The Masters Green Jacket: Golf’s Most Coveted Clothing

In professional golf, four individual events, known as "majors," are seen as the pinnacle competitions in the game. These include the Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open, and Open Championship. Each of these events has trophies and other symbols that have become synonymous with the lore and history of the tournament.

The g reen jacket in golf is awarded to winners of the Masters tournament and is steeped in tradition. Originally, green jackets were a means of identifying Augusta National Club members. However, in time, it shifted to winners of the Masters. Each champion holds the jacket for one year until the next tournament.

In this article, I will share with you the history and significance of the Masters green jacket. Beyond being a symbol of the event, the green jacket is something that is known to many, even outside of the game. It has truly become a piece of Americana.

The PGA green jacket is not only a symbol of Augusta National and the Masters tournament but also a symbol of the game and American sport. But how did the green jacket come to be?

Legend has it that Augusta National co-founder Clifford Roberts wanted to enact a way to have club members be easily identifiable during the Masters Tournament. Bobby Jones, the club's other co-founder, suggested that a particular jacket could be worn to accomplish this. He got the idea from members at the Open Championship venue — Royal Liverpool in England. At a dinner he attended, club members from Royal Liverpool wore matching jackets which helped to identify them as club members.

In 1937, Roberts and Jones launched the idea of the green jacket. The original jackets came from Brooks Uniform Company, New York, NY. In 1967, the Hamilton Tailoring Co. of Cincinnati became the new exclusive Augusta National green jacket maker.

The jacket was worn only by Augusta National members until 1948. Starting in 1949, Masters Tournament champions began to be awarded a green jacket. The first champion to don the coveted green jacket was Sam Sneed. After this newly started tradition was established, previous winners, from 1937 and up, were presented with their green jackets for their Masters win.

Beyond the first-place prize money ($3,240,000 in 2023), the Masters winner gets the following:

As a winner of the green jacket, a champion is only allowed to hold it in his possession, and outside the club grounds, for one year. After that, the jacket is kept in the champion's locker and only taken out when the honorary member and champion are on-site at Augusta National.

Winners are presented with a replica green Masters jacket that they may keep commemorating their win in the Masters tournament. As each year's tournament ends and the winner is determined, the right jacket is picked out for the victor. The club has several different size green jackets to use in the champion's presentation in Butler Cabin and at the official ceremony on the practice green behind the 10th tee and 18th green.

The previous year's winner awards the green jacket to the winner of the Masters each year. If the winner is a returning champion from last year, the Augusta National Chairman is honored to present the returning champion with the green jacket. That has only happened with three players, Jack Nicklaus, Nick Faldo, and Tiger Woods.

Any champion that has won the Masters on more than one occasion only has one green jacket. As they age and their body shape changes, the jacket is tailored for them by the club.

Read More: How to Qualify for the Masters

What do some of golf's other major championships give the winners? Here is a look at what the winners of the other three majors receive:

PGA Championship

U.S. Open Championship

Open Championship

Beyond being known as a symbol of the Masters, the green jacket in golf is easily recognizable to many, even outside the golf world. As a result, the green jacket has become a piece of Americana.

From its beginnings as a way to identify Augusta National members to becoming a symbol of champions of one of golf's most cherished major championships, the green jacket is indeed a unique and special piece of clothing.

The winner gets to keep the official golf Green Jacket for one year. They must return it at the following year's event. In addition, they are given a replica green Masters jacket to keep indefinitely.

The winner can keep the official Green Jacket for one year and bring it off the property. However, there are specific regulations on where they can and can't wear it outside of Augusta National.

It is estimated that it costs $250 to produce the green gacket. Interestingly, official Green Jackets that have controversially sold in auctions have reportedly gone for between $139,349 and a whopping $682,229.

The Masters winner receives a Green Jacket. It's a three-button, single-breasted and single-vent jacket made from tropical-weight wool. Each Masters champion only gets to keep their jacket for one year — they are obligated to return it. However, every winner also receives a replica jacket as well.

The Masters golf jacket is made by Hamilton Tailoring Co. of Cincinnati. However, the jacket's materials are derived from multiple sources. As such, it can take up to a month to produce a single jacket. For example, the tropical-weight wool is made by Forstmann Co and the stamped brass buttons come from Waterbury Co.

PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is the founder of Little Linksters, LLC, and its nonprofit arm, the Little Linksters Association for Junior Golf Development. He is the winner of 25+ prestigious industry honors, including the 2017 PGA National Youth Player Development award. Brendon is a respected coach, businessman, writer, and golf industry expert.