Judge Halts Auction Of Augusta National Green Jackets

Just about anything that originates from Augusta National is deemed valuable. And of all the items, you’d have to believe the exclusive green jacket is at the top of most collector’s desires.

Of course Augusta National officials aren’t too keen on their iconic property being auctioned off like cattle. So they fought hard when Green Jacket Auctions put three up for bid. The auction company punched back.

SI.com’s legal beagle Michael McCann listed the reasons for the dust up.

As mentioned, ANI also contends that Green Jacket Auctions has unlawfully obtained club member jackets. These member jackets, the complaint insists, can “never” be removed from Augusta National, for any reason. Even worn and torn jackets must remain at the club. Damaged jackets are replaced with new ones, but damaged ones can’t exit the property.
 
That is the tradition. Those are the rules.
 
ANI demands that the court enjoin Green Jacket Auctions from selling these “stolen” items and order their return. ANI stresses that under Georgia law, the “true owner of personal property” must return stolen property—even if the defendant had no knowledge the property had been stolen.

According to Green Jacket Auctions’ website, “the actual truth” of Augusta’s policy that green jackets “are not allowed to leave the hallowed grounds of Augusta National Golf Club” is much less storied than the club lets on. Indeed, the auction house asserts on its website that “most early green jackets were discarded or destroyed in an era when they were merely seen as a symbolic garment, not a significant piece of golf history.” Green Jacket Auctions also claims that it has reviewed ANI’s “internal records” and found that the club no longer owns any green jackets that were produced before 1967.

Yesterday a federal court judge made his ruling.

After listening to arguments from each side and asking each pointed questions, U.S. District Chief Judge J. Randal Hall granted a request Thursday that temporarily prevents the sale of three of Augusta National Golf Club’s iconic green jackets.

One of the jackets, the George King jacket, was owned by King, a former member. According to his great-grandson, the jacket has been in the family’s possession for decades, a fact that the Augusta National was made aware of several years ago, Podolsky said.

In making his ruling Thursday, Hall said the policy of the Augusta National concerning the green jackets weighs in the club’s position the jackets belong to the Augusta National. And although the King jacket has been in the King family’s physical possession for some time, it too is subject to the rules and the policy of the Augusta National, Hall said. That there were sales of jackets in the past does not mean the Augusta National has issued a waiver of ownership, Hall said.