From the moment it opened its gates in the 1930s, Augusta National Golf Club built its reputation on perfection. And ever since, they have carefully guarded their tradition. in line with this, the club is known to act swiftly against anything it considers disrespectful. Several broadcasters have learnt quickly that coverage here follows different rules, and the consequences can be permanent. One such journalist recently opened up on the issue, narrating how Augusta National handed him a lifetime ban for a “silly” story.

Speaking on God Bless Football with Jon Stugotz Weiner, ex-ESPN commentator Kenny Mayne candidly said, “I’m banned for life from Augusta.”

Mayne then explained how the whole scenario unfolded and added, “Well, I was banned by ESPN. I don’t know if Augusta, maybe they think I’m an okay guy now. I used to cover golf. I used to do the TPC Sawgrass. I know. And I did the US Open every year for like I don’t know, seven, eight years. Me, Vanpel, Andy North, the whole gang. And I would do the silly, you know, takeoff story, right? We did one where we pretended that Fred Funk’s name was something else, but he was a huge Parliament Funkadelic fan, and he wanted to carry that onto the golf world.”

Former ESPN anchor Mayne recently revealed that one light-hearted parody segment during tournament coverage apparently crossed that invisible line. Then he suggested the joke triggered an immediate reaction from tournament officials (and an invitation that never returned).

“I mean, at TPC one year, I just made some smartass comment about, “Well, see at the Masters, you know, where we bring four saucy ladders out to play or, you know, just something stupid, right?” but mentioning that I’m bringing women to play golf and they called into the ESPN truck like we’re still on the air and the people in Augusta are literally…they somehow have the inside number to the truck of course and like HE IS NOT COMING you know so I was never invited to go by my lords.”

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However, this isn’t the first instance. Mayne’s story fits a long pattern. Over the years, photographers, sponsors, and even public activists have found themselves excluded after clashing with Augusta’s strict image control.

The Augusta National Golf Club has banned quite a few renowned entities

Over the years, several popular names have borne the wrath of the Augusta National Golf Club. For example, the legendary golfer Gary Player’s son, Wayne, received a lifetime ban from Augusta. Back in 2021, Wayne held up golf balls for a promotional stunt during the ceremonial opening tee shot in honor of Lee Elder. Unfortunately, this did not sit well with the authorities. As a result, they slapped a ban on the legendary golfer’s son. 

Then, during the 2025 Masters, Jose Luiz Ballester admitted to urinating near Rae’s Creek at Augusta National’s Amen Corner. This caused a significant controversy as he faced calls for a ban. 

Reflecting on his actions, the 21-year-old stated, “I completely forgot that we had those restrooms to the left of the tee box. I really needed to p**. I didn’t really know where to go, and since Justin Thomas had an issue on the green, I’m like, I’m just going to sneak here in the river. Probably people would not see me that much – and then they clapped for me.”

Ballester later apologized for his actions. Additionally, CBS commentator Gary McCord has faced a ban since 1994 after he referred to the greens as ‘bikini waxed’ on-air. Another CBS broadcaster, Jack Whitaker, too, was slapped with a ban of 6 years in 1966 for terming the gallery as ‘mob.’