Masters Golf Course’s Stubborn Neighbour Still Won’t Sell
The Augusta National Golf Club, home to the prestigious Masters Tournament, has spent hundreds of millions of dollars reshaping the landscape around its storied course. The club has bought up and bulldozed most of the neighborhoods surrounding its famous green fairways, replacing homes with sprawling parking lots and pristine landscaping. However, one house still stands, a stubborn holdout in a sea of green.
According to reporting by FOX Business, Elizabeth Thacker, who turns 93 this year, refuses to sell her home at 1112 Stanley Road in Augusta, Georgia, despite years of lucrative offers from Augusta National. Thacker and her late husband, Herman, built their 1,900-square-foot home in 1959. For decades, they watched as Augusta National transformed from a historic golf course into an empire.
Over the past 10 years, the club has bought out nearly all of their neighbors, paying millions for properties that were quickly demolished. The club’s expansion now includes plans for additional hospitality areas, parking and even a second course. However, Thacker has held firm. Her daughter, Robin Thacker Rinder, confirmed to FOX Business, “Yes, we still own it, and yes, Mom still lives there. She is very strong-willed.”
The house is estimated to be worth around $366,000, based on its size and location, according to Zillow. However, Augusta National has reportedly made offers that far exceed that number. Rinder declined to disclose the price, but noted that the club has a track record of paying well above market value for properties it wants. A smaller house the Thackers owned down the street was sold to the club for $1.2 million and was flattened within a week.
For Elizabeth, the family home isn’t just a financial asset, it’s a lifetime of memories. She and Herman raised their children there, and it’s where their grandchildren and great-grandchildren have visited for decades. Selling simply isn’t on the table. As Herman famously told NJ.com in a 2016 interview, “Money ain’t everything.”
Herman died in 2019 at age 86, but Elizabeth has continued to uphold his sentiment. Even as Augusta National grows and evolves, the small brick house across from Gate 6-A remains untouched, a quiet reminder that not everyone can be bought. Augusta National’s growth has been staggering, with the club spending over $200 million acquiring 270 acres, according to The Wall Street Journal.
This expansion has turned longtime Georgia homeowners into overnight millionaires. However, for Elizabeth, the value of her home lies in its sentimental value, not its monetary worth. The Masters itself is big business, with the purse for the 2025 tournament set to top $20 million, and the winner taking home over $3 million. Some 40,000 visitors make the trip to Augusta each year — the lucky ones, as tickets are distributed via a lottery system that receives about 2 million applicants.
That puts the odds of attending the tournament at less than 1%, or roughly 1 in 200. Sponsors, including IBM, major golf equipment companies, and luxury accessories, like Rolex watches, leverage the tournament’s prestige to showcase their brands. Yet, amid all the money and power, one woman’s quiet defiance remains a thorn in Augusta National’s side.
With thousands of cars now parked where her neighbors’ homes once stood, Elizabeth’s house is one of the last remaining structures in the neighborhood. It might be small compared to the grandeur of Augusta National, but it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. As reported by FOX Business, this story is a testament to the enduring spirit of a woman who refuses to sell her family home, no matter the cost.
This publication, FOX Business, has provided this update on the ongoing story. For more information on the business of sports, visit FOXBusiness.com.
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