Slated for Thursday through Sunday during the first full week of April, the Masters Golf Tournament, held at Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia and televised worldwide, makes a great opportunity to swing into spring with a swanky watch party.
Greet your guests in a green jacket and serve up a signature Azalea cocktail (lemon and pineapple juice with vodka and grenadine) to get the party started. Must-have refreshments include pimiento cheese sandwiches and Arnold Palmers (blended iced tea and lemonade), and you can add golf-themed trivia and even a backyard putting contest to the festivities.
Stu Mandelbaum, a business development executive with Las Vegas-based distributor Eagle Promotions – and a member of the winning team at the 2022 PPEF Golf Tournament – has attended the Masters Tournament in person. He and his tournament teammate and colleague Ryan Benko, a strategic accounts manager, shared a few suggestions to make your Masters watch party an event to remember:
“Cocktails definitely are popular at the Masters, so an insulated beverage holder would be ideal for the long day of watching golf and keeping your drink cold,” Mandelbaum says.
For those who prefer a canned beverage, he suggests a “Green Jacket” can koozie so everyone’s a winner. For cold or hot beverages, he suggests the 25-oz. powder coated h2go voyager stainless steel thermal bottle featuring a digital print of the course layout of Augusta National as a cool (literally) giveaway.
ETS Express / PPAI 135148, S11 / www.etsexpress.com
Speaking of cool, golf shirts and khakis are perfect attire for this gathering, but in colder climates, your guests might need a little more cover. Mandelbaum and Benko recommend a couple of weather-related gifts to wow your attendees:
“Kelly green is definitely the predominant color at the Masters,” says Mandelbaum. “A nice embroidered Kelly green windshirt would be a great primary gift for the attendees.”
The Holloway Bionic Windshirt, made of a lightweight, wind- and water-resistant polyester, comes in men’s sizes S-3X and 18 colors, including the green shown here. Lined for warmth, it features two front slant pockets and raglan sleeves for ease of movement.
Augusta Sportswear Brands / PPAI 187246, S5 / www.augustasportswear.com
Umbrellas are used by everyone, everywhere, and as the saying goes, April showers bring May flowers. Mandelbaum and Benko suggest a green golf umbrella as another gift option.
This Challenger umbrella in hunter/white (one of five color combos available) features an RPET canopy, durable fiberglass frame, wind vents, a 62-inch arc and the RainAlertz app to help users stay prepared for wet weather.
AAA Innovations / PPAI 110972, S4 / www.aaainnovations.com
When it comes to decorating, green and yellow are the official colors of the tournament, but it’s easy to add a splash of pink with potted azaleas that can also go home with guests.
“Azaleas are the signature flowers that line Augusta National,” says Mandelbaum, “and a logoed planter with azalea seeds would be a nice gift.”
Here are a few other ideas sure to make your Masters “par-tee” a hole in one!
Serve up your pimiento cheese sandwiches and other treats on this bamboo Sand Trap Golf Cheese Cutting Board & Tools Set, which features two hidden swing-out drawers containing six stainless steel wine and cheese tools.
Picnic Time Family of Brands / PPAI 143980, S6 / www.picnicpromotions.com
Add a sweet treat to your party spread with chocolate golf balls in a brandable jar you can send home with attendees.
NC Custom – Home of Chocolate Inn / PPAI 111662, S7 / www.chocolateinn.com
Mix up your Arnold Palmers lickety-split using these handy lemonade and iced tea drink packets. (Spike them with vodka for a John Daly.) Send your guests home with their own custom-printed packets to enjoy later.
Midnite Snax / PPAI 113793, S3 / www.midnitesnax.com
Serve your drinks in custom-engraved Mason jars for a nod to Southern style, like this 16-oz. handled jar with deep etching and a threaded top to accommodate an optional lid.
Moderne Glass / PPAI 112536, S10 / www.glassamerica.com