Since 1997, Marcus Burnell has called the Azalea House in Augusta a bit of a home away from home — fitting, since he’s its owner.
An Indianapolis resident, Burnell commemorated the mystique of the place in June when he hosted a photo shoot with his vintage Masters Tournament badge collection. Included in that collection is the 1934 Masters Tournament ticket that was signed by golf legends Bobby Jones, Horton Smith and Walter Hagen, who was the first club professional at Augusta National.
The Azalea House — a favorite stop for patrons each April when Augusta turns itself into Masters central — contains tons of Masters and Augusta National historic regalia that’s hard to find anywhere else. But the 1934 badge is particularly rare.
According to the Azalea House’s website, azaleahospitality.com, there are just three known 1934 badges remaining in the world with these signatures, and one of those is located at the house.
It’s particularly special for Burnell because 1934, of course, was the first-ever Masters Tournament.
“It’s a really, really nice piece that I love,” Burnell said. “It comes with an authenticity card that states all the information about the ticket. I also have the program. It’s all in remarkable condition.”
Burnell is a resident of Indianapolis and has been coming annually to The Masters since 1997.
“And we’ve been collecting tickets,” Burnell said. “We’ve met a lot of people in town and around the world, and we just love the hospitality and all the things that are part of The Masters. And we wanted to just have a place where we can continue to extend that hospitality. So the Azalea House has been a popular place to hang out during Master’s Week.”
Burnell has been collecting rare Masters memorabilia for as long as he’s been coming to Augusta. It’s one of those things he says just takes on a life of its own once you get started.
“It’s just like anything else. Once you get into it, there’s sort of a world, like an ecosystem, and you get connected to it, and things just start coming to you,” he said. “During Covid, I was bored, so I guess I really turbo charged my collection then.”
Included in his stash is a collection of every badge from each of the six years Jack Nicklaus won. All the badges are signed, and a small, gold plate with the year and winning score is displayed under each.
The June photoshoot was just one of several occurrences where the House will be open between Masters Tournaments. Additionally, Burnell says the House gets donated for use to the Ray Coleman Bridge Club three days a week. And it’s also hosted several charity events during and beyond the Masters with organizations such as First Tee of Aiken, Caddies for a Cure and the Veterans Golfers Association.
It’s all Burnell’s way of stoking the fire of his love for The Masters — a love that was kindled almost 30 years ago with his closest family members.
“My father turned me on to golf and The Masters,” he said. “Living in Indianapolis, we’d been to the Indy 500 a lot. So, once we did The Masters once, I felt like it was a lot like the Indy 500. It’s just special. The people that it attracts and the people that you meet and the relationships you grow over the years. There’s just such a family aspect to it.”
It’s why, despite the deep memorabilia collection, Burnell’s fondest memory wasn’t about the action on the course.
“I’d say my favorite Masters memory is just being able to go with my father in 2001,” he said.
As far as his ever-growing collection, Burnell says as important as it is to him, it’s the connections with people that he’ll continue to treasure.
“It’s the family aspect of it all,” he said. “Everything that’s a part of what we do is all about the great people we meet in Augusta and the great relationships we build there.”
