By Carolyn Badaracco

The Masters Tournament, which hits Georgia’s Augusta National Golf Club in 2026 on April 6-12, was born in 1934. And in a way, the tournament is aging in reverse.

Despite changes in sports, society, economics and popular culture, the appeal of the annual professional golf tournament hasn’t faded, its economic impact has not waned, and its gorgeous grounds have consistently set the stage for some of the best moments in the sport each Masters season.

The Masters has never lost its groove—that rhythm of hushed anticipation and thrilling staccato that rivets golfers, sports enthusiasts and everyone else who’s fortunate enough to get a ticket.

In all its decades,The Masters has taken just one break, during World War II when its fairways turned into a farm.

Each year since then The Masters has put on some weight, but only in the heft of its purse and its economic impact to Augusta and the state of Georgia. In April 2025, ESPN reported that The Masters had upped its prize money by $1 million for the year—with the winner taking $4.2 million of a $21 million purse. (Last year’s champion was Rory McIlroy, of course, who scored a Grand Slam and his first green jacket after winning a sudden-death playoff.)

In 2026, the total prize money is expected to reach $22.5 million, according to BetMGM.com.

For all 90 of The Masters’ years in play, Augusta, the state of Georgia and the entire region have been steady winners, as well. Here are some long-hitting stats for 2026, compiled by wealth management firm Henssler Financial, with offices in Kennesaw, Georgia.

• The Augusta Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau estimates Augusta gains more than $36 million in revenue during Masters Week, with a total economic impact of almost $110 million.
• In 2026, 35,000-40,000 people are projected to attend each day of the event, with total attendance (including practice rounds) expected to be 90,000 to 100,000+.
• Last year, more private jets flew to The Masters than to the Super Bowl.
• For the hospitality industry, it’s as if hotels and restaurants gain an extra month in the year—many accruing 10 percent of their annual business during Masters Week.
• Seventy-dollar-a-night hotel rooms can go for $400, and every single hotel room in Augusta is reported to be booked. Restaurants hire extra staff and essentially prepare for the week all year long.
• Approximately 3,000 homes will be rented to visitors during Masters Week, at an average of $8,500 for the week. Condos? About $2,500. And some corporations rent 8-10 bedroom homes for the week at $25,000, according to Henssler’s report, which also says that The Masters Housing Bureau collects 7 percent of each contract.

While The Masters may never pass its prime, it is living in a new age. One that poses challenges such as a reported 16% ticket increase ($525 for a four-day badge); adjustments to player qualification criteria; changes in television coverage with streaming services involvement (ESPN and CBS are being joined by Amazon Prime Video, offering two more hours of coverage); and a host of others Georgia Insider will tell you about as April approaches.