Five weeks from now, many of you will be chowing down on pimento cheese sandwiches while walking around Amen Corner.
The Masters is so close we can taste it!
After we published this one-day Masters patron itinerary last year, I received dozens of emails with questions.
The most popular question was about lodging.
Assuming you won the lottery for tickets or are getting on the grounds for the tournament another way, the hardest part is over.
The biggest remaining hurdle is where to stay.
In this article, I will be looking at a few popular areas and break down your options at each location.
Obviously, there are other places you can find. We’re just taking a look at a handful of areas where Masters patrons tend to lodge for various reasons.
It’s also worth mentioning that a lot of this depends on your budget and for how long you are staying.
1. Augusta, Georgia
Well, the tournament is here. Might as well get as close as possible, right?
The issue is that hotel prices are high—typically in the $350-$2,000 per night range depending on quality—with even your La Quinta and Motel 6 kind of spots typically coming with a hefty price tag.
There are a lot of seedy, bedbug-ridden hotels in Augusta. Personally, if you are looking for a quick hotel stop, I just don’t think it’s worth it to spend that much for a bad hotel.
All of the Hampton Inns and Holiday Inns of the area are usually going to be very expensive. You might get lucky finding a good deal but that is a long shot.
If you do feel like going the “cheap” hotel route, I recommend the West Bank Inn (very basic but clean and only a few minutes from the course).
The other option is AirBnb, VRBO or other home rental companies. This really depends on how many people you are going with, how much money you want to spend, whether you want your own space and a lot of other factors.
A one-bedroom house or apartment is pretty steep—beyond $400 a night.
In my experience, this option is best for multiple nights and a larger group of people who can rent a three- or four-bedroom house and split the cost. It’s best to book well in advance.
The favorite neighborhood I’ve stayed in is north of the course, just on the other side of Washington Road. It’s a typical suburban area, nothing fancy. You can walk to Augusta National from here and bypass the traffic, although the walk up to the course is steep.
In terms of food options and other amenities, Augusta is going to be busier and more traffic-clogged than other places on this list. There are options if you want a quieter place but the more popular restaurants are crowded.
2. Aiken, South Carolina
The other location you will hear mentioned for Masters patrons is just on the other side of the state line in Aiken, S.C.
Aiken is a city of 33,000, considerably smaller than Augusta (200,000). It is about a 35-minute drive to the tournament from Aiken.
The hotels here are more limited than Augusta but tend to be slightly cheaper. The very low end of the spectrum tends to be closer to $200. Once again, these cheaper hotels are mostly dumps and I don’t recommend staying here.
If you want to get a medium-budget hotel in Aiken, I like the Inn at Houndlake. This is a pretty nice place but is usually cheaper than something like the Fairfield Inn.
The home rental market is a little cheaper here but I would reiterate that it likely makes the most sense if you are booking for multiple nights well in advance (or if you are traveling alone and don’t mind staying with a host).
Aiken’s downtown area includes “The Alley”—a walkable place lined with shops and restaurants. It’s a nice town and, as you would expect, bustling during Masters week.
3. Columbia, South Carolina
We’ve reached my favorite option on the list.
Reason No. 1: You can get a nice, quality hotel for $200-$400. You could even book it right now, a few weeks before the tournament, for that price. That’s a solid deal.
Reason No. 2: It’s about an hour away but your entire drive is a major highway (I-20). It’s not a busy road, especially if you are driving early in the morning to get to Augusta National.
Reason No. 3: Columbia is a college town (University of South Carolina) that has a great food scene relative to its size. DiPratos, Bernie’s Chicken, The Hollow, Backstreets Grill—there are a ton of good options and nowhere near as packed as Augusta.
Reason No. 4: Staying in Columbia makes it easier to fly into Charlotte and then drive the 90 minutes or so down I-77. Both Atlanta and Charlotte have busy airports but Atlanta is the single busiest airport in the U.S. while Charlotte is slightly less hectic. And Atlanta traffic can be a true nightmare.
In terms of specific hotels, the Hilton Garden Inn Columbia Airport is excellent.
The home rental market is significantly cheaper than Augusta and Aiken. You can get a two-bedroom house for $200 or so per night.
4. Athens, Georgia
You can copy and paste a lot of what I wrote about Columbia into this section.
Athens is home to the University of Georgia. It’s a quintessential college town known for its music scene and there are plenty of great food options (World Famous, Tacos Los Plebes, etc.) as well.
Like Columbia, hotels and home rental options are numerous and reasonable. Thankfully, the Masters is not played in the fall during a home football weekend.
I’ve stayed at the Hotel Indigo Athens University Area by IHG. Quality hotel at a reasonable price.
The big difference here is location and timing. Athens is slightly under two hours away from Augusta and much of that drive is on a smaller highway that some people might not want to be on when it’s pitch black outside.
However, Athens is closer to Atlanta (about an hour and a half or so depending on traffic) and kind of a midpoint on the way to Augusta. If you want to fly in and out of ATL, Athens might be your best bet.
It’s a very long day to drive two hours, experience the Masters and then drive two hours back. I’ve done it but I prefer staying a little closer. Those two extra hours in the car make a lot of difference.
As an aside, UGA has one of the nicer college courses in the country. It’s open to the public if you are looking to play before or after your trip to Augusta.
5. Statesboro, Georgia
I’m going to omit Savannah from this list because it is just too far away (2 1/2-hour drive each way) for my liking. But I love Savannah and you should visit if the logistics work out. (Zunzi’s has some of the best sandwiches ever. This is a foodie Mecca.)
In its place, I’m going to mention Statesboro. This is yet another college town (Georgia Southern). It’s located due south of Augusta, about 90 minutes away by car. It’s also only one hour northwest of Savannah.
If you can fly into Savannah or drive up from Florida, Statesboro might be for you. You can go to the Masters and then cut off a lot of driving time for your return home by staying in Statesboro that night.
Statesboro is the same size as Aiken so you can expect limited food options compared to Columbia, Athens or Augusta. Hotels and home rentals are cheap.
Overall, it’s a nice place that is a tier or two above the many dots on the map surrounding Augusta. But I would say it’s a tier or two below Athens or Columbia.
For food, try Gnat’s Landing or Dolan’s BBQ.
Final thoughts
There isn’t one “right” place to stay when coming to the Masters.
It really comes down to what works best for you and your group. Budget, where you are traveling from, days spent at the Masters and a lot of other factors will dictate some of your decision making.
If you want accommodations in Augusta or Aiken, I would try to book further in advance. The other cities listed here don’t necessitate that.
You might find a great deal closer to the course or have another place in mind for where to stay. That’s great! I’m just glad you are going to the Masters.
If you have any questions, feel free to email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
And check out some of our other patron-focused Masters coverage:
READ: How To Get Tickets To The 2025 Masters READ: How Much Does It Really Cost To Attend The Masters? READ: The 10 Best Masters Food Items READ: Want To Attend The Masters? Here Are The 6 Ways You Can READ: The Perfect One-Day Itinerary For First-Time Masters PatronsTop Photo Caption: Patrons file onto the course during the 2024 Masters. (GETTY IMAGES/Ben Jared)
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