Elizabeth Thacker, a 93-year-old widow residing in a care facility and dealing with dementia, persists in her decision not to sell her house near the Masters golf course, despite the Augusta National owners offering her a substantial sum in the millions.
Over the years, the organizers of the renowned golf championship have significantly increased their land holdings by 270 acres, spending a hefty $200 million (£157m) on properties in Augusta since 1999, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
The deals increased the golf club’s total land size by 75 percent — and helped make most sellers of the properties extremely wealthy.
Despite its close proximity to the location where the top golfers in the world will participate in the 2025 tournament, the property at 1112 Stanley Road, established by Elizabeth Thacker and her family in 1959, remains firmly in their possession.
Elizabeth and her late husband Herman, who died in 2019 aged 86, have repeatedly turned down seven-figure offers from Augusta National for their home, which is now by Gate 6 and is still standing despite suffering storm damage from Hurricane Helene last year.
Despite moving into a care home, Elizabeth has no plans to sell up and intends to keep the unassuming three-bedroom house in her family, unfazed and unmoved by the Masters millions after becoming the sole occupant six years ago.
Herman Thacker, who passed away in 2019, and his wife Elizabeth built 1112 Stanley Road in 1959 and watched as their neighborhood slowly vanished while refusing to sell their home
The house is located a stone’s throw away from where the world’s best golfers will tee off at the 2025 tournament this week – and remains under the ownership of the Thacker family
This map of the Augusta National Golf Club shows why the Thacker’s home is so desirable
Her late golf-loving husband Herman previously showcased a similar stubbornness when asked why they planned to keep the property in 2016, telling NJ.com: ‘Money ain’t everything.’
Were it located anywhere else, the home would only be worth an estimated $400,000 (£311,000) – but that fails to take into account the one-story property’s unrivaled desirability, if you’re a golf fan.
The neighborhood surrounding 1112 Stanley Road has been bought up and bulldozed to make room for the spectacle that attracts roughly 40,000 fans each year.
Augusta National owners had planned to demolish the Thacker home to make way for extra parking.
Herman and Elizabeth’s grandson and professional golfer Scott Brown, who grew up in the house, this week opened up on his family’s persistent refusal to sell house, just a couple of days before the 2025 Masters tees off on Thursday.
Speaking to the Telegraph, he said: ‘Basically, they used to have 11 months of privacy because everything else got bought up.
‘They would just brush away the question of “Should we sell?” and, anyway, they could never find anywhere else they wanted to go. They fell in love with the place.’
The family did, however, fetch a sizeable sum from a second smaller property nearby where Brown lived during his years at college — and were rewarded for their patience.
Elizabeth, 93, now lives in a care home with dementia but is still refusing the Masters millions
The couple’s grandson and professional golfer Scott Brown (above) used to live in a second nearby property which was sold by the family to Augusta National owners for $1.2million
Brown pictured with golf great Tiger Woods (right) at the Wyndham Championship in 2015
Although Augusta National owners started by snapping up properties for sales in the hundreds of thousands, they eventually ramped up the offers extortionately.
The Thackers ended up selling the nearby home for $1.2million (£935,000).
‘The best thing they (Elizabeth and Herman) ever did is hold out because some of the original offers were pretty laughable compared with what the final few houses went for,’ Brown said.
‘I think it started out at a few hundred thousand and some ended up going into the millions.
‘He (Herman) took care of me with buying clubs and balls, took me to all the tournaments, and loved watching me play.
‘Every year they had tickets for the Masters and one of our traditions was going over there on Sunday, sitting on 16 and watching every group come through. We did that for 18 years until I turned pro.’
Brown, 41, who is now outside golf’s top 2,000, once rose as high as 107 in the world rankings after winning the 2013 Puerto Rico Open ahead of runner-up Jordan Spieth. He also finished 13th at the PGA Championships in 2017.
But competing at the Masters, just a few strides away from his family’s charming home, was unfortunately an opportunity that eluded him.
Herman once told a reporter, ‘Money ain’t everything’, when asked why they weren’t selling
Were it located anywhere else, the Thacker home would only be worth an estimated $400,000
The 2025 Masters tees off on Thursday, with Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy the favourites
‘I would say the biggest downfall in my career is not getting to play in the Masters because it’s all I ever dreamt about my whole life,’ he added.
‘My grandfather would’ve loved that, but I just happened to win a tournament that didn’t get you in.
‘It’s not like it’s all I ever think about, but I sure would have liked to play one.’
