A humble, single-story home, located just a stone’s throw from the prestigious Augusta National Golf Club, the venue for the iconic Masters Tournament, has become an unlikely emblem of defiance amidst the club’s persistent expansion efforts.
For decades, the club has steadily acquired surrounding properties to enlarge its footprint, investing millions to expand its grounds and facilities. Yet, standing against this tide of development is 92-year-old Elizabeth Thacker, who, alongside her late husband Herman, has consistently declined multi-million dollar offers for the property they have called home for sixty years.
The three-bedroom house at 1112 Stanley Road in Augusta, Georgia, originally built by Herman in 1959, was the central hub for the Thacker family, where they raised their children and later served as a familiar base for their grandson, professional golfer Scott Brown, during his formative years.
The significance of the location is immense. The house sits less than a mile from Augusta National, close to Gate 6, near the clubhouse and the practice area.
Augusta National’s ambition to grow its property is well-documented. Since 1999, the owners of the historic tournament have reportedly spent more than $200 million acquiring properties, expanding their reach by an extra 270 acres.
A Wall Street Journal report from 2019 indicated the club had invested $20 million over 20 years specifically to increase its footprint by roughly three-quarters. The buying spree has continued, with the club spending over $40 million in the past decade alone, often purchasing homes near the Thacker’s property to subsequently bulldoze them.
Augusta National’s property acquisitions have been extensive, significantly reshaping the entire neighborhood surrounding the Thacker residence, prompting many neighbors to accept offers and relocate.
Records suggest some of these acquisitions were made through limited liability companies such as BC Acquisition Co. and WSQ, underscoring the structured approach Augusta National takes in its property strategy.
These efforts highlight the club’s determination to gain land for various purposes, including creating more parking and hospitality areas to enhance the Masters experience.
The offers extended to the Thackers for their property have been exceptionally generous, consistently reported as multi-million dollar sums, which stands in stark contrast to the property’s last assessed value of $338,026 in 2024, according to Yahoo News! property records.
Despite the significant discrepancy between the market value and the offers, the Thackers’ position has remained unchanged. Their refusal to sell dates back years, even before Herman Thacker’s passing in 2019.
In 2017, Herman Thacker articulated their stance succinctly, telling NJ.com that they had no intention of selling, no matter the offer, because, as he put it, “Money ain’t everything.”
Elizabeth Thacker echoed this sentiment, adding simply, “We really don’t want to go.” This shared conviction has persisted, and Elizabeth, despite moving into a care home, reportedly intends to keep the house in the family.
Their daughter, Robin Thacker Rinder, affirmed their continued ownership and her mother’s unwavering stance, telling Fox Business that Augusta National has made numerous offers over the years, each one surpassing the home’s estimated market value.
Robin Thacker Rinder further described her mother to Fortune as possessing a ‘very strong-willed’ nature, a trait that clearly manifests in her firm decision not to sell, even as many others have.
The family’s decision is even more striking when considering the amounts paid for neighboring properties. According to a Fortune report, a neighbor who lived an eleven-minute walk away sold her three-bedroom ranch house to the club in 2018 for $1.1 million.
Adding another layer to their involvement, the Thackers themselves previously sold a different property they owned in the vicinity to Augusta National for a substantial $1.2 million; this was the very residence where their grandson, Scott Brown, lived during his college tenure.
This particular transaction highlights the family’s selective willingness to engage in sales when it aligns with their interests, while simultaneously emphasizing their conscious choice to retain their primary family home on Stanley Road.
Scott Brown, reflecting on his grandparents’ enduring decision to hold their ground, shared his perspective on their reasoning. He admitted that his grandparents’ best move was indeed waiting for more favorable offers, as the initial proposals were ‘pretty laughable compared with what the final few houses went for.’
He noted that offers started at a few hundred thousand and some eventually reached into the millions for later sales. This suggests a strategic patience that, while potentially financially rewarding if they chose to sell now, was primarily driven by non-monetary factors.
Brown also reminisced about the treasured moments and family traditions connected to the home and its proximity to the Masters Tournament. He recalled a cherished family custom of attending the Masters annually before he turned professional, always securing a spot on the 16th hole on Sundays to watch the golfers—a tradition they upheld for eighteen years.
