A 92-year-old refuses to sell her home to the Masters golf course that’s spent $200 million on expansion: ‘Money ain’t everything’
- A 92-year-old whose home is less than a mile from Augusta National Golf Club has fielded multiple offers for her property from the club—but refuses to sell. Elizabeth Thacker has lived in the house for more than 60 years and raised her family there. Her daughter, Robin Thacker Rinder, said her mother is “strong-willed.”
A 92-year-old homeowner who lives less than a mile away from the site of the Masters Tournament refuses to sell her property even as the golf club that hosts it has sought to expand.
Elizabeth Thacker lives in a three-bedroom single-story house on a 0.67 acre lot that was built in 1956, according to property records. It’s a normal-looking home in a far-from-normal location: just outside the north gate of the Augusta National Golf Club.
Thacker lived in the home at 1112 Stanley Road in Augusta, Ga. with her husband, Herman Thacker, and the couple raised their kids there. Their grandson, a pro golfer named Scott Brown, also spent time there as a child, NJ.com reported. Herman Thacker died in 2019 at the age of 86, , [hotlink ignore=true]FoxBusiness reported.
Thacker told NJ.com in 2017 that the couple did not want to leave their home even as Augusta National made offers for the property. The property was last valued at $338,026 in 2024, according to property records, above Augusta’s median listing price of $215,000, according to Redfin. Augusta National has made Thacker multiple offers over the years above the home's estimated value, Thacker’s daughter Robin Thacker Rinder told Fox Business.
Still, the late Herman Thacker told NJ.com in 2017 that the couple was staying put because “money ain't everything.”
Augusta National Golf Club has become a revered athletic landmark as host of the biggest golf tournament in the world, the Masters, and for its superstar winners, including Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer, and Jack Nicklaus.
For years, Augusta National has tried to capitalize on that clout by acquiring surrounding properties for well above their asking price, some through limited liability companies with names like BC Acquisition Co. and WSQ, the Wall Street Journal reported. As of 2019, the club had spent $20 million over 20 years to grow its footprint by about three-quarters, the Journal reported.
A spokesperson for Augusta National did not respond to Fortune’s request for comment.
Through its buying frenzy, the golf club has targeted homes like that of Thacker and her neighbors, and many of them have sold their properties to Augusta National. In 2018, one neighbor sold her three-bedroom ranch home, which is only an 11-minute walk from Thacker’s home, to the club for $1.1 million, the Journal reported. And the Thackers themselves sold another home they owned to Augusta National for $1.2 million, Fox Business reported.
The properties the club buys are mostly razed. Steps away from Thacker’s home, an unpaved parking lot welcomes visitors just outside of the north gate. As attendees visit the club for this week’s Masters, many will likely walk right by the Thacker home to enter the club near the clubhouse and tournament practice area.
Still, Thacker reportedly has no plans to sell, her daughter, Thacker Rinder, told Fox Business.
"Yes, we still own it, and yes, Mom still lives there," Thacker Rinder told the outlet. "She is very strong-willed."
This story was originally featured on Fortune.com