes NEED $45 million guaranteed contracts to be incentivized to play a game.
That said, i'm sure BP is a cool place-just NO substitute for the real thing.


The course remains the sistine chapel of golf events and fortunately that has not changed that much and there's still room to move around and grab the odd bleacher seat and take a brief respite from the hilly terrain.

[BCrosby]

David -

Could not agree more. It passeth all understanding that someone would rather spend a day in BP (however many toys it has, and it has a lot) than walking the course. Then again, there are a lot of non-golfing corporate types there for neither the golf nor the golf course.

Part of the reason for building BP might also be that access to the clubhouse is very limited during the Masters. Some powerful guests may have grumbled about their lack of access, something they are not accustomed to. But I dunno.

Bob 

[Kalen Braley]

Bob,

You hit the nail on the head.  The fundamental assumption that everyone is there for the golf or course, is not necessarily the correct one....

I liken it to the Super Bowl. It has become an event that is bigger than the game for many who watch.  For example my wife who never ever ever sits down to watch a football game, will often watch the Super Bowl, just for the spectacle of it.  And from everything I've read, the worst crowd of the year is at the Super Bowl because the average fans are left shut out and the corporate grubbers have gobbled up the vast majority of the game tickets.....

[BCrosby]

Kalen -


Investment banks, accounting and law firms, all sorts of businesses rent houses in Augusta during Masters week. They hire catering services, limousines, housekeepers, the whole bit (including services that will go unnamed). I know in many cases guests make only brief visits to the golf course. It is far more important for them to make business contacts and talk deals.


I've haven't been to a Super Bowl, but I'd guess it is much the same in that regard. The game itself is of secondary importance for many.


Bob

[David Jones]

Kalen and Bob's points made me look at it a different way, of course I was looking at it through the lens of an avid golf fan.  Many of those corporate attendees will be delighted to catch a couple of hours 'live' and then smoke a big cigar drinking a nice Chablis.


Jeff, to your point about being able to move around and grab a seat I was stunned at how easy it was.  I've been to more than a dozen Opens, a Ryder Cup, US Open (OK, that was in 1992!) and a bunch of other events and the Masters was just incredible from a spectating point of view, heading down to the bleachers behind 12 two groups before the leaders came through on Sunday and getting a seat, walking up with the last group to 16 and then finding our chairs next to the 18th waiting for us - we saw absolutely every shot we could have possibly wanted. I digress.......!

[Stewart Abramson]

It is Disney Land for golf nuts !!!  They made 3 identical greens and 1 large additional practice green with famous pin locations.  The greens are kept identical to the course and you are allowed to putt on them.  Also ~4 nice restaurants, all beer/booze/wine you can drink and access to special gift shop that also carries logos/stuff from the members Pro Shop with Augusta National original logo that is on the green jacket.  There is more, but those are 1st things that come to mind.

Disneyland is exactly how I felt about the entire day... the course and BP. They have members as greeters at the entrance to the pathway BP. The day I was there we were among the first people on site. We walked the course from 18 to one so I could enjoy the course without any other people. I think I caught the first group when I got to #4. We then went to Berkmans for Breakfast. They have members greet you as you get to the path that leads from the main area to BP. That morning it was Jerry Rice who was amazingly cordial to everyone, talking football and golf with anyone who approached him. We spent ten hours at ANGC and had three meals at BP and putted the greens. spent around 7.5 hours on the course and 2.5 hours at BP.  Very few people were foregoing the course to stay at BP all day. Appreciating the amenities at BP doesn't contradict an appreciation of the course or the golf. I don't understand how this represents "what is wrong with the game." I was the guest of a colleague of former GA Gov Carl Sanders who was a member. It was a once in a lifetime experience for me and a day I will not forget.


Bercmann's Place ticket

[Mike_Young]

Zach,
Being invited to Berckman doesn't necessarily mean you have a connection to a member...most of the ones I know with those tickets are corporate...
As for corporate ....recent word is they have inquired as to buying three holes at Augusta CC...

Mike I find that hard to believe that would ever happen as I'm not sure what ACC replaces those holes with, BUT, I could see an arrangement where they BORROWED 3 holes for the event.


If they're going to to take 2 holes. 8's not so great after they expanded across Rae's Creek and both holes, 9 especially, could use some serious drainage work-being the closest to ANGC and lowest points on the property. Maybe they could return them well drained and sand capped

Jeff,
I didn't say it would happen but the word was they wanted land for more cottages beginning and it would be the bordering strip. 

I guess I see this entire thing a little differently.  Billy P grew up in Athens and is quite the promoter. Interesting dude... I have to believe not all members agree with the direction he has taken but no one can say anything.  Anyway, the Berkman Place thing as a ego trip or weiner measuring thing will never work for big corporate dudes because they are all going to want the back porch at the clubhouse.  You can't change that.  And all of that "member welcoming" crap is very interesting.  The quiet really big member dudes don't want any part of it and it is interesting that the celebrity type of members are the ones they place there. 
So much has changed.  To me it is all just sad that things went the way they have.  It's almost a symbol of what has happened to the game itself.

Oh and as far as ANGC being the Sistine Chapel....disagree...it is the Notre Dame Cathedral and Merion is the Sistine Chapel..