Green Jacket Auctions is proud to offer for auction an authentic Green Jacket.
This Augusta National member's jacket is in exceptional condition. Like many
Green Jackets, the owner's name has been removed to ensure the Augusta National
member who once owned this jacket will remain forever nameless. The idea for
wearing green jackets began in 1937 when an Augusta National member suggested
that member's wear green coats when they host The Masters Tournament so that
spectators would know whom to approach for questions and assistance. Green
Jackets were exclusively for members until 1949, when the jackets were first
given to the winner of the Masters Tournament. Since 1967, the Hamilton
Tailoring Company of Cincinnati, Ohio has been the exclusive producer of Green
Jackets. Before 1967, Green Jackets were produced by Hart, Shaffner & Marx and,
in the early days, Brooks Uniform Company. The company that produces the
Green Jackets does not make everything in-house; the elaborate process includes
piecing together the color Pantone 342 fabric from the Forstmann Company mill in
Dublin, Georgia, the buttons from the famous Waterbury Button Company of
Cheshire, Connecticut, and the Masters Patch from the A&B Emblem Company in
Weaverville, North Carolina.
To simply state that authentic Green Jackets are extremely rare would be a vast
understatement, as only a handful have ever been sold publicly. Even casual golf
fans have heard about Augusta National Golf Club's extreme protection of the
Green Jackets given to their members and Champions. Much of this information,
however, is either untrue or greatly exaggerated. It is true that Augusta
National Golf Club is currently relatively protective over the Green Jackets,
but this was not always the case. In the past, many members and past Champions
have owned multiple Green Jackets and would often keep their jacket at their
home, not at Augusta National Golf Club. Sam Snead said that he owned several
Green Jackets over the years, and even "lost" one. Augusta National
members have also been allowed to order replacement jackets with no requirement
that their previous jacket be returned or destroyed. Members have even
reportedly been allowed to be buried in their Green Jackets! Green Jackets have
also been given as gifts by members on many occasions, most notably the Green
Jacket given by Bobby Jones to a family friend that was famously sold at public
auction for almost $100,000 in the late 1990's. It has also been widely reported
about Gary Player refusing to return his Green Jacket to Augusta National after
his year as reigning Masters Champion expired. Gary Player's Green Jacket
was offered for sale with the remainder of Player's collection for $4 million by
Sotheby's a couple years ago, although a buyer was not found.
Many golf fans have also heard that Masters Champions may only keep their Green
Jacket for one year before returning it to Augusta National; what most people do
not realize is that the returning of the jackets is a relatively new rule that
was put in place by Augusta National. Many previous Masters Champions never had
to return their jackets. In fact, many past Champions or their family members
still have those Masters Champions Green Jackets, - specifically, we know that
Herman's Kaiser's Green Jacket is still owned by his heirs, and Doug Ford's
Green Jacket was actually sold by Ford into a private collection. Gary Player
isn't the only Masters Champion to skirt this infamous rule, either. In April
2002, the Observer Sports Monthly reported that Seve Ballesteros also
refused to return his Green Jacket. And last but not least, many golf
collectors have heard the story of the Green Jacket that was found for $5 at a
Toronto thrift shop in the early 1990's. That jacket currently resides in a
collection in the U.K, and was the subject of an article in the 2007 Masters
Preview edition of Golf International Magazine.
Presented here is a vintage pre-1967 Green Jacket that was produced by Hart,
Schaffner & Marx. This jacket is in great condition. Several
Hamilton-produced Green Jackets have been sold at auction, but this is only the
second Hart, Shaffner & Marx Green Jacket known to be sold publicly. The
only other Hart, Schaffner & Marx Green Jacket was sold by Robert Edwards
Auctions for $37,700 in May 2004. No item better signifies Major Championship
golf than a Green Jacket. Whether this Green Jacket ends up in a museum,
on display at a country club, or in the winning bidder's closet, it will surely
be the centerpiece of any golf collection.
Click on a thumbnail image above to display a larger image below.
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