The Champions Dinner has become one of the most cherished traditions at Augusta National Golf Club. This intimate dinner party, which takes place on the Tuesday of Masters week, brings together the most elite and exclusive group of golfers in the world – the past winners of the Masters tournament.
The concept for the Champions Dinner was first proposed by Ben Hogan, who won the Masters in 1951. Hogan’s idea was to invite all past winners of the tournament to dinner during Masters week, forming a club of Masters winners. Hogan also suggested that the reigning champion should select the menu for the dinner. The Club’s Chairman Clifford Roberts, and its co-founder Bobby Jones, agreed with Hogan’s proposal, and thus the Champions Dinner was born.
The inaugural Champions Dinner was held in 1952, with nine out of the 11 eligible past champions in attendance. At the dinner, the group voted to make the event an annual tradition, and the Masters Club was formally created. The Club’s Honorary Members include not only Hogan, Jones, and Roberts, but also every Augusta National Chairman since the inception of the tournament.
Each year, the defending champion is responsible for selecting the menu for the dinner, which can be as simple or as exotic as they wish. The cuisine reflects either the champion’s home state or personal culinary preferences. The chosen menu is then served to all past champions at the dinner. The first few years of the dinner, the attendees were served the traditional menu of Augusta National Golf Club. In the mid-1980s, however, the reigning champion was given the option to create his own menu, and the tradition has continued ever since.
Some of the most notable menus over the years include Tiger Woods’ cheeseburgers, Vijay Singh’s traditional Indian cuisine, and the Texas-style barbecue offered by Ben Crenshaw, which has since become a popular menu item at the Champions Dinner. In 2020, Dustin Johnson paid homage to his home state of South Carolina with a menu featuring Pigs in a Blanket and Lobster & Corn Fritters as appetizers, prime filet mignon or miso-marinated sea bass as the main course, and peach cobbler and apple pie with vanilla ice cream for dessert.
The Champions Dinner is an intimate gathering of the most exclusive group of golfers in the world, offering a rare opportunity for past winners to come together, share stories, and enjoy an evening of fine dining. While it is a private affair, the menu is often shared publicly, generating excitement and anticipation for what the reigning champion will select. The Champions Dinner is an integral part of the Masters tradition and is cherished by all who have had the honor of attending.
