No inflation here: Affordable Masters' menu still includes $1.50 pimento cheese sandwiches

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Jordan Janes knew when he arrived at the Masters for the first time a pimento cheese sandwich was a must-have.

He wanted to soak in the Augusta National experience, and that has long included the iconic staple on the affordable Masters menu.

And no, Janes was not worrying about the 556 calories and 35 grams of fat the sandwich contains, according to MyFitnessPal.com.

“I'm a healthy guy and I dial it in when I'm at home,” said Janes, 42, from St. Louis. “But I'm going to let go a little while I'm here. And I've already done 17,000 steps today, so I'm not going to feel guilty about it for a minute. ... And it was worth it.”

Jimmy Murray, 32 from Minneapolis, also tried the pimento sandwich — which consists of shredded cheese, mayonnaise, diced pimentos, and various seasonings on two slices of white bread — as well as the egg salad sandwich for the first time.

“It's fantastic, actually,” Murray said of the pimento sandwich. “It has a really unique taste, and it's not something we have in the Midwest.”

You can't beat the price — $5 for a sandwich, chips and a soft drink.

Inflation may be driving up the food cost around the country, but patrons generally won’t see those increases at Augusta National. The prices here have mostly remained fixed for years. A club sandwich or barbeque sandwich still goes for $3, and can be topped off with a Georgia peach ice cream sandwich for $3.

The price of a beer did increase to $6 dollars this year, jumping up from $5 in 2023.

“I kind of knew about the prices from seeing it on social media," Murray said. “I've had about everything on menu I could eat and I think I paid $10.50.”

That menu includes:

Egg salad sandwich: $1.50

Pimento cheese: $1.50

Pork Bar-B-Que: $3

Masters club: $3

Chicken salad on honey wheat: $3

Classic chicken: $3

Coffee: $2

Chicken Biscuit: $3

Breakfast sandwich: $3

Fresh mixed fruit: $2

Soft drinks: $2

Water: $2

Iced tea: $2

Crow's Nest: $6

Domestic beer: $6

Imported beer: $6

White wine: $6

Chips plain/bbq: $1.50

Peanuts: $1.50

Southern cheese straws: $2

Cookies: $1.50

Georgia pecan caramel popcorn: $2

Georgia peach ice cream sandwich: $3

One thing still not on the menu are cell phones.

That unique aspect of Augusta National continues: cell phones are not allowed on the course. While some may find that annoying, others view it as a relief.

“It's great,” Janes said. “I waited 45 minutes in line for some merchandise and I just talked (with people). It brings you back to the simple life and how life used to be," he said. "You're not checking your phone every five minutes."

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf