The Masters typically has some of the highest and most loyal attendance in golf and on the PGA Tour. The galleries at the Masters are an important part of the tournament's history.
The 2023 Masters welcomes back fans -- or patrons, in the Augusta National parlance -- in attendance after having no fans in the November 2020 Masters and limited attendance in 2021.
Augusta National Golf Club, which puts on the 2023 Masters, will welcome a full number of fans each day during tournament week. The 2023 Masters attendance per day is estimated to be in the area of 40,000 patrons per tournament day -- and even more in preparation days on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, which has the Par-3 Contest on the docket.
The patrons get to Augusta National early -- with the gates opening at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday and 8 a.m. the other three tournament days -- and they stay there late, typically well past sunset, in an effort to get maximum time at golf's Disney World. The traditions of the patrons starts with rushing (but not running) to a favorite spot, plopping down a folding chair in a designated section, then going to find other viewing spots throughout the property.
Masters attendance records
The Masters doesn't share its attendance figures, which is made up of a mix of yearly badge holders, which are often passed down as heirlooms, and daily ticket holders, which are allotted through an online auction.
The belief is that an accurate estimated Masters attendance would be 35,000-40,000 from Thursday through Sunday. Typically more patrons are admittedly on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of tournament week, with an estimated 50,000 patrons welcomed on the grounds.
Each day, the gates close 30 minutes after the completion of play, giving attendees plenty of time to get outside the gates and for the grounds crew to prepare the course for the following day's action -- or to wrap up another Masters Tournament.
