Berckman’s Place is the premiere hospitality venue in all of professional sports. There, I said it. I’m a little hesitant to write about BP for two reasons: 1. It seems like I’m trying desperately to flex and 2. Getting into BP is a little like Fight Club in that NOT talking about it seems to be the norm. Again, a lot of this is going to sound flexy and I’m sorry. I have mixed feelings about the whole thing, so it is a worthy topic about which to write. So read on at your own risk- I wouldn’t blame you if you navigated to ESPN or the New Yorker to read something more worthy of your time.
BP opened about 14 years ago. Prior to that, each of the four major corporate sponsors of the Masters tournament (Champion Sponsors) were allotted one of four little cottages near the main club house adjacent to the first fairway. Although this is still in practice today, BP is a large venue where corporate sponsors entertain their most valued customers; it is a very exclusive place and you can only get in as a guest of one of the sponsors. Rumor has it that even ANGC members don’t have automatic entry- although I’m sure if they ask nicely…
BP is located behind the fifth green, tucked back behind a maze of hedges and trees. There is discreet signage and small walkways which are “guarded” by one or two folks. They don’t look like security but they turn away curious folks who don’t have a BP credential dangling around their necks. They are incredibly polite in doing so- no raised voices, nothing but discretion and decorum. No shows of force, no huge pieces of hired Meat to scare away the unwashed. Quite the opposite if anything; most of the “security” people I saw were older Black women.
I’m told by an old friend that he actually bought his way into BP several years ago, when it was just getting started. Perhaps BP wasn’t the “it scene” that it has become. Rumor has it that BP passes can be had for $20K on the black market. As fun as it is, that is just a stupid amount of money, perhaps spent by people who have way too much of it.
We were driven in a sprinter van to the venue. There was a massive parking public parking lot and enormous lines of cars and people to get into the tournament. Our shuttle diverted off onto a little side street that took us to the corporate shuttle arrival area. We got off the shuttle, walked about 50 feet to a little kiosk where we showed our credential and had to electronically sign a form and we were in. That’s it. No line, no drama, no pat downs, no nothing. It took maybe 30 seconds.
We walked another 100 feet (during which time we were warmly greeted by at least three or four “security” folks who welcomed us to the Masters) until we were facing a very nice, large, two-story building. 90,000 sq feet (I’m told) of pretty, classic southern architecture. It looked like it had been there a long time, not just 14 years. This is Berckman’s Place. We walked up the stairs, and were once again warmly welcomed to the Masters by a whole cadre of people. Everyone was smiling and happy. And very, very not diverse.
The first thing you come across as you enter BP is the merch shop. This store has items that are exclusive to BP. Perhaps you’ve been lucky enough to have a friend get you a Masters hat. It probably has the classic “yellow outline of US, with a red flag protruding from the presumed location of the ANGC” which is ubiquitous and instantly recognizable. They got the hat from one of the main north or south gate merch shops, open to all Masters patrons. The fancy pants patrons who are lucky enough to be BP guests get to buy gear that has the unique BP logo: instead of a YELLOW icon, BP gear has a GREEN one. Earth shattering, right?
Side note #1: The highest tier of Masters logo fetishism is a shirt or hat that has no logo, just “ANGC” on it. Those can only be acquired at the actual ANGC clubhouse pro shop (wherein humble folks like you and me will never tread). If you see someone with that logo, it means either a) they are an actual ANGC member (one of maybe 400, so they say), or more likely b) they have actually played the course with a member. Either is rarified air and the ultimate flex in golf. I had never even seen an ANGC logo in the wild until this year.
Back to BP: there are no less than five restaurants in BP. All of them are sit down, full service places with, no surprise, exceptional food and friendly service. We started with breakfast at Ike’s: tasty breakfast sandwiches, washed down with Azalea cocktails (which were a bit sweet for me). Drinking at 8:30 AM is somehow socially acceptable, even encouraged, at the Masters (where social propriety is at a premium, ironically). Lunch #1 was at Augusta’s, the seafood joint. We ate dozens of oysters, calamari, shrimp and grits, and other stuff I can’t even remember, all washed down with lots of booze. Lunch #2 was at Isabella’s where we crushed a couple of pizzas (soppressata and truffles, respectively) and a side order of massive meatballs that were delicious, and washed down with even more booze. And here’s the best part: after each episode of conspicuous consumption, we got up and waddled out. There is no charge for anything you consume. There is no tipping allowed. You just sit down, eat/drink, then leave. They don't scan your badge. They don't ask your name. When we left, it was like slow motion “dine and dash.” I kept looking behind me, waiting for the wait staff to chase me down with a neglected bill. It never happened. Quite surreal.
Side note #2: brunch was comprised of Crow’s Nest beer, pimento cheese sandwiches, and egg salad sandwiches. While your stomach does back flips pondering this unsavory combination, consider that each sandwich cost $1.50. A beer will set you back a princely $6. They had many other food items, all of which were priced as if it was 1975. It is charming gambit that makes you want to love and embrace the Masters ethos. But I’ll quickly remind you that you just dropped well into the four digits at the merch stand so don’t get too starry eyed about it. Remember the $277 per second? That’s a lot of pimento cheese sandwiches. By the way, pimento cheese is not my jam, so to speak, but it wasn’t bad. Pro tip: get one of the BBQ sandwiches ($3) along with a pimento cheese. Then mix them together.
One of the highlights of BP are replicas of three different greens. The greens from holes 7, 14, and 16 are built to exact specifications and dimensions (in reality, one of them is more of a “composite” green that has features of more than one hole). They are also rolled to the same speed as the real greens on the course. There are several ANGC caddies who hang out on the greens. They doff their caps, introduce themselves, and shake your hand. After you grab a ball and a putter (they had an extremely nice selection, by the way), they give you lessons and tips on how to putt the holes successfully. Maybe not successfully, more like how not to totally embarrass yourself in front of all the other guests. If you make a "hole in one (putt)," the caddies will bestow upon you a special medallion/ball marker commemorating your achievement. This was a really fun activity after which we were famished so we went back inside and had more free food and drinks (see Lunch #2 above).
Would I go back to the Masters? I’m spoiled now- I can’t imagine dealing with the traffic, the lines, the waiting, or having to actually pay money for all of my food and drinks. I mean, I wouldn’t give an outright no if someone offered me tickets. But I might inquire if they include BP access, and haughtily pass if they didn’t. Go ahead and hate me. I can take it as long as I can assuage myself with more of those free BP oysters. Man, those were good.